Review: Brutal Scotland – ‘These buildings were never just about concrete and form’
By Bobby Jewell
2026-04-22T06:00:00
Brutal Scotland is a book and exhibition by photographer Simon Phipps documenting 160 buildings across the country. The exhibition is at Street Level Photoworks in Glasgow until 16 May, Bobby Jewell writes
Glasgow has a serious problem with its historic and cultural buildings. Even before the Union Street fire last month, the city had a reputation for being beset by problems of arson, alleged incompetence from leadership and needless demolition.
Furthermore this year has been disastrous for the city’s thriving cultural spaces, with the Contemporary Centre for Arts closing and multiple occupants of thriving arts venue 103 Trongate facing “unsustainable” rent increases.