Architecture: Critical Regionalism

This particular essay going to illustrate the following questions from historical and contextual basis. How did Louis H. Sullivan’s “form follows function” turn out to be the fundamental concept of modernist architecture? What did drive Louis H. Sullivan to construct his famous philosophy “Form follows function”? From different perspective to argue that question, it will be considered whether “form follows function” was the fundamental concept of modern architecture or not. To argue with that, understanding about the philosophy “form follows function” and modernist architecture is necessary.

Accordingly, the different architectural styles found in architectural of an era and/or different eras are significantly shaped by the variations found in the design values embedded in the design process. In that sense, changes in architecture are created by the change in design values. To avoid, or at least, decrease repeating history, Noori’s study provided a perspective on adapting a promising concept in architecture, borrowed from philosophy: the “transvaluation” of values. Besides, since architecture is mainly connected to human life, the study considered and examined Nietzsche's “transvaluation” project. In order to do so, the study took the state of contemporary architecture as a case study for exploring the “transvaluation” theme.

Critical Regionalism could also be seen as a solution to cultural issues and the problems of architectural identity. Frampton’s argument is that critical regionalism should not only answer to context, but it should also value the progress of universal modern architecture (Frampton,1983). An important aspect of Critical Regionalism is that the occupants of any design experience the local climatic c... ... middle of paper ... ...cteristics, with appropriate current technology. It is the search for an architecture that is meaningful within its context and at the same time participates in the more universal aspects of a contemporary mobile society.” McGinnis (1999:211), Argues that, the main focus of critical regionalism should be place and resistance, which he terms ‘bioregional restoration’ the aims of this term are to: “…re-immerse the practice of human communities within the bio-regions that provide their material support…. Bioregional restoration can be a therapeutic strategy to expose ourselves viscerally to local ecosystem process, to foster identification with other life forms and to rebuild community within place, as the insights and local information that emerge from restoration activities affect the cultural and economic practice of the human population” (Cole, Lorch, 2003:122).

Not only the environmental features such as light, climate or topography but also cultural features such as local identity and the local materials could define the word of context. Like Norman Foster, in contextualism, a significance approach is to indicate material, technical and visual continuity with its surrounding. Moreover, in Holl’s architecture, every situation refers to a specific context for an architectural thought. This context doesn’t propose a significant or objective situation, contrarily it is a subjective commentary including historical, cultural and physical meanings (Yorgancıoğlu, 2004). For Holl, the exterior voids take references from the interior voids, which constitutes a way of references and situations in the urban context.

In this essay, I will be exploring how some critics and argument that postmodernism has become a break in a modernist notion that architecture should be technologically rational, austere, and functional. Postmodernism, as general movement, will be the first topic I will explored, my aim is to find out what are the general definition of postmodernism. Looking into some of the postmodernism architecture and explore some facts and characteristic about it. Besides looking at postmodernism as a general movement, I’ll also investigate in several facts and the ideology in postmodern architecture. Furthermore, I’ll discuss on critics of postmodernism architect such as Charles Jencks and then look into two of Michael Graves building and explain how he has developed different strategies in overcoming the changes from modernism to postmodernism and follow by conclusion.

Hence , the application of theory by practice is crucial and critical process . This process is therefore implemented by Interpretation in architecture. 3.d) INTERPRETATION IN ARCHITECTURE: ‘‘Interpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon art’’66 Interpretation is the implementation of the acquired knowledge and skills .The local institutes though teaches architecture effectively but the criterion to evaluate the efficient usage of the education is by the materialistic outcome of the thought process .Its the encounter of creativity and imagination with the reality. This is the product of the design pedagogy followed and the environmental illusions generated by the spatial design. ‘As architecture is a interpretive , critical art’ , which transforms in the designers mind and after several refinements yield in a design solutions.

I decided to choose a post-post modern building as I am particularly interested in this area. These buildings are most interesting to me as they are so well designed to function in todays world where there are huge demands to lower our impact on the environment. The materials and technology used as well as the genius ways in which passive techniques are being achieved is fascinating to me. In the First Section I will discuss briefly how we got to where we are today, in terms of the post-postmodern movement. In the Second Section, I will shift the focus to the building of my choice where I will analyse the building’s characteristics and technologies.

In addition, the classical proportion from Renaissance architecture can be seen from his work. He emphasized on the geometric forms and the exploit of landscape as an architectural tool. Le Corbusier is advocated for the return to order in architecture. In his book, " Toward an architecture", he placed aphoristic arguments while promoting and exploring the concept of modern architecture. The publication has had an eternal effect on the architectural profession, serving as the manifesto for a creation of architect, and a significant piece of architectural theory.

Character becomes an important force in architectural theory. Although character starts with a functionalist aesthetic and it is the fitness of the building which is expressed, the idea of power begins to overpower the functional character becomes connected to emotiveness. Further, function begins to take on a symbolic expression rather than the idea of fitness. Claude Nicolas Ledoux and Etienne Louis Boullee are students of Blondel, and they extended his theoretical position to an extreme. Domination of the visual and the impact of architecture on the senses is a driving concern on Boullee.

Rem Koolhaas, Daniel Liebeskind, Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid. Modern day ‘starchitects’ who - through their practice of deconstructivist architecture - have heavily influenced the overall approach to today’s architecture. But what exactly is deconstructivist architecture? Is it a derivative of postmodernist principles, or something of its own entirety? Through the analysis of particular modern day architects and their works, deconstructivism ascertains its emergence as a separate architectural form that contrasts with and challenges postmodern design principles.