'Brutal' Buildings

Who knew that federal many federal buildings in Washington were constructed in a style actually known as "Brutalist"? The term, Bloomberg News reports, derives from a French term meaning "raw concrete," the cheap and easy building material used to get buildings off the ground quickly to accommodate the burgeoning ranks of the federal workforce several decades ago. Now New York architectural firms are taking over some of the old buildings no longer used by agencies and either demolishing them or giving them face-lifts featuring neon, glass and steel.

(Hat tip: FedSmith)