The concrete correspondent: National Theatre, London
Architectural photographer Jo Underhill is Umbrella's very own concrete correspondent. In this occasional column she spotlights locations captured as part of her Beautiful Brutalism series.
Location: National Theatre, London | Architect: Denys Lasdun | Completed: 1976
“I don’t want anything to come between people experiencing the theatre and your drama. They have in a way to use the concrete reality of the building, not tarted up in any way. It must just be space, walls, light. And the ornaments of the building are people moving around.”
– Denys Lasdun
The National Theatre holds a special place in my heart. Not only does it combine my two loves: theatre and brutalism, but it was the first building I photographed for my ongoing Beautiful Brutalism project.
While photographing its imposing fly towers, beautiful ‘shuttered’ concrete and amazing waffle-ceiling details I started researching its architect Denys Lasdun – and brutalist buildings more generally.
The idea for my project began to form. I wanted, not only to document these buildings, but hopefully do more than that: to change people’s ideas about them being ugly ‘concrete carbuncles’.
I just couldn’t understand the hatred. Of all the buildings built during this era, the National Theatre probably received most criticism from the public, but if you look, really look, you can see the sheer passion and understanding Lasdun had for concrete as a building material.
It took him 13 years to build, it wasn’t just thrown up in a year. Throughout the building you can see that attention to detail and high level of craftsmanship.
I was particularly drawn to the shuttered concrete walls. Carpenters made wooden moulds – or ‘shutters’ – in which the concrete was poured and left to set. Once removed, the concrete was imprinted with the reverse texture of those boards. Lasdun tried many woods before concluding that Douglas fir imprinted the most pleasing texture.
It’s little details like this that I love – and hope my photography highlights.