The brilliant brutalist architecture of Paris celebrated in new map

Publisher Blue Crow Media has released the next segment in its thoroughly researched and carefully designed architecture maps, this time based in Paris.

Blue Crow Media has previously released maps delineating brutalist landmarks across London and Washington. This edition, concentrating on the French capital, is in collaboration with lecturer at the Bartlett School of Architecture Robin Wilson and photographer Nigel Green. Together the pair are part of collaborative art practice, Photolanguage.

Written in both English and French the guide pinpoints over 40 examples of brutalist architecture within Paris including the works of Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer, Jean Renaudie, Renee Gailhoustet amongst many more. The guide additionally features many of the lesser known brutalist buildings in Paris including Pierre Vivien’s spaceship-like Telecommunications Building.

“This map not only guides the reader to discover many of Paris’ boldest and exciting post-war buildings, it also provides a different way to experience Paris as a city,” says Robin. “To explore areas not usually on the tourist itinerary and to encounter some genuinely radical urban environments.” Nigel’s photography featured in the guide is a monochromatic interpretation of the buildings, identifying the vast capacity these buildings have on the streets and skies above.

In recent years brutalist architecture has seen a resurgence and is rising in popularity outside of architecture aficionados. As a style the movement often divides opinion on “whether these buildings were concrete eyesores or design icons,” says the publisher. However, Brutalist Paris Map “is designed to affirm the value of these buildings and to inspire further considerations of Brutalist architecture today”.