World Architecture Final

Industrial Revolution

A collection of social and economic changes that resulted from a series of inventions in the 18th and 19th century including the steam engine, railroads, and new processes for processing iron and steel. This led to several shifts including the rise of factory versus hand production, urbanization, new building types like train stations, prefabricated standardized construction systems, and a new functionalists construction systems, and a new functionalists architecture.

Metabolists

A group of young architects in Japan after World War II who were committed to process of visionary change that planned for growth in response to commercialization, rapid urbanization. Their approach to design embraced technological fetishism, utopian urban plans, and mega- structures. It often addressed the impermanence of buildings through interchangeable plug in elements.

Arts and Crafts

A movement in the late 19th C and early 20th C which began in England as a reaction against the Industrial Revolution. Unlike Industrial architecture, the Arts and Crafts rejected iron, steel, and modern materials, prefabrication, standardization, and mass production in favor of hand crafter objects made from natural materials. Leaders of the movement, like William Morris, rejected the luxury of 19th Victorian household goods as immoral, and the factory system as exploitative (turning men into machines) and thus favored medieval craft guilds not only as an aesthetic, but as a social system which respected the workers. The arts and crafts spread into the US, where it became part of the household vernacular in the craftsmen style bungalow and furniture promoted by Stickley.

Brutalism

A movement of architecture that flourished from the 1950s to the mid 1970s. The name derives from the French "beton brut" or raw concrete, a term used by Corb as he shifted from steel frame to concrete construction in the postwar period (when steel was expensive and scarce in France.) The style name brutalism was first used by architecture historian Reyner Banham in the 1970s. Examples are typically massive in character, fortress like, with rugged exposed concrete construction. The style became popular with governmental and institutional clients, with numerous public buildings and housing projects in Britain, France, Germany, Japan, The US, India, and Brazil

Art Nouveau

A movement that began at the end of the 19th C in Belgium, most notably with the work of Victor Horta, and spread in Paris. It was a style that embraced industrial metals, particularly iron, and which sometimes used standardized iron parts (like in the Paris metro stations) but which did so with naturalistic organic forms. The Vienna Succession, an off shoot of Art Nouveau which rejected the Beaux Arts school of Neo-Classicism. This movement was part of a debate during the rise of early modernism, about how ornament could be used with industrial materials and without historical reference.

Garden City

A proposal for a new organization of urban growth which would limit the size of the city with a green belt of open space. New growth would not sprawl around the old city, but be organized into new satellite cities with their own home, industry, and shops. This would allow the garden city to have all of the benefits of the city and country, without the problems of either. The original plan by Ebenezer Howard was imagined as a cooperative socialist community built through cooperative financing, with collective ownership of the land. The first examples built with Howard were Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City both near London, but other cities were modeled off this idea including the original plan for Chandigarh.

Bauhaus

A school of architecture in Germany in the interwar time period which rejected the Beaux Arts education and hired a diverse collection of modern artists and designers. The school developed an innovative and influential curriculum based on a mix of arts and crafts focus on making, and abstract formal design principles. Famous instructors included Walter Gropius. The model of education was adopted by schools in the united states after World War II, most famously at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Expressionism

An approach to modern design that evolved during World War 1 and the interwar period in Europe, particularly in Germany. Explored how new materials could convey the essence of spirit of the age. Often associated with crystalline, curvilinear, or dynamic angular forms. After WWI Germans embraced a more expressionist approach inspired by Utopian ideas as part of their political reimagining. Often associated with paper architecture during the war and post- war recession when few building were being built.

Functionalism

An approach to modern design that evolved in pre-war and interwar period in Europe, particularly in German. Inspired by the Industrial revolution, mass production, and factory production, this approach used standardized forms and parts, and logical, direct use of materials to solve problems of structural systems, program, and production.

Brasilia

Location: Brazil Time: 1957-60 Architect: Oscar Niemeyer -attempt at geo-political integration of Brazil away from colonial coastal cities, into interior -means to encourage regional and national economic development and national development -1955- Juselino Kubitschek, campaigning for president, pledged to build Brasilia -Competition winner Lucio Costa designed cross shaped Pilot plan as a diagram, conveying flight -two highways at central crossingshowed focus on automobile industry/culture then developing focal point at end of open main axis, Plaza of the three powers, empty open plaza space -greenbelt design limited suburban growth, leading to informal housing far from the city center -Congress- on axis, state chambers expressed in saucer 'domes', senate facing up, house as bowl -Secretariat- bifurcated slab, oblong prisms with glazed facades, mimicking Corb's UN -Presidential Palace- inverted arches in white marble, floating curved roofs, lacking monumental scale -Superquadra blocks- uniform design around communal courts, shared amenties on ower floors -meant to provide class equality between all government Bureaucrats working in the capital -minimalist units with large windows and without servant's quarters, ignored social realities

Bauhaus

Location: Dessau, Germany Time: 1926 Architect: Walter Gropius -New building synthesized ideas of modernism and expressed the philosophy of the school -aim to break down school into volumes, to express each programmatic element as a space -function articulated through use of glazing, with various scales of fenestration (opening) -studio: glass flush with facade for volumetric character, hovering horizontal floor planes

Villa Savoye

Location: France Time: 1928-31 Architect: Corb -5 points of architecture -evolution of domestic experiments to ideal -Architectural promenade - large ramp into public spaces -recessed lower floor, curved for car, hides servant's and chauffeur's quarters ad wash room -2nd main living- piano mobile, most formal and public Salon with view, fireplace -South facing roof terrace enclosed by same walls with strip opening without glass -factory style glazing -Themes: Health, Fresh air, Sunlight -Roof garden via ramp -Machine for inhabitation -Steamship, nautical (tubular ship railings, smoke stack spiral stair)

Schindler/Chase House (King's Road House)

Location: Hollywood, CA Time: 1921-1922 Architect: Rudolf Schindler -rejected MOMA exhibit as too stylistically narrow, resisted categorization of his work -responded to landscape with earth colors, walls like adobe Indian pueblo, planted courts -designed inward looking shelter with low ceilings, solid, enclosed, tapering of walls -took advantage of local expertise in Tilt-slab technology, casting wall slabs on the ground -clerestory windows, low wooden beams, sliding doors influenced by Japanese structures -aim for primeval shelter, inspired by temporary camp home, blend of cave and tent

Chandigarh

Location: India Time: 1950 Architect: Corb -Indian independence act 1947 led to the division of British Indian Empire into two new countries -partition- Pakistan created for Muslim majority areas, and India for Hindu majority areas -Aim to catch up to Modernity of the west -Need for new capitol because old capitol was now in Pakistan -chance for an architectural expression of modern nationhood, as much symbolic as practical -CIAM style functional plan -grid of city, built on garden city model, responsive to site, capitol complex at head -Functionalist Secretariat for bureaucratic offices -High court and assembly as purist play of form -Corb used abstract Indian symbolism -Nehru rejected need for tradition in diverse modern nation -Mural "suns of the son"- idealized landscape, open hand, which stood for human neutrality -developed housing types varied for different social strata, designed for hot climate, labor intensive

Yamanashi press and radio center

Location: Japan Time: 1961-7 Architect: Kenzo Tange -throwaway culture -close to Mount Fuji, dignified monumental form -complex of offices, shops, workshops, studios -building as a small city, division between service towers and served spaces recalled Kahn -grid of cylindrical service shafts containing air conditioning, stairs and lifts, structural -large horizontal beams containing studios, offices, etc in moveable partitions -never actually moves -beams left on edge as if to allow later extensions -impression of flexibility within a fixed frame

Crystal Palace

Location: London, England Time: 1850-1 Architect: Joseph Paxton -Paxton- trained as gardener, first begins architecture by innovating green house design -located in Hyde park to house the Great Exhibition, 1st international exposition -used to house and display new inventions and exotic cultural products to the public -the structure used a kit of pre-fabricated parts to quickly assemble a temporary building -128 ft high, 18 acres, 1851 ft long -built in 4-6 months -standardized cast and wrought iron frame pieces in repeating 8 ft bays, w/ 1000 columns -each section was self supporting, could be built incrementally as supplies became available -efficient, 2000 unskilled workers at once, pieces installed within 18 hours of leaving factory -1500 exhibits highlighted the cultural artifacts, animals, and people of the British colonies -cultural critic called these displays "orientaizing", a type of romantic racism, contrasting British 'superior" technical expertise with the exotic but "backwards" colonies -The British highlighted the philanthropic mission of imperialism, to promote their right rule

St. Pancras Station

Location: London, England Time: 1865-77 Architect: George Gilbert Scott -hotel facade (Scott), Shed (Barlow and Ordish) -initial plan laid out by Barlow, the Midland's consulting engineer -eleven architects participated in a competition for the design of the station/hotel building, chose most expensive -ornate gothic revival hotel masks the innovative engineering of the shed behind it -commissioned by the Midland railway to accomodate concentration of routes -3rd station in North London at the end of the speculation later dubbed railway mania -reaction to need for more lines during the 2nd international exhibition -Midland company bought large portions of land in the poor neighborhood of St Pancras -construction required demolition of houses, expulsion of renters, and reconstruction of church -design based on earlier models at Euston, Paddington, and Charing cross stations in London -largest span elliptical roof of its kind in the world -irregular shape and slope of site -materials: wrought iron lattice framework, glass and timber inside, slate cladding outside -679 feet long, 236 feet wide, 98 feet hight at apex above tracks

Seagram Building

Location: Manhatten, NY Time: 1954-58 Architect: Mies and Philip Johnson -first high-rise office building by Mies to fully implement a continuous exterior curtain wall -HQ for Canadian alcohol distillers, Seagram and Sons -On Park avenue, 516 ft tall, 38 stories -Pure verticality despite set back by laws by sitting in large plaza, land-use in expensive land market -main approach on axis from granite plaza with symmetrical pools -raised from street on travertine plinth -envelope wrapped around utility core -Non-structural bronze i-beams on facade to suggest structure -quality materials (bronze, tinted glass, marble) and lavish decor, period's most expensive skyscraper -became a worldwide model, but material details gave it a sublime quality hard to imitate at lower costs

Schroeder House

Location: Netherlands Time: 1923-4 Architect: Gerit Reitveld -first and only architecture completely designed in the De Stijl movement in 1919 -Features use of abstract geometry in hovering planes, and open plan with moveable walls -Client: Truus Schroeder, widow with three children rejected traditions and status of middle class -change to one room of home, declaration of an independent modern woman to live her life -Reitveld designed with client using cardboard models -built in furniture inspired by client needs -total work of art -intricate interior design of light fixtures, staircases, ledges, shelves

David B. Gamble House

Location: Pasadena, CA Time: 1908 Architect: Charles and Henry Greene -built for millionaire partners in the soap company, Proctor and Gamble -application of the bungalow form at a larger scale for luxurious living, grand yet intimate -attempted to reflect the natural environment in building materials, landscaping, decoration -raised on terrace plinth above lawns -stick style balconies with sleeping porches -expression of woodworking -carefully crafted earthquake proof sliding joints with pegs -an example of bungalow style promoted by Gustav Stickley in the Craftsmen in 1905 -translated the humble bungalow style into high art -most complete realization of craft architecture -developed a new style of American style, district from the medieval inspirations of the romanesque

Kaufman House (Falling Water)

Location: Pennsylvania Time: 1934-7 Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright -country retreat located above a waterfall in a deep ravine near Bear run -cantilevered concrete trays balance off core embedded into the rocks hang over waterfall -shelter from low ceilings, screen windows, chimney cores, and walls of rough local stone -interior almost free from walls, allowing large open plan rooms, large living room -colors, textures blend into environment -modern use of bands of concrete and metal

Vanna Venturi House

Location: Philadelphia Time: 1963 Architect: Robert Venturi -break in gabled roof as reference to Palladio -Played on the down home character of the vernacular house with a gable sloped roof -Moldings, back porch as Americana -flat facade hides complexities behind -irregularities of plan behind symmetrical facade -Witty and ambiguous quotes from Corb and Palladio -Despite populism, aimed at initiated

Pruitt Igoe

Location: Saint Louis, Missouri Time: 1954 Architect: Minuro Yamasaki -planners proposed to replace DeSoto-Carr slums with low rise residential blocks and park -DeSoto Carr, poor area housing both whites and blacks before it was razed -Pruitt Igoe complex was composed of 33 buildings of 11 stories each on a 57 acre lot -initial proposed provided a mix of high rise, mid rise, and walk up buildings -city responded to budget cuts by raising densities, removing amenities, and increasing height -density was a moderate level of 50 units per acre, high rises allowed generous open space -the apartments were deliberately small, with undersized kitchen appliances -inspired by plan of Unite de Habitacion with "streets in teh sky" but without multi-story cross building units -in 1972 it became one of the first demolitions of modernist architecture

Salk Institute

Location: San Diego, CA Time: 1959-65 Architect: Louis Kahn -existential quality of being -for a community f research scientists -emphasized the human implications of science -a contemplative intellectual retreat in the landscape, modeled after monasteries -site plan with clusters of structures for labs, community "meeting house," and residential "village" -only labs built, two parallel blocks perpendicular to the coast with angled fins to the pacific ocean - interior court with Spartan water garden with runnels and pools, emphasizing infinite views -sublime character empasized by a uniformity of color, concrete matching travertine of courtyard -labs as communal open plan spaces, flexible to changing needs based on different experiments -thick perforated beams span lab space and accommodate service space for ducts between floors -bridges connect lab spaces to small studies with wood facades for individual contemplation

Wainwright Building

Location: St. Louis Time: 1890-1 Architect: Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler -first of Sullivan's many tall buildings, skyscrapers designed with a clear base and crown -more developed approach to balancing vertical/horizontal, and tripartite design (3 building parts) -despite importance of structural honesty, every other pier structurally unnecessary -Masonry and terra cotta cladding over steel skeletal structure -prominence of the vertical piers -warm colored ashlar base -recessed horizontal spandrels with textural vegetal motifs

International style

The name give to the collection of Modernist work displayed at the International Style exhibit held at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York in 1932. The show featured European and American modernists like Le Corbusier, Mies Van de Rohe, LLP Oud, and Frank Wright. The creators of the show, Henry- Russel Hitchcock and Phillip Johnson argued that a new style had emerged during the interwar period that was becoming uniform across the world. They removed the political ideas of architectural forms that had developed during European social revolutions, instead focusing on the formal elements that could be uniformly applied in any context. After World War II this style became the signature of the corporate world as in the Seagram building. This idea off a universal modernism, for some time, trumped the idea of regional modernism.