Photographer Marietta Varga's dreamy utopian vision for London's brutalist architecture

Often associated with a socialist utopian ideology, brutalist architecture continues to be a topical modernist movement of the early 20th century, and one that continues to spark debate today. Love them or hate them, the raw concrete tower blocks and shopping centres from the 1950s to the mid-1970s are very much part of our urban landscape.

Via Creative Boom submission. All images copyright of Marietta Varga

Via Creative Boom submission. All images copyright of Marietta Varga

For her latest series, Raw Hill photographer Marietta Varga (featured previously) wanted to highlight a number of brutalist buildings in London – National Theatre of Great Britain, The Barbican and the Alexandra Road Estate – with the aim to change hearts and minds. By using two subjects, posing in around these buildings, she wanted to draw attention to the "characteristic playful aesthetics" and "artistic value" of brutalist architecture.

"Functional, raw, stunning, monumental, special, ugly, geometric, massive, representative, beautiful, rough – people usually have very divided opinions about brutalist architecture," says Marietta. "Many might only associate the movement to political trends and the ideology of an era that is often associated with a negative spirit, forgetting its artistic value and particular beauty."

Born in Siófok, Hungary, Marietta graduated with a photography degree from the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest. She now lives and works in London. Discover more of her beautiful work on Behance or Instagram.

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