Cultural Transformations Of Modern Architecture
analytical Essay
1692 words
What makes modern architecture? Before answering this, one would need to understand what the term “modern” exactly describes. In architecture, modernism is the movement or transition from one period to another, and it is caused by cultural, territorial, and technological changes happening in the world. In Kenneth Frampton’s Modern Architecture: A Critical History, he details these three major societal changes that impact and create modern architecture.
Cultural Transformations: Society’s Impact on Architecture
In chapter one of Frampton’s writing, “Cultural Transformations,” he describes how changes in society create new architectural styles due to new cultural needs. Frampton starts by explaining the relationship between man and nature in different architectural styles. Man and nature were distinct entities; however, for the sake or ornamentation in architecture, the two were constantly combined. This idea soon changes with Baroque architecture where man and nature started to be distinctly separate, and this later leads to the Neoclassical style which shows an increased desire for man to have control over nature (Frampton 1). Neoclassicism essentially stems from a new cultural formation that grew from the life styles of declining aristocracy and the rising bourgeoisie, and this transition leads
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that modernism is the movement or transition from one period to another caused by cultural, territorial, and technological changes happening in the world. kenneth frampton's modern architecture: a critical history details these three major societal changes that impact
- Analyzes how frampton's writing explains how cultural, territorial, and technical changes have an impact on architecture, but he misses some points.
- Analyzes how frampton's writing, "cultural transformations," describes how changes in society create new architectural styles due to new cultural needs.
- Explains that cities were disconnected from their neighbors because they lacked the technology to communicate quickly and effectively. industrialization increased migration from europe to the americas, africa, and australia.
- Explains how iron became an artificial building material for the first time in history. the first cast-iron bridge was constructed in 1779 over the severn near coalbrookdale.
This idea led to two different types of neoclassicism: Structural and Romantic. Structural Classicism included buildings like prisons, hospitals, and railway stations. Those who followed this style believed that “the essence of architecture is construction. All stylistic transformations are merely the logical consequence of technical development.” In contrast, Romantic Classicism included museums and libraries. The style focused more on the landscape, symmetry, and balance (Frampton
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- Describes how modernism and post-modernist influences have impacted contemporary architects' inspiration. how are they using "traditional" styles and materials?
- Explains that avant garde was a matter of being ahead in design concepts, but also in the materials that you use. modernist designers were always looking to enhance their ideals with new materials. contemporary architects continue on with the post-modern legacy of taking inspiration from history.
- Explains how robert venturi, a prominent figure of the design movement, changed the idea of "less is more" to "more is bore".
- Explains that post-modernism is like a pond, as it rejects the rules and references different styles and techniques of history, allowing architectures to cite the past.
- Explains that traditional architecture has evolved from a process of selectively borrowing from various styles and influences into an individualistic style that has been developed with age.
- Explains that contemporary churches are an ideal place to try and understand the juxtaposition of traditional ideas and contemporary theories.
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- Explains shigeru ban's obsession with sustainability and the japanese tradition led him to embrace and further the knowledge of using paper as a form of construction.
- Opines that contemporary architects will continue using traditional build methods and materials.
- Explains that asquith, vellinga, and bertens, h. 2005. the idea of the post-modern: a history.
- Cites gossel, p., and leuthauser, g. 2001. architecture in the twentieth century. taschen.meijenfeldt, e.
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- Opines that post-modernism is a worldwide movement in all arts and disciplines. a definition of postmodernism will provide better understanding of the trend that is relevant to contemporary culture and important for the future.
- Explains that postmodernism became an important movement after the second world war, and spread around europe and north america during the early 20th century.
- Analyzes how best, s., and kellner, d. "postmodern turn" state that postmodern architecture was a reaction to the aesthetics and "philosophical assumptions" of the international style.
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- Explains jencks' claim that post-modernist architects have evolved from the preceding movements because they have seen the failure of modernism as an ideology and language.
- Opines that modernism as an ideology and language was a failure because the movement was moving too fast in terms of architectural design or aesthetics, in the case of le corbusier "villa savoye".
- States that post-modernism as a cultural or collective formation started at many points and times, however jencks (2007, p.54) states it didn't become an movement until the late 1960s and continues to influence present day architecture.
- Analyzes how jencks' "the new paradigm in architecture" states that the first world war, hiroshima and the holocausts are all markers that philosophers and historians have seen as turning points, as creating the crisis of modernity.
- Argues that architects and designers became more expressive in their work, thereby changing the face of the world.
- Argues that architectural movements often survive persecution than success because followers try to copy but sometimes it is not up to the standard of the movement.
- Opines that every movement has its weakness. jencks says modernism's weakness was mass-produced boredom, the machine aesthetics repeating itself endlessly. they had the idea of speaking to a pluralist society.
- Describes postmodernist double coding as mixing the old architecture and the new, while still trying to incorporate the past using certain ornamentation.
- Explains that postmodernism came up with a different style of architecture that would adjust in any part of the world.
- Argues that double coding was one of the most important tools architects learned from postmodernism, the idea of mixing cultures.
- Analyzes stern's suggestion that postmodernism is the way forward, because mies van de rohe, le corbusier, and walter gropius rejected the past.
- Opines that architecture has the power to speak to people, it should communicate with a much wider audience.
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- Quotes chin's statement that postmodernists can no longer afford to be intimidated by the puritanical moral language of orthodox modern architecture.
- Explains that venturi believes that variety in architecture is what makes it beautiful and interesting, but he feels it was lost in modernism. modern architecture, tended to be very simple, without any ornamentation, which made buildings weak and plane
- Analyzes how venturi's "complexity and contradiction in architecture" claims that complexity is constant in architecture because it must correspond with form and function.
- Analyzes venturi's response to mies van der rohe’s famous proclamation: “less is a bore.”
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- Analyzes how tom wolfe's opinionated book, from bauhaus to our house, describes his views on the way architecture has framed our modern world.
- Analyzes wolfe's theory that no one appreciated or liked the buildings that were being created at that time, and that americans would put up buildings even if they didn't care for them.
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- Analyzes how wolfe's concept of "starting from zero" is the motivation behind architectural modernism. after the first world war, there was a desire to create something new from scratch.
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- Analyzes how the western hemisphere faced dramatic changes in politics, economics, and culture as a result of emerging enlightenment philosophies. these changing times were reflected in the various art movements.
- Describes the rococo movement that took root in 18th century paris as a reaction against the symmetry and strict regulations of the baroque period.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that cultural relativism and architecture depend on each other. kohler emphasizes that there should be no regional cultural boundaries for architecture to be progressive.
- Argues that critical regionalism should not only answer to context, but also value the progress of universal modern architecture.
- Opines that the movement of people and the growth of migrant communities in large urban centres pose specific challenges for planning to come to terms with diversity and promote equality and harmony in society.
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588 wordsRead More - The Theory of Evolutionanalytical essayAccording to Charles Jencks, "The modern world, compelled forward by the imperative of continuous growth, is a juggernaut with no reverse gear". To architecture, modernism is like the discovery of the American continent all over again, a territory that is not owned,...
In this essay, the author
- Opines that evolution is the world's first power of surviving, but the real conflict lies within the people’s reactions.
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- Analyzes how villa savoye is a modernist villa in paris, france. it is furnished to obtain freedom towards the various housed activities, including ramp for promenade.
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- Analyzes how villa fallet, located in switzerland, is the first commissioned work of le corbusier when he was still at the age of 17.
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1350 wordsRead More - Classical Architecture: The History Of Greek And Roman Architectureexplanatory essayFrom the time of the ancient Greeks all the way to modern day, some part of humanity has almost always been interested in the past. For the ancient Greeks, it was discovering Mycenaean ruins and composing stories about them. Today, inspiration is still drawn from classical architecture. One has to look no further than the U.S. capitol building, or even the University of Michigan's Angell Hall to see remnants of this architectural style. This raises the question of why does it still persists? Logically, the best way to answer this is to examine the origins of classical architecture, and what it represented then and now. Furthermore, the study of ancient architecture can show insights into past civilizations which otherwise would have been lost.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that ancient greeks discovered mycenaean ruins and wrote stories about them, but today, inspiration is still drawn from classical architecture. the study of ancient architecture can show insights into past civilizations.
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- Explains that classical architecture is reserved mainly for public buildings which serve important civic functions. the supreme court is the highest court in the united states.
- Explains that studying ancient architecture can help understand ancient civilizations, since they existed so long ago, and not much remains in terms of textual records.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that architecture is the concept of bringing structure, materiality, form and space together as a whole, providing people with enclosed atmosphere to experience.
- Analyzes how detailing has been treated inferior to the form in modern architecture. the exercise of detailing emphasizes the importance of detailing and the crisis of architectural language.
- Analyzes how technology affects the way details are discussed and represented in modern architecture. frascari describes the rise of analytique and its influence on architecture forming graphic representations.
- Analyzes how katie llyod thomas conceptualizes materiality as secondary to form with hylomorphism in her architecture and material practice.
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1436 wordsRead More