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Tucked away behind the grandeur of the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero in San Francisco lies a hidden gem of brutalist architecture: the hotel's back stairs. Often overlooked, these stairs are a prime example of the raw, unadorned style that characterized the Brutalism movement of the 1970s. Designed by architect John C. Portman Jr., whose vision shaped the modern aesthetic of the Hyatt Regency, these concrete stairs stand in stark contrast to the hotel's more polished, open interiors. They embody the rugged, geometric lines that Brutalism is known for, with their heavy concrete form exuding both strength and utility.
What makes these stairs particularly fascinating is how they reflect the design philosophy of the era, where function often dictated form. The exposed concrete not only provides durability but also creates a sense of monumental simplicity. Visitors who stumble upon this tucked-away feature will appreciate the stark beauty and industrial vibe, a nod to the architectural experimentation that defined much of San Francisco’s mid-century modernist landscape.
For those seeking a deeper appreciation of Brutalism or looking for unique photo opportunities, the back stairs of the Hyatt Regency offer a gritty, unpolished contrast to the gleaming towers of the Financial District. They’re an urban relic—surviving amid the evolving Embarcadero skyline and quietly showcasing how architecture can influence the atmosphere of a space, even when out of the spotlight.
photographed by
Frank Dinger
BECOMING - office for visual communication
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architecture photography movie by Frank Dinger:
a detail of the Cathedral Metropolitana, Brasilia, Brasil, in memory of Oscar Niemeyer, who died on the 5th of December, at the age of 104. Architecturally, he has, since I was a little boy, been one of my heroes. He was the first architect who used concrete in flowing forms, of which this picture is an example.
[Qom, Iran] Memorial in Qom for anonymous fallen Iranian martyrs from the Iran-Iraq war, whose unrecognizable remains were recently retrieved from the battlefront, consisting on a monumental concrete transparent open structure resembling a dome, at night time with the Qom skyline in the back permanently receiving pilgrims and visitors, especially among young people.
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©2017 Germán Vogel - All rights reserved - No usage allowed in any form without the written consent of the photographer.
Preston bus station is scheduled for demolition. I hope it doesn't happen. While the building is run down, the design is fantastic inside and out.
It would be enough fun to admire the proud towers from back at a distance aways, but I like to get up close and see the ways that the residents etc like to interact with the architecture they call, "home."
The shoppingbuggy is from Target!, and I'll bet anybody everything I've got that it came from the Target over on E Lake Street, a dozen+ blocks away. Was it a young mother that rolled it over here!, filled up with diapers and formula, and did she sing sweetly children's songs to her young!, all the way back to her apartment in the sky. Was it this lady!
As for the mattress I used to have a mattress kind of close to that colour but I kept mine covered up with sheets and bedding etc. I didn't want anybody to know I had a flowered purple mattress!
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In Minneapolis on August 24th, 2009, on the west side of Riverside Plaza, off the east side of 15th Avenue South, north of South 5th Street.
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Library of Congress classification ideas:
NA4125 Concrete construction—United States—Pictorial works.
TA683.5.W34 Concrete walls—Pictorial works.
TS1850 Mattresses—Pictorial works.
NK1560 Decoration and ornament—Plant forms.
TX335 Shopping carts—Pictorial works.
TL410 Bicycles—Pictorial works.
TK4310 Electric lamps—Pictorial works.
F614.M56C43 Cedar-Riverside Area (Minneapolis, Minn.)—Pictorial works.
F614.M543 Minneapolis (Minn.)—Pictorial works.
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Art & Architecture Thesaurus term:
• corners (object portions)
The D.T. Suzuki Museum in Kanazawa is a serene architectural masterpiece dedicated to the life and philosophy of Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki, a Zen Buddhist scholar who introduced Zen to the Western world. Designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the museum exemplifies the harmony between modern minimalism and traditional Japanese aesthetics.
Set against a lush backdrop of seasonal greenery, the museum’s clean lines and reflective water features evoke a sense of tranquility and introspection. The exterior façade, captured here, showcases Ando’s signature use of concrete, light, and shadow. Vertical louvers on the wall add texture and create a dynamic interplay with sunlight throughout the day, while the meticulously placed steps and subtle guiding paths provide a seamless transition between nature and structure.
Visitors are invited to engage with Suzuki’s legacy through the museum’s three interconnected spaces: the Entrance Wing, Exhibition Space, and the Contemplative Space. The architectural design encourages mindfulness, with framed views of the surrounding gardens and a meditative water mirror that reflects both the sky and the soul. The subdued color palette and tactile materials create a profound sense of stillness, making the museum a destination for both art and philosophy enthusiasts.
This minimalist sanctuary offers a modern interpretation of Zen principles, blending simplicity with depth. While the museum is a tribute to Suzuki’s teachings, its design invites each visitor to embark on their own personal journey of reflection and discovery. Located just a short walk from Kenrokuen Garden, the D.T. Suzuki Museum is a must-visit for those seeking both architectural inspiration and spiritual peace in Kanazawa.
Under a brilliantly clear blue sky on a crisp day, the Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre looms large in Edinburgh’s George Square, its massive concrete upper block cantilevered dramatically over the entrance like a modernist spaceship ready for takeoff. The building’s brutalist lines—raw, textured concrete panels and expansive glass windows reflecting the winter-bare trees—dominate the scene, with wide stone steps cascading down to a cobbled plaza where a few bundled-up pedestrians stroll casually, adding a touch of everyday life to this academic fortress. To the left, a warmer yellow-toned building peeks in, contrasting the grey behemoth, while scaffolding on the right hints at ongoing campus tweaks. It’s a snapshot of university hustle frozen in time, where brutal architecture meets serene Georgian surroundings.
Background and Historical/Architectural Info:
The Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre, originally known as the George Square Theatre, is a standout example of mid-20th-century modernist architecture at the University of Edinburgh. Designed by the renowned Scottish architect Sir Robert Matthew of the firm Robert Matthew Johnson-Marshall (RMJM), construction was completed in 1970 as part of a controversial redevelopment of George Square in the 1960s and 1970s. This period saw the demolition of many historic Georgian townhouses to make way for bold, functional university buildings, sparking debates about preserving Edinburgh’s heritage versus embracing contemporary design.
The theatre’s Brutalist influences are evident in its raw concrete construction (béton brut style), with a striking overhanging upper auditorium block supported by massive pilotis (concrete pillars), creating a sense of floating mass over the smaller ground-level entrance foyer and basement. This design not only maximizes space in the densely packed urban campus but also echoes the era’s emphasis on exposed materials and geometric forms, inspired by architects like Le Corbusier.
The venue seats 481 people in a raked auditorium, making it the university’s largest lecture hall, and has hosted everything from academic lectures to fringe festival performances during Edinburgh’s famous summer events.
Historically, the building was renamed in 2018 (though some sources note the change taking full effect in 2019 for festival branding) to honor Gordon Aikman, a University of Edinburgh alumnus and inspirational campaigner. Aikman, a business graduate born in 1985, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND, also known as ALS) in 2014 at just 29 years old. He launched the “Gordon’s Fightback” campaign, raising over £500,000 for MND research, lobbying the Scottish government for improved patient care (including doubling the number of specialist nurses), and even influencing laws like the right to free voice-banking for those losing speech due to the disease. His efforts earned him a British Empire Medal and widespread admiration before his passing in 2017 at age 31. The renaming was a fitting tribute, turning the theatre into a lasting memorial for his legacy of advocacy and resilience.
Today, it remains a key venue for university life, festivals, and even student protests—like the 2022 occupation by climate activists—blending its architectural boldness with ongoing cultural significance in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
photographed by
Frank Dinger
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facebook: Becoming office for visual communication
Vista del patio de juegos, bajo la gran cubierta de hormigón, y vista del cuerpo de laboratorios, de hormigón visto.
Arqs Bidinost, Chute, Gassó, Lapacó y Meyer (1960/68)
Hoenheim-Nord (Strasbourg) Terminus and Car Park by Zaha Hadid architects
1998-2001
photographed by
Frank Dinger
BECOMING - office for visual communication
Architect : Antonio Bonet
architecture.arqhys.com/architects/antoniobonet-biography...
ANTONIO BONET. In 1942, Bonet participates in the constitution of the Organization of the Integral House in the Argentine Republic. The idea of the formation of its work ties it with the ideas suggested by Him Corbusier throughout the process of preparation of the Plan of Buenos Aires. "the routine servitude of conception submissive the outsider does not exist any worthy of consideration argument seriously nor even in that some Argentineans live" So that the initial note of a universal modulation does not take place in our country, whose hope appears in the immediate perspective of the world: on the area in catastrophe of the cities martyred by the war, the genius of the man already begins to project the new forms of the human coexistence. On the contrary, the essential circumstance of our historical youth and the one of our adventurous peace, locate to us in the moral obligation to create new forms of life anticipating us to whatever of project and of dream it even subsists in a world of towns in flames and ruins. This thought of Bonet, is taken from the N° Notebook 1 of OVRA, titled Study of the Contemporary Problems for the organization of the integral house in the Argentine Republic. Without a doubt, the text gathers part of the optimism of the Austral Group. But while this one was directed to the architects and its problems, in the OVRA manifesto the horizon is ampler, next to certain discovered nonfree of messianism of the American, coincident with other similar initiatives in other places of the continent.
Reflections of Antonio Bonet on the architecture: "the architectonic elements that will form the new city will be formed by a series, numerous, of structures little systematized. Those structures will be able to arrive to the maximum from their aesthetic, technical perfection and economic, since besides to be placed in free lands, its study must be based on the progressive improvement of such types, so as it has become in the great architectures of the past. Within those structures, that will be the expression of the effort of the social man, to obtain the order and the harmony of its time, never will be obtained to a freedom reached after the development of the life of the man like individual, and the one of its institutions. It is well certain that we are even far from that stage, But does not fit doubt that once demonstrated that the modern buildings can be developed in simple structures, more and more seemed to each other, it will make the importance powerful of this system. Those buildings will be used and the equipped for but diverse uses, without aging with it, although they will have to work at a time whose social programs, industrial, etc., are in permanent evolution. I am going to finish with the confession of my conviction of which to group the programs for the unification of the structures, is something enormously difficult, but some is no doubt that it is the way that will take us forms to the true architectonic of our time. in that the diverse social programs will be developed freely, cultural hygienic, etc., that must form the structure of the new society.