Brutalist speaker concept is inspired by an equally brutalist church building

Regardless of religious inclination or lack thereof, the word “church” would often conjure up images of lofty buildings designed to inspire awe or command respect. Of course, church architecture often reflects the trends and styles of their times, and there are indeed churches today that wouldn’t look out of place beside commercial buildings and structures. Of these, the former Church of Saint Agnes in Berlin, now home to the Konig gallery, is perhaps one of the most striking examples of the modern brutalist movement applied to such a structure, and its imposing character happens to be the almost literal inspiration for a desk speaker concept that similarly embraces that spirit of extreme austerity in a beautiful and memorable way.

Designer: Philipp Emrich

Designed by architect Werner Duttmann and finished in 1967, the former Church of St. Agnes, now the Gallery of Konig, stands almost in opposition to common church architectures of that period and the ages before it. Its unadorned, boxy shapes don’t stand out among the rows of concrete buildings that line up most cities, making it feel like just another part of the community. At the same time, however, its austere appearance still cuts an imposing figure that gives the impression of something that is meant to exist on a completely different and higher level.

It’s that same stunning characteristic that the Agnes desk speaker concept tries to convey on a smaller scale. Like the church it takes both its shape and name from, the design is made from two plain rectangular pieces, though the roles are switched. The vertical “bell tower” is actually the main speaker, with the top box providing 360-degree output, while the larger detachable box provides bass on demand.

Like any brutalist design, the speakers express rawness, expressed through metal instead of concrete and accentuated by the use of the simplest geometrical shape and sharp edges. In terms of functionality, however, there is nothing unrefined about the Agnes speaker concept, and it even imagines a feature not found in any 360-degree speaker today. While the lower knob controls the speaker volume, the one above it determines where sound is directed, whether it’s only from the front, from the front and the sides, or from all four sides.

Smart speakers today are trying their best to blend into their surroundings, namely your interior decor, and just like its inspiration, the Agnes desk speaker concept presents a duality in that regard. It definitely mixes well with minimalist designs, but its raw appearance and imposing stature also make it stand out easily, turning what would normally be just a functional appliance into a unique work of art that looks almost out of place and out of time.

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Wedged-shaped full metal keyboard is inspired by the Flatiron NYC landmark

Computer keyboards are designed for utility primarily, with aesthetics often coming in second place if at all. Considering its purpose, that’s not exactly puzzling, but there are thankfully fresh new designs that are giving keyboards more refreshing visuals without changing the standard formula in any way. There are, however, also bolder attempts at carving a completely different character for the humble keyboard, without losing any of its functionality, of course, creating a product that is as much a work of art as it is a piece of engineering. One such piece is this all-metal “Icebreaker” keyboard, presenting a rather radical approach that aims for maximum impact by distilling the design down to its bare essentials, resulting in an almost brutalist form that takes its cues from that iconic steel-framed building in New York City.

Designer: Denis Agarkov (Serene.Industries)

The earliest computer keyboards came with a chunky wedge shape, not for the sake of appearances but almost out of necessity. It offered a naturally inclined plane that was more ergonomic than typing on a flat surface, although the designers of that period may have not been completely cognizant of that. It’s a design convention that today’s keyboards implement using foldable stands in order to accommodate varying user preferences as well as sleeker styles and thinner profiles.

The Icebreaker, in contrast, is unapologetic in embracing that wedge shape and does so in an almost extreme way. It’s actually more of a triangle than a wedge, with the angle facing the user presenting an edge that looks sharp enough to chop wood or even break ice, hence the name. The inclined plane naturally forces your hands to type at a fixed angle, but unlike the first keyboards of old, the design comes with built-in wrist support. When viewed from certain angles, like when the keyboard stands upright on one of its sides, it resembles the Fuller “Flatiron” Building in New York, a piece of architecture that is famed for its unusual shape that represents a cast-iron clothes iron.

Just like that building, or perhaps even more so, the entire keyboard is machined from aluminum, including the keycaps. Unlike your typical keycaps, these are completely concave circles. Even more interesting, the marks on the keys aren’t in the middle but are off to the corners, created using 300-micron micro-perforations. There are no other markings on the keyboard, no color or even backlighting, giving it an industrial aesthetic that borders on brutalism because of its raw, full metal appearance.

Of course, The Icebreaker isn’t just for show and it actually has one feature not found on most keyboards. There’s a programmable dial off the left of the keyboard, a useful tool for creators who constantly scroll through menus and options. It’s definitely an interesting piece of computer equipment, at least visually. Its actual usability and ergonomics, however, are still to be judged when the product actually becomes available for purchase.

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This modular concrete stool blends contrasting elements in a brutalist package

Concrete is not something you’d immediately associate with flexibility and comfort, especially as applied to chairs and tables. The material is great for making outdoor furniture that remains rooted in place until they’re damaged beyond use and repair. They often have fixed forms, too, considering they’re not the easiest things to move or change anyway. That, however, means lost opportunity in shattering expectations and pushing the envelope of what you can do with the material. Fortunately, not everyone is easily intimidated by concrete’s rough demeanor, and this modular stool system demonstrates what’s possible when you start playing around with shapes, colors, and materials.

Designers: one J, Jeongjin Ko, Jinsu Du, Keetae Kim (Superkomma)

In its most basic configuration, the CONECTO stool looks like any ordinary cylindrical stool with a colorful top. That, however, is an illusion, given that the seemingly whole concrete base is actually two half cylinders joined at their flat side. You might take for granted how this “half shape” can be used in a modular fashion, but almost like LEGO, they can become the building blocks of larger stools that can accommodate more people at once.

Joining the two halves on their curved side allows a square “cover” to be put on top for a more traditional stool. Putting half a cylinder on one side extends it a bit for a more comfortable arrangement, but adding yet another half on the opposite side creates an oblong bench. If, on the other hand, you put three full cylinders together in a triangular formation, you can have a bench that can accommodate as many as three people.

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Part of the CONECTO’s modularity is thanks to the acrylic top that joins different pieces together. This material also provides a striking contrast to the concrete base, creating a visually interesting outdoor furniture design. Where concrete is cold, raw, and rough, the translucent acrylic top is softer, colorful, and alive. The stool, whether alone or with others, provides a mix of brutalism and minimalism that could attract people to look and even sit.

The concept for CONECTO’s design also has sustainability as its goal from the get-go, using high-strength UHPC concrete with no harmful compounds. It the future, it is planned to also make use of recycled waste materials, creating an ecosystem that is not only free in its flexibility but also free from negative effects on the environment.

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This brutalist side table enthrones your books and magazines for everyone to see

Most of us have reading materials lying around the house, sometimes in multiple places. There might be books we’ve been trying to finish for months, magazines we’re collecting, or some special coffee table piece that shows off our particular interests. Those with more active reading habits will want some of these to be within reach or displayed within sight, but most shelves and coffee tables serve only one or the other. This side table, however, is able to do both, and it puts your reading materials on a pedestal designed to be both utilitarian yet also appealing in a certain brutalist fashion.

Designer: Hyeonil Jeong

We all have particular tastes in furniture, but most would probably prefer one that looks finished and complete rather than raw. At least for indoor furniture, the go-to materials included finished wood, sandblasted metal, matte plastic, and cut glass, to name a few. Some outdoor furniture tends to look a bit rougher, hinting at their ruggedness and durability. Of course, there’s no hard rule that says these designs can’t mix, like a combination of concrete and metal that makes a powerful statement inside the living room.

The B HOLD side table concept is one such design that is minimalist to the point of almost being raw. The base is a simple concrete cylinder with part of its top hewn to make room for the tabletop. That “top” is made from two pieces of metal joined at an angle, with one forming the flat horizontal surface on which you can confidently place your coffee mug or wine glass.

What makes this design different is the space beneath that tabletop. Inspired by both magazine racks and book stands, it lies at an angle that makes it possible to stack a few books or magazines without any of them falling off. That angle also makes it easy to see those reading materials, particularly the one sitting at the top of the stack. It presents an opportunity to show off what you’re currently reading or a book you want to boast about.

That space won’t be able to fit a whole collection of books, so you’ll have to pick only the best or current volumes. In a way, that limitation does force you to be a bit organized and more discerning, at least with what you want to put on display. The side table design is simple yet effective, raw yet powerful, creating a dedicated space for you to take a breather, sip a cup of coffee or tea, and pull out something to read, all while giving guests a peek at the books that make you, you.

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SOLID CRS-01 is a brutalist alternative to the future of motorcycles

It’s only natural for humans to dream of a better and brighter future, no matter what current realities would seem to imply. That’s why concept designs naturally portray ideal scenarios in design languages that appeal to current design trends, as if those would remain the same in the future. For future vehicles, that often translates to designs with smooth and pleasing curves, clean and clear surfaces, and often light or bright hues. Design trends and styles come and go, of course, and what may be en vogue today might not be fashionable in a decade or so. Clean, minimalist vehicles might not be the future we’ll be facing, and this limited edition motorcycle offers an alternative version, one that may seem rough and perhaps a little bit dystopian.

Designer: Voyager

While vehicles are logically designed with movement in mind, but there are also other factors that need to be taken into account for a machine that can be used by humans. Safety is at the very top of that list, of course, but a vehicle must also be comfortable. The design of today’s cars and motorbikes has undergone decades of refinement and improvement exactly for those reasons, but this commissioned SOLID EV motorcycle seems to throw comfort out the window, at least visually speaking.

The SOLID CRS-01 looks rough, sharp, and almost menacing, properties that are often attributed to the brutalist design style. It’s almost as if sheets of metal were simply folded at sharp angles and assembled together with wheels, engines, and other parts that make a motorcycle move. And, in a way, that’s exactly how this motorcycle was designed. It was conceptualized with a modular approach using cost-effective materials, and the fairing is exactly made from sheet metal.

This gives the motorbike a distinct look where it seems like the world had run out of materials to use or factories to cast metal into a more pleasing shape. Not that the CRS-01 is unattractive, but it does have a more dominating presence compared to motorcycles, both present and future. It definitely doesn’t look comfortable to ride on since its body doesn’t seem designed to take into account the softer and curvier form of the human body. It certainly has character, one that makes it clear it means serious business.

At the same time, it doesn’t look like it will easily come apart or get dinged at the slightest accident, like what some futuristic concept designs portray. It seems more like it was designed for rough terrains and environments, which some would automatically associate with dystopian settings or even the cyberpunk genre. Who knows? That might be what’s waiting for us, though we’d hopefully wise up before that bleak future becomes our present.

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This beautiful brutalist home in Miami is elevated on stilts to fight against rising sea levels

Designed by Rene Gonzalez, this extraordinary brutalist home was designed as a vacation home for a client living in a colder climate for the majority of the year. Deemed, the Prairie Residence, the home was created to tackle the serious issue of rising sea levels in Miami. The threat of sea-level rise has grown considerably in Miami in recent years, hence the city is immensely focusing on elevating streets and imposing rules that require private properties to be placed at a higher ground. This home was elevated on stilts and is inspired by the mangrove forests whose roots allow the easy flow of water. These measures are intended to protect the house from flooding.

Designer: Rene Gonzalez

By adding gardens, parking spaces, and storage at the ground level, the architect has ensured that the living areas are on a higher level, hence providing protection to the residents during floods and hurricanes, while also offering some privacy from the usual hustle and bustle of the city. In fact, in the early 1800s, The Florida Seminole Indians used similar techniques to elevate their Chickee huts, to withstand wet ground, and vermins. Almost a century later, in the 1930s and ’40s, a community of elevated homes called Stiltsville was built over the water in Miami’s Biscayne Bay. These were all used as sources of inspiration for the Prairie Residence, and it’s really interesting to see how Gonzalez merged traditional techniques with modern-day living.

The interiors of the home are raw, brutalist, and stunning. It’s a sprawling and impressive space featuring polished concrete floors. The raised living space floats over a sculptural garden of tropical vegetation, which not only provides drainage but functions as a natural element that is ever-changing depending on the level of water. Floor-to-ceiling windows are further utilized to create a mesmerizing indoor-outdoor connection.

The kitchen has a rather minimal and clean aesthetic, as it’s been completely clad in reflective metal panels. This creates an interesting contrast against the rather concrete vibe of the rest of the home. The main bedroom is double-height and boasts built-in concrete furniture and intricate recessed wall detailing.

A long lap pool surrounded by lush greenery forms a charming backyard space. It’s a private section. You can access the inside of the home through a grated metal catwalk, which serves as a subtle connection between the indoors and the outdoors.

The home is a one-of-a-kind specimen with its tilted concrete walls, hovering aura, and abundance of organic vegetation. Light filters into the home generously at all times of the day, and the elevated living area functions as a rather private oasis in the city of Miami.

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This concrete chair and table pair have their own charm despite their brutalist aesthetic

We’ve come across many designs for tables and chairs, both for those inside the comfort of homes as well as those weather outdoor environments. Given the predominant design trends, many of these leaned toward minimalist styles that had refined forms, polished finishes, and often pleasing curves. While these are often made with different materials, the majority of minimalist furniture is made from wood, even some that are meant to stand in open spaces. Of course, that’s not the only way to make interesting products that catch the eye and provide functional benefits, and these modular pieces of outdoor furniture demonstrate how you can wrap design sense and ingenuity together in a very raw yet aesthetic package made of concrete.

Designer: Ramanna Shrinivas

Minimalism is actually a very broad term that doesn’t exactly dictate the specific style or even the construction of a design. Given its frequent use in product design, especially in furniture, it has almost become synonymous with wooden products that have smooth, often polished surfaces with only one or two colorways. That said, there is also some sense of minimalism in the brutalist movement, especially in architecture. Surfaces and structures are left raw and unpainted, stripping them even of the usual polish you’d see in minimalist products. It is minimalist in a brutal sense, but it can still be beautiful, functional, and even creative.

“Brute” is a concept for furniture that puts brutalist design in a place where it works best: outdoors. The chair and the table have the same basic shape, looking more like overgrown square brackets rather than furniture. The chair is naturally shorter, and a groove on the back where a thick piece of plywood is inserted to function as a backrest. That backrest also offers a visual contrast to the chair, pitting the warmth of wood against the coldness of concrete.

The table’s shape, while similar to the chair, serves a slightly different purpose. While its default position has two of its three surfaces facing forward and are parallel to the ground, it is also possible to set it up on its “legs” for a more traditional table appearance. In this position, however, the brutally minimal set loses its most unique feature.

The brute chair and table are meant to be together, and not just because of their similar aesthetics. There are holes facing outward at the base of each piece where milled still rods can be inserted to join the two in different configurations. While a brute chair can really connect only with a single table, the brute table can accommodate different combinations. It can, for example, be flanked by two chairs, or it can be a chair and another table. Different arrangements can be used to create seating for at most four people.

The brute chair and table system might not win awards in terms of prettiness or polish, but product design isn’t just about appearances anyway. That said, the furniture still manages to look attractive in its own way while offering a kind of flexibility you won’t find in many finished pieces. Granted, it might not be the most comfortable chair to sit on or the most convenient table to use. It still manages to hold one’s attention and provide a much-needed function outdoors, which is always a mark of good design.

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This concrete restaurant merges brutalist architecture with a vertical garden design for an inviting green vibe!

Walking into the Loop Design Studio’s Playground Restaurant, patrons will feel transported to some whimsical greenhouse somewhere in the middle of their concrete city.

When a new restaurant opens up, it has the potential to change the entire vibe of your neighborhood. Restaurants have to make sense of the neighborhood they come into and contribute something new to it. The new Playground Restaurant in the commercial hub of Chandigarh, India tries to do just that by incorporating familiar brutalist and modernist interior design elements and blending those with blooming plant life to give the recognizable concrete look playful, green energy.

A cinder block wall forms an irregular building pattern and merges a concrete look with a vertical garden of potted plants. Overhead, a translucent glass ceiling disperses soft light, and the surrounding walls, plotted with concrete planters and greenery, aerate the restaurant’s open-air space. While markings of the city’s modernist origins appear throughout the restaurant, those are juxtaposed with key biophilic design elements.

The industrial ceiling is softened with vintage hanging lamps and surrounding greenery. Even the walls, made from protruding cinder blocks, are bustling with vines and plant life. The cinder blocks assemble an irregular pattern, stacked on top of one another at varied orientations. Loop Design Studio filled the blocks’ exposed cores with vintage glass Edison light bulbs that emanate warm, golden light and the blocks that jut out from the wall with potted plants.

The wall between Playground Restuarant’s cinder block walls is lined with audio cassette tapes. A woodfire oven sets the stage for the restaurant’s elevated, cozier corner that features terracotta flooring with polished cobalt blue tiles.

Rustic, mismatched wooden tables fill the interior of the Playground, enhancing its cozy appeal. Flanking both sides of a wall lined with audio cassette tapes, the cinder block walls create a sort of shelf system which Loop Design Studio filled up with warm lighting fixtures and plenty of different potted plants, like dracaena and evergreen vines.

The restaurant’s lounge area features webbed woodwork and brass accents to evoke a darker, more romantic mood. By tapping into Chandigarh’s brutalist cityscape while embracing the natural playfulness of biophilic design, Loop Design Studio established a restaurant that feels familiar and sheds new light on the city’s ingrained concrete personality.

Designer: Loop Design Studio

The MESH seating combines colorful furniture design with brutalism

The MESH seating is all about playing with contrasts to create something that’s useful yet beautiful to look at. Take for instance the fact that its base is voluminous and heavy, while the seat itself is a light wireframe, or that the base is dull and gray, while its seat exudes a sense of vibrance and color. The MESH seating comes with a wrought-metal upper that plugs onto a concrete block to combine (and contrast) two visual styles). Perfect for the outdoors, the MESH is equal parts tough-looking yet inviting – a perfect combination of fun playfulness and brutalism.

There’s a certain simplicity to how the MESH is constructed, with a powder-coated metal wireframe that plugs into a tapered-cylindrical concrete base. The unusual combination creates a contrasting visual, and casts a series of wonderful shadows are, in themselves, pieces of art. Designed with ergonomic considerations, the seating are actually pretty comfortable, although your eyes seem deceived by the use of metal and concrete. Besides, with those gorgeously eye-popping colors, who wouldn’t want to sit on them – even if it’s just for the ‘Gram!

Designer: Anurag Sharma