To its detractors, Brutalism is an architectural blight—a collection of cold, imposing concrete monoliths that alienate the public and disfigure the urban landscape. Yet, this view overlooks the profound social idealism that animated the movement. Far from seeking to intimidate, mid-century Brutalist architects aimed to create democratic, functional spaces that celebrated raw materials and rejected the superficial ornamentation of the past. The massive concrete structures were intended as monuments to civic life, housing schools, libraries, and public housing in structures that wore their structural integrity on their sleeves. To view these buildings merely as grim monuments of authoritarian design is to misread their creators' earnest, if sometimes overbearing, commitment to egalitarian progress.
Based on the passage, which of the following best describes the author’s attitude toward the creators of Brutalist architecture?
- sympathetic to their idealistic social vision, despite acknowledging their overbearing executionAnswer
- Bcritical of their failure to consider how their designs would affect the general public
- Cmocking of their attempt to disguise authoritarian design as democratic progress
- Dindifferent to their social goals, focusing instead on the durability of their materials