 Architecturally, his works were primarily in concrete; he was said to be a Brutalist and his buildings have been described as "dramatic, sculptural and enormous" as well as "futuristic".Gordon was born on 2 February 1933 in Wanstead, East London to Chilean-born Carmen F (Poirier) and East London-born Hyman Jacob Hyman.His mother was from the naval port of Punta Arenas, Tierra Del Fuego, the southernmost city on Earth, overlooking the Straits of Magellan.