Excerpts from Paul Rudolph’s sketchbook

It seems like every other week another example of Brutalist architecture is being demolished or fast approaching the brink of destruction. Brutalism’s steady demise is especially present when it comes to the buildings and homes designed by the somewhat infamous Paul Rudolph.

Although Rudolph is highly revered by many, his buildings are often violently despised by those who have to exist in their presence. Most of his critics point out that his buildings are overly authoritative, completely dysfunctional, inhospitable and confusing. Such complaints are understandable, as Rudolph believed that architecture should “excite and challenge its occupants.” His designs often included numerous ramps and stairwells that lead nowhere, and an external aesthetic that visually decimated the surrounding area.

Looking back on his sketchbook, full of unrealized potential and Utopian flights of fancy, it’s easy to marvel at such brash and monolithic designs, as our current architecture is much slicker and less ambitious than Rudolph’s mad vision of a new world completely dominated by ultra-dynamic concrete fortresses.

- Douglas Haddow