Studio Brief 1 - To Kill a Mockingbird - This Brutal House

Peter Chadwick of Popular Studio

This Brutal House is a website dedicated to Brutalism and aims to use the architectural style as inspiration for other formats of design. Chadwick has taken Brutalist architecture and re appropriated it in other forms to make it more functional and appealing, creating a new perspective on the style which many see as ugly and dated. Chadwicks documentation of the style aims to create inspiration for a range of creatives. Through recording the architectural style he aims to preserve it.

His poster series based around Thamesmead uses original recordings and press coverage about Thamesmead from the 1960s and 1970s. Using these quotes gives an insight into public opinion about the style which were negative. When comparing these quotes with Chadwicks work, which refines elements to shapes and textures in a minimalist way, a juxtaposition of the style is created showing Brutalism in a new way. 

Orange is used across a range of the posters in reference to the film a Clockwork Orange which was filmed there. The use of orange creates a strong contrast between the monochromatic photographs and graphics.

Other areas around London, which were once rundown have been redone, whereas Thamesmead has been left to disrepair and decay.  The use of textural 'swatches' on his poster series highlights the gritty feel to the architecture but contrasts this with flat colour to create striking designs. Depth is created in the work through the use of layering photographic elements with transparent colours over the top. The use of large typographic elements and symbols combined with imagery of the buildings creates a sense of scale, making them look like huge structures themselves.