The world's first museum dedicated entirely to Brutalism is set to open in London

Since the 1960s, when it began to spread, Brutalism has remained a fascinating and controversial architectural movement: on the one hand, praised as “raw poetry” in which the objectivity of exposed materials (concrete, glass, brick, steel) and massive, stark volumes was synonymous with a civic commitment to building to cope with the “powerful and confusing forces” of mass society (Smithsons, 1956); on the other, it was stigmatised as an expression of greyness that often degenerated into decay, especially in the suburbs. And if Brutalism is still a topic of debate today, it is no coincidence that a museum is dedicated to this movement, and that this museum is located in the United Kingdom, the country where it all began: a unique case at an international level because, although the theme has been widely covered by exhibitions, urban itineraries, temporary installations and digital archives (including the online platform SOS Brutalism), a physical exhibition space (both material and digital) on the subject has been lacking until now. It will be realized – in a Brutalist building, no less – by Reed Watts Architects, who designed the renovation of the iconic hexagonal assembly hall (a Grade II listed building) in the Acland Burghley school complex in Camden, completed in 1968 by Howell Killick Partridge & Ami and one of the few last remaining brutalist schools in the United Kingdom.  The hall is a manifesto of brutalist “ethics” in form and content: the essential volume with raw, natural materials (wood and concrete) used without formal intermediation was conceived as the beating heart of the complex, designed to host a variety of functions and emphasise the educational institution’s community ethos.  Long used by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, over time the hall underwent incongruous modifications that altered its original character. 

The renovation project, developed by the studio in collaboration with school staff, users and local authorities, aimed to restore the space to its original characteristics, improving its usability, accessibility and environmental performance (through the overhaul of systems, accesses, furnishings, technical and reception areas) and transforming it into a “Hall for All”: a community hub that will host exhibitions, events and performances, as well as the MOBA, the first Museum of Brutalist Architecture in the country (and the world) with permanent exhibitions and an archive, complementing the content currently available digitally. Work is scheduled to begin in summer 2026 and be completed in 2027.

Opening image: Acland Burghley school, Tufnell Park. Photo Jim Osley via Wikimedia Commons