Architectural historians say success of Brady Corbet’s film could help in fight to protect heritage of divisive style

“A mildewed lump of elephant droppings” is how King Charles, then Prince of Wales, described the Tricorn Centre in Plymouth after a visit to one of the UK’s most notable examples of brutalist architecture.

His verdict was typical of those who take issue with the modernist architectural movement, characterised by imposing forms of raw concrete, whose buildings still rank among the most lamented – and celebrated – structures in the country.