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Bristol’s Brutalist gems
The best of Bristol’s Brutalist architecture is celebrated in a new zine.
Both “iconic” buildings such as Clifton Cathedral and “hidden gems” including a small church in Hartcliffe are included in Brutal Bristol.
Alongside short essays, there are photographs of structures that one might not immediately associate with Brutalism including the Bearpit and the M32.
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The Plimsoll Bridge control tower is no longer in use – photo: Martin Booth
Writing in the zine, David Griffiths said that Bristol “is not a Brutal city in the way that we think of Coventry or Birmingham or one of the post-war new towns like Milton Keynes”.
“There are plenty of Brutalist gems in Bristol, but the city has constantly evolved for the last 1000 years and continues to do so. Brutalism is just one part of this story…
“Although often thought of as ugly, squat, lacking in variety, and imposing, there are plenty of Brutalist buildings that use concrete to express a sense of lightness and grace (Clifton Catholic Cathedral is one example in Bristol).
Clifton Cathedral featured in ‘Brutal Bristol’, with all money raised from zine and print sales donated to FareShare South West
“Similarly, while the quintessential Brutalist building is the towering high rise block there are plenty of smaller buildings constructed in the post-war era that use concrete to achieve unique and subtle effects.
“The iconic Bristol Brutalist buildings are the city centre car parks and the Castlemead building dominating Castle Park.
“But there are many other interesting buildings scattered around the city that deserve to considered as fine examples of Brutalism – various small churches, including a Hartcliffe church dominated by an enormous concrete cross taller than the building itself.”
Rupert Street car park as seen from Rupert Street – photo: Martin Booth
Griffiths added: “In my opinion, two of the most interesting Brutalist structures in Bristol are not even buildings in the traditional sense.
“The sunken Bearpit roundabout is one of the symbols of Bristol, and illustrates both the innovation of the post-war city planners and their lack of foresight.
“While conceived as a public space, an oasis of calm, perhaps, in the middle of a busy city-centre road system, it has suffered from becoming associated with crime, and has, at various points, been considered a no-go area in the heart of the city.
“I would also claim the M32 as an iconic piece of Bristol Brutalism. Once Britain’s shortest stretch of motorway, it exists to link the city centre with the M4 and the M5.
“It is hard to think what better symbolises the idealism and short-sightedness of the post-war town planners better than a three-mile stretch of road intended to link the city to the wider country but built at the expense of pushing it through some of Bristol’s poorest communities, dividing the eastern half of the city in the process.”
The M32 ripped tightly packed neighbourhoods of Bristol in half – photo: Martin Booth
Zine editor Tom Benjamin told Bristol24/7: “After visiting Bristol and seeing some phenomenal buildings I wanted to put something together that reflected my visit.
“Some of my highlights were included in the final zine: Clifton Cathedral, Broadmead Baptist Church and Redcliffe to name a few.
“I had recently found a community of like-minded artists on social media and when I put the idea to them they were really keen to get involved and contribute.
“FareShare South West was able to provide over 1,600 meals to local communities with the money raised during the first print and it would be great to use the zine to do that again.”
To buy Brutal Bristol, visit ourshadowswillremain.bigcartel.com/product/brutal-bristol
Main photo: Martin Booth
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