Transcript Modern Architecture

Theory and Philosophy of Modern Architecture
Architectural Theories in
America in the 19th Century
Contents
• Context of early Modern Architecture in America
• The search for new style versus eclectic
historicism
• Organic view of architecture
• Functionalism
– National Romantic Functionalism
– Pragmatic-Structural Functionalism
• The architects and theorists in the period
Context of Theory of Early Modern
Architecture in America
• The first treatise on architecture published in
America appeared in 1775, but it was copies or
adaptations of works from England.
• The features are the applications of European form
from stone to wood context.
• The search for new style versus eclecticism—The
expression of the new democracy
• The Chicago School
Development of Theories and Styles
• Organic View of Architecture
• Functionalism
– National Romantic Functionalism
– Pragmatic-Structural Functionalism
• Invasion of Beaux-Arts Style
The Architects and Theorists
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Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
Asher Benjamin (1773-1845)
Horatio Greenough (1805-52)
Architecture of the Communal Living or Religious
Sects
• Louis Henry Sullivan (1856-1924)
• Dankma Adler (1844-?)
• John Wellborn Root (1850-91)
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
(the fourth president of America)
• Studying books on architecture rather than
observing actual buildings
• Left no formal treatise but isolated statements in
autobiography, letters and notes
• Quest for a symbolic American style and found
answer in Roman and Palladian models that
influenced the country
• Rome-inspired Classicism for public buildings and
the Palladian tradition for private house
• Favor cubic architecture– reduction of architecture
to basic geometric forms
The Rotunda, University of Virginia
Plan of the Rotunda, UVA
Asher Benjamin (1773-1845)
• The Country Builder’s Assistant (1979)– the first
book on architecture by an American
• The American Builder’s Companion (1806)
• European design books were useless for American
needs.
• “American-ness meant making European models
simpler and cheaper, especially in the use of the
Orders.”
Asher Benjamin (1773-1845)
• Even the purity of the Orders did not need to be
completely respected.
• The Orders could have slimmer proportions than
the Classic for private houses, to lighten their
heavy parts, and lessen the expense both of labor
and materials.
• Reduction of building costs is one of the prime
considerations.
• Oppose the invention of new (fancy) order—can
only spoil the work, and no reduction of the
expense has been effected.
Asher’s Order
Horatio Greenough (1805-52)
• A sculptor with Italian influences
• USA is to form a new style of architecture.
• Modern [new] architecture had abandoned the great
principles of the past; the new style would have to be
founded on an immediate return to the laws of nature.
• Led to observation of animals’ skeletons and skins. (Later
architecture as skeleton became basis for functionalist theory of architecture)
• Rejected all arbitrary laws of proportion and arbitrary laws
of taste: organic beauty could be found only in the system
of nature
• Architecture with principles of shipbuilding. (Later Corbu
compared automobile and Greek temple)
Organic Architecture:
• Starting from the interior lay-out, as the nucleus of
a building and planning outward.
• The lay-out and linking of the rooms needed to be
apparent from the outside.
• Relationship between building-site and interiorexterior, is what gives the building character and
expression.
• Meet the wants of occupants, or as monumental–
expressive of the sympathies, belief and taste of
the population, expression of either individual or
collective needs.
Organic Architecture:
• Machine, each individual must be formed with
reference to the abstract type of its species.
• Create a new national style of architecture that ran
parallel to Nature
• Evolve an artistic dogma based on natural
sciences. (Nature is the sum of its functions)
• All his criteria revolve around the concept of
function; the aesthetic and moral aspect.
Cubic Plan VS Organic Plan
Architecture of the Communal Living or
Religious Sects
Shakers
• Right angle as the basis of planning (even path, meat
or bread cutting),
• Buildings as the expressions of identified needs,
economically and almost without ornament.
• Art as traditionally understood was regarded as
absurdity.
• Beauty is derived from simplicity and functionality.
Mormon
• Remained closer to American vernacular.
Louis Henry Sullivan (1856-1924)
• 1856 Born in Boston, Massachusetts
• 1872-73 Attend architectural course at MIT (not
finished)
• 1874 Study at Ecole de Beaux-Arts (but he was against
Beaux-Arts style in America)
• 1881 partnership with Dankmar Adler (Adler and
Sullivan 1880-95)
• 1895-1927 Practiced alone (not much information)
• 1924 Died in a hotel room
Louis Henry Sullivan (1856-1924)
Selected Essays
• Kindergarten Chats (1901-02) in book (1934) –
Form follows functions
• Ornament in Architecture (1892)
• The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered
(1896)
Functionalism and Organic
• At Adler and Sullivan, Sullivan designed façades
and ornaments, Adler managed the firm.
• Aimed to make architecture that fitted its
functions, based on well defined utilitarian needs.
• The concept of function is central for Sullivan. He
sees all form of life as expressions of function, and
each function creates its own form.
• The function of a building must determine its
organization and form.
• The form would grow naturally out of the need
and express it—form follows function.
Organic Expression
• Outward appearances resemble inner purposes.
• Good architecture must correspond to its function
and express it in its appearance, as a whole and in
detail—then it will be organic.
• A social root of function—democracy is a function
seeking expression in organized social form. (The
form American architecture will mean American life)
About Form and Function
• Form is everything in an object or a man. It is an
essence, a being, or a physical meaning of the
thing.
• Function is not only the usage, but also
psychological and social meaning including
inspiration, the need to express and other desires.
• Natural, social and intellectual factors, the sum of
human needs, constitute the function, which
determine the form of a building. (the technical,
constructional aspect remain in the background.)
• Form express human functions and needs, not
structural laws.
About Ornament
• A building can make its effect through mass and
proportion alone, without ornament: ornament is
an intellectual luxury, not a necessity.
• Ornament adds individuality to the building.
• In organic terms, ornament is not interchangeable
between buildings and almost cannot be taken out
without losing the significant characteristic.
• It needs to be a part of the building like an organ
that grows out of a body.
System of Ornament
The Tall Office Building Artistically
Considered (1896)
• Office is a solution of modern functions (business,
technology, etc.)
• Conditions and Treatments
– 1st floor, mechanical basement—hiding
– 2nd floor, main store business—wide opening
– 3rd floor, large business office—similar to 2nd fl, but
less emphasized
– 4th floor typical office (small unit)—typical individual
cells
– 5th or the attic, mechanical—broad wall (ending)
Wainwright Building Floor Plans
6th Floor Plan
1st Floor Plan
Wainwright Building,
St. Louis
Theory of True Prototype of Tall Building
• Three Parts—Base, Shaft and Capital
• Like Classic Column
• The beauty of all things in three parts (days,
human figure, etc.)
• Tall building must not display all the styles
Three Parts
Important Works
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Carson Pirie Scott Store, Chicago.
Wainwright Building, St. Louis
Getty Tomb, Chicago
Auditorium Building, Chicago
Auditorium Theater
High Rise Buildings
Carson Pirie Scott Store, Chicago
Getty Tomb,
Chicago
Auditorium Building, Chicago
Auditorium Theater
Dankma Adler
• More modern, pragmatic and technological than
Sullivan.
• Form and style will be founded upon the discovery
of the materials (steel pillar, steel beam, clear
sheet of plate glass, electric light and mechanical
ventilation). All devoted to the service of
functions or wants created by the greater intensity
of modern life.
• Infilling and cladding as artistic treatments.
John Wellborn Root (1850-91)
• Similar to Adler
• Ornament must be subordinate to the construction
of a building, and visible construction and
decorative elements must not be confused.
• Decoration must not conceal construction.
• Like nature, large forms tend to be monochrome,
smaller forms to be polychrome.
• Sequence Function-Ornament-Style led Root to
the understanding of typology as the solution to a
given problem in architecture.
The End of 19th Century
• After the Chicago World’s Fair of 1983, the
Chicago School is defeated by the invasion of the
historicism of Beaux-Arts architecture from the
World’s Fair.
• Sullivan and Root are among the most incisive
thinkers on architecture in America at the end of
19th century.
• Their impacts were short-lived and confined to the
Mid-West where the rest of the country were
dominated by the European historicism styles.
Conclusion
• Organic View of Architecture
• The principles and styles developed from
National Romantic to Pragmatic-Structural
Functionalism
• Reductionist view became apparent
• From Jefferson, Greenough to Sullivan, the
meanings of form and function were more
complex and probably more abstract (Form is
also essence or being; and function includes
psychological and social needs)
Conclusion
• After Sullivan, definitions of form and function
became narrow.
– Form  physical mass;
– function  the use and specific purpose.
• Technological view became dominant
• Functionalism became skeleton and skin holding
activity