Modernism

Historical Background
 Modern architecture developed, as a result of social
and political revolutions
 The Age of Enlightenment and decreasing power of
the church
 Democratic and industrial revolution:
With the Industrial Revolution, the availability of
newly -available building materials such as iron,
steel, and sheet glass drove the invention of new
building techniques
 Declaration of Independence 1776
 Modernism
Period: 19th – early 20 centuries
Philosophy: Pragmatism, Empiricism, together with
strong reliance with scientific inquiry
 A philosophical movement that, along with cultural
trends and changes, arose from wide-scale and far-
reaching transformations in Western society in the
late 19th and early 20th centuries
 Reconcile the principles underlying architectural
design with rapid technological advancement and the
modernization of society
 Modernism
Main Features:
 Simplification of form and subtraction of
ornamentation
(Little or no ornamentation) – the principle of
functionalist planning
 “Rational” use of modern materials
 Man made materials such as metal and concrete
 Rebellion on traditional styles
 Simplicity & clarity of forms and elimination of
“unnecessary details”
 Visual expression of structure (as opposed to hiding
of structural elements)
 Modernism
 “Truth to materials” : The true nature of a
material ought to be seen rather than concealed
or altered to represent something else
 Use of industrially produced and developed
material, adaption of the machine aesthetic
 Use of new technologies and new materials: “skin
and bone architecture”
 A visual emphasis on horizontal and vertical lines
 Full utilization of spaces externally and internally
 Modernism
Notable architects of the movement
 Mies van der Rohe
 Le Corbusier
 Walter Gropius
 Eric Mendelssohn
 Frank Lloyd Wright
 Lousi Sullivan
 Gerit Riet Veld
 Bruno Tavt
 Arne Jacobsen
 Oscar Neimeyer
 Alvar Alto
Modernism: Petronas Twin Tower- Kuala Lumpur
 Modernism: Twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur
 Designed by: Argentine
American architect César
Pelli
 Floor plan design adopted a
simple Islamic geometric
forms of two interlocking
squares creating a shape of
eight-points stars with the
semi-circles softening in the
inner angles.
 Construction period:3 years
i.e. march 1993-march 1996
 Floor area: 395,000 m2
(4,252,000 sq ft)
 The 88-floor towers are
constructed largely of
reinforced concrete, with a
 In addition, a 33,000-panel curtain wall cladding system resides steel and glass facade
within the towers designed to resemble motifs
 The stainless steel element of the towers entices the illustrious found in Islamic art, a
sun, highlighting the magnificent towers, they are composed of reflection of Malaysia's
Muslim religion.
55,000 square metres (590,000 sq ft) of 20.38-millimetre (0.802
 Feature a diamond-faceted
in) laminated glass to reduce heat by reflecting harmful UV facade consisting of 83,500
rays. square metres (899,000 sq ft)
of stainless steel extrusions
 Modernism

 On the top of each tower is a pinnacle standing 73.5 metres (241 ft) tall. Each pinnacle is composed of
50 unique parts making up the main components: the spire, mast ball and ring ball. Together these
parts weigh 176 tons.
 Popular works
• Eero Saarinen- a dynamic sculptural unity
Frank Lloyd Wright Guggenheim Museum 1956-59
Frank Lloyd Wright Guggenheim Museum 1956-59
 Situated in Manhattan,
New York City
 Permanent home of a
expanding collection
of Impressionist, Post-
Impressionist, early
Modern and
contemporary art.
 A "temple of the
spirit“
 A great difference to
the buildings in the
vicinity because of its
spiral shape
 Ramp gallery extends
up from ground level
in a long, continuous
 Design was inspired by a "Ziggurat" Babylonian temple spiral along the outer
pyramid-inverted edges of the building
 Materials used in its construction were basically precast to end just under the
concrete blocks ceiling skylight
Frank Lloyd Wright Guggenheim Museum 1956-59
Modernism
 The International Style
Period : 1920s but which only took off after WW2
 1928 – formation of the Congres Internationaux
d’Architecture Moderne – an international group of
architects.
Philosophy:
 There was a push for building designs which could be
truly international
 The International Style eventually came to be associated
with Capitalism and the wealth of the Western world
 The International Style
Characteristics:
 A basic structural design
 Steel skeleton allowing flexibility with both positioning,
and materials used for walls
 No or minimal ornamentation
 Flat roof
 Created with the function of the building in mind;
 Standardised, prefabricated parts
 No historicism – that is, harking back to classical or other
styles
 The look is more abstract & simple
 Skyscrapers in USA
 Steel and concrete for the frames and curtain walls of
brick and glass (in USA)
 Post Modernist Architecture
 Period: late 20th - early 21st century
 Movement that emerged in the 1960s, became prominent
in the late 1970s and 80s, and remained a dominant force
in the 1990s.
 Philosophy
 The return of “wit ornament”: reintroducing ornament and
decoration for its own sake
 Diverse aesthetics , colliding styles
 The movement largely has been a reaction to the
orthodoxy, austerity (without comfort, plain and without
decoration) and formal absolutism of the international
style/modernism
 A turn away from Modern Functionalism, considered then as
boring, unwelcoming, and even unpleasant
 Sought cure by with its diversity possesses sensitivity to the
building’s context and history, and the client’s requirements
 Post Modernism
 Discovery of the expressive and symbolic value of architectural
elements and forms which were abandoned by the modern style
 Form was no longer defined only by its functional requirements,
 It now could be anything the architect pleased! use of diverse
aesthetics, different styles colliding, and new ways of viewing
familiar styles
 Precursor: negation of the modernist styles replaced by diverse
aesthetics
 Characteristics
 Nonlinearity: Multiple styles, multiple goals
 Influence of digital technology
 Inclusion of World cultures
 Visual culture: Fine art, craft, advertising
 Visual studies: Combination of visual culture and social theory
 Post Modernism
 the use of sculptural forms, ornaments,
anthropomorphism and materials which perform
trompe l'oeil
 These physical characteristics are combined with
conceptual characteristics of meaning, including
pluralism, double coding, flying buttresses and high
ceilings, irony and paradox, and contextualism
 These forms are sculptural and are somewhat playful
(not reduced to absolute, built and shaped for their own sake)
 The most notable among their characteristics is their
playfully extravagant forms and the humour (amusing)
of the meanings the buildings conveyed.
 Post Modern Architecture
 “Architects can bemoan or try to ignore them (referring
to the ornamental and decorative elements in buildings)
or even try to abolish them, but they will not go away. Or
they will not go away for a long time, because architects
do not have the power to replace them (nor do they
know what to replace them with)” Complexity and
contradiction in architecture
Famous architects
 Robert Venturi was at the head of the Postmodern
Movement. He is known for re-wording the famous
saying of Mies van der Rohe’s: “Less is more” to "Less is a
bore.“
 Post modernism
Influential architects
Aldo Rossi • Barbara Bielecka • Ricardo Bofill • John
Burgee • Terry Farrell • Michael Graves • Helmut
Jahn • Jon Jerde • Edward Jones • Philip Johnson •
Hans Kollhoff • Ricardo Legorreta • Frank Gehry
 Post Modernism- critique on Modernism
Post- Modern Architecture
 Post Modernism

Used classical styles in new combinations: pillar,s tourettes, arches, domes, curtain wall
facades, Greek and Roman Connections
Post Modernist Architects
Post Modernism – Venturi
Robert Venturi own house
Post-modernist Architects
Post modernism
Post modernist-deconstructivism
Post modernism
Post modernism
Frank Gehry
Conception!
Post –Modernism: Frank Gehry
Post-Modernism: Frank Gehry
Walt Disney Concert Hall: cross section
Modernism v/s post modernism
Modernism v/s post modernism
Modernism v/s post modernism
 Constructivism
 Period: 1919-1934 originated in Russia
 Philosophy
 An artistic and architectural movement that favored art as
a practice directed towards social purposes
 All available means
 A belief than a style
 Precursors: Cubism (three dimensional spatial thinking
in painting) and Suprematism, which was founded by
Kasimir Malevich(art mov’t focused on basic geometric
forms. (Supremacy of pure artistic feeling).
 Notable architects: Vladimir Tatlin, Peter Eisenman
 Popular woks: headquarters and monument of the
Comintern( communist international organization).
Constructivism
Tatlin’s Tower

A grand monumental
building envisioned by the
Russian artist and architect
Vladimir Tatlin as the
headquarters and
monument of the
Comintern
 Brutalist Architecture
 “Brut” French raw
 Period: 1950 – 70s after World War II,
communities sought inexpensive construction
and design methods for low-cost housing,
shopping centers, and government buildings.
 Philosophy
 Associated with socialist utopian ideology.
Attempt to create modern socialist architectural
style
 Some architects appreciate honesty, the
sculpture qualities, uncompromising , anti-
bourgeois nature of style
 Character:
 Massive, fortress like, ruggedness(roughness)
 Small window in relation to other parts
 Lack of concern to look comfortable or easy
 Raw unpretentious honesty, exposed concrete
A Clockwork Orange, Architecture Flathunting, Brick brutalist= combine detailed brickwork and
Architecture London, Buildings Brunel concrete popular for educational buildings
 Best known examples
Architecture is in raw with an emphasis on
 Le Corbuier United d’Habitation (1952), Palace of
material, texture and construction, producing
Assembly in Chandiagarh
highly expressive form
 Rationalism
Rational = showing clear thought or reason
Rationally= in a way based on reason rather than
emotions
Period: 17th century
Philosophy= based on the Enlightenment period ,
when reason was the primary instrument for
justifying & Understanding of the “how” and “whys”
of things and circumstances
 Emphasis on science (+mathematics and logics) and
reason rather than tradition and religion
 Rationalism of the Enlightenment period influenced
every Endeavour(attempt). Nothing should trust that
could not be proven.
 Believe that reality has an intrinsic logical structure
 Rationalism
Characteristics: symmetrical, accurate
measurement of classical shapes and functionality
 18th century - Neo-classicists (Enlightenment
rationalism): symmetry, minimalistic composed of
basic geometric shapes (all excess was striped away),
columns as support
 20th century - Neo-rationalists : simplistic form and
ornamentation retained (logical aesthetics) , new
materials suited to the spirit of industrialization
Notable architects
 18th century: neoclassicism e.g. Andrea Palladio
 20th century: neo-rationalist…..krier brothers
• Vitruvius “architecture is a science that can be
comprehended rationally”. De Achitectura
• Ration - defines human being as a species and
separate from animals. Aristotle