The son of a Polish diplomat designed some of the most original office buildings of the Brutalist era. Architect Constantin Brodzki’s most famous project is the unique and photogenic CBR cement company building in Brussels. Its stunning orange windows are set directly into concrete modules that were prefabricated at the CBR factory. Built in 1970, the office building offered the country’s first air-conditioning system and its rosewood interiors emphasised luxury and modernity. Interestingly, in his youth, Brodzki also participated in the construction of the famous UN headquarters in New York, thanks to his parents’ diplomatic connections.
From Warsaw to Brussels
Born in 1924, Constantin Brodzki grew up in several European countries, including Poland. Finally, just before the Second World War, the future architect moved with his family to Belgium, where he completed his architectural studies. It is worth noting that his father was a Polish diplomat with ties to Rome and Germany (possibly Dr Jan Łodzia-Brodzki), and his mother a Belgian with many important contacts. One such contact was an employee of the Belgian embassy in Warsaw, who in turn worked for Henri Spaak – then President of the UN General Assembly. Diplomatic contacts helped send the only 24-year-old Constantin to New York for an internship in the construction of the UN headquarters.
The young architect prepared drawings and gained vital experience, despite his poor English. Fortunately, he met a Pole in the design office who explained to him what his task actually entailed. Working in America taught him to think in a modern way about architecture and technology. He then translated this learning into his projects when he returned to Belgium.
In 1958, the architect designed the Belgian Congo pavilion for the World Exhibition in Brussels. Brodzki opposed the simple, minimalist lines of the prevailing modernism and opted for a large concrete rotunda. The success of the innovative pavilion made Brodzki famous on the local experimental architecture scene, which was thriving in Brussels.
Playing with concrete
One of Brodzki’s first and also most outstanding experiments is the CBR building in the Brussels Capital District. The owner of the CBR cement company gave the architect a free hand in designing the new premises. What is more, Brodzki had the company’s factories at his disposal to produce the individual modules of the building.
The architect was never fond of the simplicity of modernism, and most admired the ornate buildings of the late 19th century. However, those times had passed, and Brodzki was creating at a time of emerging Brutalism, which played with the plasticity of concrete. For this reason, the façade of the 31.5 m tall office building consists of 756 concrete modules that resemble natural shapes. Interestingly, the cast pattern of the precast elements was made from epoxy resin. The oval amber windows were set into the concrete without any frames, allowing for excellent insulation.
The construction of the precast edifice progressed very quickly, but the interior required more precision. The floors of the ground floor were lined with glossy parquet, and the concrete walls were decorated with peacocking. On the upper floors, mahogany panelling and furniture partly designed by Brodzki shines through. The architect was personally involved in the design of details such as doorknobs and buttons, so that his work was consistent in its philosophy. Of course, the building’s imitation of organic shapes could not be without large potted plants, which break up the brown and grey with their intense green.
Brutalist icon in trouble
Dealing with a rather novel approach to organic prefabricated forms required workers to be fully conversant with the plans and techniques. The hard work paid off, and the CBR became an icon of Belgian Brutalism. In 1979, the edifice became the only Belgian building presented in an exhibition on modern architecture at the Museum of Modern Art. Following the CBR’s success, Brodzki continued to work with the firm and other commissions.
In 2017, the company decided to move to new, larger premises. The architectural community was frightened by the possibility of demolishing this building, which is valuable to the history of architecture. Thanks to the efforts of the architects, it was possible to get the CBR listed as a monument in Brussels the following year. A renovation was also carried out in 2018, which preserved most of Brodzki’s original ideas. Today, the building serves as a shared workspace managed by Fosbury & Sons.
A better Le Corbusier?
Brodzki wanted to emulate organic forms, particularly their fluidity. Although he did not consider the CBR’s facade to be a work of art until the end of his life, he was convinced that his building was pretty. His ideas about prefabrication and interesting concrete forms were impressive but often difficult to realise. Such an edition of modern architecture did not catch on in the following decades, and many of Brodzki’s designs were replaced by newer buildings.
Le Corbusier’s designs became much more famous, although, as Brodzki believed, all the inventions of the ‘father of modernism’ fell into disrepair. Brodzki created an atmosphere, while the Swiss introduced mechanics telling people how to live, with no interest in what was actually important. It is still worth mentioning that, later in his career, the Belgian Brutalist began to appreciate the work of Philip Johnson, such as PPG Place in Pittsburgh, which you can read about HERE. His play with glass and postmodern form was in keeping with Brodzki’s philosophy. This eminent Belgian visionary surpassed the creativity of many of the better-known Brutalist architects in many respects, and the CBR in Brussels is a great example of this.
Source: Admirable Facades, “CLARA” 2018/1 (n° 5)
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