What is modern architecture?
The A-Z of Modern Architecture. Excerpt from the introduction by Peter Gössel.
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Architecture, therefore, doubtless has a special role, though many will question its character as art at all. From the moment of its handover, architecture is immediately and essentially measured on the grounds of its usability. It does not enjoy the same space for progressive development as other arts. This argument has led to some dispute over the quality of architecture as an art, as, for example, is still reflected in the German word for architecture, "Baukunst" (the art of building). Yet, when we observe the history of architecture, it becomes clear that no building has automatically developed purely from the application of functional and technical specifications. Rather, even in the case of what are known as the functionalists, basic assumptions of an aesthetic nature have crept into the creation of form. As in art too, self-referential expression by the architect as creator of a building must not necessarily be accepted without criticism. He is, after all, a creative person through whom spontaneous suppositions are translated into experience.
In contrast with industry, the architect is constantly creating prototypes. Where industry, before mass production, engages in extensive testing to find the best possible solution, most buildings—leaving aside here prefabricated houses—are experiments arising from a unique set of circumstances and encounters between owner-builders and planners. Therefore architecture is also always a social process, the result of which cannot be pre-determined. In favourable cases, however, and herein lies the core character of modern architecture, it is born of a common desire for change, to alter not only the land, but also living conditions for the users, whether they are residents or workers. This was how, in 1913,Walter Gropius saw in a modern factory a "worthy garment", which will impress passers-by and make workers more productive, not just by giving the worker "light, air and cleanliness" but also an impression of greatness that will help him rise above the stupidity of factory work: "In it he will become more joyful as he plays his part in creating great common values, as his workplace, designed by the artist, appeals to the sense of beauty innate in everyone and has an enlivening effect on the monotony of mechanical work."
Gropius wrote this from the self-confidence of someone imagining himself to be on the right path and seeing the end of an age essentially in search of a new style in tune with the industrialized world. This period, largely coinciding with the 19th century, in which stylistic pluralism led to an arbitrariness generally felt to be deficient, was finally superseded by an epoch in which the concept of style in itself became obsolete. Even in 1914, Henry van de Velde was of the opinion that "for 20 years, some of us have been seeking the forms and embellishments that perfectly correspond to our time". But it was already clear where the journey was leading: to a functionalism referred to in 1932 as the "International Style", which rid itself of all ornament. Functional spaces and "appropriate" or "true" use of theavailable building materials formed part of the foundations of neo-realism. Its representatives demanded simple design, without any historicist overtones, and functionality that was geared towards prefabrication and mass production. Neither the temporal nor the geographical space in which this movement came into being can be clearly defined.
Page [1] [2] [3]
Page [1] [2] [3]
Architecture, therefore, doubtless has a special role, though many will question its character as art at all. From the moment of its handover, architecture is immediately and essentially measured on the grounds of its usability. It does not enjoy the same space for progressive development as other arts. This argument has led to some dispute over the quality of architecture as an art, as, for example, is still reflected in the German word for architecture, "Baukunst" (the art of building). Yet, when we observe the history of architecture, it becomes clear that no building has automatically developed purely from the application of functional and technical specifications. Rather, even in the case of what are known as the functionalists, basic assumptions of an aesthetic nature have crept into the creation of form. As in art too, self-referential expression by the architect as creator of a building must not necessarily be accepted without criticism. He is, after all, a creative person through whom spontaneous suppositions are translated into experience.
In contrast with industry, the architect is constantly creating prototypes. Where industry, before mass production, engages in extensive testing to find the best possible solution, most buildings—leaving aside here prefabricated houses—are experiments arising from a unique set of circumstances and encounters between owner-builders and planners. Therefore architecture is also always a social process, the result of which cannot be pre-determined. In favourable cases, however, and herein lies the core character of modern architecture, it is born of a common desire for change, to alter not only the land, but also living conditions for the users, whether they are residents or workers. This was how, in 1913,Walter Gropius saw in a modern factory a "worthy garment", which will impress passers-by and make workers more productive, not just by giving the worker "light, air and cleanliness" but also an impression of greatness that will help him rise above the stupidity of factory work: "In it he will become more joyful as he plays his part in creating great common values, as his workplace, designed by the artist, appeals to the sense of beauty innate in everyone and has an enlivening effect on the monotony of mechanical work."
Gropius wrote this from the self-confidence of someone imagining himself to be on the right path and seeing the end of an age essentially in search of a new style in tune with the industrialized world. This period, largely coinciding with the 19th century, in which stylistic pluralism led to an arbitrariness generally felt to be deficient, was finally superseded by an epoch in which the concept of style in itself became obsolete. Even in 1914, Henry van de Velde was of the opinion that "for 20 years, some of us have been seeking the forms and embellishments that perfectly correspond to our time". But it was already clear where the journey was leading: to a functionalism referred to in 1932 as the "International Style", which rid itself of all ornament. Functional spaces and "appropriate" or "true" use of theavailable building materials formed part of the foundations of neo-realism. Its representatives demanded simple design, without any historicist overtones, and functionality that was geared towards prefabrication and mass production. Neither the temporal nor the geographical space in which this movement came into being can be clearly defined.
Page [1] [2] [3]
The A-Z of Modern Architecture
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Thomas Jefferson, Monticello (home of Thomas Jefferson), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, 1768–1770. (c) John Collier, Library of Congress.
Burnham & Root, Reliance building, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 1894–1895. (c) Irving Underhill, Library of Congress.