What French term meaning 'raw concrete' gave Brutalism its name?

What French term meaning “raw concrete” gave Brutalism its name? The term is béton brut.

Béton brut literally means “raw concrete” in French. In architecture, it describes concrete left visibly unfinished after casting, so the surface preserves marks, seams and textures from the formwork used to shape it. The material’s construction process becomes part of the building’s appearance rather than being concealed beneath plaster or cladding.

Le Corbusier’s postwar buildings, especially Unité d’Habitation in Marseille, helped make this approach influential. British architectural critic Reyner Banham later connected béton brut with the emerging New Brutalism, helping the phrase and the related English word “Brutalism” spread internationally.

Béton brut is not a separate kind of concrete. It is a treatment and design approach: ordinary concrete is deliberately exposed and allowed to communicate its texture, weight and method of construction. Brutalist buildings may also use brick, steel, glass or other materials, so visible concrete alone does not automatically define the entire style.

The distractors refer to other concrete terms. Béton armé means reinforced concrete, béton précontraint means prestressed concrete, and béton ciré means waxed or polished concrete.