2. May 17, 2008
Architectural Styles Evolutionary Tree
May you be condemned to live in interesting times.
A Chinese Proverb
This is a brief coverage of the development of architectural styles throughout
history using a timeline to provide a better visual overview.
3. May 22, 2008
Architectural Movements: Modern Architecture
The Modern movement was an attempt to
create a nonhistorical architecture of
functionalism in which a new sense of
space would be created with the help of
modern materials. A reaction against the
stylistic pluralism of the 19th century,
believing that the 20th century had given
birth to "modern man," who would need a
radically new kind of architecture. Le Corbusier F. L.. Wright Walter Gropius Mies Van Der Rohe
4. May 22, 2008
Architectural Movements: Post-Modern Architecture
The postmodernist movement began in America around the
1960’s/70’s and then it spread to Europe and the rest of the
world. Postmodernism or Late-modernism began as a
reaction to Modernism; it tried to address the limitations of its
predecessor. Its list of aims extended to include
communicating ideas with the public often in a then
humorous or witty way. Often, the communication was done by
quoting extensively from past architectural styles, often
Robert Venturi Philip Jonson Michael Graves Cesar Pelli
many at once. In breaking away from modernism, it strived to
produce buildings that were sensitive to the context within
which they are built.
This trend became evident in the last quarter of the 20th century
as architects started to turn away from modern
Functionalism which they viewed as boring, unwelcoming
and unpleasant. They turned towards the past, quoting past
aspects of various buildings and melding them together to
create a new means of designing buildings. For example,
pillars and other elements of premodern designs were
adapted from Greek and Roman examples but not simply by
recreating them, as was done in neoclassical architecture.
Another return was that of the “wit, ornament and reference”
seen in older buildings in terra cotta decorative façades and
bronze or stainless steel embellishments of the Beaux-Arts and
Art Deco periods. In post-modern structures this was often
achieved by placing contradictory quotes of previous
building styles alongside each other, and even
incorporating furniture stylistic references at a huge scale.
Contextualism influenced the ideologies of the postmodern
movement in general. Contextualism was centered on the belief
that all knowledge is “context-sensitive”. This idea was even
taken further to say that knowledge cannot be understood
without considering its context. This influenced Postmodern
Architecture to be sensitive to context.
5. May 22, 2008
Architectural Movements: High-Tech Architecture
The high tech style emerged in the 1980s and remains popular. It
involves the use of the materials associated with high tech
industries of the 1980s and 1990s, such as space frames, metal
cladding and composite fabrics and materials. High tech buildings
often have extensive glazing to show to the outside world the
activity going on inside. Generally their overall appearance is light,
typically with a combination of dramatic curves and straight lines.
In many ways high tech architecture is a reaction against Brutalist
architecture, without the features of post-modernism. Sir. Norman Foster Renzo Piano Richard Rogers Jean Nouvel
London City Hall Hong Kong Bank Lloyd's of London Institut du Monde Arabe
Millennium Dome Reichstag Dome Pompidou Centre Munich Stadium
6. May 17, 2008
Architectural Movements: Deconstruction
Deconstruction is a school of philosophy that originated in
France in the late 1960s, has had an enormous impact on
Anglo-American criticism. Largely the creation of its chief
proponent Jacques Derrida, deconstruction upends the
Western metaphysical tradition. It represents a complex
response to a variety of theoretical and philosophical
movements of the 20th century, most notably Husserlian D. Libeskind Frank Gehry Peter Eisenman Zaha Hadid
phenomenology, Saussurean and French structuralism,
and Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis. In her book The
Critical Difference (1981), Barbara Johnson clarifies the term:
"Deconstruction is not synonymous with "destruction",
however. It is in fact much closer to the original meaning of the
word 'analysis' itself, which etymologically means "to undo" --
a virtual synonym for "to de-construct."
In the 1980's a new tendency was born: the deconstruction,
which was also called "new modern architecture" in its
beginning. It was meant to replace post modern architecture.
The new slogan was "form follows fantasy" analogous to the
tradition formula pronounced by Sullivan "form follows
function". In 1988 Philip Johnson organized an exposition
called "Deconstructive Architecture" which finally brought
these ideas to a larger audience. The idea was to develop
buildings which show how differently from traditional
architectural conventions buildings can be built without
loosing their utility and still complying with the
fundamental laws of physics.
These buildings can be seen as a parallel to other modern
arts, which also became more and more abstract, questioning
whether a certain object is still art or not. Thanks to their
significant differences to all other buildings, the deconstructive
ones made clear to the observer, that architecture is an art
and not just an engineering discipline.
7. June 4, 2008
Architectural Movements: Minimalism Architecture
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and
design, especially visual art and music, where the work is
stripped down to its most fundamental features. The term
Minimalism was coined as a means of describing the works by
protagonists of the American scene in the late Fifties and Sixties.
In the field of architecture, the term Minimalism was used to
connote the works of architects from profoundly different origins
Tadao Ando Luis Barrag‡n Álvaro Siza John Pawson
and cultural backgrounds, who had based their own work on a
"Less is more“
reduction in expressive media, a rediscovery of the value of
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
empty space and a radical elimination of everything that
does not coincide with a programme, also with minimalistic
“Clarity and comfort do not
design overtones, of extreme simplicity and formal
depend on quantity but on an
cleanliness. Architect Mies van der Rohe adopted the motto
absolute quality of space.
"Less is More" to describe his aesthetic tactic of arranging the
John Pawson
numerous necessary components of a building to create an
impression of extreme simplicity, by enlisting every element
"Gravity builds space, light
and detail to serve multiple visual and functional purposes.
builds time, and gives reason
In minimalism, the architectural designers pay special attention
to time. These are the central
to the connection between perfect planes, elegant lighting,
questions of architecture:
and careful consideration of the void spaces left by the
control of gravity and
removal of three-dimensional shapes from an architectural
dialogue with light."
design.
Alberto Campo Baeza Pawson- Tetsuka House - Tokyo
Mies - Barcelona Pavilion Siza - Home Ando - Historical Museum Barrag‡n - Entrance
8. June 4, 2008
Architectural Movements: Critical Regionalism
Critical regionalism is an approach to architecture that strives to counter
the placelessness and lack of meaning in Modern Architecture by
using contextual forces to give a sense of place and meaning.
The term critical regionalism was first used by Alexander Tzonis and Liane
Lefaivre and later more famously by Kenneth Frampton. Frampton put
forth his views in "Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six points of an
architecture of resistance." He evokes Paul Ricoeur's question of "how to
become modern and to return to sources; how to revive an old, Jorn Utzon Alvar Aalto Mario Botta K. Frampton
dormant civilization and take part in universal civilization". According
to Frampton, critical regionalism should adopt modern architecture critically
for its universal progressive qualities but at the same time should value
responses particular to the context. Emphasis should be on topography,
climate, light, tectonic form rather than scenography and the tactile
sense rather than the visual. Frampton draws from phenomenology to
supplement his arguments.
As put forth by Tzonis and Lefaivre, critical regionalism need not directly
draw from the context, rather elements can be stripped of their
Botta - Aalto - Finlandia Hall
context and used in strange rather than familiar ways. Here the aim is
to make aware of a disruption and a loss of place that is already a fait
accompli through reflection and self-evaluation.
Critical regionalism is different from regionalism which tries to achieve
a one-to-one correspondence with vernacular architecture in a
conscious way without consciously partaking in the universal.
Critical regionalism is considered a particular form of post-modern (not to
be confused with postmodernism as architectural style) response in
developing countries. It can be argued that the following architects have
used such an approach in some of their works: Alvar Aalto, Jørn Utzon,
Studio Granda, Mario Botta, B.V.Doshi, Charles Correa, Alvaro Siza, Rafael
Moneo, Geoffrey Bawa, Raj Rewal, Tadao Ando, Mack Scogin / Merrill
Elam, Ken Yeang, William S.W. Lim, Tay Kheng Soon, Juhani Pallasmaa,
and Tan Hock Beng.
Utzon - Sydney Opera House
9. May 21, 2008
Architectural Movements: Sustainable Architecture
The 1987 Brundtland Report, defined sustainable development as
development that "meets the needs of the present generation
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their needs".
Sustainable Architecture describes an approach to architectural
design that minimizes sustenance or resource consumption so
as to prolong the availability of natural resources. The real power
of the concept of sustainability lies in its integration of economic,
social, and ecological systems, previously studied and dealt with
separately.
What is a sustainable building?
• Uses key resources more efficiently – energy, water, materials and
land.
• Reduces ecological loading – greenhouse gases, ozone-depleting
substances, wastes.
• Creates healthier environments for people - to live, work and learn
• Has lower overall lifecycle costs
Ballard Library & Neighborhood Service Center Solar Umbrella House Westcave Preserve
10. July 1, 2008
Architectural Movements: THE NEW PARADIGM IN ARCHITECTURE
Charles Jencks
A new paradigm in architecture will reflect changes in science,
religion, and politics. one can discern the beginnings of a shift in
architecture that relates to a deep transformation going on in the
sciences - in time, permeate all other areas of life. The new
sciences of complexity - fractals, nonlinear dynamics, the
new cosmology, self-organizing systems - have brought
about the change in perspective.
We have moved from a mechanistic view of the universe to one Daniel Libeskind
that is self-organizing at all levels, from the atom to the galaxy. Imperial War Museum
Illuminated by the computer, this new worldview is paralleled by North, Trafford , Manchester
1998–2002
changes now occurring in architecture.
Several key buildings show promise - those by Americans Frank
Gehry, Peter Eisenman, and Daniel Libeskind. There is also a
vast amount of other work on the edge of the new paradigm by
the Dutch architects Rem Koolhaas, Ben van Berkel, and
MVRDV; or the Europeans Santiago Calatrava and Coop
Himmelblau; or those who have moved on from high-tech in
England, such as Norman Foster. These architects, as well as
those that flirted with Deconstruction - Hadid, Moss, and
Morphosis - look set to take on the philosophy. In Australia, Rem Koolhaas, [OMA]
MVRDV
ARM (Ashton Raggatt MacDougall) has been mining the territory The CCTV Headquarters, to be
Dutch Pavilion
completed for the Beijing Olympics
for many years and another group, LAB, is completing a seminal EXPO 2000 Hannover
2008
work of the new movement, Melbourne's Federation Square.
Soon there will be enough buildings to all this is more than a
fashion, or change of style. The emergent grammar is constantly
provoking. It varies from ungainly blobs to elegant waveforms,
from jagged fractals to impersonal datascapes. It challenges
the old languages of classicism and modernism with the idea that
a new urban order is possible, one closer to the ever-
varying patterns of nature. One may not like it at first, and be
critical of its shortcomings, but second glance it may turn out to LAB with Bates Smart Santiago Calatrava
be more interesting, more intune with perception than the Federation Square City of Arts and Sciences
incessant repetition of colonnades and curtain walls. Melbourne 1997-2002 Valencia 1991–2000