It divides opinion, but brutalist-style design can be deployed to great effect in the kitchen. In this lookbook, we collect eight recent examples.
The kitchen is often the most utilitarian space in the home, lending itself to the industrial tendencies of brutalism – the raw, concrete-centric design movement associated with the post-war period.
Below, we have selected different approaches to the brutalist kitchen, occupying newly built houses as well as apartments in 1970s high rises.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring kitchens that are colourful, fitted in metal and finished with brick floors.
Bruj, Canada, by Studio Jean Verville Architecte
Canadian architect Jean Verville pushed the brutal aesthetic to extremes with the apartment he designed for himself in a 1970s tower in Quebec City.
In the kitchen, stainless-steel commercial restaurant furniture heightens the brooding effect of raw concrete walls and exposed services, punctuated by two bright-yellow, wall-mounted adjustable lamps to provide light for food preparation.
House of Seven Floors, Czech Republic, by Malý Chmel
Matte grey units complement concrete floors, walls and ceilings in the kitchen of this family home in the Czech Republic designed by local studio Malý Chmel.
The counters are organised along a wall that is partially subterranean, with the multi-level house conceived by the architects as a “vertical cave”.
Find out more about House of Seven Floors ›
Kier, Germany, by Demo Working Group
German architecture studio Demo Working Group chose to use cool tones and reflective surfaces to provide a subtle contrast to the heavy concrete walls inside this apartment in Cologne.
In the kitchen, this takes the form of a mirrored backsplash, a lab-style green plastic countertop and glossy white tiles, as well as frosted-glass partition walls.
Casa 1736, Spain, by H Arquitectes
A large timber storage unit softens the rough-hewn gravelly concrete walls and steel kitchen island in Casa 1736, a house in Barcelona designed by Spanish studio H Arquitectes.
In one direction, the kitchen opens onto a triple-height atrium that serves as a living room, while in the other a large walled garden is accessible via folding doors.
Find out more about Casa 1736 ›
Trellick Tower flat, UK, by Archmongers
This duplex flat, inside London’s famous Trellick Tower, received a makeover from architecture studio Archmongers that sought to emphasise the building’s brutalist character – especially in the kitchen.
Here, speckled brown-and-cream terrazzo combines with brushed stainless-steel counters, white cabinets and matte-black linoleum flooring.
Find out more about this Trellick Tower flat ›
Pearls on Swine, India, by Multitude of Sins
Multitude of Sins founder Smita Thomas elected to inject a touch of whimsy into the brutalist leanings of her apartment in Bengaluru.
Grey was used for the kitchen floors, walls, ceilings, worktop and some of the cupboards, but the oven is blue and the knee-height units and skirting boars are pink, while a railed ladder adds a further element of fun.
Find out more about Pearls on Swine ›
Putney Riverside, UK, by VATRAA
London studio VATRAA took a brutal-yet-gentle approach to the kitchen in its extension to this Victorian terraced house in Putney.
The floor is polished concrete, as are the waterfall countertop and kitchen island, but the walls were rendered in pale plaster and the cupboards are stained oak, ensuring that the overall effect is serene rather than industrial.
Find out more about Putney Riverside ›
Villain House, Spain, by Architecture Office Claudia Raurell
Textures collide in the kitchen at Villain House, a concrete home in Barcelona by local studio Architecture Office Claudia Raurell.
A large, sleek metal island dominates the split-level space, contrasting with a roughly furrowed concrete wall and spongey ceiling panels.
Find out more about Villain House ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring kitchens that are colourful, fitted in metal and finished with brick floors.
The post Eight brutalist kitchens where cooking meets concrete appeared first on Dezeen.
