a short while after we discussed our love for modular systems, we are talking about grids again. this isn’t just a graphic-designer-turned-textile-person’s obsession — they structure our cities, inform our screens, and quietly underpin almost every page layout and pattern we encounter. but beyond their role in organising space, grids can be a springboard for creativity, allowing designers to build complexity from simplicity. this post explores the grid not as a constraint, but as a tool of liberation — from early modernism to contemporary practice, including how zitozza plays with modularity in its textiles.
The Grid as Modernist Foundation
grids found their spiritual home in early modernist movements. bauhaus, and de stijl artists in particular, like piet mondrian reduced visual language to the essential: horizontals, verticals, primary colours. continuing the idea after the war, the swiss style emerged in the mid-20th century, with designers like josef müller-brockmann using grids to create visual harmony in posters and editorial layouts.
this was design as a rational act — about clarity, neutrality, and structure. the swiss grid system created a framework where typography and imagery could be arranged with precision. it was less about decoration and more about logic, a way to strip back the unnecessary and design a hierarchy of information.
speaking of the swiss — we love brutalism here, so now is the time to mention le corbusier, one of the most influential figures of architecture in the 20th century. in his seminal work towards a new architecture, 1923), he argues for a new visual order grounded in function, technology, and standardisation.
le corbusier's urban visions, particularly the ville radieuse and the controversial plan voisin, proposed cities built on a grid: modular, repetitive, efficient. these were not just aesthetic gestures but ideological ones, attempts to impose order on the chaos of industrialised life.
the city becomes a machine for living. blocks of buildings aligned on rigid axes, roads intersected at clean right angles (and roundabouts - think about glenrothes!), and light, air, and greenery were prioritised through geometric planning. the social and emotional consequences of these ideas are still felt today, but their influence on modern urban environments is undeniable.
the outskirts of bratislava, by SI Imaging Services / Imazins (source: getty images)
the outskirts of bratislava, by SI Imaging Services / Imazins (source: getty images)
Grids in Graphic and Interface Design
in contemporary graphic design, the legacy of the swiss grid lives on in everything from magazine layouts to responsive web design. grids provide consistency across platforms and allow for flexibility within a rational structure.
this is something i have less experience with but it has translated on from print to digital, and in UI/UX design, it is the grids that make digital interfaces feel coherent and navigable. the hidden scaffolding of columns and gutters supports typographic hierarchies and interactive elements, creating experiences that are intuitive without drawing attention to their structure.
The Balance Between Structure and Creativity
but the grid isn’t just about order. it can also serve as a space for subversion. architects and designers often use grids to set expectations — then disrupt them. breaking the grid, or the grid itself, can both become a statement - think about the iconic tables of superstudio.
in textile design, modularity offers a similar tension. zitozza's approach to block printing starts with fixed elements—repeating tiles, geometric forms — but introduces variation through placement, layering, and colour. a grid may begin the composition, but it rarely contains the outcome. it's not unlike building a city out of toy blocks: rules exist, but imagination ultimately dictates the layout.
Grids as a Living Language
grids, like language, evolve. they provide a shared syntax for designers, architects, and urbanists, but are constantly reinterpreted across time and context. from the pure geometry of modernism to the playful modularity of contemporary practice, the grid remains one of design's most enduring tools.
at zitozza, we embrace this legacy. our new collections explore grids as both framework and provocation. they are starting points, not boundaries.
after all, there is joy in structure. and sometimes, the most surprising creativity begins with a line drawn straight.
we’re back and finally able to sit down with our thoughts after having watched (and somewhat forgotten about) the brutalist movie. in that review i encouraged the research into the work of the real-life hungarians and brutalists whose lives the fictional story was based on - and i decided to start with marcel breuer since i received a great book about his work for last christmas.
those into design will know this already but i always like starting with the facts, he was born in 1902 in pécs, southern hungary and was one of the youngest students (and mentors) at bauhaus. he went on to establish his own practice in berlin, and after a two-year stint in london he moved to the states in the 1930s, first to teach architecture at harvard, then later to new york city where he continued to practice until the late 1970s.
the cesca chair, 1928
the wassily chair, 1925
for those into design, it’s also easy to recognise the heavy concrete masses of marcel breuer’s brutalist buildings — the hulking cantilevers and deep shadows of the 1960s and 70s that have since become icons of modernist architecture. but what’s more compelling than their visual impact is the thread that connects them to breuer’s earliest work. his design logic didn’t emerge suddenly in béton brut — it evolved from an obsession with functionality, structure, and modularity that was evident from the very start.
before architecture of course, there was furniture. in the 1920s, as a young bauhaus student, breuer designed the wassily chair using steel tubing — a radical departure from traditional craft at the time. lightweight, repeatable, and industrial, the chair wasn’t just functional: it was a system. breuer’s approach treated each part as a modular unit, capable of being assembled into something greater than its parts. this thinking didn’t just define his early designs — it forecast an entire architectural philosophy.
IBM research centre, la gaude, france
IBM research centre, la gaude, france
UNESCO headquarters, paris
UNESCO headquarters, paris
fast forward a few decades of immense architectural output (his practice designed more than 100 buildings), and the same logic manifests on a much larger scale. buildings like the UNESCO headquarters in paris (1951-1958), the IBM research centre in la gaude (1960-1961) or the iconic whitney museum in new york (1963-1966) carry the same DNA — modular systems, articulated forms, and a deep respect for material honesty. breuer’s concrete isn’t decorative. it’s structural, expressive, and fundamentally rational.
the book i’ve been reading — published in 1970s, written by máté major, long out of print, with that peculiar warmth of faded paper and sans serif fonts — documents this journey. the photographs, drawings, and models inside don’t romanticise his work; instead, they reinforce the relentless clarity of his method. whether designing a chair or a cultural institution, breuer asked the same questions: how can material, form, and repetition serve both function and expression?
whitney museum, new york
whitney museum, new york
as someone with a hungarian background myself, i’ve always felt a connection to breuer — not just because of the cultural context of course (despite our country being somewhat late and reluctant to recognise him), but because of how he saw the world through systems. that kind of thinking, for me, translates into surface design: building pattern from modules, constructing rhythm, shaping repetition. of course, my materials are softer, but the logic is not so different.
breuer reminds us that beauty can be found in structure — in the clarity of parts assembled with intention. whether it’s furniture, architecture, or textiles, that modular imagination still resonates.
i wanted to write this blog post for a long time but never knew where or when to start - but if that’s the case, then any time is good i guess, so why not share these thoughts now. this is pretty much the main “why” of what i do, and it just explains why i’m so interested in architecture as an inspiration. when we think about home decor, and specifically textiles, the sharp geometries of modernist and brutalist architecture isn’t always the first influence that comes to mind. yet, at zitozza, it’s at the heart of every pattern. the geometry of a brutalist facade, the rhythm of windows on a high-rise, or the weathered texture of a concrete wall — all of these architectural details find their way into our hand-printed textiles. but how does a building become a rug?
Finding Beauty in Structure
architecture is all about structure, rhythm, and materiality — elements that also define textile design. just as an architect carefully considers proportions and spatial balance, a good pattern plays with repetition and symmetry. the block-printing process we use mirrors this approach: each block is a building block, quite literally, in the design.
From Facades to Fabric
consider, for example, our TÉGLA collection. inspired by the bold, repeating brickwork of modernist and brutalist buildings, the pattern distills architectural structure into textile form. what might seem cold or industrial in concrete becomes warm and tactile when printed on fabric. the transition from one material to another changes how we experience the design, bringing an unexpected softness to rigid geometric forms.
Materiality Matters
the choice of materials is just as deliberate in both fields. architects think about light, shadow, and surface—how materials weather over time, how they interact with their surroundings. with textiles, texture plays a similar role.a pattern printed on jute has a different presence than one printed on cotton; the roughness of the fabric enhances the depth of the ink, just like roughcast concrete reveals layers of shadow and light.
Bringing Architectural Thinking into Interiors
so how does this translate into interior design? architects and designers often work with a restrained, neutral palette, focusing on form and function. patterned textiles — especially those inspired by architecture — can complement this aesthetic by adding a layer of depth and storytelling. whether it’s a cushion that echoes the lines of a city skyline or a rug that captures the essence of a tiled facade, these pieces allow architectural appreciation to extend beyond the built environment and into the home.
A Living Connection to Design
so i guess how i want to create a dialogue between buildings and interiors, between public spaces and personal ones, the external and the internal: by bringing the architectural influences onto textiles. i really believe that the interior of a designed space can reflect the same thoughtfulness, structure, and material integrity that define great architecture on the exterior. and in doing so, it becomes not just a space to live in, but a place designed with intention.
hello again! we have some news for you, or more like, a review. not a building or a book this time, but a fictional story which i’m not that used to. however when something titled “the brutalist” came onto the scene about a hungarian, of course i felt obliged to visit the cinema for the third time in the decade and i thought i’d share my thoughts with you.
i want to emphasise though, that i am not a story person, it’s probably personally my fault that cinemas are dying, i can’t keep up with any series and, despite loving books and reading, the last piece of fiction i read was probably in high school. i am not proud of this, i am just providing some context for this review so you can safely ignore my take and go view it yourself. the first thing i want to say that it is beautifully made and you can tell that everyone involved in the making of this film took their craft extremely seriously. it is rather spectacular, filmed with a 1950s technique called vistavision, and it’s quite something i recommend watching in the cinema. there is an interesting score throughout, the writing moves at a decent pace despite the long runtime and the actors all do a fantastic job (with a bit of ai enhancement- the hungarian did sound fluent mind you.)
the second thing i want to say about this film though that if you were expecting to see a lot of cool design and beautiful architecture, you will be disappointed. when i first read about the story, following a hungarian-born brutalist architect finding his feet in america after the war, i was hoping it would be more closely inspired by icons such as marcel breuer, lászló moholy-nagy, or even ernő goldfinger but it is a different story. most crucially, our fictional hero, lászló tóth (adrien brody) was unfortunately not able to escape the horrors of the holocaust and moves to america only after having survived it, in 1947, having to start his life and career all over again.
the long runtime is split across two halves, and in the first half, taking place from 1947 to 1952, we see him taken in by a relative (alessandro nivola) who gives him a job in his furniture shop in a small town in pennsylvania, where he meets a wealthy businessman (guy pearce) who will later hire him to design as a sort of memorial to his family for the community, a cultural and sports centre with a library and a church (yes, all that in one building.)
watching this half of the movie i thought this film should be titled “the modernist” instead, as we see him in a quite contemporary struggle of being radical and different in a somewhat more conservative environment. this would be fairly relatable to any millennial i’d imagine, but i’m not sure how true to the depicted age it really is. at one point he creates a steel frame furniture set, reminiscent of something by marcel breuer, only to be met with indifference and rejection. in real life the cesca chair for instance, was a huge hit that would influence furniture design for the rest of the century and further, and, by 1948, it was already a 20-year old design. i’d imagine even in small town pennsylvania it would not be seen that unusual - this is still the country of charles and ray eames. for more context, the new bauhaus, founded by the very real lászló moholy-nagy, was already open in chicago for about a decade by then.
instead of joining them, his supposed ex-colleagues, our hero shovels coal until he gets hired by guy pearce’s unscrupulous character - if this is a metaphor of the loneliness of the average 2010s creative trying to get by in a foreign country with an evening job whilst on an unpaid internship in the hope of securing their first temporary contract at a big-name studio surviving on lawsuit payouts over half-built vanity projects, then i guess it works - i can assure you that an entire generation got the t-shirt.
however as a believable story set in a golden age of industry and building, it does not work as much, although i only have the word of art history books as i was not alive at the time. i do accept that cutting edge modernism wasn’t ever truly “mainstream” as such, but during the time the film was set, it was at least desired, aspirational, and, i’d imagine, decidedly cool. the second half of the movie picks up in 1952 - modernism is massive in the states by now, and for a bit of global context, despite still the rationing, festival of britain is already happening across the atlantic, chandigarh is being built by le corbusier in india and the plans for brasil’s new capital will also be drawn up in a few years time. the film completely forgets about this enormous, global movement of hope and optimism. eyewatering budgets are approved for huge projects to be built, celebrated for generations afterwards. this is a unique era in history of unmatched ambition and prosperity, with a real creative buzz in the air - and this context, this positive mood is entirely, and sorely left out of this miserable story.
then it falls apart a little bit more and there is a revelation in the epilogue that i will spoil below, so please do not read further if you have not seen it yet and want to.
it turns out that the main concrete building (which we never get to see in full) is a replica of the architect’s and his family’s suffering in the concentration camps. no, it is not explained as some kind of visual metaphor, we are explicitly told that it is a near-exact representation. now i understand why a filmmaker, a storyteller might think it works - of course, there are many stories of awful, unimaginable suffering that are told beautifully. but i do not think that spatial design can be like that and i struggle to accept that you can physically recreate the worst known hell on earth and offer it as a sanctuary and place of relaxation and learning for the community. if you really believe that form follows function, then you simply cannot take a building where the function was the extermination of people and give it a different function, especially not of recreation. in fact i find it really quite distasteful towards the memory of the holocaust. i also think it is strengthening this lazy and misunderstood idea about brutalism, that it equals brutality and that the raw surfaces and austere interiors can only come from a place of oppression, imprisonment and suffering. this is quite damaging towards this style of architecture and it might not help the celebration and preservation of these buildings - although if the movie wins awards hopefully it becomes a bit more recognised.
so despite all the miserable nature of the film, i hope that you will still get inspired and will want to explore the work of the real-life hungarians and the real buildings of this era - and find the hope and optimism in the works along the way. i have just got my hands on a hungarian book about marcel breuer from 1970 (when he was still alive) and i will write about this next. subscribe below to be the first to read about this and more brutalist wonders.
happy belated new year i guess, many apologies for making an appearance so late in january - as you know it is an admin-heavy, busy time of year so i will be short and to the point: we’re working on a brand new tileset! i’m so excited to show you these work in progress materials and the launch will be rather special… coming with another exciting news announcement soon! (sorry to be cryptic a bit!)
these tiles will be part of our MODERN collection, to fit seamlessly into the whole system of modular prints with our usual bold colours and our abstract, universal, architectural style - coming soon onto sustainable fabric near your home.
if you’re interested in anything bespoke, please do get in touch, we’d be delighted to hear about your project and print fabrics for your interior schemes.
today is a special day as this is going to be my first ever post about hungarian brutalism. i’m not entirely sure why i haven’t blogged about anything in my home country before - perhaps the pressure to know more about these buildings than i do is too much! but i guess the time has come to present something cool and exciting and interesting - this is one of the more famous ones and as such, an internationally more accessible and digestable example - that is the OKISZ offices in budapest, hungary.
built between 1971 and 1973, this office complex is located in a particularly leafy pocket of zugló, the 14th disctrict of budapest, almost exclusively surrounded by art nouveau villas and churches. the architect is recordedas jános mónus - who won an ybl-award (a sort of hungarian pritzker prize i guess) for the “high quality fusion of structure, technology and form” demonstrated in this very building. the company was ÁÉTV at the time, the state development company (according to the construction archives, operational from the late 50s until the late 90s) tasked to build public-use buildings for budapest: schools, hospitals and of course, offices - this one to house the countrywide union of small-scale industry bodies (the acronym is the OKISZ in the building name) and i’m really sorry that the language of the economic structures of socialist hungary does not necessarily translate too well to my engllish language readers but hey i’m trying my best!
it is a striking, fine piece of brutalism that understands and seamlessly fits into its environment without losing its character, not trying to be imposing without being too modest. a review from 1984 claims - and i’m paraphrasing somewhat, that “it would have been shameless and impolite to try and compete with its surroundings, however you should also live up to such an environment full of notable buildings” and it does do a remarkable job at that.
it has an exciting elevation of five floors stacked upon each-other in a dynamic, stair-like manner and a somewhat L-shaped plan. the facade continues this rhythm of protruding concrete mullions between the slick windows - for those who love this style it’s a bit of a jackpot i think. i went on a freezing cold january day in thick heavy snowfall - the white contrast it created with the concrete was really eye-catching from a pattern point of view too, but it also somehow emphasised the spatial nature of this building.
obviously, this is a textile designer’s blog, so i’m a layperson when it comes to the ins and outs of the structural geniuses of such architecture, but eye-pleasing proportions are, i think, a universal language that can be appreciated by everyone.
brutalism is also not necessarily inherently minimalist, you can notice fantastic details even outside - but this is also an interior textile blog so i was yearning to go inside. even though i could not (in fact, a security guard came out to check what i was up to outside too, haha!) however as a part of othernity, the hungarian project for the venice biennale for 2021, a series of guided walks by the centre of contemporary architecturewas organised back in 2020, several bloggers and journalists attended taking amazing photos of the inside. it looks very 1970s, cosy and very socialist (every building in my childhood memories has a similar details or typeface i think!) and it also has one of those ever-moving lifts that we call paternoster in hungary.
i’m going to recommend you two of these articles about this walk in 2020, both with brilliant photography - first hype&hyper (if you don’t know them, please get acquainted with this comprehensive cultural quarterly focused on eastern europe.) and also check out the blog post from welovebudapest, with fabulous indoor shots including of the roof terrace.
for the floor plan and elevations, and an interesting drawing on the accompanying furniture design, please see the previously quoted lechner centre article, it’s very insightful! the reason for this many resources available on this particuar building is of coruse the venice biennale project for 2021 - this building was one of the 12 selected to represent the hungarian pavilion. all 12 were focused entirely on this particular era of architecture and architects of our surrounding countries were invited to participate in their re-interpretation.
despite this celebratory re-discovery happening, brutalism in hungary is quite endangered and none of these buildings are under listed status, however many are loved and used and perhaps the attitudes are changing somewha and after years of the somewhat over-politicised and emotionally fuelled attitudes the architecture of the socialist era in hungary, it’s refreshing to see it getting more appreciated and putting some of these buildings into a more recognised place. i hope to bring you more examples of hungary in the future.
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hello again - long time no see and long time without hugging some concrete! this month we finally brought to you TÉGLA, our brand new tileset (after many, many months of work and preparation). these were all inspired by brickworks and facades found on so i want to show you a building with an interesting texture and facade that reflects that inspiration. besides, i think we do deserve a trip now, don’t we? so let’s go on a short but sweet one, just to glasgow - as we’re visiting the savoy centre on sauchiehall street.
quite a striking example example of 1970s brutalism, it was built between ‘71 and ‘79 and designed by gavin paterson & sons, on the ruins of the old savoy theatre. it now consists of a shopping centre complete with an indoor market, and an 11 storey office block.
obviously, the purpose of writing these blog posts is to celebrate these concrete designs and bust thay common myth amongst the naysayers that these are depressing buildings - on a particularly overcast day in the glasgow winter it does unfortunately seem to be a bit of a task. rain-soaked or not though, the building has an impressive, exciting looking elevation walking up on hope street (connecting sauchiehall street and renfrew street.)
the glasgow weather must have been considered as the concrete clad facade is somewhat protruding, offering a bit of a shelter above head-hight. the cladding features a concrete pattern of narrow vertical rectangles, with a beautiful relief of the centre’s logo (in a typographic design of what i assume must have been, or perhaps inspired by the original 1910s theatre’s.) this logo repeats on the renfrew street side too, painted in blue - a fresh touch of colour amongst the imposing concrete.
the protection from the elements continues as there is a fully sheltered footbridge connecting the north side of renfrew street - taking you right to the first floor of the building. i did not manage to get inside, however i’m told it’s been refurbished and there are plans to further regenerate - not without controversy. you can follow this excellent and insightful timeline from glasgow heritage (who do happen to run a brutalism-related exhibition at the merchant city as well!)
the 11-floor office blocks towers above the more horizontally laying front of the building - the neatly arranged windows do make inspiring patterns (you might discover them on our printed goodies i’m sure!) - it’s a beautiful and interesting building that makes its surroundings a little bit more exciting.
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hello again - we have some more exciting brutalism-related news to share! zitozza are proud to be involved with a new exhibition, part of a wider series of events called concrete designs to thrive, exploring how good design can keep a city can fit and well, curated by journeys in design - with city walks, talks, workshops and exhibitions.
you can join the glasgow green and grey walks - sunday strolls around one of glasgow’s favourite parklands, to spaces and places with fascinating heritage, talking en route about thriving in the city (this walk was developed and delivered in 2023 with the help of a small group of guides with experience of homelessness); 2-4pm sundays 16th and 23rd.
we’re thrilled to be a part of the materials and modernism exhibition featuring the work of five scottish creatives, all inspired by modernist architecture, offering key works in mosaic, wood, ceramic, cast concrete and printed textile (that’s zitozza!); open 10am to 4pm monday to friday at the briggait in glasgow, from 12th - 27th june - please do come and visit!
part of this is also design for a city, fit and well- the latest in a series of twilight talks, when an expert panel presents the case for retrofit rather than wrecking ball, remodelling, repurposing, and reclaiming for the better. Extra time and refreshments will enhance the chance for good connection on the evening of thursday 20th june at the briggait.
finally, a call out to help craft healthy city, healthy citizen ‘zines in a set of wednesday workshops at the briggait, exploring well-being and urban design in ‘zine format, to include use of printed smart phone pics captured by our walk participants, posted using the hashtag #concretescotland, 2-4pm wednesdays 12th 19th and 26th june.
journeys in design founder dr john ennis said, “it’s a privilege to bring our concrete designs to thrive to the heart of glasgow in 2024 and to collaborate with such a diverse array of designers, artists and producers around glasgow green and the briggait: it’s very clear why this park and this venue are such treasured parts of the city’s culture.”
hello again, believe it or not, it’s been another month and a very, very long time since we posted anything architectural or photographic - things have been busy but actually, we needn’t always go on a long, exotic journey to find some good, inspiring facades. for this short little trip, we’re staying in edinburgh today to look at another student accommodation.
the building is at 8 roxburgh place (on the corner of west adam place), you can get to it by walking up the stairs behind the dovecot (this is very specific but if you’re a brutalist textile lover, it’s a highly recommended double trip to the textile studios as well as this concrete monster!)
the building belongs to the university of edinburgh and i can’t for the love of my life find the architect! if anyone knows, do reach out. i’m guessing it was built in the 1960s and recently renovated. by all accounts it is rated highly among students, mainly for the excellent location and the stunning views of the city, and i have zero doubt it’s an absolutely brilliant experience to stay there for your studies.
this is a textile design blog though, so as usual, we’re here for the patterns and the facade does not disappoint. it’s only five floors tall so it’s not an imposing monstrosity at all, and the human scale is made evident by the large window panels and the even facade - all floors are the same height, there is not a grand entrance or an all important ground floor, the seamless repeat of windows start immediately off the ground.
the near-square shaped windows sit in rounded rectangles with some relief details above them and it makes me imagine it inside in the style of futuristic space capsules. this panelling continues on all elevations, even without windows, the details are there, which is quite obviously a pleasing sight to the pattern lovers.
there is a bit of an extrusion on the front side, and due to that, it looks like there is a bit of an offset to the grid of windows, which breaks the monotony a bit and brings some excitement to the facade. i enjoyed walking around here - there is another lovely brutalist gem right across it, a university teaching centre recently renovated by reiach and hall. surrounded by the medieval churches of old edinburgh, they don’t look out of place at all in this living, breathing city.
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it’s been a while since we made a blog post about anything happening at the studio, because, well, it is a well oiled machine now of things getting designed, printed block by block, then made up and sold… but even with our modular system and infinite possibilities, it’s good to refresh things from time to time and add new ingredients to the well-liked recipes. so we’re working on a brand new tileset - see a little glimpse below!
we’ll be working on some brand new prints with these in the coming months - of course, these tiles will be part of our MODERN collection, not just creating a beautiful collection on their own but working well with more than a hundred of others, extending the possibilities for ever more varied patterns.
if you’re interested in anything bespoke, please do get in touch, we’d be delighted to hear about your project and print fabrics for your interior schemes.
if you got curious about our new stuff - just bear with us while we are putting them together please, you can be sure they’ll arrive in beautiful, bold colours and our signature architectural style! do watch this space…!
it’s february again… and it seems to be a particularly grey one, but that just makes it perfect time to read about decorating trends, colours, patterns and all the fun stuff. and, as we do it now every year, we’ve collected the main trends to focus on so do join us on a trip into the hottest new interior trends.
1. bOLD colours and brave combos
at zitozza, we have been waiting for this moment for a looong time, but even for the minimalists, it’s probably a good time to say goodbye to the all-beige aesthetic and the grey everything. in the mid-2020s, we are in desperate need for mood-boosting colours and the stranger, and more eye-catching, the better. close the itten book, there are no rules, more is more - we’re getting ready to make some bold, wild prints on new interior fabrics and we cannot wait.
2. hand crafted statement pieces
we have discussed this before - sustainability is not a trend, but an imperative for all industries now, as it should be. for sure, sustainable design processes and practices can be interpreted in many interesting ways and many are slowly seeping into interior trends. one that’s here to stay is how the luxury statement pieces now mean the high-quality, handmade objects made by artisans. exquisite hand crafted details, small imperfections, material honesty - what’s not to love and do we have the rugs for you!
3. luxury gezelligheid
this one is an entirely biased inclusion in the list since zitozza are dutch lovers, but that thing that house beautiful calls “cosy, quiet luxury” and those “real and memorable spaces” dezeen refers to - the dutch have a word for it and if you ever went through a bit of a hygge phase, you need to learn to say gezellig.
it means so much more than cosy - it is a social and friendly kind of contentness. in the home, it may express itself in the shape of ambient lighting (think about our jute lampshades!), warm, tactile textures (think of layers of rugs on the floor!), and open, inviting, sociable spaces ready to be filled with warm conversations. naturally, this means high quality, long-lasting materials and finishes as time well spent is the real luxury now!
4. BROWN (FOR real!)
no, it is not the 1970s anymore, don’t worry. that kind of brown is not making a new comeback. this is a grown-up version, evolved from the earth tone trends we’ve seen in the last few years. at zitozza, we’re particular fans of the almost-black kind of espresso browns, and elle decor mentions chocolate hues, but if that’s not your thing, woods and finishes such as shou sugi ban may bring that tone in your home by more natural means.
5. stripes and checks
nothing we love more than patterns, of course and we’re so glad seeing them mentioned by vogue.horizontal or vertical, or have them clash and make a chequerboard - that’s right up our alley as our modular system of printing blocks can make up similar effects with that unique hand crafted appeal and we cannot wait to bring more of these prints to life - stay tuned!
6. mix and match
as we are all about tactile prints, we do always embrace a version of this kind of trend, but this year it really means a mix and match of all sorts of surfaces and patterns. textured walls are definitely a thing this year but it means a play with hard finishes - metals such silver and gold accents (and yes, stainless steel!) but also, of course, mixing coarse textiles (such as jute) with some soft linens too. exciting times!
if you’re ready to find something for your home, have a browse through our shop or request a sample to see what we’re able to do for your home!
below the articles we sourced these from are linked for further reading, and if you want to be the first to read about sustainable home decor and textiles, subscribe below (it comes with a freebie every month!)
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links:
12 interior design trends we’ll see in 2024 (by amanda lauren, 4th january 2024, forbes)
as we are cracking on with 2024, i’ve decided that of the many architectural inspiration series we planned, it’s probably best to tackle the beast first and share some images and thoughts of the barbican estate in london. i’m calling it a beast because it’s an enormous, expensive and very well-known icon of british brutalism. for this seasoned concrete-hugger, it then makes no sense to keep postponing this blog post any further (especially as our rug already exits and more stuff might come soon…), so do come with us to explore the place from a textile designer’s perspective.
i guess everyone somewhat interested in brutalism knows some of the basic facts - designed on a 35-acre ww2 bombsite by chamberlin, powell & bon for the corporation of the city of london, it opened its first flats in 1969 but the completion of the construction only really finished in the late 1970s, after a long and expensive process and it is now home to approx 4000 people in 2000 flats. of course the uniqueness of the estate comes from the fact that unlike many other brutalist projects in the uk, it was not built for social housing and the architects were not held by the typical council budget restraints -which resulted in one of the most free and complete architectural visions, achieved by some extremely time consuming and labour intensive processes.
if you want to know about these in more detail, my first recommendation is raw concrete by barnabas calder. quite early on in the book, he has a brilliant chapter about the barbican, with some focus on the social context around it, from conception throughout the whole of the construction process which makes for a very informative and interesting read as it touches on some of the tensions throughout the whole process of building it. he provides an important angle that does not often get mentioned on design blogs like these, as we tend to get lost in the form and the aesthetics - with good reason of course, but without context it would become rather meaningless.
i first visited a couple of years ago and the first thing that really affected my perception was its sheer scale. of course it is at this enormous scale that these visions for the order of forms work the best, and i think this is why it’s such a brutalist mecca here, the complete, intact and vast system of space. i don’t exactly know where my search for a geometric order comes from, all i know is that the deceptively monotonous facade of the terraced blocks (arranged in neat squares of course) gives me a sense of enclosed cosiness and open clarity at the same time. in every one of these blog posts i’m attempting to describe this feeling but it’s so hard to explain - there is just this sense of calm that i only find in places such as this.
the three 42-floor tall tower blocks bring some exciting angles with a lean, triangular layout and column of balconies tightly stacked into the sky. of course, the repeating geometric forms serve a textile pattern designer well. it really helps that i visited on a sunny day and the shadows projected on the surfaces aid the imagination in reducing these sharp angles to two-dimensional shapes. but the surface itself, the slate and hammered concrete texture that really is on every surface, is equally important - i always say that i want the weave of my cloth to resemble the raw concrete itself, and the pattern to play with the form.
to explore a bit more about the material and the techy bits of the architecture, my second recommendation is my favourite podcast series, about buildings and cities - they have a brilliant episode about the estate, touching on some of these details of the surfaces too as they take you on a journey around the estate. they’re much better suited to explore a more architectural angle than i’d ever be able to so do have a listen to it.
what i found the most surprising about it that it was a lot less grey than i imagined - of course, the concrete surfaces are raw and beautifully grey, and the shapes and forms are varied and playful, but the pavements are tiled with maroon bricks all over, and the ponds with the surrounding greenery reflect with a very strong teal and green everywhere. it is surprisingly colourful and stimulating in its order, the “oasis” comparisons do seem to be very fitting - not in small part due to the tropical garden accessible to residents only.
but we can’t quite go away of course without stepping foot in the arts centre, home to a concert hall, cinema and exhibition halls amongst others. seeing how the columns and the concrete coffered ceilings repeat and continue inside is an exciting exploration that i really enjoyed even if some of might not work that well today or may be in need of renovation.
for the last recommendation, i want to bring you an article from the rics blog, as it’s quite fresh and talks a bit about some of the repairs as well as bringing you some amazing pictures that hopefully will inspire you to appreciate it if you haven’t visited already - and if you have, i hope you’ll now see it from a surface pattern design angle too.
if you liked this trip, you can subscribe to our newsletter below - we’re only sending these monthly with a free downloadable graphic print, and you’ll always be amongst the first to notify of a new architectural journey, or new prints inspired by them.
hello again, it’s been another month long pause at the blog (sorry!) as we’re trying to prepare for the festive period while juggling a lot of things at the same time, including a new collection that might come before the end of the year and will be our most brutalist one yet! one of our cushions have also been included in a fabulous brutalist selection by gadget magazine t3.com, so the trend forecast was correct and it’s officially in again. i thought that to celebrate this and to get in the mood for the up and coming new collection, it’s time to share some interior tips on how to bring the brutalist forms indoors, with its bold forms and raw, industrial aesthetics. it is more than just an architectural trend; it's a statement. if you're looking to infuse your living space with character and go bold and brave, embracing the brutalism trend might be the answer. in this blog post, we'll take you through some interior design tips to help you achieve that unique, edgy look while maintaining comfort and warmth in your home.
simplify and minimise
this isn’t a call to go full-blown minimalist, but decluttering your space will give the accent pieces the “main character” status they deserve. brutalism thrives on simplicity and clean lines. remove the noise and leave room for your bold furniture pieces and some accent accessories to shine. if you have exposed concrete walls, you’re already there. bring in some stark geometric shapes, and a muted color palette.
hug the concrete (duh, obviously!)
this isn’t exactly breaking news, but concrete is the hallmark of brutalism. if you can't expose your walls or floors, consider concrete-inspired wallpapers or textured paint finishes. you can also introduce concrete furniture or accessories to capture the essence of this trend.
lighting drama
i think this is my favourite. i’m a huge fan of interesting shadows and you can add great depths and warmth to your space by illuminating it with statement lighting fixtures. oversized pendant lights, angular sconces, or floor lamps with sharp lines, and similar. these not only provide ample illumination but also serve as eye-catching focal points and ambience.
honesty to structures and materials
brutalism is part of the form follows function school, so this should be extend to furniture too. choose furniture with structural honesty and that will mean strong, angular designs. consider pieces with metal frames or exposed structural elements. a bit of tactile upholstery will balance the harshness of the concrete and metal elements.
abstract expressions
bare walls need not be alone. if you have room, a few, colourful pieces would both compliment the room and have the art stand out too. brutalism often celebrates artistic expression. large-scale paintings with bold, graphic compositions can add a touch of creativity to your space and celebrate the multidisciplinary nature of the modernist movements.
human touch
a lot of the bad rap brutalism gets comes from a perceived lack of human scale and harshness - but that’s not really what the movement stood for at all. do soften the hard edges, introduce textures and tactile qualities. cozy rugs, cushions, and soft throws in earthy tones can make your space more homely without compromising the trend's integrity. it can also mean hand crafted, imperfect elements against the more pure forms. (yes, i do mean hand block printed textiles, how did you know!)
green up
another misunderstanding about brutalism is the rejection of nature. it is absolutely not. the forms may not be organic, but city planners and architects used to have grand visions for huge parks, greenery under buildings and the like. so having lots of plants in your house is just an homage to that, really.
focus, focus!
in all this starkness, it’s quite a natural wish to have a designated a focal point in the room, like an impressive brutalist-style fireplace or a bold wall covered in textured panels. this draws attention and creates a sense of purpose within the space.
colour it in
brutalist buildings are raw and stark outside, but don’t forget about colours, they do have their role (unité d’habitation, anyone?!) so don't be afraid to experiment with occasional bursts of color. a vibrant artwork or a bold, colourful rug or lamp piece can be a striking contrast against the more stark backdrops.
so there you go, brutalism is certainly not for the faint of heart, but when done right, it can transform your living space into a dynamic, artful haven. it's a trend that encourages self-expression, challenges the norm, and celebrates the beauty of raw, unapologetic design. so, if you're ready to take a daring step in interior design, embrace the brutalist trend, and watch your home undergo a bold and beautiful transformation. we have a lot of things to offer you to achieve that, so do shop around!
as a textile designer, i spend a lot of time thinking about surface — how it behaves, what it suggests, and how it feels. when i travel, i often photograph brutalist buildings not just for their form, but for their surface logic — how repetition, rhythm and materiality work together. the palace of justice in lisbon is one of the most quietly decorative buildings i’ve seen, and it’s shaped a lot of my thinking about how concrete and cloth can speak the same visual language.
it’s been a while since we’ve last embarked on an architectural inspiration journey, but holiday season is coming up, so i thought i’d give you a little tip, to visit a wonderful brutalist building in one of my favourite cities. the city is lisbon, portugal, where i showed you a beautiful church before, and this time we’re going to court! okay, nobody’s going to get sued, we are just going to admire the building. the palace of justice stands as a testament to the unique approach to brutalism by the portuguese. join me on a short walk around this gem!
the building was designed by januário godinho and joão henrique de breloes andresen and built between 1962 and 1970. it is in the SOS brutalism database but thankfully it is not currently in danger as it is used as the main court. it stands at the head of parque eduardo VII, a peaceful, green patch in the centre of the city.
it has everything a brutalist marvel should have - the skillful blending of monumental proportions and robust materials - it is a long building with concrete columns supporting its cantilevered facade on all sides. because of that, it looks lightweight that is slightly lifted off the ground, and it does have this uniquely portuguese take on brutalism: the concrete facade here is not raw or imposing - it is incredibly decorated, light and airy, punctuated by geometric patterns and rhythmic textures, corresponding to the delightful tiled surfaces this country is so famous for.
the structure and the shape of the supporting columns create an interesting rhythm, and it is this frequency and rhythm that i find so relaxing. the concrete here is not raw, it is processed and organised into intricate, detailed patterns that pierce through the facade.
obviously it is the patterns i’m attracted to as a textile designer. the tile references in particular have a connection to my favourite way of creating geometric patterns and i love this building for showing that brutalism can be playful and decorative too. my main aim has always been to infuse this modernist spirit into textile designs and create a connection between the realms of architecture and interior decor. i want to bring it inside and bridge the gap between the monumental and the intimate, to translate the feeling of calm i get from these buildings to the feeling of calm at home.
i hope that you get to visit this beautiful building, in the lisbon sun it shines white, with the shadows adding an additional depth to this textured facade. and i hope you’re not tired of my ramblings yet, i always think that every building explains a little bit more about my mission!
if you’re interested in how architecture and surface design connect — or how brutalist texture can inspire calm, not coldness — explore how these ideas translate into our BÉTON collection or get your own block-printed textile pieces. these buildings don’t just inspire what I make — they shape how I think about design altogether.
there’s a building here in st andrews that quietly unites two very different worlds: centuries-old academic tradition, and raw, rhythmic modernism. as a textile designer obsessed with surface pattern, i’m always drawn to the overlooked beauty of brutalism — and this particular student accommodation block is a hidden gem. if you're a design student, architecture fan, or just someone who appreciates visual rhythm in everyday places, this short tour is for you.
it has been a month since we last have updated our blog and even longer since we last had a little tour of brutalism… so it is time to get out of hibernation now and get the boots on for some well-due concrete hugging. don’t worry, we’re not going very far - in fact, staying right here in east fife, as we visit one of the student halls of the university of st andrews.
surrounded by lots of greenery in the north haugh, it is a short walk away from the town centre and the golf course. it was designed by james stirling and it opened in 1967 - it is a beautiful brutalist gem in a town and university that’s rather renowned and cherished for its mostly much older architecture going back to medieval times. it was judged to be 12th in urban realm’s top 100 scottish modernist buildings, and it has been category A listed since 2011 - it is a popular building that’s here to stay.
the building has an V shaped plan of two large wings, embracing a relaxing, wide green space in between. brutalism often gets reduced to “grey concrete,” but that’s a shallow reading. here, the design balances sharp geometry with soft landscaping — a vital contrast that creates a calming, grounded space for student life. the elevations of both wings incorporate the increasing ground height as the hill beneath slopes upwards. it has a striking, hypnotic rhythm to the modular facade - the zigzagging row of windows only reveal themselves from the east.
what fascinates me most is the textural patterning: 45-degree diagonal textures rotate across the tessellated concrete panels, forming a two-dimensional zigzag print that almost reads like texture-within-texture kind of printed textile. it’s a modular, repeating geometry — exactly the kind of form reduction that inspires my block-printed designs. apologies for the pre-occupation of the concrete surfaces - this is a textile design blog afterall. i don’t read buildings like an architect; i see them as surfaces. i’m always looking for rhythms, repetitions, and subtle asymmetries that could translate into interior textiles — prints, cushions, even fabric-based wall art. the façade of this residence block, with its directional patterning and textural wear, is a visual goldmine.
it is a busy-looking unit with lots of life - housing approx 250 students divided across five residential blocks. the original plan was for 1000 students but the other buildings planned never came to be.
i did not study at st andrews so i have to rely on the university’s own website for a peek inside. it is much loved by students - partly for its rich social life, but also the quirky, octagonal room layouts. the building’s wikipedia page mentions that the stairwells of three blocks have glass enclosures for natural light, student crowd rates it 7th out of 17 halls at the university and i’d like to think that the architecture plays some role in it too.
if you liked this short tour, stay with us for more inspiration as we plan to visit more sites in the near future and bring you more posts and photos about them - and of course subscribe to our newsletter to be always the first to read! until next time!
whether you’re moving into halls or just need to make your flat feel a bit more like home, our handmade block-printed cushions and fabric prints bring bold texture to any space — with a modernist edge.
🎓 10% student discount available
Email us at postbox@zitozza.com with your uni name to get your code. No minimum spend — just good design, made locally.
february is here and if you’re thinking of any decorating work to be done around your home, you’re probably ready to make your plans soon… so to help you a little bit with that, here’s our yearly research into the interior design trends that will dominate the home styling scene this year!
1. BRUTALISM! embrace raw concrete and tactile, industrial materials
hell yeah! finally, raw concrete is in. in a chaotic world, we need clear and calming interior spaces and this is the perfect opportunity of the bare functionality of brutalist forms to make a come back. so, expose the surface, reveal the structure and get a raw, utilitarian jute rug to to match it (we have just the thingsfor you…!) tactile surfaces have been around us for a while but finally it’s time for the raw materials to shine as they are.
“compared to the past, the new brutalist style results in a softer approach that incorporates natural elements like wood, stones, plants and sustainable materials resulting in a warmer and more welcoming aesthetic.” said giampiero tagliaferri for vogue.
2. BE BOLD AND BRAVE! embrace colours and patterns clashing
this is another one we absolutely love at zitozza - we’re all about patterns and colours here too. this is what house beautiful call ‘dopamine dressing’ and basically means just doing what you like, because it’s your home and your castle and who cares about rules anymore, right?!
so it’s time to dive into all the patterns, all the colours, and all the textures! more is more, less is a bore. it’s time to stop fretting about matching and embrace the clashing.
3. TEXTURES! embrace the tactile surfaces
yes, the bold and brave approach now extends to all the interesting textures too. "the recent pandemic deprived us of one of our most 'human' senses: touch. in response to that, i feel it will become increasingly important for designers to make use of materials that bring tactility to the interior scheme and to devise spaces that provoke an emotion in its users." interior designer tola oluojape told dezeen.
at zitozza, last year we have seriously extended our fabric range and we have a range of different textures from the soft and cosy recycled cotton blends to the coarsest jute and some interesting qualities in-between too, with bold, tactile prints too, to suit perfectly with the “hand-formed” textures trend predicted by elle decor.
4. sustainability! embrace the planet
i have always argued that this is not so much of a trend anymore but an imperative and it’s great to see now almost everyone jumping onboard. designers do have a huge responsibility in making products that don’t cost the earth and do last longer which is what we try to do at zitozza by using a lot of jute (one of the most sustainable fibres in the world) and recycled linens and recycled cotton blends (with recycled polyester and recycled polyester cushion inserts too!)
but it’s not just about fabrics, but a whole range of new materials from mushroom leather (by mylo unleather, as seen on dezeen’s selection), but also my personal favourite: bricks made of construction waste by kenoteq(discovered on material district). it’s genuinely exciting to see what the future brings in new materials to use for building and making homes.
5. HANDMADE! embrace the imperfections
and finally, here’s another fashionable decorating trend we can help you with - to embrace the handmade, crafted accessories with all their imperfections and naive charms. that handmade aesthetic is all over zitozza too, since, well, all our interior accesories are made by hand, slowly crafted with love and lots of passion for colour and texture.
“with thoughtful, sustainable design a key focus for 2023, as well as a nod to more nostalgic designs, these 'trends' will not only lead to us shopping more responsibly, but it will also see a rise in 'shopping small', and celebrating handmade, artisan designs and craftsmanship from all over the world.” writes jennifer ebert for homes and gardensand we take this fully onboard. shop small, buy handmade and cherish the object in your home with the same love as they were created with.
and if you want to stay in touch with the next lot of brutalist, colourful, pattern-clashing, tactile textured, sustainable handmade goodies, then do so by subscribing to our newsletter below and follow us on instagram.have a wonderful year and happy decorating!
it’s becoming a busy autumn / winter season here for us at zitozza, but we do manage to escape on the occasional break to take an inspirational trip to admire some great architecture and forms. there has been a recent trip to lisbon, portugal, and we have some fabulous brutalist buildings to cover as well as the country’s signature tile designs - surely that requires an article at some point in the future.
but we can start with an easy one, a true little 1960s gem in the heart of the city, a five minute walk from the square of marques de pombal, there is a little brutalist church in amongst the residential buildings - the sagrado coração church, on rua camilo castelo branco. it is hard to see it is a church from the outside, as it stands on an elevated level from the street, with stairs inviting up to a square embraced by offices and some residential units. on the sunny day of the visit, it felt like a relaxing island just off the busier streets, but it was by stepping inside it revealed its wonderfully peaceful and serene atmosphere.
inside, it is clear what the architects - nuno portas and nuno teotónio pereira - were trying to achieve. the use of concrete is consistent, but not in an overwhelming, intimidating way as the material is broken up and softened with textures. the wall has a bricklay texture to it, while the ceiling reveals an even rhythm of the angles of the structure. the ceiling does not seem to be at an uneasy height, yet the smoothness of the columns do make it appear quite heavenly.
it is however the light, that seems to play the main role of bringing the spiritual and the godly inside. the light comes in at angles that must have been very carefully designed and is parallel to the staircases, casting shadows on the textures inside, while at the chapel it comes through unfiltered and in full, as if it was almost ready to listen to the prayer.
this article on hidden architecture has the floor plan (along some sketches by the architects too), and it does reveal the scale of the open space, and the even proportions unlike the traditional aisles. the sketches also reveal the careful planning of lights and shadows - its role in reaching some kind of spiritual peace is universal and not dependent on religion, just think of junichiro tanizaki.
this church isn’t dimly lit, or dark, nor is it overwhelmingly clear and bright. concrete has its reflective quality on light but also has its own texture to break it, which the architects also played with here by adding more, and the artificial lights are also carefully placed to interact with it. atlas obscurarecommends a visit during night time too, to experience the different light circumstances.
lisbon is an amazing city and churches are found from every style and era. its famed cathedral is almost a millennium-old and some of its most famous sights are the gothic monasteries and the golden baroque altars - all worth a visit and appreciation. i hope you don’t mind me picking this brutalist gem though, as one of my favourites. the building won the Valmor prize in 1975 and in 2010 it was recognised as a national monument, so it earnt its place on the visitor attractions and please do visit when you get a chance in lisbon.
if you liked this, you can subscribe to our newsletter below and you’ll be amongst the first to be notified of any new inspirational tours (always with plenty of photos!) see you next time
well, it’s been another long pause between blog posts, but it’s not been forgotten, only postponed, due to, uhm, general life happening at a pace, i guess. but when things get busy and exhausting, there comes the need to take a break and go somewhere else to recharge. so let’s take a road trip. let’s go, from scotland, to somewhere nice in the sunny south of great britain. anywhere. if you like going fast, you’ll take the motorway, the m6. it’s not the most scenic of routes, so it gets monotonous, and since tiredness can kill, there will be a time to take a break. and there, you’ll eventually come across a fabulous concrete tower emerging in the landscape with a futuristic footbridge arching over the motorway, and suddenly you feel compelled to indicate your exit to spend some time in this fascinating piece of architecture - we’ve arrived to forton services!
i have always been obsessed with logistics. the excitement of logistics and infrastructure never gets boring – perhaps it’s no surprise that some of zitozza’s block printed fabrics are directly inspired by road signs and wayfinding systems.
i just love it when everything and everyone in the system has its place and function, a well oiled machine itself that can take care of millions of people and things getting where they are meant to be when they are meant to be. but while the architecture that serves this system has to be purely functional, for curious travellers who are excited to be somewhere new soon, the associations fill all of this functional stuff with positive meanings, the typefaces on vans and reg plates, the smell of the handwash soap, the hot touch of the disposable coffee cup are all symbols of the anticipation of getting there. so from this point of view, a well designed, interesting motorway station is a piece of happiness on earth, and ...for someone who makes textile prints of road signs – like SOROMPÓ or any number of grid-based modular patterns – it’s a piece of inspiration too, doubly so if it’s brutalist of course!
forton services today belongs to the moto bk chain, and you’ll find it on the m6 between junction 32 and 33. it opened in 1965, and according to SOSbrutalism, the designers were bill galloway and ray anderson of the architecture firm tp bennett and son. (yes, that’s of the same thomas bennett of the saville theatre, amongst other things - today they do a lot of interesting commercial projects - totally worth a look!)
there are some two-storey buildings on both sides of the motorway with restaurants and cafes, connected by a high-tech looking footbridge forming a light arch over the motorway. to walk across it is a great exercise to stretch the legs a little and the eyes to the distance too. the timber ceiling panels of the inside of the bridge somehow creates a very nostalgic mood in the warmth of this texture reflecting the light directly below it. that just further excites about the travel - i’m not sure how materials do it but’s definitely the timber. the tunnel view of the inside of the bridge has an octagonal frame with the joins at each window panel cutting your corners diagonally. the outside view of course is the endless motorway and the crowds of cars going somewhere.
of course, it’s most distinctive point is the pennine tower, emerging from the landscape on the northbound side with its cantilevered hexagon at the top. it used to be some accommodation and a restaurant - this blog has some archive images of the fabulous decor in its full glory (as well as the whole structure when it was pristine white!) it reminds me of the early decor of the UFO bridge in bratislava a little bit (more of that in another blog post i think…) and i would have loved to enjoy a meal there, the views across then countryside must have been breathtaking on a sunny day.
unfortunately due to the strict fire regulations, it is now closed to the general public and it is now grade II listed, even though it might be hard work to re-open it.
it was intentionally designed to resemble an airport’s traffic control tower and that all i can feel is the anticipation of getting somewhere, perhaps it’s succeeded in its job. it is a cliché to say that we must enjoy the journey as much as the destination, but in the case of how motorway stations ought to be, there is definitely truth in it!
if you enjoy exploring the crossroads of architecture and textiles, you might like ourcollections – heavily influenced by modernist infrastructure and brutalist forms. see you next time - and don’t forget, tiredness can kill, take a break.
hello again - long time no see, in an architectural regard at least we haven’t really been able to publish a new post for a while. that’s all about to change as we have visited a few more sites and we’re keen to show you all the photos in several posts coming (as one-off episodes probably, so no more series for now.)
let’s start with the best - the building of leicestershire county council, also known as county hall. it is hiding behind leafy greens in glenfield, on the outskirts of leicester, next to the A50 leading into the city centre. it was built in 1967 and has been used as the county council headquarters since then. names are hard to find, but it was designed by the council’s own in-house architectural team - the RIBA picture database names the architect as thomas locke and the council’s architectural office.
seen from the road, the building emerges slowly from behind the lush trees, showing off its sleek facade. it is only by going closer where the site reveals its enormity - it expands across a huge field, many council departments are located here - but the layout is clear, spatious and airy. from the front, the slightly concave arches on the window frames remind me of a japanese pagoda towering above extending ground floors and an elevated wing standing on v-shaped legs that frame the green view below.
going under these we find a leafy court surrounded by shiny office windows, revealing a cast concrete mural of antony hollaway that depicts the river soar. his style reminds me of the town artists in the new towns of scotland, particularly the art of david harding in glenrothes.
in the centre of the court, there is also an armed forces memorial, added in 2012 titled ‘stand easy’ by kenny hunter - it’s a group of 1:1 life-size sculptures of young personnel. apart from being meaningful piece of art, somehow their placement in the centre also helps reveal the deeply human scale of the surrounding building and how the architects thought about the proportions - you get an inviting, peaceful sense of place here.
there are so many interesting and thoughtful details - the lightwell in the corridor roof above each window section (presumably to maximise the natural light inside) is not just functional but creates a slick, interesting spatial play - it’s a shame the day was not that sunny, i would have loved to see the shadows it creates. the extensive use of glazing overall did make me wonder about the light inside too.
on the left of the tower, there is a relief pattern in the arcade ceiling - here there are two small stairwells that lead to the outer end of this elevated corridor - from here you can take in a nice view of further out of the town, and what i presumed were fountains (i wish they were working that day.) it’s a really beautiful building and i’m happy to see it loved, maintained and functioning as it was intended to - i was not the only photographer on site on the day of my visit indeed!
it is in a remarkably good state compared to many other buildings of the same era i visited and it makes me slightly suspicious that a state of neglect in the case of brutalism could be in some cases a conscious or semi-conscious decision, to have these buildings replaced rather than renovated. but i’m glad that i managed to find one that’s working as it was intended to.
i hope you enjoyed this short visit, there are plans to travel to get out of scotland more often - subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to read about them here! take care.
happy new year! and so sorry it has been such a slow start, this is a bit of an admin-heavy time of the year with an ever-increasing to-do list. it is also a time to make new plans and reflect a bit on the past. in that spirit, i wanted to continue my series on books, but looking through my bookshelf and my past influences, i decided to go a little bit more personal, and share some of my graphic design inspirations.
yes, i am also a graphic designer, and as far as skills and interests go, i certainly got into typography before i got into patterns. let me take you back 20 years, as continental european high-school student, it was also the time i was trying to master english and soak up as much of uk culture as i could. to combine these two main interests, a convenient place to go to in budapest was the book shop where they stocked some of the great coffee table books. today i’d like to talk about in particular titled “GB: graphic britain” (burgoyne, p. 2002 laurence king, london) with the aim to line-up some of the coolest up and coming graphic design works produced in the uk at the time.
the book was designed by a london-based agency called bark, founded by tim hutchinson and jason edwards and i used to really hunt for their bold and colourful work and i did find them - in another book, “graphic originals: designers who work beyond the brief”(austin, j 2002 rotovision, mies) they talk a little bit about their process through a prospectus they designed for portsmouth university where hutchinson was a lecturer. the project itself was a map, a clever visualisation of the course journeys, but what really caught my eye was that it wasn’t just an raw information graphic, but focused a lot on using a lot of photographs of the built environment, the documentation of very mundane things that reflected on everyday life at the university. it was the first time i’ve ever really seen anything like that but that really was speaking my language. it was just inspiring to see real, successful people in the industry do this - take the built environment, and create a feeling of home and belonging in it by graphic, “2D” means. that’s exactly how i wanted to do design and it was a great contemporary example, right in front of me.
but there is another project of theirs that i would like to show you - i’m still hunting it, i believe it must have been self-published at the time. it is one titled lost futurism (according to the caption in GB: graphic britain, it is a book that was printed in 2001 - please do get in touch if you know anything about it.)
the project examines brutalist architectural heritage in a graphic design language - having mentioned portsmouth, this obviously means the tricorn centre, mostly, which i have never seen in real-life but somehow in this graphic interpretation, felt nostalgic and futuristic, alien at the same time. i used to stare at these pages for ages. it was really fun discovering about the building itself but also the graphic representation of it - it was just really, really cool and simple, and it spoke my language of taking a three dimensional form and reducing, or rather, deconstructing it to its image and basic form.
to this day i’m still obsessed with that sort of thing. i used to do a lot of my own experiments with my own photos of my favourite buildings when practicing my computer skills (a useful habit to get into) but it also transpired to other work and i firmly believe they have a place on textiles too. obviously, graphic design is different, it is visual communication, but if the result is decorative, then why should it not be used on textiles too?
so i hope you didn’t mind learning a little bit about this background behind the architecturally inspired textile patterns of zitozza. and if you know anything more about this work, if it exists on its own as a separate book, please, please do get in touch, i think i want a copy! thank you!
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links:
GB: graphic britain - by patrick burgoyne, 2002 laurence king, london, uk (on worldcat.org)
