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Maria Haka Flokos's avatar

I agree about the sustainability issue. Concrete has a full life of about fifty years. It is a miracle post war buildings in Europe are still standing. I live in an apartment building constructed in the late seventies, an old one by concrete standards, but the whole city of Athens is built like that!

One reason for this choice of material, is the earthquake factor. In the Mediterranean, the size of earthquakes far exceeds those in the North. Houses in Britain, especially the common semi, would not be able to withstand such magnitudes without the assistance of a steel/or concrete frame.

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Rosie Millard's avatar

Good point, although the drone shots after the earthquake in southeastern Turkey last year show that the houses were extremely vulnerable.

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Maria Haka Flokos's avatar

Absolutely so. But these had been built bending the rules as to earthquake standards. It was a crime for financial gain. Because apart from substandard housing, that collapsed, the majority were newly built, cutting corners.

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Charlotte Raffo's avatar

I must see this - it’s showing in Leeds at Hyde Park Cinema…On the day I’m in London!

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Rosie Millard's avatar

The BFI will be streaming it in March. Check it out on the website. It is AMAZING.

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Nancy Durrant's avatar

This sounds fascinating - look forward to hearing what you think about The Brutalist, unless I've missed you writing about it already

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Rosie Millard's avatar

I haven't seen it yet! VERY much looking forward to it. Thanks for your comment today x

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Wendy Varley's avatar

Architecton sounds really interesting, thanks for the tip, Rosie. I've been reading The Atlas of Brutalist Architecture this week (or rather poring over the photographs). So much concrete! I'm never sure whether I love or hate Brutalism, but there is something monumental about the buildings.

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Rosie Millard's avatar

You must go on one of the Barbican tours around the building - its not strictly speaking a Brutalist structure, but you learn a lot about the architecture of that time and the Brutalist influences. I think they run every day and they are conducted by people who live in the Barbican flats (lucky things). Thanks for your post!

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Wendy Varley's avatar

The Barbican is included in the book, even if it’s not a “purist’s” example!

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Mark Diacono's avatar

I didn't know about the film and shall go in search - another pleasure of a read, and as irony would have it, on the train heading to London

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Rosie Millard's avatar

You and me both!,

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