Gravesend’s Brutalist Heart
I know I’m likely in the minority, but I need to be honest: I love the Civic Centre and the Woodville (from here on, I’m going to refer to the whole building as the Civic Centre). Brutalism, the architectural style, is a love-it-or-hate-it thing. I love it and maybe you will too.
The Civic Centre is probably the best example of brutalism in the borough. Although sadly there aren’t that many to choose from. It works particularly well because it stands alone, although it’s a shame that it is now effectively one large traffic island. Imagine how that part of the town would feel if the sides and the rear were a public space.
Many people think of brutalism as something that was imported from somewhere on the continent in the 50s. That’s fair. It does make me think of post-war Berlin or Soviet Eastern Europe. But the term brutalism was first coined in Britain and then exported to the rest of Europe.
Accounts seem to vary as to which was the first brutalist building. However, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) attributes a school in Hunstanton, Norfolk, as the building that established the movement. If it’s good enough for them, then I’ll go with it.
What is Brutalism?
The RIBA describes brutalism as follows: “Brutalism is architecture in the raw with an emphasis on materials, texture, and construction, creating dramatic and memorable images.” Look at the unadorned concrete of the Civic Centre, with its hard lines and blocky shape, it is a classic brutalist building.
The RIBA suggests what to look for to identify a brutalist building:
- Rough unfinished surfaces
- Unusual shapes
- Clearly displayed structure and services
- Massive forms
- The emphasis on materials
The Civic Centre certainly ticks all those boxes. Next time you’re in Gravesend, especially if it’s a sunny day, take another look at your Civic Centre. Brutalist buildings are at their best when strong light creates hard lines and deep shadows. It could well change your mind, and you’ll think of it, as I do, as a gem hiding in plain sight.
I’ve been looking for information about the building’s early history. I’m sure there are photographs of the construction somewhere in the records, but I’ve not been able to find any.
Construction of the Civic Centre started in 1964, and it was opened by the Duchess of Kent on 15 November 1968. Sadly, I’ve not been able to find much more.
The architect was Brian Richards (1928–2004) from the firm of Cadbury-Brown, led by the renowned architect Henry Thomas Cadbury-Brown. Brian Richards died in 2005, but from his obituary in The Guardian, he seemed like quite a character.
If you have any photographs of that time that you’d be willing to share, I’d love to show them here. Let me know what you think of the Civic Centre.
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