¡Brutalismo!
Skimming the surface of Eco Brutalism in Latin America
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Brutalism is an acquired taste. Characterized by “honest”, cheap materials (see: concrete and steel) and menacing scale, it’s hardly romantic. Perhaps that’s why Eco Brutalism, also referred to as “Biophilic Brutalism”, is developing such traction online. Eco Brutalism features the harsh, cold lines of traditional Brutalism, softened by rich greenery. While the visual juxtaposition makes a compelling case for the style’s aesthetic stronghold, the screaming (if sophomoric) poetry seals the deal: a single flower grows from a crack in the concrete; Mother Nature prevails in a dystopian near future. You get it.
Today, I find myself in an unlikely Eco Brutalist utopia: an abandoned racetrack in Bogotá, Colombia called “Hippódromo De Los Andes”. Opened in 1978, it caught a ride on the tail end of the original Brutalist wave (Brutalism emerged out of the UK in the late 1950s). It functioned for a mere 9 years before closing. Today, the towering windows give way to a psychedelically green view. Weeds grow in the bathroom. You rolled your eyes at the aforementioned poetry? Too bad, it lives.
Here at the Hippódromo, the greenery snaking up stained concrete is a grim yet beautiful bi-product of abandonment— call it Organic Eco Brutalism. I’ll save the political implications for another essay, perhaps one without shoppable links at the bottom.
Meanwhile, in Puerto Escondido, the Eco Brutalist aesthetic is harnessed and contrived by architects and designers, instead of emerging naturally over time. Check out Casa To, a boutique hotel opened in 2022. Succulents dot the cool, grey walls near the main attraction: a turquoise-blue pool snuggled into a concrete, clay, steel, and wood structure. The contrast in features is so stark, so satisfying, it almost looks AI-generated. This is not a product of abandonment, nor is it Mother Nature taking her revenge. It’s a premeditated kill shot straight to the aesthetic jugular, and it hurts so good.
Below, art and design objects inspired by Eco Brutalism from every corner of the internet (starting at $28):