99% Invisible The Brutalists
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Feb 25, 2025 
Mark Lamster, an architecture critic and educator, joins Avery Truffleman, producer of "Brutalism 101," to dissect the controversial world of brutalist architecture. They explore a film about a struggling architect, revealing the complexities behind the brutalist style. The conversation touches on the misrepresentation of architects in cinema and the emotional responses to concrete structures. Listeners are invited to rethink their perceptions, especially regarding Boston City Hall, once called the ugliest building, now viewed through a historical and aesthetic lens.
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The Brutalist's Architect
- The Brutalist's director mentions Laszlo Toth is inspired by architects like Paul Rudolph and Mies van der Rohe.
- Mark Lamster questions Toth's struggles in Philadelphia, given its existing emigre architect community.
Architects on Film
- Architects in movies rarely focus on actual architectural practice, which is often mundane.
- Instead, they symbolize bourgeois respectability, artistry, and professional success.
The Fountainhead's Architect
- Howard Roark, The Fountainhead's architect, embodies dogmatic modernism.
- He refuses to compromise his vision, even resorting to destroying a housing project.
