JAV131 Outline for Introduction to Architecture Lecture #11850-1900

IntroductionThe course is restricted to manmade buildings with architects and cultural intentionsWork becomes architecture when it acquires existence beyond itself i.e. in words and imagesDrawing and detailing as a method of conveying informationDifferent levels of abstraction to signify difference in emphasisGeographical importance of architecture especially Canada and Europe

In hindsight: something becomes a prelude as soon as it is clear what came after that.The historical significance is determined by what happened afterwards.The meaning of the present will only be discovered in the future.Historical events have to be packaged in a story to be able to function as facts.A prelude becomes important only in retrospect

Architecture history is Eurocentric particularly due to the technological advancements that originated in the WestIndustrial Revolution credited as the starting point for modernism – slow process but led to increase in wealth and was boosted by colonialismAgricultural Revolution in the 17th century is also considered as a starting point as it allowed more food to be produced by less people; earlier eight people would work to produce food sufficient for ten people only Scientific Revolution and French/American Revolution led to the transformation towards bourgeois society and the establishment of a civil societyEarlier, houses were rounded by agricultural plots

Linear and square plans prevalent – William Penn masterplan for Philadelphia – 1682 –Designed by people without experience in architecture – simplistic and straightforward but also functioning plan – without cultural intentionsPierre Charles L’Enfant, Plan of the City of Washington, 1791 – elaborate and aesthetic planNew York, Commissioners’ Plan 1807, adopted 1811Georges-Eugène Haussmann (1809-1891)Cavalier perspective was possible only when people individually measured the front and back façade of the homes in Paris to create a bird eye viewCohesion and order imposed in ParisReplacing smaller buildings with public buildings and governmental ordersContinuous state to construction in the city for decades

Photographs often empty – long exposure photography was the only option so the streets had to be emptied to prevent ghost like blurring movement being captured Underground sewer systems introduced with running water being transported in smaller pipelines – innovative idea previously unthought-ofAfter Haussmann, the Paris metro started Revolutionary underground metro system - followed in London

Urban planning started with Haussmann followed by Ildefons CerdàIldefons Cerdà has been credited with the invention of the word urbanization and was an influential figure in BarcelonaCerda stressed on the difference between urbanization and city building with the former being infinitely possible but the latter being restricted due to geographical constraintsCerda’s maxim ‘urbanize the rural, ruralize the urban’Vienna – Ringstrasse 1858 - new buildings constructed and urban transformation of the cityClassical Greek style Parliament building with symbolic reference to Greek democracyNew York: Building a new cityParis: Transforming the existing city through demolitionVienna: Mending the cityBarcelona: Urbanizing the rural land around the cityNew York and Barcelona- neutral, generic and homogenous planning! The building form was less important than the street/avenue plan. Two-dimensional thinking Vienna and Paris – Three-dimensional thinking model with monumental buildings! Plan is more important than the designers but often attributed to a single designer like Cerda’s BarcelonaThe idea that the painter or artist is the one with the sole ability and attribute central to the work has been wrongly applied to architecture. Architecture is an inclusive non-solo activityAftermath of the Chicago fire – The fire allowed for the rebuilding of the city once againEmergence of the skyscraper with the availability of the steel frame and the elevator crucial to its emergence William Le Baron Jenney – one of the first to integrate the steel frameOnce again, the significance of the past is determined by the consequences in the futureDemolition is a part of the city’s growth as old buildings make way for new onesSteel frames had a load bearing effect with the forces factored in that allowed the walls to be non-load bearingSkyscrapers helped to make buildings become transparent with the use of the steel frame and the glass exterior – especially helpful to the doctors and patients of the day

Monadnock Building – otherwise loading bearing walls had to be wider at the bottom to bear the buildings weightLe Corbusier ‘the house should be a machine to live in’Functionalism as an idea grew with the influence of Louis Sullivan’s maxim ‘form follows function’ Joseph Paxton - Crystal Palace, London 1851 – seen as a crucial starting point of modern architectureFirst exposition and resembles a greenhouse – new materials used with the building using pre-fabricated components – this meant that the building was easy to mount and demount – modular construction and the absence of style visible – functional building that is seen to have influenced the later construction of the Fagus shoe factoryAfter the exposition, the building was recycled and the design was changedThe architect Paxton however, wasn’t a revolutionary and reverted back to another ornamentational building Château de Ferrières based on the client’s demandsNew construction materials enable new forms, but also new typesSteel and glass combination was used in new designsElevators began to be used such as in Gustave Eiffel’s Le Bon Marché Department Store with electricity playing a vital role as a catalystFirth of Forth Bridge – John Fowler – bridges that are now typical of the 19th century were seen as truly record breaking as the bridges of such great size and length were inconceivable before as it required massive labourEiffel Tower, when constructed was twice taller than the tallest building thenThe buildings were beyond conventional thinking and imagination Nantes Bridge also significant

SummarySteel change the 19th century and the application of reinforced concrete in mass production coupled with the use of steel changed architecture foreverMuch of the architectural history uses a retrospective style of thinking and all the events are made to make sense looking backwards with certain events being attributed as starting points or beginningsArchitecture is confined to a fraction of the built environmentSummary 1850-1900Modern societies/Modern cities led to new needs: urban housing, public institutions comprehensive plans for complete citiesNew typologies like the skyscraperNew materials: Steel and concreteArchitecture: in words and images, beyond its existence as a useful object in common culture

JAV131 Outline for Introduction to Architecture Lecture #21895-1914 New Forms

The 19th centuryAlso the 19th century led to –New materials: Steel and reinforced concreteNew methods of production: industrial, mass production, standardizationNew needs of changing societies: urban middle classNew buildings types: market halls, department stores, urban housing Although steel and concrete allowed for the new building types demanded by the growing urban middle class, the causality is never unidirectional with the new building types also resulting in an increase of the formerEiffel Tower was constructed on an unheard scale, manner and height – the people were impressed by the capabilities of modern technology but were disturbed by its effect on the skyline – this led to the limiting of high rise buildings within the Paris ring roadUntil events play a significant role or have a contribution to the present, they don’t become historical events. The later developments play a crucial role in this.Development of reinforced concrete is given importance as it led to newer building formsThis leads to a chain of historical facts that connects early experiments to later achievementsThe 19th century developments played a key role in influencing the newer forms especially in the 1920sThe rebuilding plans that took place in New York, Barcelona, Paris and Vienna also affected the approach

Art Nouveau“National Styles” “Jugenstil” meaning ‘youth of culture’ in German Considered as the intermediate period between the Arts and Crafts movements and the rise of the International Style The Arts and Crafts movement was focused on maintaining the value of art in a industrial world by promoting craftsmanship and the likeThe end of the 19th century was met with optimism and many believed that a new century deserved a new way of architecture “The contradictory nature of Art Nouveau and its interpretation has led to misapplication of the term. Supposed synonyms most frequently refer to stylistic branches within the wider movement, e.g. the Secession Style, Modern Style, New Style, National Romanticism, Jugendstil, Free Style, Arts and Crafts. They overlap.(…)In fact, Art Nouveau’s strength and vitality derived from its diversity, complexity, ambiguity and pan-European manifestation. The struggle of forms it represented was a struggle of worldviews. It is chauvinism mixing

with universalism, science co-mingling with art, the pagan with Christian. It can be both decadent and progressive, national and liberal, eastern and western, vernacular and international, urban and rural, imperial and social, natural and artificial, material and spiritual.’ Jeremy Howard, Art Nouveau, p 2Art Nouveau meant a confusion of styles, often contradictory but is primarily divide into two distinct groups – Urban cosmopolitan, andPeripheral national

(Urban) Cosmopolitan Art NouveauGlasgow, Brussels, Paris, Vienna, Barcelona: urban setting for a new style with a large number of inhabitantsCharles Rennie Mackintosh - not exactly a part of the Art Nouveau movement with no historical references explicitly but abstract recreations of medieval Scottish castles Free form architecture with innovative windows and also designed furnitureThe Willow Tearoom and the Glasgow School of ArtInventiveness and originality in style – fairly isolated style but similar to Mackay High Ballie Scott’s worksHad problems in continuing career later on – short-lived career which is a recurring trait in Art NouveauMost architects started brilliantly and faded later onwardsThis can be understood in terms of the fact that the young architects tried to make different architecture initially to establish themselves and get noticed. Later on, the work tends to become conventional and becomes less unusual and noticeable.The exceptional becomes normal and the established architects are replaced by the next generation as their existing style becomes less fashionable. Also, the early works are often famous and over-emphasized. Victor Horta – Tassel House – first important work - intermediated mezzanine floorHorta House – his wife was the daughter of an industrialist which brought him in contact with other wealthy clients – few architects are able to design their own homes so early in their careerHorta House – Horta designed everything including the wallpapers to integrate the conceptIt is typical of Art Nouveau as the architects believed that they could design everything.Architecture, as a profession, back then was fairly new – the impetus was provided by the urban middle class – the architects went from designing some things to designing everythingSolvay House – Brussels 1900 – less of the usual floral and curved style but still remarkable Henry Van de Velde – designed Bloemenwerf House for himself

Like Horta, van der Velde was interested in designing everything from dresses to furniture – moved on to Germany later to build Museum Folkwang Essen – went on to become the director for the Grand-Ducal Saxon School of Applied Arts and also was one of the founding fathers for the Bauhaus school.Hector Guimard – less flamboyant in style in comparison to Horta – designed metro entrances and Castel Beranger (1898) is an important work – relied on standardized materials but built in a unique styleSteel, glass especially used– fled during the World War II as his wife was a Jew - ended his career with nothing but was later rediscovered in the 1960sHenri Sauvage – extensive use of floral and natural motifs, chimneys and self-standing fireplacesGiovanni Michelazzi – Italian version of the Art Nouveau

National Art NouveauÅlesund, Norway 1895-1907 – Architects were looking for a new national identity to build after the fire – abstract style with curved elements that make it similar to the prevalent Art Nouveau Stanislaw Witkiewicz – tried to invent a new Polish style – famous work is his Villa Koliba – interior style similar to the curved style furniture but not exactly vernacular A critic suggested that true inspiration can only be found in the countryside – elements of the countryside prevalent in his workÖdön Lechner – Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, 1896 – similarity in especially roofs and chimneys to Antoni Gaudi – related to Art Nouveau but not entirely Art NouveauAntoni Gaudí – Sagrada Família 1883 -2010 – took 100 years to completeCasa Milà (La Pedrera), Barcelona 1906-12 – very important but not as famous – no reference to historical style and totally inventive – “whipped cream-like” ceiling Casa Batló (conversion) 1904 – Unlike Casa Mila, had to work within an existing plan and framework as it was a rebuilding processMikhail Eisenstein – structure integrated into the building Lars Sonck – Helsinki – more national in Nordic, Scandinavian style but also abstract – moving away from conventional application and interpretation though usual motifs were used

American parallels to Art NouveauCharles and Henry Greene - Gamble House, Pasadena, 1908 – a bit more conventional but similar to Art NouveauLouis Sullivan - Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building, Chicago 1899 – decorative style – not like Art Nouveau but similar sensitivity is visible Frank Lloyd Wright - Home and Studio, Chicago 1889, 1898 – early work of Wright – also designed the furniture which has similarities to Mackintosh’s chair

Also built Unity Church, Chicago 1906-07 – Wright doesn’t seem comfortable in an urban setting – light comes in but the visibility of the surrounding environment outside is excluded with elongated windows Robie House, Chicago, 1908-11 – introverted form of architecture – entrance is more like a rite of passage - changing directions and environments as the person enters the building – almost like entering a new worldWright was influential in Europe – the emergence of Wright’s ideas along with the rise of the skyscrapers reversed the American dependence on European architecture and established itself as the central stage of modern architectureH.P. Berlage Stock Exchange, Amsterdam 1896-1903 – believed that style was expressive of the society – as the society was in a flux and in transition state, Berlage opted to wait for a new style and thus designed abstract works – his works are buildings without style but not buildings without ornamentation. Auguste Perret - Apartment building in Rue Franklin, Paris1904 – one of the inventors of the reinforced concrete but was unsure of its strength so added ceramic tiles on top of the concrete to protect the concrete from humidity thus was less radical in a retrospective sensePeter Behrens - AEG Turbine Factory, Berlin 1909 – more visible style of construction without ornament. Also designed AEG electric kettles, hair blower and graphic design in the tradition of designing everythingBerlage was a proto-functionalist along with Perret and Behrens– he had reservations towards modern architecture and was reluctant to wholly accept its principles – proto-functionalism resulted in modern architecture with Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe taking the central stage for the promotion of unadorned structuresFew architects stood out in the 19th century. It was not because of exceptional quality on their part but because in retrospect, they can be seen as the precursors to modern architecture Otto Wagner - Postal Office Savings Bank, Vienna, 1894-1902 – used floral decoration – similar to Art Nouveau Max Fabiani and Joseph Maria Olbrich - Olbrich’s works look similar to Wright but were built earlier and he had a passion for floral motifsWiener Werkstätte 1903 – industrial production Josef Hoffmann – struggled later but made innovative cutlery and the famous Cube Chair In 1910Hoffmann designed Palais Stoclet at the end of Art Nouveau. Palais Stoclet was seen as decadent architecture through later Marxist interpretationA gap existed between the underlying architecture and the added sculptural or floral ornamentation which was not necessarily integratedAdolf Loos - Kärtner American Bar, Vienna, 1908 – used mirrors to create the illusion of enlarged sense of space Loos’ writings such as the essays were influential on the consensus about style

Michaelerplatz – seen as shockingly abstract with the use of columns without decorationIn his work, Ornament and Crime, Loos says ‘the evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornamentation from objects of everyday use.”It’s not clear whether Loos had any direct influence on modern architecture but looking back, the chain of historical thought suggests something that might not have necessarily happened. Therefore, in terms of causality, Loos’ direct involvement is questionable but he did promote the idea of non-ornamentation.

Summary 1895-1914New century ushered in a new form of architectureArt Nouveau with its National and Cosmopolitan flavoursNew ornaments like floral motifs then later no ornaments style promoted by LoosCrafts and industry – prefabricated materials and industrialization redefined the role of the craftsman as manual labour became expensive

JAV131 Outline for Introduction to Architecture Lecture #31910-1925 Dynamic Expressions

BackgroundArt Nouveau characterized the process of breaking away from the pastA Decorative vs Non-Decorative divide came about typified by the contrast between Hoffmann’s Palais Stoclet and Adolf Loos’ MichaelerplatzThere appeared to be a link in functionalist sensitivity between Peter Behrens’ AEG Turbine Factory and Frank Llyod Wright’s Robie’s House but a connection might not have necessarily existedIsolated events might become historical events because they fit a certain ‘historical trend’ that is easy to remember and explainBasically, the following ideas gained momentum –Abstract, geometrical formsReduction/absence of ornamentEmphasis on structureBreak with the past

The different meanings of modern Modern - Now/pertaining to the modern period, or styleModernity - Period/attitudeModernization - Process/developmentModernism- Style/period

Avant-garde - originally a French term, meaning in English vanguard or advance guard

(The part of an army that goes forward and ahead of the rest of the army) – To expand the socio-cultural terrain - Avant-gardes began to flourish across the globe such as :Futurism – ItalyCubism - FranceExpressionism - GermanyNeoplasticism - NetherlandsSuprematism – Soviet UnionConstructivism – Soviet UnionPurism – France (almost singlehandedly Le Corbusier)

FuturismFilippo Tommaso Marinetti - Futurist Manifesto 1909– the love of danger, the habit of energy and fearlessness - courage, audacity, and revolt as the essential elements of their poetry – dynamic expression of speed – the important works were the following - Luigi Luigi Russolo, Intonarumoris, 1913Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Zang Tumb Tumb, 1912-1914Umberto Boccioni, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, 1913Giacomo Balla,Dynamism of a dog on a leash, 1912Futurist Architecture Manifesto, 1914 – which said ”rebuild the Futurist city like an immense and tumultuous shipyard, agile, mobile and dynamic in every detail; and theFuturist house must be like a gigantic machine.”Antonio Sant’Elia - The New City, 1914Le Corbusier - Contemporary City for Three Million Inhabitants 1922Mario Chiattone - Housing, 1915Giuseppe Terragni - Monument for the Fallen, Como 1931Giacomo Mattè-Trucco - Fiat Lingotto Factory, Turin, 1916-23 –first to integrate technology and architecture – innovative roof racetrack – formal introduction of the car to the building

Cubism - Czech CubismFew integrated cubism in architecture Influences ranged from Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Portrait of Ambroise Vollard Josef Chochol - Apartment Building, Prague in 1912-13 – conventional and efficient floorplan – superficial, diamond façade, and cubist garden – totally different look - cubist chairs too Josef Gočár - Bauer Villa, Libodřice 1912 - House of the Black Madonna, Prague, 1911 - Legions Bank, Prague 1922Michel De Klerk - furniture for ’t Woonhuys, 1918Graphic design and furniture design – Like Art Nouveau, there was an ambition to create total design – ‘do it all’ architecture style

Amsterdam School

Primarily brick and concrete use J.M. Van der Mey – Scheepvaarthuis in Amsterdam 1912-1916 – integrated design for interiors – designed with Michel de Klerk and Piet Kramer - almost total opposition to prevalent modern architecture of non-ornamental style The Amsterdam School is often considered as a footnote and diversion in the history of 20th century architecture Piet Kramer and Michel de Klerk, De Dageraad Housing – references to the sea, waves – dynamic form of architecture De Klerk was the leader of the Amsterdam school – the use of conventional materials like bricks in a totally non-conventional manner The Amsterdam school was famous for mass housing – a continuous and unified style or architecture that makes it difficult to see where the buildings endAmsterdam South – splitting axis – based on the German theory that the city should be filled with housing and not monuments, etc. HP Berlage – first project for the Amsterdam South – informal park-like setting – too expensive to build such a plan which included very low number of houses and expansive gardens – possible influence from the works of Hampstead Garden, the Garden City movement and the Ebenezer Howard philosophy of garden citiesWilliam Rattcliff - Hampstead Garden – Garden City movement that sought to create urban environments with non-urban settings or a garden lookEbenezer Howard - The Garden Cities of To-morrow, 1902 – reminds of Cerda’s maxim ‘ruralize the urban, urbanize the rural’ – but Howard has the concept of a finite city with restrictions.Barry Parker and Raymond Unwin - Letchworth, 1903 – another example of a similar philosophy with the garden being an important componentMichel de Klerk - Spaarndammerplantsoen Housing, Amsterdam, 1919-1923 – subsidized social housing – transformed the school into a work of art – once again, an unconventional way of using traditional materials – the windows of the Post Office were different – this extensive and crafty use of materials was possible as the country was in recession which mean that the cost of craftsmanship was drastically reduced. There was a social ambition to improve the families’ lives but it was implemented in a forced way. There was a feeling of reluctance from the community to wholly accept de Klerk’s philosophy. For example, the kitchen was an integral part of the social life but de Klerk’s designs included small kitchens which forced the women to leave the kitchen and move into the living room (which was comparatively bigger).An imposing attitude of architecture – once again, de Klerk intentionally made the windows small in order to discourage people to hang out on the windows and look outside often

Expressionism

Erich Mendelsohn - Einstein Tower, Potsdam, 1919-21 – concrete building to ensure experimental efficiently and safety Hans Poelzig, Grosses Schauspielhaus, Berlin 1919 – movie theatre – it was built as a market hall initially, transformed into a circus and then into a theatre until it was demolished in 1988Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Friedrichstrasse, Berlin,1921 – Study for a glass tower – expressionist and not very successful – stressing transparency and anticipating later developments – technology at that time couldn’t build such a building Fritz Höger, Chile House, Hamburg, 1924 – sharp angles and intricate detailed brickwork Peter Behrens, Hoechst/IG Farben Offices, Frankfurt, 1920-24 – usually omitted as it doesn’t fit into the unidirectional modern architecture storylineErich Mendelsohn, Steinberg hat factory, Luckenwalde , 1921-23Hugo Häring, Gut Garkau, 1923-26 – relatively obscure architect – connection with later Scharoun’s worksMax Berg, Centennial Hall, Wroclaw (Breslau), 1911-13 – a commentary on Napoleon’s victory – high dome was unique in its appearanceBruno Taut, Glass Pavilion - Werkbund Exhibition, Cologne, 1914 – moved from Expressionism to other styles – created original opposition to Art and Crafts movement and promoted modern form of production and industrial design – crystalline, transparent architecture – Taut also created The City Crown, 1910s – a poetic and idealistic work. Henry Van de Velde, Werkbund Theater, Cologne, 1914Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer, Model Factory, Werkbund Exhibition, Cologne, 1914 – the concept of transparent staircase was new and revolutionary – also it was a building without corners which was radical at the time and promoted the essence of unlimited spaceWalter Gropius and Adolf Meyer, Fagus shoe factory, Alfeld on the Leine, 1911-13 – famous open corners – the work can be framed in a bigger picture of the discontent between the structure and cladding with its connection to the earliest skyscrapers – the wall had to no longer be load-bearing – a new form of transparency was sought through this building Richard Steiff, Steiff Factory, Giengen, 1903 – this was constructed ten years before the Werkbund exhibition – the transparent staircase stands out

Neoplasticism or De StijlConsidered important in architectural history – concentration around the magazine which back then, had hardly any readership. Theo van Doesburg, and Gerrit Rietveld, Color Composition Test, 1919 – reduction to a rectangular system of elementary colours – inspired by Futurism and MarinettiGerrit Rietveld Red and blue chair, 1917 – led to can Doesburg collaboration

Rob van’t Hoff, Villa Henny, Huis ter Heide, 1915-19 – Frank Llyod Wright’s influence is visible – was a difficult man to work with and had a fight with Piet Mondrian Irving Gill, Dodge House, Los Angeles, 1916Gerrit Rietveld, Schröder House, Utrecht, 1924 – relatively small house with a Mondrian colour scheme – linear composition and a dynamic floorplan that could be changed in the day and in the night – transparency and open corners emphasized – obsession with control and instructions was translated into the work with unnecessary instructions being posted on the walls.Rietveld was deterministic and believed that everything has its fixed functionSophie Taeuber-Arp – worked with Theo van Doesburg – made the restaurant in primary colours and very rectangular i.e. Maison Particulière.J.J.P. Oud, Café De Unie reconstruction, Rotterdam, 1986El Lissitzky, De Stijl 1922 - first Wendingen issue on F.L. Wright – truly international style with application across Russia and America – shows the influence frank Lloyd Wright had on European architecture

ConstructivismEl Lissitzky Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge, 1920Russian Revolution + revolutionary art and architecture intertwined – but art might have previously existed independently El Lissitzky, Lenin Tribune, 1920 – truly unconventional El Lissitzky, Wolkenbügel, 1922 – radical and deceptive image of a H-shaped tower unless viewed from multiple anglesVladimir Tatlin, Tower for the Third International, 1919-1920 – planned to surpass the Eiffel Tower and rise upto 500mKazimir Malevich, Architecton, 1923 – abstract artKonstantin Melnikov, Soviet Pavilion, Exposition des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, 1925 It seemed as though the Russian government would encourage art but it changed when Stalin came to power and replaced constructivism with Soviet RealismLe Corbusier, Esprit Nouveau Pavilion, Paris, 1925 – considered model art - promotion of his own ideas about city living

PurismPurist still life – trying to reduce everything to its pure form Maison Dom-Ino, 1914-15 – the prototype for housing – you could create total freedom – if mass produced, the standardization of pure forms could be executed on a large scaleLe Corbusier, Esprit Nouveau Pavilion, Paris, 1925 – considered model art - promotion of his own ideas about city livingLe Corbusier, Immeuble-Villa, 1925 – attempt to reconcile the apartment with the garden – Every garden is separate from the neighbour’s signifying Le Corbusier’s belief that privacy was extremely important

Le Corbusier, Ville Contemporaine, 1922 – urban planning for 3 million people – more conventional approach than Antoni Gaudi with centered rather than endless urbanization – Plain Voisin – 1925 - resembling an aero polis with a runway between the buildings – possible that it was intended to appeal to Gabriel Voisin – provocative and not necessarily serious Le Corbusier, Towards an Architecture, 1923 – a manifesto of his beliefs – stressing the new forms of architecture – similar to Futurists?Le Corbusier as a proto-functionalist

The different meanings of modern Modern - Now/pertaining to the modern period, or styleModernity - Period/attitudeModernization - Process/developmentModernism- Style/period

Key figuresItaly: Antonio Sant’EliaGermany: Erich Mendelsohn

Hans PoelzigLudwig Mies van der RoheWalter Gropius

Netherlands: Michel De KlerkGerrit RietveldJ.J.P. Oud

Russia: El LissitzkyVladimir TatlinKonstantin Melnikov

France: Le Corbusier

Summary 1910-1925Avant-gardes/Modernism – the society was looking for a new architecture Recurrent theme: Search for expressions of a new time (style, form, material, space)Relation with other art formsInternationalismNot just looking for artistic development but also new ways to look and seePaper architecture – detailed drawings of buildings and cities not necessarily constructed

JAV131 Outline for Introduction to Architecture Lecture #41917-1933 Modernisms and Avant-gardes

BackgroundUrban planning of New York, Paris, Barcelona, Vienna 1850New architecture of the skyscraperSteel and reinforced concrete

Art Nouveau and the search for a new style 1900Isms: the movements of the 1910s and 1920

Alison and Peter Smithson, The Heroic Period of Modern Architecture, 1981 –based on Banham’s book on the First Machine Age from 1965The lecture content focuses on the relative crystallization of architecture form 1917 to 1933 with the years correspond to the start of the Russian revolution and the rise of Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany. The time period was the ground for radical developments and key events even in such a short amount of time which can be broadly reduced to the following three –1926 Bauhaus, Dessau1927 Weissenhofsiedlung, Stuttgart1928 CIAM, La Sarraz International Congress of Modern Architecture

Walter Gropius, Bauhaus, Dessau, 1926Underlining the transparency with tubular pipes – similarity to the de Stijl colour combination is seen especially in the interiors – the school that housed multi-art productions ranging from theatre to furniture design

Weissenhof Estate, Stuttgart, 1927, director Mies van der RoheParticipating architects included a cross of modernistsThere was a widespread fascination with car and mobility which goes back to the days of Futurism. The combination of the car and building is a recurring theme with the car symbolizing the connection of technology to the drive of modern architecture.J.J.P. Oud, Weissenhofsiedlung, Stuttgart, 1927 – almost empty kitchen with an intentional emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene

Le Corbusier, Five Points, 1920s• The elevated building or the pilotis • Removal of the pitch roof and the installation of the roof garden• A free plan without load bearing walls or columns• Free elevation• Horizontal strip windows

A frequent characteristic of the majority of Le Corbusier’s works.

Peter Behrens, apartment building, Weissenhofsiedlung, Stuttgart, 1927 – small windows Behrens was almost an outsider at the Weisenhof estate– Mies van der Rohe previously worked under Behrens with the collaboration going back to the AEG Turbine FactoryHans Scharoun, Weissenhofsiedlung, Stuttgart, 1927Walter Gropius, Weissenhofsiedlung, Stuttgart, 1927 – House 17 – wish to make something on an industrial scale

Mart StamTypical of him to be looming behind in most places and events International style of work Designed dwelling Weissenhofsiedlung, Stuttgart 1927 A great degree of similarity can be seen between Stam’s Wolkenbügel 1924-25 and El Lissitzky’s Wolkenbügel, 1924.A greater degree of controversy persists about the identity of the inventor of the famous Breur chair with Stam’s S33 chair having come out in 1925-26 in comparison to Breuer’s B33 chair in 1927-28.Collaborated with Ernst May for the project Hellerhof, Frankfurt, 1929-32 – creating space between houses to allow air and sunshine to enter the house which is key to clean, hygienic architecture

Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, Frankfurt kitchen 1926-28 – first woman to credited with a role in modern architectureTubular furniture was rare and simple wooden chairs have been used with a spark in design. The kitchen was constructed according to the way it was used rather than optimising comfort or aesthetics.Ernst Neufert, Bauentwurfslehre. Handbuch für den Baufachmann, Bauherren,Lehrenden und Lernenden, 1936 – handbook displaying the dimensions needed for efficient and functional use of space – go-to guide for designing most furnitureBruno Taut, Martin Wagner, Horse Shoe Estate, Berlin, 1925-30 – not a harcore modernist with a range of styles including the famous Glass Pavilion of 1914J.J.P. Oud, De Kiefhoek, Rotterdam, 1925-30 – streamlined and smooth corners

Arne Jacobsen, Bellavista Estate, Gentofte, 1934 – famous mainly in the 1950s for furniture design – once again, an expansive style that allowes the sunlight to come in.Gas station, Copenhagen, 1936 – in this design, the car was a key component of the whole architecture

Erich Mendelsohn, Red Banner Textile Factory, St Petersburg, 1925-37 Among the first to build modernist work in Russia

Moisei Ginzburg and Ignatii Milinis, Narkomfin Building, Moscow, 1929The lower volume of the design consisted of a central shared kitchen and communal facilities.Reduction in the volume and number of corridors to allow for the construction of marginally bigger rooms – innovative idea that used the concept of restricted accessibility to the corridors and emphasis on extended rooms. This impressed Le Corbusier and had an influence in his later works.

Russian architecture was primarily restricted to paper architecture which made way for real modernist architecture until Stalin came to power and put a stop to modern architecture in the Soviet Union.The international exchange of architects and artists was crucial to the rise of Russian architecture.

Ilya Golosov, Zuev Workers’ Club, Moscow, 1925-28Konstantin Melnikov, Rusakov Workers’ Club, Moscow, 1927-29Protruding blocks from the building which were extensions of the theatre space and was often used for spreading propaganda.Le Corbusier, Nikolai Kolli, Centrosoyuz Building, Moscow 1928-33 Not as free flowing as Le Corbusier’s later works but a number of the five defining points of Corbusier are visible.Boris Iofan, Palace of the Soviets, Moscow, 1931-33 – highly ornamental work that was selected by Stalin - Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret had also submitted a competition entry for the Palace of the Soviets but their work was rejected.

CIAM, La Sarraz 1928 (Congrès internationaux d'architecture modern)Founded in 1928, dissolved in 1959There was a widespread consensus amongst modern architects that their works were not being fully acknowledged or appreciated. This led to a sentiment of backlash.The group talked about the world but they were harldy able to make a definite impact on the events leading to questions as to whether CIAM was overrated.However, the involvement of key architects of that time or those who went on to have a considerable influence later on meant that CIAM was considered important in the architectural community.

Pierre Chareau with Bernard Bijvoet, Glass House, Paris, 1931 Not necessarily a modernist work given the use of Art Deco furniture and there was a feeling that the building could have been more modern

Gabriel Guevrekian - Villa Noailles Cubist garden, Hyères, 1925-1928Max Cetto - Important figure in Mexican modern architectureAlberto Sartoris – panoramic synthesis of modern architecture

The Functional CityReduction of the complexity of the city to four functions. THE FOUR FUNCTIONS OF THE CITY being Dwelling Work

Recreation Transportation

Cornelis Van Eesteren, General extension plan of Amsterdam, 1934Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, German Pavilion, Barcelona, 1929

Simple floorplan with an infinite floating space evoking Spartan austerityClassical art and sculpture has been integrated into the interior along with the famous Barcelona chairPresence of the characteristic van der Rohe columns that are free loadbearing Tugendhat House, Brno, 1928-30 – once again, the free load columns are usedInteriors designed with Lilly ReichLuxurious environment with the use of expansive materials that are custom made along with distinctive furniture for individual projects such as the Tugendhat chair, Barcelona chair and couch.

Le Corbusier, Maison La Roche, Paris, 1923-25Trademark ramp used instead of the staircase allowing for the uninterrupted flow of spaceNo sense of Spartan austerity but symbolic of a comfortable style for the clientMost critics saw these works are a reflection of the decadent style and a compromise on the part of the modernist principles but the architects were simply responding to the demands of the wealthy client. La Roche was a keen admirer of Le Corbusier’s works including paintings and commissioned him to build his house.

Le Corbusier, Villa Stein-de Monzie, Garches, 1926-28Once again, the car is used to denote modernist architecture using a careful composition of the building and the car (in the second picture)

Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye, Poissy, 1928-1929All of Le Corbusier’s five points are integrated in this famous work along with the rampThe bathroom is central in the architectural ideal of cleanliness.

Modern Architecture Exhibition, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1932Exhibition held to spread the idea of modern and European architecture oddly enough in a departmental store i.e. Bullocks-Wilshire Department Store

Rudolph Schindler, Lovell Beach House, Newport Beach CA, 1922-1926Transparency and openness is accentuated in his works – Frank Lloyd Wright’s influence is visible

Richard Buckminster Fuller, Dymaxion House 1929His work is unlike the bourgeois architecture of Mies van der Rohe or Le Corbusier.Fuller was a true modernist with the all-embracing use of pre-fabricated and industrial material to create a mass-scale modern architecture

Juan O’GormanO’Gorman Studio, Mexico City, 1929Radicalism in his work is often overlookedDiego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Studios, Mexico City, 1930-32 Another work with a functionalist approach to electricity observable in interior switchesIntersecting use of floating staircase and the project was made for an artist couple who lived in separate compartmentsO’Gorman later moved on to decorative style like House, Mexico City, 1956

Finnish modern architecture – often overlooked but Aalto was a central figureAlvar AaltoAn outsider to the history of modern architecture More humanist form of architecture i.e. a softer version of modernismHis importance is highlighted in retrospect.Library, Viipuri (Vyborg), 1927-1935Simple exteriors but there is a generous use of space and sky lighting Sanatorium, Paimio, 1929-32Hospital design central to the idea of a healthy, clean space.Tuberculosis was a rampant disease at that time and its treatment called for the availability of clean air and sunlight for the patientsSmall garden on the balcony tooSuch a societal demand was a perfect situation for modern architecture

Jan Duiker, Bernard Bijvoet, Zonnestraal Sanatorium, Hilversum, 1925-31Similar work to Aalto’s SanatoriumSimilar forms and focus on transparency and cleanliness Jan Duiker, Open Air School, Amsterdam, 1930Once again, importance given to the establishment of a healthy environmentWindows were often left open to ensure accessibility to clean air in the classrooms which resulted in the occasional need for sweaters for the children Jan Duiker, Cineac, Amsterdam, 1934 – use of neon lights

Brinkman and Van der Vlugt, Van Nelle Tea, Coffee and Tobacco Factory, Rotterdam,1925-31Ludvík Kysela , Bata Building, Prague, 1927Building a flagship store Highlighting transparent and large windows which went on to become a defining trait of Bata storesWelles Coates, Isokon Flats, Hampstead, 1933

Communal kitchens until it personal kitchens became the norm which led to the communal space being transformed into a barSimilar concept to the Narkomfin housing plan – furniture was designed too

Le Corbusier, De Beistegui Rooftop Apartment, Paris 1929-31Surrealist environment with the high barrier walls blocking the view of the view to the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de TriompheThere was a contradiction due to the juxtaposition of modern architecture and ancient classical furniture

Summary 1917-1933‘Heroic’ period of modern architectureFunctionalismInternationalismThree key events in the 1920s:

1926 Bauhaus1927 Weissenhofsiedlung1928 CIAM

Four functions of the Functional City: Dwelling, Recreation, Work, and TransportationFive points of Le Corbusier: Free plan, free facade, pilotis, roof garden, strip window

JAV131 Outline for Introduction to Architecture Lecture #51925-1939 Art Deco, Moderne and Monumental

Modern architecture

Functionalism is often seen as an opposing ideology to other forms of art like Expressionism, Traditionalism, Classicism, etcFunctionalism was simply one of the extreme forms of modernism and doesn’t necessarily have to be the center of modernismContinuity from one form to another Wide variety of formal appearances that existed simultaneously Timelessness was suggested Abstract concepts against each other

Parallel movements went on from 1900 to 1960Often an overlap exists and there is an interconnectionExpressionism waned towards the end of 1920s but revived again later Traditionalism was modern but not in the same way that we might be inclined to think about it

Cross section: many forms of modern architecture

Architecture and politics – often authoritarian Style and politicsNation building and building – idea that it’s possible to build a society using culture as way to forge a national identity

Authoritarian era: Dictatorships in Soviet Union, Italy, Germany,Spain, Portugal, colonies in Asia and Africa

Thus architecture was both a tool and an outcome

Paris 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels ModernesVery important to the rise of Art Deco

Art Deco as a label was itself invented later in the 1960s and not a term used by the artists involvedNew Spirit, Streamline, Moderne, Modern were the terms used in the 1930sMajority of the works looked like Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann Extremely important furniture makerStreamlined furniture styleThe legs of the table bear a resemblance to classical columns

Pierre Patout

Streamlined but boxy forms Dynamic like a shipVilla Cavrois, Croix, 1929-1932 – modern in a different way to Le CorbusierElegant, bourgeois, less radicalUse of tubular steel and a feeling of generous comfort

Interiors Art DecoThe exterior has a classical touch in terms of style and settingEmphasis on symmetryCompare to austere modernism

Art Deco – unlike previous movements, this is not limited to small number of people or countries but was everywhereBucharest, 1930s had many Art Deco buildingsStreamlined, symmetry, and a central axis

Luis Martinez Feduchi and Vicente Eced, Capitol Building, Madrid, 1926-33Homogenous approach to make the building more streamlined

Gregorio Sánchez, Ernesto Lagos and Luis María de la Torre, Kavanagh Building, Buenos Aires, 1934-36More boxy than normal Art Deco architecture

László Hudec, Park Hotel, Shanghai, 1936 SymmetryWilliam Van Alen, Chrysler Building, New York , 1928-30Similar work - Jazzy style

Grand Concourse, Bronx, 1930sAlmost classical in symmetry but a modern work especially with the corners

Howe & Lescaze, PSFS Building, Philadelphia, 1929-32Moma ExhibitionSlickness and streamlined cornersJust following the fashionable style and not calling it Art Deco

Hood, Godley & Fouilhoux Reinhard & HofmeisterCorbett, Harrison & MacMurray Rockefeller Center, New York 1931-1935 Complex of skyscrapers that were interconnectedIt was built in a model that hoped to revive the economy after the Great Depression

Edward Durrell Stone, Donald Deskey, Radio City Hall, New York, 1933Part of an important Art Deco masterpiece

Unlike Futurism, etc, there was no spokesperson or groups in Art DecoInstead there were designs with similar style, ways and flavours

Frank Lloyd Wright, Kauffman House (Fallingwater), Bear Run, 1935-38Search for the integration into the environment Periods of public perception Continuation of Robie’s house philosophy Expressively integrated i the dramatic waterfallExcluding the city from the view as seen previously in the church project but here it’s not as explicit but perhaps a result of the environment itselfNatural setting has been allowed to integrate into the architectureOrganic Architecture employed by using the stones from the vicinity for construction and merging of the building into the landscape

Frank Lloyd Wright, Johnson Wax, Racine, Wisconsin, 1936-39Closer to streamlined style with the curved appearanceLater extended with the addition of a towerIndustrial setting and interiors Focused on the sky ceiling and lighting

Art Deco had the same range as Art Nouveau Exquisite products and mass produced 1930s – the idea of a mass society was growingThere was a demand for cheaper goods Quite often, the streamlined appearance was used for the products

NapierRebuilt in a short time after the earthquake Most of it was built in Art Deco styleRun of the mill architecture Relatively straightforward and typical letteringStained glass windows used

Miami BeachOmnipresence of the Art DecoSlightly more modern in contrastAsymmetrical solution used that was otherwise uncommon

Corbusier’s horizontal style was more common

Kaplan and Sprachman, Allenby Cinema, Toronto 1935More modest and everyday version of Art Deco

David Jerome Spence, Hogan Bath, Montreal 1932More classical and also streamlined version

Ernest Cormier, Cormier House, Montreal, 1930-31In a style connected to Art DecoIntegrated sculpture – typical to use decorationWarm golden glow that was also typical of Art DecoErnest Cormier, main building Université de Montréal, Montreal, 1930-43Emphasis on symmetry – yellow brick which became popular

Willem Dudok, Town Hall, Hilversum, 1928-31Less radical and he is considered an outsiderMuch closer to Art Deco or Frank Lloyd Wright

Every work is not connected to any sort of movements There is no singular or unidirectional way of interpreting the eventsMultiplicity of interpretationIt is up to us to interpret the connections

Order within the deluge of examples of the streamlined, exceptional, ordinary and the classical Art Deco label came afterwards

Also TraditionalismA label invented later although “traditionalism” was used as a reference Heinrich Tessenow, Housing Hellerau, 1912Total reduction and clear form – abstraction Considered himself a modernistMore Spartan and austere in comparison to Art Deco and ExpressionismSuper abstract facade Empty spaces which make it modernReinvention of the traditional The reaction to the classical tradition and neo Gothic included Total abstraction or taking clues from earlier works which wasn’t liked by the modernistsGoing back to pure, unspoiled form

Paul Bonatz, Main Train Station, Stuttgart, 1911-27Very heavy stone building

Ragnar Östberg, City Hall, Stockholm, 1911-23More than a decade was taken for the constructionAbstract quality with a non ornamented tower that was highly radical its timeReferences to Swedish 19th century architecture visibleCovered public square due to the weather

Ernest Cormier, Supreme Court, Ottawa, 1939-40Could fit into the traditional

More classical overtones

Classicism/MonumentalismRevival or the re-continuation of classical or the monumental form of architectureAppealing to both types of governments i.e. dictatorial as well as democratic Ivan Leonidov, Commisariat for the Heavy Industry, Moscow, 1934Last before Stalin’s policies against abstract works came into placeBoris Iofan, Palace of the Soviets, Moscow, 1931-33Swimming pool was later made in the area of the foundation of the Palace of the Soviets

Paul Troost, Haus der Kunst, Munich 1933-37Missed the opening of the building due to his deathShowpieces of Hitler’s GermanyConstructed before Hitler started the war but still houses air raid shelters that is emblematic of the events that were to unfold Degenerate Art exhibition, Munich, 1937 – ridiculing and denunciating modern art

Gerdy Troost,Temple of Honors, Munich, 1935Wife of Paul TroostSymbol of the Nazi marshalls

Albert Speer, Zeppelin Field, Neurenberg, 1934-37Huge complex for the mass rallies of Nazi GermanyAlbert Speer, Berlin 1937Transformation plan for Berlin never materialised Street monumental axis Ephemeral and did not match with Hitler’s idea of permanent architecture

Clemenz Klotz, Kraft Durch Freude Bad, Prora 1936-39Already extreme version of mass tourism Building that was 4 kms long

Autobahn, Germany 1930sMotorways Key element of Hitler’s model for transforming the infrastructure of Germany

Paul Bonatz,Rockenau Dam in the Neckar, 1933

Nazi GermanyDiversification of architectureAbstract visuals were used for the public projects while the monumental ones were preferred for the State projects Utilitarian projects meant modernism

State projects meant monumentalism

Marcello Piacentini, Palace of Justice, Milan, 1936Austere and reduced classicismMarcello Piacentini, Masterplan La Sapienza University, Rome, 1932-1935Invited other architects Continuation from pre-Fascist to Fascist architectureClassical form already existed Marcello Piacentini, Victory Square, Brescia, 1932

Giovanni Muzio, Ca’ Brutta, Milan, 1919-22Decade after FuturismSeen as an ugly building because of not meeting the classical standards that were expectedCourtyard spaceLimited to the vicinity of Milan

Emilia Lancia, Gio Ponti, Casa Rasini, Milan, 1933-34

Mario Sironi, Periphery, 1922Parallel work

Italian architectural heritage Conceptually closeArchitects were urged to continue with a version that matched the past i.e a Mediterranean and Latin style

Vittoriale degli Italiani, Lake Garda, 1922-1938Believed that Italian territorial demands were justified and fought with his small army against present day Slovenia to expand the Italian territory Failed in his attemptMerging his own history with Italian history Interior resemble the 19th century bourgeois cultureTried to conquer other territories Monument with the ship on the mountainPresented by Mussolini with this property

Predappio, hometown of Benito Mussolini, 1930sTrying to manipulate the history as it was the birth town of Benito MussoliniUnassuming village that was transformed into an urban environment Remade to look important

Marcello Piacentini, Piazza della Vittoria, Brescia, 1927-30

Enrico Del Debbio, Swimming Pool, Rome 1928-38Decoration with references to Roman past

Part of the Olympic complexEnrico Del Debbio, Foro Italico and Pool, Rome 1928-38 Roman mosaics“Leader Leader Leader” Littoria, 1930sWish to start anew vs

Italy’s desire to recontinue the glorious pastAngiolo Mazzoni, Post Office,Littoria, 1932Closer to Art Deco than monumental classicism

Mario Messina, Impero Cinema, Asmara 1937 – colonies

Giuseppe Pettazzi, service station, Asmara, 1938Modern – much more literature for modern architecture in Italy

Adalberto Libera/Curzio Malaparte, Villa Malaparte, Capri, 1937Influence of modernist architecture in ItalyBuilding like a stair protective Rooftop project which is similar to Corbusier

Highly personal form of architecture based on the clientBiographical representation View – beautifully framed – stressing the environment

Giuseppe Terragni, Novocomum 1927-29Most important modern workSimilarity with Golosov – the parallel is clear (see Ilya Golosov, Zuev Workers’ Club, Moscow, 1925-28)

Giuseppe Terragni, Casa del fascio, Como,1932-36Headquarters of the Fascist partyControversy as to whether this abstract building could be endorsed by the Fascists?His brother a key player so he got the project

Mussolini quote“Fascism should be like a glass house”

Abstract quality and trying to express and support FascismStrong suggestion Originally intended to display Mussolini poster on the blank wall

Although Fascism is thought of as suppressed by classical architecture

Gherardo Bosio, Casa del Fascio, Tirana, 1930sAlbaniaFascist Italy was expanded Simplified version of Italian architectureTransforming AlbaniaVittorio Ballio Morpurgo,National Bank, Tirana, 1930-41Led to invitation of Italian architects but the influence of Italy was forced upon after the Fascist invasionHsinking, Manchukuo 1932Capital architectureArt Deco expressionEven in different culture, context, phenomena, there was a global unity or architectural expressionNation building – new towns, post offices and railroads

Public buildings in the USA, 1937Tirana similarity Democratic version of nation building Theodore Roosevelt post the 1929 Depression, led the transformation of the countryArchitectural novelty was a by-product of the economic recoveryNew neighbourhoodsSimilar to socialist works of architecture even though there was a difference in political ideologyNew Deal movement was crucial

You can’t necessarily say that a certain form of architecture has an absolute meaning or implicationThe context means that messages are symbolically represented and the intentions of making visually similar works might differ

Moscow Canal, 1930sConnecting Moscow with the seas Forced labour with people being forced to contributeHowever in contrast, USA used similar construction to employ the unemployed

Outcomes can be similarMany democracies were fond of monumental form of architecture

Jože Plečnik, transformations of the Castle, Prague, 1920-1934Modest transformationCentral Square – re-pavement using stones which appear to be of different colours This was because stones were taken from different local regions to symbolically represent the unified country

Roof is like a tent – hanging looselyDecorative columns Abstract classical interventions Close to dictatorships but intentions, once again are completely different

Gunnar Asplund,Public Library, Stockholm, 1920-28Fairly small and streamlined flat sculpted wallSimplicity and orderMoved to another vocabularyMore modernist work

Ivar Tengbom, Koncerthuset, Stockholm, 1926Democratic versions

Edwin Lutyens, Pall Mall Building, London 1928Preculiar style of architecture and un-modernist almost

George Grey Wornum, Royal Institute of British Architects, London 1934On the border of Art Deco and Classicism

Albert Laprade, Léon Jaussely and Léon Bazin, Palais de la Porte Dorée, 1931Monumental verison

Auguste Perret, Palais d’Iéna, Paris 1937More mature work Reinforced concrete usedThis work is often discarded by the critics as it doesn’t fit into the storyline Perret is useful in early history of modern architecture but later works often ignored

Paris Expo 1937Crucial for monumental architectureAlbert Speer, German pavilion Boris Iofan with Vera Mukhina, Soviet pavilionGerman and Russian pavilions placed right in front of each other Albert Speer, German pavilion, Paris, 1937Distorted and elongated form of classical architectureDoesn’t resemble the past Modern interpretation of classical architecture Emblematic summing the political situation of that time

Josep Lluís Sert, Spanish Pavilion, Paris,1937, and reconstruction in BarcelonaDictatorshipVery last time that the Spanish republic could express itself

Jaromir Krejcar,Czechoslovakian Pavilion, Paris 1937In comparison to heavy monumentalism of Russia, it is of a completely different world

World’s Fair, New York, 1939Germany was no longer welcome and not present due to political animosity

Other countries – advanced forms of architecture Dictator – obviously monumentalAlbert Kahn, Ford Pavilion, World’s Fair, New York, 1939Vision of the city of the future Alvar Aalto, Finnish pavilion, New York, 1939Undulating wall

“I have seen the future”Awkward and optimistic perspective expressed US was escaping Depression and the sentiment is understandable Later rediscovery imparts a new meaning

Summary Soviet Union: Boris IofanGermany: Albert SpeerItaly: Marcello, Piacentini - Giuseppe Terragni

Canada: Ernest CormierSlovenia: Jože PlečnikSweden: Gunnar Asplund

USA: Frank Lloyd Wright, Wallace K. Harrison

Every period has its own share of style and intentions behind choosing certain forms of architecture. It might seem similar, but it necessarily isn’t.

JAV131 Outline for Introduction to Architecture Lecture #61939–1954 Reconstructing Worlds

Introduction and context

Second World WarModernism in the USASouth and Central AmericaPostwar reconstruction in Europe

Reconstruction of the Old Town, Warsaw, 1950sReconstruction offered an opportunity to rebuild the city from scratch 85% of the city was destroyed in the warSeen as one of the most faithful reproductions of the reconstructionsUrban planning but not exactly soChanged in the 1950s The city surely changed but the facade remained the sameBehind the facades, the modern city was buildRational and simplified styleLarge scale monumental architectureHaussmann destroyed the city when he was building ParisParadox that building Warsaw also included demolishing existing buildings even when the war had already destroyed most buildings Lev Rudnev, Palace of Culture, Warsaw, 1955Soviet influence on the socialist countriesStalin forced Warsaw to build the Palace of CultureSeen as a symbol of international cultureSocialist Realism - Stalinist architectureSoviet Union, but also in Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, BulgariaStalinist socialist realism was exported forcefully which is mostly present in Bulgaria

Stanisław Jankowski, Jan Knothe, Józef Sigalin, Zygmunt Stępiński, Marszałkowska Dzielnica Mieszkaniowa, Warsaw, 1954MDMTypical Soviet realism Neo-classical forms and large scale architecture

Hermann Henselmann, Stalin-Allee (Karl-Marx-Allee), Berlin 1949-6Name later changed from Stalin-AlleeSymbol of socialist progressEast BerlinMonumental axial project which showcases socialism but need to be a party member to have a house there

All-Union Agricultural Exhibition, Moscow, started 1935Permanent version of the World ExpoVariety of forms of neo-classicism but nevertheless Soviet realism Pushing the local architects to come up with a local variant of Soviet realism and express variety

Lev Rudnev, Moscow State University, Moscow, 1948-53Like Iorfan before him, many important works favoured by Stalin Palace of Culture in WarsawLev Rudnev, Academy of Sciences, Riga, 1954Riga was forced to get a Rudnev building Neo-classical axis going through the monumental work

Auguste Perret, Reconstruction of Le Havre, 1945-60More abstract than BerlinBehind the façade, urban planning and modern architecture is presentFree standing building of free spaceMonumental axis, more classical than most SocialistsRigid formula of neo-classicism in concrete1904 can be seen as the starting point of modern architecture due to Perret’s radical use of reinforced concrete but this is less interesting for historiansClassical to a point but abstract luxury was characteristic of late Perret workMuseum showing how people lived back in the day is not exactly accurate as it doesn’t really depict how people actually livedPeople didn’t really have all the furniture or elements of the same era at the same time

Van Traa Reconstruction Plan, Rotterdam 1946Debris removal photo in 1940 Emptiness of the cityChurch – tight knit fabric of the buildings and spaceTransforming the city Like Warsaw, it included erasing the previous works to start urban reconstructionWider streets, spacious versionCloser to Stalin-AlleeThe beginning of post war reconstruction

Van den Broek and Bakema, Lijnbaan Shopping Center, Rotterdam, 1952-56 First pedestrian shopping street Mix of offices and other buildingsOpen planning with open courtyardsSequences of spaces – spacious open spaces

More relevant in post war architectureLow rise buildings must function as an intermediate between high rise buildingsArtist sketch gave an analogy comparing the low rise buildings to children who would communicate between the parents on either side who represented high rise buildingsEmphasis on transparency Reflection and infinite space conceptsVan den Broek and Bakema, Huf, Rotterdam, 1953-1954 Night shots prominent highlighting transparency of the buildings and offering a new perspectiveIt also emphasized the disappearing side walls Coventry Reconstruction, circa 1950Rotterdam model was largely followed for other cities Labyrinth of little streets and larger elements Growing importance of the car leading to bigger streets to accommodate themTraffic congestionPedestrian shopping like LjinbahnSecond level circulation Victor Gruen, Southdale Shopping Mall, Edina, MI, 1956Similar to Gruen’s shopping mall and beloved that the shopping malls were social centres of the suburbia and that the malls should contain city squares or urban squaresOpenness Similarity to Corbusier’s Voisin planFree standing ideas become reality in small scale works Basil Spence, Coventry Cathedral, Coventry, 1956-62Rebuilt and appreciation for the work is growing

Four approaches to postwar reconstructionHistorical Newprecise (Warsaw Old Town) modern (Rotterdam, Coventry)free (Middelburg, Münster) classic (Le Havre, Stalin Alee, MDM) Vague memory – MiddelburgFestival of Britain, London, 1951Trying to create a cheerful attitude after the war One way of doing that was through festivals 100 years after the Crystal Palace exhibitionSpace in the middle of the cityLightness introduced – criticized as superficial by the Smithsons

Brutalism

Alison and Peter Smithson, Secondary School, Hunstanton, 1949-54Miesian inspirationMinimal steel frameInterior is bare and SpartanArchitecture was seen as important They tried to show things as they were and did not prefer to hide thingsMore important for their writings and ideas rather than for their architectureImitators of Brutalism

Peter Smithson, Eduardo Paolozzi, Alison Smithson and Nigel HendersonJuxtaposition of the stool from the 1920s and the modern one alongsideBefore writing the work “Heroic Period of Modern Architecture”Involved in several projects Interested in the past and the modernRichard Hamilton, This is Tomorrow, 1956English version of pop art

Scandinavia: humane modernismDifferent speed and much of Europe was in a standstillDiffers from the 1930s architecture War ruptured most things but not necessarily architectureChange from flat, white Corbusier style to something differentArne Jacobsen and Erik Møller, City Hall, Aarhus, 1941Beautiful interiors Blended roof and decorative style Elegant in comparison to the Spartan modernism style

Alvar Aalto, Town Hall, Säynätsalo, 1951Traditional materials and large unadorned shapes More embedded in the environmentElevated courtyardShift to something elseInformal architecture for something like the Town HallAlvar Aalto, Baker House, Cambridge, MA, 1948-52 Undulated shapeTrademark negative stairs with the underbelly visibleOnce again the skylight ceiling with the rounded lights

Viljo Revell, Palace Hotel, Helsinki, 1952Olympic Games projectViljo Revell, City Hall, Toronto, 1958-1965Overwhelming interiorsSimilar to reconstruction works in the sense of creating large open spaces to improve and benefit the society

Sven Markelius (urban planning), Vällingby, Stockholm 1950sModel for the creation of suburbsBuilding in green spaces but a friendlier version

European architects in the USA

Walter Gropius, Gropius House, Lincoln (MA), 1937Founder Bauhaus and director of Harvard Design School

Marcel Breuer, Breuer House, Lincoln (MA), 1939Friendly twist with Marcel Breuer, his previous collaborator, employee and Harvard colleage living next doorModern architecture in its unadorned and transparent qualityStone foundation and wood from the East Coast itselfUse of the local traditionsNot an example of industrial concrete architecture

TAC, Harvard Graduate Center, Cambridge MA, 1949(The Architects’ Collaborative - Walter Gropius)Master planner

Mies van der Rohe, IIT Campus Chicago, 1940-1941More rigorous than Barcelona Pavilion or Tugendhat More orderly plan

Mies van der Rohe, S.R. Crown Hall, IIT, Chicago, 1954-56There were few women designers Night shot was used often to create an ephemeral character

Abstract architecture of Mies van der Rohe Revolution in New York with the skyscrapersSkidmore, Owings and Merrill, Lever House, New York 1950Podium and the curtain wallNot filling the whole available plot or block of land New typology of the skyscraper

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Farnsworth House, Plano (IL), 1951Same league as Fallingwater and Villa SavoyeClassical and rigid structure with symmetry but also a sense of openness Living space opened up Revolutionary rural environment and total openness

Philip Johnson, Glass House, New Canaan(CT), 1949Similar house but Johnson was building a house for himselfMisses the subtle quality of Farnsworth House

Furniture that resembles Mies’ furnitureJohnson claimed that he was inspired by the sight of a house that was burnt down with only the chimney visible

Charles and Ray Eames, Eames House, Los Angeles, 1949Lively and comfortable modern architecture Contrast with the prevalent European architecture which was destroyed in the war and was in debrisInterest in designing everything and the world around Pre-feminist era so Ray Eames was often in the backgroundEames Storage Unit could be seen as a smaller version of the house or the house could be seen as the bigger version of the unit The plan was changed during the construction as it was all modular

Case Study House Program, 1945Promotion of modern architectureAsking the architects to build prototypes for modern living America taking the lead because Europe was still recovering and the architects sought refuge in America in and after the war

Latin American Architecture

Oscar Niemeyer, Lucio Costa, Brazilian Pavilion, New York, 1939First introduction to architecture from Latin America to the North American publicHumane version of architecture, often to an extremeFree flowing and curved style

Lucio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer, Carlos Azevedo Leao, Jorge Moreira, Affonso Reidy, Ernani Vasconcelos and Le Corbusier (consultant) Ministry of Health and Education, Rio de Janeiro, 1937-43More rectangular versionCorbusier was an advisor so the pilotis is present Introduction of modern architecture from Europe to Latin AmericaRoof landscape design Free form typical of the Brazilian architecture

Oscar Niemeyer, Saint Francis Chapel, Pampulha, 1943Free form with undulating walls

Oscar Niemeyer, Copan Building, Rio de Janeiro, 1952-66Rio was totally different from other Latin American cities in terms of scale and dynamic Modern architecture had a different context thereIt wasn't standing apart as in Europe but an integral part of the prevalent identity

Corridor was inside because of the climateNorth South orientation so that the facade faces east and westCollective spaces

Affonso Reidy, Pedregulho Housing, Rio de Janeiro, 1950-52Affonso Reidy, Portinho House, Rio de Janeiro, 1952Narrow living room More oriented towards the view

Lina Bo Bardi, Glass House, Sao Paulo, 1951Lightness and transparency Typical modern architectureSimilar to Eames in its courtyard design and natural setting João Batista Vilanova Artigas, own house, Sao Paulo, 1949Sequence of the house Private house Similar experimentation in spaceJoão Batista Vilanova Artigas, Louveira Apartement Buildings, Sao Paulo, 1950Large complex of apartmentsIn between elevated workways Sunlight doesn't enter the building Curvy block way connecting the buildings

Carlos Raul Villanueva, Aula Magna, University City, Caracas, 1952-53Floating acoustics Frivolous effect on spaceHappy architecture – curvy, open and free-flowing Tilted walls

How modern architecture could be made relatable?Art was one was of doing that

Luis Barragan, Barragan House, Mexico City, 1948Beautiful sequence of colourGlowing colours usedDevout Catholic referencesHuge window view in the enclosed monastery like living room

Mathias Goeritz, Towers of Satellite City, Mexico City, 1957Monument of the cityColour is strange Huge interventions to the landscape

Le Corbusier, Unité d’Habitation, Marseilles, 1948-52

Private housing Inconceivable for post war Europeans Not very exceptional in style Unity of DwellingFree standing and all five pointsStanding on the columns Free facade

Collective communal facilities on the top floorEvery unit has a view on both sidesNarkomfin project influence despite thirty years Prototype for the industrial buildingsFree standing object that could be built everywhereVariations – offering and obstructing the viewAbstract sculptural landscapeLe Corbusier, Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp 1954Different directionFree sculptural architecture Outdoor ceremonies could also be conducted under the extended roof Three towers taking the light inside the buildingFree interpretation of what churches should look like Economy of materials and honesty Against the artistic expression significantly Overwhelming effect

Modern masters: Mies van der Rohe, Gropius, Le Corbusier, Alvar AaltoUSA: Skidmore Owings and Merrill, Philip Johnson, Ray and Charles EamesBrazil: Oscar Niemeyer, Lucio Costa, Lina Bo Bardi,Affonso Reidy, João Batista Vilanova ArtigasMexico: Luis Barragan

SummaryEurope, Japan: Reconstruction after the war 1940-1965North and Latin America: leading role in modern architectureScandinavia as an exceptionMies van der Rohe Chicago, Walter Gropius HarvardLe Corbusier: Unité d’Habitation and Chapel in RonchampBrazil, Venezuela, MexicoDifferent approaches: reconstructive/innovative, modern/traditional

Recovering from the war took time and allowed for reconstruction projects in many different citiesUninterrupted architecture style especially in Scandinavia Role as educators of the architects who sought refuge in America in and after the war

JAV131 Outline for Introduction to Architecture Lecture #7

1 1950-1965 Mid-Century Modern

Introduction and context

Overview Modernism of the International StyleMetabolismMegastructuresBrutalism

International style became mainstream and came into the currency through the Modern Architecture Exhibition, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1932Compiled by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip JohnsonThe tag became a label for all modern architecture International style as a phrase often has a double meaning and is called so because it existed in similar forms in different countriesThe modern architects believed that the International Style was applicable as a universal solution in all countries This helped in the proliferation of the International style

International StyleParticular form of modern architecture in the 1920sLabel for all modern architecture in the 1950s/1960s that apparently evolved out of this prewar modern architectureInternational Style1920s 1932 1950/60sSimilar forms everywhereApplicable and appropriate everywhere

Modern architectureChanging definitions of modernAll architecture since the late 19th centurySpecific style of the 1920 white walls, flat roof, open spacesInternational style after 1945

1900 All architecture 1920 Became more specific Flat roofs and white walls1950 Wider definition to include a variety of forms and expressions Dissemination of this specific style Dissemination the International Style certainly helped

Important to see without the context of modern architecture

There is no direct relation between what was modern in the early 20 th

century and during the middle half of the century as in International Style and early modern architecture

KPMB, Rotman School of Management, Toronto, 2011 and Stanley Roscoe, City Hall, Hamilton, ON, 1960Both can be seen as a continuation of the ideas of early modern architecture like Walter Gropius, Bauhaus, Dessau, 1926Although people often used words like Modern, Modernism, international Style to refer to different ideas, the concept is broadly the same with few individual differences

The specific styles gave rise to different sub divisions based on technology, form/space or ideology which is broadly International Style modernism Thus, Le Corbusier, Chapel, Ronchamp, 1954 and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Seagram Building, New York, 1958 both are identified as International Style despite aesthetic differencesThe radical became common and mainstream in the 50s International style gave rise to distinct categories within in, comprising of Sculptural /complex forms – complex, sculptural But can include Eero Saarinen, TWA Terminal, New York, 1962Rectangular/minimal forms – minimal, often rectangular but can also include slightly sculptural works like Robert Matthew (RMJM), New Zealand House, London, 1962

Robert Matthew (RMJM), New Zealand House, London, 1962Not prominent in most histories Interesting work as the curtains are a part of the design itself and the look is dependent on the curtains

Rectangular/minimal‘Less is more’ Mies van der RoheMies van der Rohe and Ludwig Hilberseimer, Lafayette Park, Detroit, 1946-56Ludwig Hilberseimer, Großstadtarchitektur, 1927 Intriguing personality Public architecture of a big city Viewed as dystopian and scary by most people Compartmentation of the city and accommodation of the traffic with elevated lanes for pedestrians

Mies van der Rohe escaped Germany and Hitler to come to AmericaWorked at IIT and mostly built in ChicagoLudwig Mies van der Rohe, Seagram Building, New York, 1958For the Seagram Whisky company

Daughter Phyllis Lambert convinced the company to hire Ludwig Mies van der RohePeculiar rules about how high one a building could be built existed in New York in order to ensure that daylight was accessible on the streetsNegotiation regarding the former happened and the architects often decided to not build on the whole plot and set the building a bit backward

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Lake Shore Drive Apartment Towers, Chicago 1948-51 The use of the plaza to allow light to pass and build more vertically The building is isolated form the city and the urban environment Set free the building in the environment by using columns and suggesting floating buildings

Mies was especially concerned about how the corners of the building actually metHow the facades actually met at the cornersFour Seasons Restaurant, Seagram Building, New York, 1958 with actual trees insideFreestanding buildings with a platform that uplifts itDriven by the idea of the rectangular grid

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, TD Center, Toronto, 1967-69Dominated skyline when built Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, 1968return to Germany Rectangular pattern once again Same visual style can be seen in Sep Ruf, Kanzlerbungalow, Bonn 1964

West Germany felt the need to express its democratic intentions and commissioned Sep Ruf, Kanzlerbungalow, Bonn 1964 as the lodging of the German ChancellorEspecially in contrast with East Germany which was communistAvoided monumental works characteristic of the Nazi periodIronically enough, the most conservative of the politicians preferred this building while the socialists didn’t like it

Pierre Koenig, Case Study House #22, Los Angeles, 1960Examples of the modern way of living Not the quality of the architecture itself but the photography by Julius Shulman, 1960 that gives this work its prominence – includes the city too Emblematic of the post war American lifestyle and the modern method of livingMoving away from the austerity of the previous architecture to the luxury of this one

Harry Seidler, Rose Seidler House, Sidney, 1949-50Siedler disseminated his International Style work in Australia but studied in America with Gropuis

Arne Jacobsen SAS Hotel Copenhagen, 1960Recently renovated a room with its original composition and elementsLess is more philosophy in architecture but a structurally expressive furniture chosenArne Jacobsen, Egg Chair 1956-60 Arne Jacobsen, Munkegård School, Copenhagen 1955Also specifically designed the chairs for the school The courtyard is a popular element in DenmarkThe relation between the chair or the furniture and the architecture was an important one till the mid-20th century however that isn’t so prominent now

Gio Ponti Superleggera chair 1957Gio Ponti, Pirelli Tower, Milan, 1958Slender and elegant design and was considered exceptional at that time

SOMNot just restricted to minimalist or structural modern works but a variety can be seen Inland Steel Building, Chicago, 1958Exemplified the promotion of steel Miesian corner emphasis in the design Radical difference brought in between the office floors and the servers Largest and most open office at that time and there were structural elements tooLike Mies, isolate din the natural setting SOM, Cadet Chapel, US Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, 1963Clever way of dividing up space into three parts thus allowing different surfaces for different religionsSOM, US Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, 1963, Dan Kiley, landscapeOrthogonal green and harmony with SOM

SOM, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, New Haven, 1963Translucent materials used as a protective cover for the library and the booksPlatform and a garden just like Mies van der Rohe Sculptural quality in its diamond shaped translucent exterior

Sculptural/complex forms

Eero Saarinen, TWA, Terminal, New York, 1956-62

His father was a prominent Art Nouveau nationalist Space age and futurist quality even before the first ever outer space expeditionsStreamlined forms can be seen Eero Saarinen, Chapel, Cambridge, 1955Diverse and cannot be reduced to one single style fits all category Light catching sculptural quality by Harry Bertoia known for his chair, 1952

Pier Luigi Nervi, Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, 1960Engineer and worked with other architectsMuch similar to Perret in terms of scientific know-how The growth of architecture in Italy was triggered by the Olympic Games Matthew Nowicki, Dorton Arena, Raleigh, NC, 1952Muscular and powerful expressionWas abet involed in the Wrasaw reconstructionIn USA during and after the warMatthew Nowicki, sketches for Chandigarh, 1949Died in a plane crash so couldn’t complete Chandigarh plan

Kenzo Tange, Olympic Pool and Gymnasium, Tokyo 1964Same structural principles and solutionsLike Pirelli tower Emphasis on the sculptural form and technology

Jørn Utzon, Opera House, Sydney, 1958-73Ambitious and sculptural complexes Unexpected spaces

Transparency was often seen as the goal in the modern architectural works50s- 60s was about the complex ways of handling new ways of dealing with space and unexpected spaces

Frank Lloyd Wright, Guggenheim Museum, New York, 1943-59The third prominent phase of Wright’s careerWanted initially to build the museum inside the Central Park but had to settle for another siteIntroverted architecture with no view really available from inside the buildingSpiral that moves upwardTypical of Wright and the transition from the exterior to the interior is once again present The style of drawing the plans hasn’t changed though Sculptural tradition

International style - international activities of architects and planners

Frank Lloyd Wright, Plan for Greater Baghdad, 1957-58Internationalisation of the modern architecture was helped as the architects worked all over the globe even as advisors

Constantinos Doxiadis, urban restructuring of Baghdad, 1957-60 – adivosry role of major archietcs

TAC, University, Baghdad, 1957-60Gropius’ firm Adapte dto the cultural and regional traditions and needsMuslim dome example of adaptation

Interbau, West Berlin, 1957Sums up the tradition of the Weisenhof exhibitionProgressive modern architecture was showcased Individual differences existed within the variety but there was a sense of overall similarity in the architecture Works by Le Corbusier, Berlin Unité, Walter Gropius, Alvar Aalto, Oscar Niemeyer and Van den Broek and Bakema

Wallace K. Harrison, UN Headquarters, New York, 1952Board of Design Consultants: N. D. Bassov, Gaston Brunfaut, Ernest Cormier, Le Corbusier, Liang Seu-cheng, Sven Markelius, Oscar Niemeyer, Howard Robertson, G. A. Soilleux, and Julio VilamajóTruly modern as it differs from what was there previously Mix of high rise and low rise The post war optimism was present as the Allies had wonNew York was chosen as the site because of America’s prominence in setting up the UN

Marcel Breuer, Bernard Zehfruss, Pier Luigi Nervi, UNESCO, Paris, 1953-58Concrete workBeautiful entrance canopy Influence of Le Corbusier is visible in its sculptural quality

Albert Mayer, Chandigarh Masterplan 1950Was close to UN so was initially chosen but Nowicki’s death changed thingsIt was typical of the UN to offer technological advice to the developing nations and constituting one of the several ways in which modern architecture was disseminated

Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Chandigarh masterplan, 1951- Chandigarh was symbolic of the building of a new modern city from scratch

Central figure in the plan was Chandigarh CapitolLe Corbusier influence is overpowering especially with his Tower of ShadowsLe Corbusier, Legislative Assembly building, Chandigarh, 1952-1963 The connections in form to Ronchamp chapel is obvious

Lucio Costa, Urban Design for Brasilia, 1957New capital being built Concentrated on monumental buildings being built towards the centerShift from a minimal style to maximal architectureOscar Niemeyer, National Congress of Brazil, Brasilia, 1958Oscar Niemeyer, Alvorado Palace, Brasilia, 1958Almost symmetrical plan with the tower being slightly off placed from the centerShows a shift in modern architecture

Wallace K. Harrison, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY, 1965-78Separation of the traffic Underground shopping arcade for the peopleSculptural shape of the auditoriumPossibly another reading would be that the plan is of a singular big complex rather than a sum of individual elements

Megastructures: complex urban structures, integrating trafficIndividual buildings don’t stand out in the plan Different scale of architecture Large grouped structuresVan den Broek and Bakema, Pampus Plan, Amsterdam, 1963Integrating the traffic with a mixture of high rise and low rise buildingsPopulation explosion was expected so the authorities felt that the city should also grow accordingly to house the booming population and attend to the growing needs

Kenzo Tange, reconstruction of Skopje, 1966Consensus seeking tradition following the UN model of designingTwo of the winning architects worked together to build the design but the plan seems greatly inspired by Tange’s own works and ideasCentral route for the traffic and the train station an important part of the plan representing the artery of the megastructure Concrete was used in a rough way that signalled the subsequent rise of Brutalism The conditions in Skopje are worse now as the mid-20th century works are being demolished to rebuild an image that is consistent with the celebrated history of Alexander the Great and neo-classical architecture that existed previously Thus architecture can also be short-lived

Megastructures: complex urban structures, integrating trafficMetabolism: idea of growing and evolving citiesBrutalism: the preferred expression of megastructures

Kenzo Tange. Yamanashi Broadcasting and Press Centre, Kōfu, 1966Doesn’t have to have a finite form Incomplete buildingSuggestive of metabolismKenzo Tange, Shizuoka Tower Tokyo, 1967Building is seen as something that can be further grownStill able to grow and continuation to larger forms is possible

Arata Isozaki, City in the Air, 1961Addition of modular unites to the building is possible Expansion of the work is suggested Kiyonori Kikutake, Sky House, Tokyo, 1958Ownership of land in Japan is a costly affairs the idea of growing the building into the air or sliding it into the water is an attractive optionThus many buildings had little presence on the ground but rather sought to expand further into the sky or the water like the Sky House Kiyonori Kikutake, Endo-Tokyo Museum 1993Kiyonori Kikutake, Tower Expo 1970, Osaka, 1970Kenzo Tange, Symbol Zone,Expo Osaka, 1970

Kenzo Tange Expo masterplan, Osaka, 1970The peak of Metabolist architecture Kisho Kurokawa, Expo Osaka, 1970More glamourous of the architects Prototype for the growing structural architecture in Metabolism The addition of more modules or capsules is possible Inside the Capsule Tower, there are tiny capsules fitted with old school technology and integrated into the room but in it's time, the components like radio, typewriter were seen as super high tech instrumentsKisho Kurokawa, Capsule Inn, Osaka, 1979 - further reduction in size

Rod Robbie and Colin Vaughan, Canadian pavilion Montreal, 1967Extreme optimism with the spectacular structures The central theme of the Expo was "man and his environment"University of Waterloo's Institute of Design and Morley Markson and Associates, Kaleidoscope pavilion, Expo Montreal, 1967

Richard Buckminster Fuller, American Pavilion, Montreal, 1967Domes with minimal materials and maximising the scaleFinite form but driven by the megastructures philosophy as the motivationRichard Buckminster Fuller, Dome over New York, 1960

Moshe Safdie, Habitat, Montreal 1967Alternative to the prevalent suburban life Every unit has its own garden Made with pre-fabricated materials which are stacked on top of each other suggesting the possibility of further growth in line with Metabolistic philosophy Structural cleverness in addition to the innovation in the housing

Louis Kahn, Salk Institute, La Jolla CA, 1959-65Doesn’t fit into the major architectural movementsFollowed his own path and had a considerable influence on others much like Frank Lyold WrightAugust Eduard Komendant was instrumental in coming up with the innovative solution Space was left under and above the labs with the space being utilised to store serversOpen axis plan with the ocean viewThe division of the plan into ‘Servant and served space’ was characteristicThe served space was used for circulation, toilets and all the additional components like servers to create an open space elsewhere There was a sense of rigidity in functionalism Louis Kahn, Richards Medical Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, 1957-60Monumental expression was also possible

Louis Kahn, City Tower, Philadelphia, 1952-57Connection with Metabolism The structure could be expanded indefinitely New monumentality - the exterior was reduced to increase the spatial enjoyment in the interiors

Triggering the imagination was an important elementElevating new structures above the landscapeRadical and difficult version of modern architecture that worked for decades

Yona Friedman, Ville Spatiale, circa 1961Mostly designs and few were realized

Paolo Soleri, Arcology, 1960sArchitecture + ecologyForeshadowing the awareness of the ecological damages caused by architectureStacking of the functional componentsAutomated production was predicted and the technology was expected to free humanity from labour

Constant, New Babylon, 1958-74Believed that humans could be dreed from labour and that then playing games and leisure would become an important part of the lifestyleAnti-capitalist society as a future potentialityAlmost dystopian approach Opening up of a new lifestyle Large structures and a new approachSimilarities between Corbusier's Voisin and Constant's ideas in its belief that a new city could be built on top of the old city without having to demolish the old one. The new one would simply replace the old with the addition of a new layer on topNotion that a new society needed a new approach Popular Brutalist thought

Paul Rudolph Plan for Midtown Manhattan 1968Without finite form No finished compositionContinuous landscape

Robert Moses Constructed Turcot Interchange, Montreal, 1967 and Highways and parks Construction of the Gardiner Expressway, Toronto 1961Considered as his worst project and labelled as suffocating by most users1960s was an important era that characterized the freeing up of cars and improving their accesibility between citiesThe strategy was the increase the accesibility and link cities Intially, it was well received

Important figures Japan: Kenzo Tange, Kiyonori Kikutake, Kisho Kurokawa, Arata Isozaki Australia: Harry Seidler USA: Louis Kahn, Paul Rudolph, Eero Saarinen, Marcel Breuer Gordon Bunshaft (SOM), Matthew Nowicki Canada: Arthur Erickson, Moshe Safdie Denmark: Jørn Utzon

Summary International Style, International architecture became mainstreamInternational reactions: Against mainstream modernism Metabolism: Japanese ‘ism’ - One of the first Japanese avant-garde that had a global impact and was noticed by the WestMegastructures: Japan, Europe, US Brutalism: UK, Europe, US, preference for rough concrete Shift to a different direction

JAV131 Outline for Introduction to Architecture Lecture #8

1960-1973 Divergent Modernisms

Introduction Sculptural experimentation and continuation of the modern style like Ronchamp Chapel Beginning of a new style leading to postmodernismLike Art Deco, this lecture covers diverse building styles which are not straightforward. However on zooming out, one can see the similarity between the various worksOverwhelming at times and the buildings are strange but beautiful‘Other tradition’ of modern architecture - starting point of criticism of mainstream architecture and the beginning of the rediscovery of history Rediscovery of historyContextualismNew Radicals Austria, Britain, ItalyHigh Tech

ContextGeneration of the modern mastersFrank Lloyd Wright died in 1959Le Corbusier died in 1965Mies van der Rohe died in 1969Walter Gropius died in 1969Alvar Aalto died in 1976

Critique from outside and within the modern movementFunctional form became to be seen as formalism as buildings tried to live up to the aesthetic rather than serve the functionIdealistic - pragmatic divide was seen with modern architecture being labelled as too idealisticUnique - interchangeable - what was unique soon became individualised and mainstream in various countries through the International StyleTechnocraticInhumaneModern architecture was seen to have no level of communication and meaninglessThese were the prevalent contrasting opinions present on modern architecture

Oscar Niemeyer, Communist Party HQ, Paris, 1965-71The free flowing architectural form has been brought to Europe from Latin America, characteristic of NiemeyerAcoustic design and spatial use in the interiors with large chairs and tablesOscar Niemeyer, University, Constantine, 1968-1975

Almost a mini-version of Brasilia

Minoru Yamasaki, Pruitt-Igoe, St Louis, 1950-1955Also constructed the World Trade Center in NYNo difference in the spaces or designs in the buildingsNot necessarily the most humane version of modern architecture

Aldo van Eyck, Orphanage, Amsterdam 1955-60He was a critic of modern architectureHis buildings reflect a style that is opposite to the large scale versions of modernism seen beforeAlmost a handcrafted approach to the buildingsThe threshold between the interiors and the exterior plays an important role in his work and he employed a sequence of bordersBelieved that modern architecture failed to reveal any sense of texture or depth from multiple viewings and that buildings should have a different impact of the perception when viewed from near and afarArchitecture should offer different viewpoints on large and the small scale

Structuralism Aldo van Eyck and Herman Hertzberger in Netherlands The repetition of a unit is seenSimilar to Metabolism in its use of a lack of a finite form and its possibility for expansion, however, that concept is not the driving force in this philosophyThe square or the cube is the basis of the building planThere is no hierarchy in the plan and no central or most important side to the building - this was an important idea for the architects involvedOpen concept which was radical in its timeEmphasis on the circulation space and the social element of fostering human interaction Similarities to Louis Kahn, Richards Medical Research Laboratories in Philadelphia - especially the corners

Piet Blom, Cubic Houses, Rotterdam, 1977-1983Double use of the land and division of the housing and the public space using ingenuityNo straight walls and did not believe in hierarchy

Aldo van Eyck, Sonsbeek Pavilion, 1966, rebuilt in Otterlo, 2006An attempt to escape from the center of the buildingReconstructed with no center in the plan

Louis Kahn, National Assembly Dakha, 1961-1982There is an emphasis on the centre in this symmetrical planClosely related to the Structuralist movement

CIAM XI Otterlo, 1959Overrated in its contributions but helped in the crystallization of changes in modern architecture

Alison and Peter Smithson, the Economist Building, London, 1959-64Transformed the corner and elevated it to introduce open planning in a dense urban environmentA mean streak associated with the couple - probably good for humanity but not so good as individuals themselves in terms of socialization

Reyner Banham The New Brutalism, 1966Best attempt to put forward the ethical version of Brutalism which was an ethical and honest version of using materials as they were and found The Economist building showcases a formalist approach

James Stirling, Engineering Building, Leicester,1959-63The elegant transformation is evident and the building creates a somewhat awkward confrontation in its unconventional brick useDeliberate awkwardness caused by the strange use of brick and the angle

Enrico Castiglioni & Carlo Fontana, Technical College, Busto Arsizio, 1963-1964Miguel Fisac, Pagoda Offices/Jorba laboratories, Madrid 1968Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza, White Towers, Madrid, 1969Warner, Burns, Toan + Lunde and Mathers and Haldenby,Robarts Library, Toronto, 1968-74These buildings are included not because of their impact later on but to get an idea of what was being made - Its hard to imagine these buildings being made ten years agoFormalist approach

Ernö Goldfinger, Trellick Tower, London, 1966-72Rich Baroque forms Interesting forms in concrete In certain countries, these buildings were built late in the 60s or in the 70s as it took time for the developments to reach these locations There is a strong emphasis on formMarvellous pieces of architecture

Karel Prager, Federal assembly, Prague, 1966-72Might seem Miesian on initial impression due to its rectangular emphasisExuberance of decorative elements in the ceiling

I.M. Pei, National Gallery, Washington, 1978Sculptural formalism plays a role

Clorindo Testa, Banco de Londres y América del Sur, Buenos Aires, 1959-1966In Latin America, there is not a simple reduction to simple forms like the rectangle but instead, the exterior and the interior features rich formClorindo Testa, Francisco Bullrich y Alicia Cazzaniga de Bullrich,National Library, Buenos Aires, 1962-1992Again, a strong, muscular form that is awkward and complex

Joao Batista Vilanova Artigas, Faculty of Architecture, São Paulo, 1961-1965No enclosure at the corner continuing the legacy of transparency from modern architectureHowever, the overpowering concrete box overhead negates such an image

Lina Bo Bardi, Art Museum, Sao Paulo, 1956-1968Museum on the Seashore, 1951Elevating the building and doubling the use of the land

Augustin Hernández, Hernández Studio, Mexico City, 1973-1975Metabolist form - extremely present form of architecture

Kallmann, McKinnell & Wood, City Hall, Boston, 1968Brutalist monumentalism, with huge dentils become external shading devices

Gottfried Böhm, Pelgrimage Church, Neviges , 1963-72Fascinating architecture More extreme and radical than the Ronchamp Chapel - this however doesn't mean that is a better building

Claude Parent, Sainte-Bernadette du Banlay, Nevers, 1963 -1966Doesn’t look like a Catholic Church No traditional elements used on the exterior Darker side of the architecture is in its inspiration from WWII Nazi bunkers

John Johansen Mummers Theater Oklahoma City 1965-70Dissecting architecture and dismantling the unity of architecture

Urban landscapesTendency in the period to escape the monotony of urban housing Continuation of the previous movements

Émile Aillaud, Housing Nanterre, 1971-80

Cloud-like colourful landscapeGetting the architecture out of the boxRogelio Salmona, Torres del Parque, Bogotá, 1965-70Jean Renaudie, Les Terrasses, Ivry-sur-Seine, 1971-80Integration of the architecture with the landscape even stronger with the trees popping out

Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo, Ford Foundation, New York, 1963-68Green atrium A common theme in the 1960s

Arthur Erickson, Evergreen Buildin ,Vancouver, 1978Museum of Anthropology, Vancouver, 1976Arthur Erickson, Robson Square, Vancouver, 1972-1983Architecture into the landscapeCornelia Oberlander was brought in for the landscaping

Reyner Bahnam, Urban Futures of the Recent Past, Book, 1976Ray Affleck (Affleck, Dimakopoulos, Lebensold & Sise), Place Bonaventure, Montreal, 1967-68Montreal considered as the centre of megastructuresLandscaping of the architecture The proposal for the evolution of modern architecture thus suggesting change

Peter Celsing, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 1965-1971Starting point for public buildingOne could go inside the building without having to buy the ticketMultiple functions of the plan

Design Partnership Architects (William Lim), Golden Mile Complex, Singapore, 1967-1973Finding new typologies

The Other Tradition of Modern Architecture, 2007/1995, Colin St John WilsonRewriting an alternate history of modern architecture with an emphasis on the human aspect and integrationColin St John Wilson, Leslie Martin, Harvey Court, Cambridge, 1962Late Aalto version – easy to see the influence

Sigurd Lewerentz, Flower Stall, Malmö, 1969Abstract and the architect was not a part of CIAM

BBPR, Torre Velasca, Milan, 1958Controversial work and there are overtones of Medieval architecture althought the Italians saw it as a misfit; neither modern nor Medieval

Early designs showed a fairly conventional design that was later improvised Moralistic debate in the CIAM began and the architects began to discuss as to what should be built

ContextualismIntroduced by Ernesto Rogers in the early 1950s as ‘preesitenze ambientale’Modern architecture could now use previous historical architecture tooContextualism believed that meaningful architecture was only possible by considering history and the specifics of the region itselfThus architecture was to be unique and not universal in their view Ignazio Gardella, housing for Borsalino employees, Alessandria, 1952Integrate the context through the use of materials and the floorplan – there is a strong emphasis on the formCarlo Scarpa, Palazzo Quirini Stampalia, Venice, 1959-63Influential and isolated figure like Louis Kahn – an outsiderTransforming the spaceMerging the old with the new through interventions and adding new layers to the old which is typical for ContextualismInsuring new and trying to continue the old Not reconstruction in order to contrastDetailed and different approach to other works in the same time Landscape architecture - Carlo Scarpa, Casa Ottolenghi, Bardolino, 1974-78

Jorn Utzon, Can Lis, Mallorca, 1966 Spectacular architecture Reclusive late life in Spain after his problems with the authorities in Australia Local materials were used Jørn Utzon, Housing, Fredensborg, 1953Interest in simplicityPrivate courtyard

Sverre Fehn, Nordic Pavilion, Venice, 1958-62Existing trees were used as a local point Respecting what’s thereComparison and contrast to the tabula rasa to Corbusier who proposed destroying Paris to reconstruct the city

Dimitris Pikionis, landscaping around the Acropolis, Athens, 1950-57‘As we walk upon this earth, our hearts experience anew that rapturous joy we felt as children when we first discovered our ability to move in space - the alternating disruption and restoration of balance which is walking.’ Dimitris Pikionis, Sentimental Topography

Dimitris Pikionis, Saint Demetrius Loumbardius Church, Athens, 1957Personal view of context which raises the question as to whose interpretation it is – suggesting that it is a subjective interpretation Reconstructed the Church like the mosaic

Alvaro Siza, Boa Vista Tea House, Matosinhos, 1963Similarity to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in its integration into the landscape – in this case, the rocks form the environment Rocks dictating where the architectureWooden interiors which is different form SOM’s construction Alvaro Siza, swimming pool, Matosinhos, 1966Delicate manipulation of the environment with little alteration to integrate the environment – only a structure on the side for the changing rooms

1966Robert Venturi – Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture Aldo Rossi – The Architecture of the City Books take time to gain importance or to have influence – it is only in retrospect that they make senseRossi – autonomous quality of form – collection of buildings could transform later

Robert Venturi, Vanna Venturi House, Philadelphia, 1964Strange façade – free standing and disconnected interference of the wallsAsymmetrical forms and unconventional floorplan

Neo-avant-garde - 1960sRadical movements in London, Vienna and Florence

Cedric Price, Fun Palace, 1961-1964Huge shelter spaceArchitecture not important in itself but what was generated

Archigram, Walking City, 1964Mobility of the architecture suggestedArchigram, Living Pod, 1966The influence of the space age – radical new ideas Incomparable to the previous ideas and concepts Haus-Rucker-Co, Yellow Heart, 1967New technological developments in plastics and polymers made such constructions possible

Hans Hollein, 1964Rock like objects hovering over the viewJuxtaposition of the “readymade” used

‘Everything is architecture’Claiming television, radio et al is architecture Expansion of the definition of architecture which is typical of avant-gardeThe phrase became an axiom emblematic of the movement like ‘less is more’ or ‘form follows function’ – the hippie generation of the 60s

Archizoom, ’Quartieri paralleli per Berlino' , 1969Parallel neighbourhoodsArchizoom, Rose d’Arabia, 1967Museum of Modern Art, New York, curated by Emilio Ambasz – show featuring the works of the radical architects and artists

Mario Bellini, Kar-a-Sutra, 1972The car was used as an environment itself Archizoom, No Stop City, 1970Endless environment where you can have everything

Superstudio, FlorenceSuperstudio, The Happy Island, 1972Darker side to the endless grid tooVerner Panton, interior landscape late 1960sEscaping the conventions of what the interiors can do Making fun of the new available technology

Staffan Berglund, Villa Spies, Torö, 1969John Lautner, Chemosphere, Los Angeles, 1960Matti Suuronen, Futuro, 1968Space Age versionsKarel Hubácek, Jested tower, Liberec, 1963-68Reinventing the technology through evocative dialogue Technologically driven works

Norman Foster and Richard Buckminster Fuller, Samuel Beckett Theatre, Oxford, 1971Norman Foster, Willis Faber & Dumas, Ipswich, 1971-75Building without clear form and a simplified and rational version of the 71 – not very different from the Fun PalaceStructure that can contain everything

High Tech

Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers. Centre Pompidou, Paris, 1971-1977Publicly accessible structure – building upon similar philosophy to Louis Kahn’s served and servant space Culmination period of modern architecture

Rem Koolhaas, Exodus or the Voluntary Prisoners of Architecture, 1972Realization of Archigram with strange objects

Rough outline Oscar NiemeyerPaulo Mendes da RochaKarel PragerKevin RocheJohn JohansenWilliam Lim modernism continuedNorman FosterArthur EricksonRenzo PianoRichard Rogers

Alvaro Siza

Aldo van EyckRobert Venturi Denise Scott Brown critical to modernismAldo RossiCarlo ScarpaErnesto RogersColin St John Wilson

ArchigramArchizoom radical alternativesSuperstudioHans HolleinCedric Price

SummaryAlternative modernisms - Architectural historyContext and history - the buildings can be seen thought different perspectivesLandscaping architecture - the beginning of later developmentsRadicals in Vienna, London and FlorenceBeginning of High Tech - New forms but still relying on the technology

There was a change in modern architecture without a new direction

JAV131 Outline for Introduction to Architecture Lecture #9

1965-1980 Post-Modern Positions

Introduction to Postmodernism Architecture and the citySymbolic dimension of architecture – belief that architecture was also meant to convey symbolic messages Independent discipline with their own rules The presence of the pastAfter as well as against ModernismSlow dissemination of Post-modernism Autonomy of architecture

1966 – Date considered as the start of Postmodernism

Robert Venturi Focus on the architecture rather than the cityMostly prevalent in USA Aldo RossiEmphasis on the city and the role of the city in generating architectureReflection of the vision in Europe

Generally speaking two strands of Post-modernism can be found in o North America

Symbolic representation Focus on buildings

o EuropeFocus on the cityBuilding as part of the city and the larger whole (Urban fabric, urban tissue)

1966 - Aldo Rossi - The Architecture of the City Analogue cityThe city as it exists in collective memory and collective experiences of the inhabitantsAutonomy – contrast to modernist principle – the belief that form exists in itself – not just a self-contained and isolated object but instead a part of the cityArchitectural forms outlive functions – the best buildings outlive their initial function Type/TypologyLimited number of architectural forms can accommodate every function

'When one visits a monument of this type, for example the Palazzo della Ragione in Padua, one is always surprised by a series of questions intimately associated with it. In particular, one is struck by the multiplicity of functions that a building of this type can contain over time and how these functions are entirely independent of the form. At the same time, it is precisely the form that impresses us; we live it and experience it, and in turn it structures the city.’Aldo Rossi, The Architecture of the City, MIT Press, Cambridge, 1982, p. 29.

Aldo Rossi, 1972 - Analogue cityPersonal combination of previous works and projects View that a limited number of forms are enough for all the needsAldo Rossi, Elementary school, Fagnano Olona, 1972-76Aldo Rossi, San Cataldo Cemetery, Modena,1971-1984Parallel volumes and the conclusion with a tower – triangular and cylindrical shapes predominate Rhythm of parallel linesAlmost anonymous factory design Architecture is a product of the environmentThe chimney acts as a recurring motif with personal connotations Reduced and simple archetypal forms Basic designs using as little as possible

Rational Architecture, Exhibition, Milan 1973Included many famous architects and personalities who would go on to make a substantial impact on Post-modernism later on but like with most large collaborative exhibitions, also included not so impactful people Roma interrottaDifferent architects were asked to design individual components for Rome’s urban conception with the architects showcasing their own distinctness

Probably the most famous workSpartan simplified architecture Rational and simple reduction of the form creating a logic from form and no the functionRecurrent themes include the coffee-makerFloating TheaterRemaking Rome an important aspectNew interest in history Anti-modern approach The past was seen to be something that needed to be erased during modernism, however, now there was a rising interest for architectural history and a reaction to modern architecture also followedThis meant the modern architecture period, which initially seemed as the conclusion to the preceding styles, was also reduced to just another period in architectural history

Thus the questioning of the relevance of modernism’s applicability and longevity began with the avalanche of historical references

Léon KrierRadical and anti-modern architectMostly involved with paper architecture in his initial years Claimed that modern architecture had failedWorking for the careful reconstruction of cities in places like Luxembourg Plan for a new district on the site of the former slaughterhouse of La Villette, Paris , 1977Deep nostalgic feel to his works and a strange sense of attraction to pre-industrial and early industrial settingThe city was seen as the core to generating architecture while architecture was only considered a small part of the urban fabric of the city The Reconstruction of the European City, Brussels 1978Self-inflicted destruction of the city through rapid modernisation and massive construction Came up with alternative proposals to the destructive reconstruction proposals which were more respectful towards the traditional elements of the previous generationsAlso expanding and connecting the web for the larger organisationsLéon Krier, Poundbury, 1994-2025Open reaction to modern architectureTightly knit and no straight lines Opposite to the high rise culture and symmetrical designs promoted by the modernists

Drawings Every form has a certain functionModernism was seen to promote architectural stuttering while his philosophy created a harmonious transition of urban elements Categories that need a certain form Scale should be related and factored into the architecture – the modernist buildings were seen to be enlarged versions of the same box like structures while the traditional architecture responded to the needs and adapted accordingly in its structural relevance Polemic side of Krier revealed in his suggestion that only two planes necessary to destroy high rise while a fleet necessary for the annihilation of low rise settlements

Rob Krier, Stadtraum, 1975Catalogue of options for making urban spacesDefined enclosed forms and principles to the North American context Walkable and small scaleNew urbanism Excluded as it doesn’t fit the historical story

Colin Rowe (1920-1999)The Collage CityFigure-ground diagramThe belief that a city consisted of much more than just streets and buildingsThe interrelated space which consisted the public space was also equally importantRecombining elements of North America to Europe

O.M. Ungers, Student Housing, Enschede, 1964O.M. Ungers, Hans Kollhoff, Rem Koolhaas, Arthur Ovaska, and Peter Riemann, Cities Within-the-City, or The Green Archipelago, Berlin 1977O.M. Ungers, Hotel Berlin, 1976German architect and architectural theorist, known for his rationalist designs and the use of cubic formsFirst years of reconstruction Almost anonymous style of construction Logic and pattern Brutalist and simple phases in his works – the former being an exception to his rectangular and grid like styleEnclosed courtyard like space different from modernism Recombining a new way of collage 1970s – The tipping point of modern architecture was the use of brick

James Stirling, Olivetti Training School, Haslemere, 1970-72Technology driven modern architectureAbundance of forms and coloursJames Stirling, Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, 1977-84Strange traditional façade with a slopeReintroduced traditional elementsClassical elements that were unexpected Floor plan is collage like and the exhaust pipes act as a reference to contemporary architecture – the strange complexity

Hans Hollein, Museum Am Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach, 1972-1982Transformation to post-modern approach Both the client and the architect wanted to try something unconventional A sprawling landscape of museum Different references to travel and holiday Hans Hollein, Museum for Glass and Ceramics, Tehran, 1978Beginning of decorative tendencies in Hollein

Postmodern: emphasis on narrativesArchitecture as a language

Linguistic approach to create meaningfulness in architectureExuberant forms that are screaming for attention Underlying argument can be found in Venturi’s Complexity and Contradiction in ArchitectureModern architecture was seen as a starting point and meaning was conveyed in terms of languageNot straightforward but interestingRobert Venturi, Visiting Nurses Association HQ Ambler PA, 1960Entrance is a bit unusual Robert Venturi, Vanna Venturi House, Philadelphia, 1964Previously coveredRobert Venturi and John Rauch, Guild House, Philadelphia, 1960-63The antenna was painted in gold – suggestion of irony or maybe seen as a relevant idea for the communication of the building in an age when television was becoming a favourite pastime Learning from Las Vegas, 1972, Book by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott BrownMore radical that his previous book Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture Architectural form was seen as having symbolic meanings and messages Gentle manifesto as he described it Form follows function was a feature in Vegas with the duck buildingsDistinction between the façade and the actual building though his observations in Vegas Separation of the sign and the building Manifestation in either the duck building with the form showcasing or symbolically representing the function of the building or the billboard façade i.e. the decorated shed with the billboard Venturi Scott Brown, Football Hall of Fame, New Brunswick, NJ, 1966-67Example of the decorated shed There can be a totally interesting building behind an uninteresting billboard Robert Venturi and John Rauch, Franklin Court, Philadelphia, 1972Ghost building that stressed on the historical awareness Fire suggesting the billboard like quality

Charles Moore, Sea Ranch, 1964-72Sustainable natural resortConcerived by landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, Sea Ranch (CA), 1964Landscape urbanism Super graphics as the hallmarks of post-modernism Interventions by decorating the squarePostmodern opposition

Minoru Takeyama, Niban-kan, Tokyo 1970

Was held as the most postmodernist building by Jencks in his initial edition but was usurped by Moore’s Piazza d’ItaliaCharles Moore, Piazza d’Italia, New Orleans, 1978Italian looking and meant to be appealing to the immigrants One dimensional and had shortcomings

Philip Johnson, AT&T Building, New York, 1980-83Important partisan of modernism who became post-modernist – this was seen as an important victory for postmodernism The top and bottom broken pediment makes it post-modernist

New York Five – 1975These five had a common allegiance to a pure form of architectural modernismThese five architects, known as the "Greys", attacked the "Whites" on the grounds that this pursuit of the pure modernist aesthetic resulted in unworkable buildings that were indifferent to site, indifferent to users, and divorced from daily lifeAligned with VenturiPeter EisenmanMichael GravesCharles GwathmeyJohn HejdukRichard Meier

Still using the vocabulary of modern architecture Trying to escape the social mandates to architectureCreating autonomous architecture

Michael Graves, Benacerraf House Addition, Princeton, 1969Least representative and building upon the heritage Abstracting and bringing back to modernism

Edward Jones and Michael Kirkland, Civic Center, Mississauga, 1987Brought to Canada - closer to Léon Krier’s, St Quentin-en-Yvelines, 1977

Richard Meier, Saltzman House, East Hampton, NY, 1967-69Villas for the wealthy International style – logical continuation then from Corbu?Different in terms of their approach Architecture can be autonomous without having to resort to functions and programs

John Hejduk, Diamond House, 1967Diagonal as a structural principle

John Hejduk, Wall House 2, 1973

Peter Eisenman, House III, Lakeville, CT, 1961-71Eisenman was influential The influence of Chomsky’s linguistic theories – the idea of the innate deep structure that allows human beings to understand and use language Deep structure of manipulating architectural forms and creating complexity through the design processA series of manipulations to reach the unrecognizable building Interest in autonomy of architecture ie.e pure architecture itself without any factoring in of history Peter Eisenman, House VI, Cornwall, CT, 1975Extreme result of a devotion to the distorted structure

Was Speer guilty by association?Similarities exist between Corbu and Speer in terms of architectural styles and emphasis on the symmetry and recent discoveries about Corbu’s Fascist tendencies force us to rethink their differences

Rem KoolhasDelirious New York, 1978Culturally driven approach to architecture Evocative aspect of architectureDirectly responsible way of looking at thingsRem Koolhaas, The City of the Captive Globe, 1972The famous building are presented on the pedestals

The Presence of the Past International Architecture Exhibition Biennale di Venezia, Venice, 1980Renewed interest in historyNot a logical continuation but a new take on architecture

Frank Gehry, Gehry House, Santa Monica, 1977Core of Genhry’s work swalled by Using cheap materials and wrapping the building

To sum up, the key figures in the rise of Postmodernism included –Europe: Aldo RossiO.M. UngersJames StirlingHans HolleinLéon KrierRob Krier

Duany Plater-Zyberk (New Urbanism)

USA: Robert Venturi and Denise Scott BrownCharles MoorePhilip Johnson as postmodernistNew York Five: Richard Meier, Michael Graves, John Hejduk, Peter EisenmanFrank Gehry

Rem Koolhaas/Office for Metropolitan ArchitectureJean NouvelHerzog and de MeuronToyo Ito

SummaryAfter, and often against modernismModernism not as the only but just as one of many forms of architectureAutonomous architecture – not just on the surface and restricted to its rigid form but also serving itself Modern architecture was seen as incapable of conveying information and Postmodernism focused on a narrative using symbolism Architecture as a languageContext and history, rediscovery of the past: historical referencesOpposition between the US and Europe on ideological grounds on Postmodernism American postmodernism: symbolic buildingsEuropean postmodernism: reconstructing the city