Brutal London is a fun book through London's post-war brutalist architecture that allows you to recreate some of its most interesting and controversial concrete structures, including Alexandra Road Estate, National Theatre, Robin Hood Gardens, Barbican Estate, Balfron Tower and Space House.

Published in 2015 by Zupagrafika, an independent publisher and design studio established in 2012 by David Navarro and Martyna Sobecka. The studio is based in Poland and has a special affinity with Polish Poster School, post-war modernist architecture, and paper. 

The first part of the book features a foreword by Norman Foster and looks at the significance of these buildings with a short chapter on each, complete with texts by John Grindrod, author of Concretopia and photos by Peter Chadwick, author of This Brutal World. It continues with a series of illustrated buildings to be found around the districts of Camden, Southwark, Tower Hamlet, Roehampton and City of London.

Printed on heavy card stock, you can detach and construct both iconic brutalist structures, such as Balfron Tower, Barbican Estate, and National Theatre, as well as social council estates, like Robin Hood Gardens and Aylesbury Estate doomed to premature demolition.

The book is an adaptation of the original Brutal London series of illustrated paper cut-outs first designed and published by Zupagrafika in February 2015. You can’t miss it if you love brutalist architecture and the city of London.

Where to buy

• Zupagrafika
• Amazon
• Waterstones