Buildings designated brutalist in style were largely built in the 1960s and 1970s, exuding an aura of daring, uncom promising design today. It is the French term brut , meaning raw or unrefined, that lent its name to this particular architectural phenomenon. Vilified for decades as the step-child of modernism, brutalist architecture is now enjoying an astonishing comeback as the latest discovery among digital trendsetters. As well as fascinating users across social networks, brutal - ism is also inspiring contemporary architecture. Large- scale sculptural forms, coarsely finished materials and floor plans that defy convention merge with contemporary design to generate enthralling new creations. This book offers a sophisticated overview of post-war and contemporary brutalist buildings and of the relationship - in ap pearance and design, in the grand concepts and the small est details - between brutalism today and its ancestors.