Exploring Brutalist Shadows in MV+’s Dreamlike Visualisations

Few architectural styles are as divisive as brutalism. Be it monolithic and monotonous or sculptural and expressive; approaches to brutalism are as diverse as opinions about it. However, what could be agreed upon is that brutalist buildings photograph well, with many opting to shoot without colour to showcase their architectural elements and highlight their dramatic interplay of light and shadow.

When Cairo-based visualisation studio MV+ created ‘Brutalism’, a CGI rendering that depicts multiple riverside brutalist buildings, their art direction emphasised the style’s focus on form and material through a black and white theme. Arrayed openings create repetitive aesthetics that cover the structures, with their shadows being accentuated by the lack of colour.

The studio’s shadow-centric exploration of concrete and brutalism covered everything from monolithic facades down to public stairways and a garage displaying an acute sense of scale as they feature the shadows of a human figure and a sign, ‘Dream’, printed on rough concrete.