More brutality . .

Here are a couple of my favorites.


Raymond Nichols Hall at KU in Lawrence.


Spencer Chemistry Building at UMKC.

Brutalism, love it or hate it?

Personally, I love it. If you don't know what Brutalism is, here's a pretty simple definition found on archiseek:

A short-lived architectural movement of the 1960s that set itself in opposition to the picturesque Scandinavian-influenced mainstream of the period, and instead advocated the brutally frank expression of the nature of modern materials, characterized by unadorned concrete and the blunt detailing of joints and openings.

While the architectural movement may have been "short-lived," for obvious reasons buildings in this style tend to last. There are several Brutalist buildings in Kansas City and surrounding communities. Many are university or government buildings.




While this example is not my favorite, I jumped on the chance to shoot it. For me, this style of architecture is pure sculpture with no apologies. It is crustacean-like in form and feeling.

Honest, too. Brutally.

New Coffee Bar?

Is this a new coffee house in south Kansas City? Maybe a new Starbucks?

Nope. It's inside a church.


The remodeled Evangel Temple on 103rd Street as a matter of fact. There seems to be a trend toward this kind of thing in churches. In my day (and I'm not THAT old) people went out to a restaurant after church. These days people are looking for easier access to after-church fellowship and the coffee bar seems to be the most popular option.

This beautiful room is part of a major addition built by Harmon Construction, Inc. for whom I do a lot of post-construction documentary work. They alway do a fantastic job!