Brutalist Interiors – Symbol of times gone by.

The online magazine BauNetz recently reported on this, writing: “The book focuses on interior design. Renowned photographers from the network of publisher Derek Lamberton have documented 100 projects in 30 countries – from sacred spaces and historic buildings to private living areas. The illustrated book provides insights into houses that are mostly not accessible to the public.”

“The general public is still repulsed by brutalist architecture,” believes Lamberton. That is why the book aims to counter the common assumption that brutalist architecture is cold and cruel, and to highlight its human component.

The publisher Blue Crow Media is convinced that the newly published book “offers a rare and richly documented exploration of the concrete spaces that define many of the world’s most significant Brutalist works. Moving beyond the façade, this volume presents a global narrative of Brutalist interior architecture – from sacred structures and civic monuments to private dwellings and contemporary reinterpretations – through new photography and original critical essays.”

With contributions by leading architectural writers and historians – including Blake Gopnik, Ewan Harrison, Deane Madsen, Gili Merin, Naomi Pollock, Ljubica Slavković, Felix Torkar and Rixt Woudstra – the book foregrounds the conceptual and material intelligence embedded within Brutalist interiors. These essays offer a nuanced examination of the ethical and aesthetic imperatives that shaped Brutalist design, as well as the social and political conditions in which these interiors were conceived and constructed.

Photographs by renowned photographers such as Iwan Baan, Roberto Conte, Leonardo Finotti, Stefano Perego and Simon Phipps capture the austere beauty, formal precision and spatial dynamism of interior environments that are frequently overlooked or inaccessible. Featured projects include Denys Lasdun’s work in Ghana, Tadao Ando’s concrete meditations in Japan, and Moshe Safdie’s iconic Habitat 67 in Montreal, alongside interiors across Europe, Asia, South America and North America. These spaces – often threatened – are documented here with rigour and clarity, making Brutalist Interiors both an essential visual archive and a critical intervention.

Edited by Derek Lamberton and published by Blue Crow Media the book reflects a commitment to intellectual rigour and considered design. With large-format pages, tactile materials and a restrained typographic palette, Brutalist Interiors is conceived as both a reference work and a collector’s object, inviting reflection on the intersections of architecture, ideology and material culture.

This hardback book measures 26 x 18.5 x 2.3 cm. Printed in Italy on lovely heavy stock paper, it includes a foreword, seven essays, and over 100 photographs. It can be ordered online here.