History of Modern Architecture Digital Booklet

History of

MODERN architecture

Jacob Doherty Student Number: 17101346 BA (Hons) Achitecture ARC4010 History of Modern Architecture

CONTENTS: 2 3-4 5-6 7-9 10 11 12 13-15 16 17

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Modernism poster Pre-Raphelites Bauhaus Le Corbusier - Unite d’habitation Avante Garde - Brexit manifesto & art piece Healthy Body Culture poster Reference worksheet Essay worksheets Essay poster Bibliography

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TASK 2

PRE-RAPHELITES

I visited the Pre-Raphelite collection at Birmingham City Art gallery and took the surrounding photographs of works that interested me. Above is two sketches I made at the gallery, one of ‘The Boer War’ (1900-1) by John Byram and ‘Study of Three Sword Hilts’ (18789) by John Everett Millais. This visit gave me a good insight into the real detail the artists of the Pre-Raphelite movement go into to achieve such realistic and impactful pieces of art.

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St Chad’s Cathedral

St Philip’s Cathedral I also visited both St Chad’s Cathedral and St Philip’s Cathedral where I admired the stain glass windows. In particular, the St Philip’s Cathedral features stained glass windows by Edward Burne-Jones who was an artist part of the Pre-Raphelite Movement.

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TASK 3

BAUHAUS Barcelona Chair This piece of furniture was designed

by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 originally designed for the German pavilion for the entry for the International Exposition of 1929, which was hosted in Barcelona. Its design is simple, modern and comfortable and is a timeless piece that would fit in any interior space. It manifests the Bauhaus ethos as it was designed using a seamless piece of stainless steel giving it a more natural appearance, and it also uses leather – another important material used in Bauhaus furniture design.

Above: ‘Barcelona Chair’ (1929)

Left & above: Kandinsky’s other works

Compostion VIII

Above: ‘Compostion VIII’ (1923)

This piece of art is called Composition VIII made by Wassily Kandinsky, a prominent member of the Bauhaus, created in 1923. I like it because it is a thought provoking piece, which to me looks like it compromises of randomly places shapes and lines. As a result, every time you look at it you notice a new aspect you may have not seen before, which makes viewing this piece (and many other works by Kandinsky) an artistic adventure. It manifests the Bauhaus ethos as it studies geometry, colour and form.

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Gropius House

This is the Gropius House in Lincoln, Massachusetts, USA designed by the first Bauhaus director Walter Gropius built in 1928 for Gropius’ family whilst he teaches at Harvard University. I personally like it because of its simple yet obscure design, characterised for me by the angled roof over the front door entrance. Furthermore, from the fact this balcony is at an angle in comparison to the rest of the house draws links to the angling of text in Bauhaus posters and text works. In keeping with Bauhaus ethos, every aspect of the house was planned for maximum efficiency and simplicity, and was designed using simple geometric shapes and clean lines.

The ‘S House’, Israel is a contemporary example of Bauhaus that manifests the same core values. It is spacious and clearly features geometric shapes in its overall design. Moreover, even the furniture comprimises bauhaus values, as they feature bare metal frames, and many other parts of the house are well-designed and efficient, which was important to the Bauhaus School.

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TASK 4

LE CORBUSIER

Unité D’Habitation

By Le Corbusier Marseille, France

Orthographic drawings

Site plan

Apartment section & general floor plan

Section plan

Interior

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Exterior

Elevations

History of the building • Located in Marseille, France • Client : The state • Construction finished in 1952 • The idea of the design was that it must be low-cost and quick to build, which was hard considering the work of Le Corbusier • As the state was his client, the possibilities for the design were endless as long as he met price requirements • Le Corbusier’s inspiration behind the design was from his visit to the ‘Chartreuse of Ema’ in Tuscany in 1907 • The Unité d’ habitation was built due to a high demand for housing after world war II – it contains 337 apartments arranged over 12 floors • The design was built as a resident housing for families who didn’t have shelter after there were bombings in France.

Building function and spatial layout • The main function of this building is to house a large number of people (roughly 1600 residents) because after World War 2 the need for housing was at an unprecedented high.

• This was the first of a new housing project series for Le Corbusier that focused on communal living for all the inhabitants to shop, play, live and come together in what he described as a “vertical garden city”.

• Communal aspects do not occur within the building; rather they are placed on the roof where there is a garden terrace that has a racetrack, gym and a shallow pool.

Spatial Layout • One of the most important aspects of the building is the spatial organisation of the residential units. Unlike most housing projects that have a “double-stacked” corridor, Corbusier designed the units to span from each side of the building, as well as having a double height living space reducing the number of required corridors to one every three floors.

• By narrowing the units and allowing for a double height space, Corbusier was capable of efficiently placing more units (apartments) in the building.

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Materials and construction Unité d'Habitation is a seventeen-story apartment block which was constructed between 1947 and 1952.

Reinforced beton-brut concrete – a rough cast concrete, is what is used for the construction of Unité d'Habitation. The reason for this material being used is because post-war, this was the least costly material. The Unité d'Habitation represents an iconic time in history as it was built after the war. The concrete used could be interpreted as representing the state of life after the war, rough and worn.

The structure itself is built by using concrete reinforced pile foundations, allowing the building to start its formation with reinforced concrete stilts. By using pile foundations, a large ground level can then be built on top. In addition, the construction of the building shows that there is an access corridor at three levels. Furthermore, Corbusier mainly uses reinforced concrete and glass within the interior and exterior.

Link to Le Corbusier’s idea of new architecture Pilots and the roof garden are two of the five points regarding a new architecture used by Le Corbusier for the Unité d’ Habitation at Marseille a modernist residential housing design principle. As well as the way immediate post war building conditions and designs created using new technology.

Pilots Columns supporting the ground level to allow the building to connect with features such as gardens or parking space and allow space for creating areas of circulation.

The actual ground beneath the pilots which suspend the physical structure into space other than capturing the intimacy of the analogous area in the pavilion has the sole purpose of making an area for circulation. On the roof terrace there is also a hollow version of the pilots below which raises the architectural volume creating room for more circulation underneath.

The roof Terrace One major domain of the Unité d’ habitation is the roof terrace a new level of ground in the air. This idea of the garden being elevated to the structure and having it as a communal area for people to sit, relax, and enjoy their time as their children play.

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TASK 5

AVANT GARDE - BREXIT MANIFESTO

Background: Brexit is the term used to refer to the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union (EU).

On June 23, 2016, the UK decided to officially leave the EU, as a result of a national referendum where more than 30 million people voted. Moreover, the EU allows the countries and members within it to function as a whole as a single entity, allowing the free movement of people, goods, and money under a single market. Britain’s main reasons for leaving the EU were for economic reasons such as the fees of actually staying in the EU, and social reasons such as open-borders, which is frowned upon by those who voted to leave.

Manifesto: - To have a fair Brexit - on both Britain and countries in the EU - To Secure fair but beneficial trade-deals - Maintain good relations with the EU and members - Ensure the goverment’s intentions are clear to the public - To reinvest savings in the Country’s social infrastructure such as the NHS

My art-piece: For my art piece I chose to obtain a map of Europe so that I could seperate the UK from Europe.

To achieve this I used Photoshop to create a ripping effect, giving the impression that the UK has been ripped away from Europe, which is almost a metaphor for Britain leaving the EU via BREXIT.

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TASK 8

REFERENCE WORKSHEET

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TASK 8

ESSAY PLANNING

The question I have chosen to study is: Postmodernism is one of the more challenging and controversial movements in Architecture in contemporary history. Describe its key features and identify the factors within Modernism that led to its emergence. Identify at least one key building, which personifies Postmodernism’s key features, describe the context within which this building has been designed.

a) Write down in your own words what you think the assignment is asking you to do.

To define and research the Postmodernism Movement, give examples of famous buildings and to comment on whether or not theyre successful, and its key characteristics/features. The title is also asking me to . From this I will give a summary of Postmodernism and will give my opinion on whether I like its nature of design and if I think its successful. b) What do you already know about the subject matter of the essay?

I know that Postmodernism emerged as a result of the shortcomings of Modernism in the 60s, and key buildings include the Vanna Venturi House and the Sydney Opera House. c) What background information do you need to help you to complete this essay?

I need background information and history on the movement as a whole to help me build an understanding of Postmodernism. I also need to research people’s opinions of Postmodernism so that I can compare them and contrast both Modernism and Postmodernism. d) How do you think this essay differs from or is similar to other assignments that you are working on at the moment?

This assignment is based on the history of architecture, whereas my other assignments have been focused on environmental and design aspects of architecture, which means it requires more research in my opinion.

Learning about movements such as Postmodernism, which I have chosen to study, will help me in these other assignments and models as I will be more knowledgeable. e) How are you going to choose your reading material?

For my reading material I will try to use the books suggested in the briefs and reliable websiteswith plenty of valuable information on. I will also not my sources and reading material in the bibliography via Havard Referencing.

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ESSAY PLANNING Features that really defined the postmodernist movement consisted of vibrant colours, fragmentation, decorative elements, curved forms, asymmetry, humour and features often borrowed from earlier periods, such as the theme of ornament.

Brief background and history/influences

Meaning of ‘Postmodernism’

Key features of Postmodernism – what defines the movement

Postmodern architecture emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the supposed weaknesses of Modernism and modern architecture. Furthermore, it went against Modernism’s strict policies, its consistency, lack of ornament, and its lack of the building’s context in their surroundings.

INTRODUCTION

PARAGRAPH 1

Emergence from Modernism and how they contrast

PARAGRAPH 2

TITLE: Postmodernism is one of the more challenging and controversial movements in Architecture in contemporary history.

Describe its key features and identify the factors within Modernism that led to its emergence. Identify at least one key building, which personifies Postmodernism’s key features; describe the context within which this building has been designed.

PARAGRAPH 3

Key buildings of Postmodernism (example)

How these building personify Postmodernism and their context/background Examples: - Vanna Venturi House - Guggenhiem Museum Bilbao - AT&T Building

PARAGRAPH 4

CONCLUSION What I’ve learnt – summary

How Postmodernism influences architecture today

My opinion on Postmodernism – do I like it or not?

Do I like Postmodernism as a movement in architecture?

Explain my reasoning, my favourite/least favourite examples

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ESSAY PLANNING MAIN “RESPONSE” TO QUESTION, INTRODUCTORY IDEA AND FLAGGING UP TOPICS TO BE COVERED. My main response to the essay title will be analyising Postmodernism as a movement and whether or not it was successful. To do this is will look at key buildings from this movement, characterisitcs of Postmodern architecture and how the movement emerged from Modernism.

For the introduction I will define the meaning of Postmodernism and will give some brief background information.

TOPIC 1: INTRODUCE -PROOFDISCUSSION-POINT

TOPIC 2: INTRODUCE -PROOFDISCUSSION-POINT

TOPIC 3: INTRODUCE -PROOFDISCUSSION-POINT

Key features and characteristics of Postmodernism colours, ornament/ decorative features, curved forms, asymmetry etc. Give examples such as the Vanna Venturi House and AT&T Buillding, comment on whether they are successful or not.

Emergence from Modernism emerged in 1960s as a reaction against the weaknesses of modernism. Contrast the two movements, comment on why Modernism was criticised, which ultimately resulted with the Postmodernism Movement being born.

My opinion although I am a fan of certain Postmodernist architecture, I prefer the Modernism movement, which to me is more attractive thanks to clean and simple shapes, colours and lines.

RE-STATE MAIN ARGUEMENTS AND POINTS How Postmodernism influences architecture today, whether or not it was a successful movement and give examples previously studied. Why and where it was criticised and admired.

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TASK 9

ESSAY POSTER INTRODUCTION - To introduce my essay I will define and explain what Postmodernism is, as well as giving brief background information including influences.

CONTEXT - In my essay I will include social/economic/historical/cultural factors that were relevant and important around the time, as these could of been key influences.

MAIN BODY - The main body will be split into 3/4 paragraphs for the topics: Intro - how you will introduce it

- Key features and characteristics context - Social/economic/historical/cultural factors that were important

- Key buildings and examples around the time

- How Postmodernism emerged from the Modernist movement Main body: what i need to cover, how ill link each paragraph

- My opinion - do I like Postmodernism more than Modernism? Do I think it’s more what will be in my conclusion

successfull? illustrations - how do i label and reference them - To link the paragraphs I will try and make them slowly feed into eachother by gently whatll be included in my bibliography introducing ideas at the end of main body paragraphs.

CONCLUSION - My conclusion will include how Postmodernism is still relevant in today’s design world, wheter or not it was a successful movement, why it was criticised/admired and my overall opinion.

BIBLIOGRAPHY - My bibliography will include the sources of the illustrations I use and any useful books, journals and websites that were important to the process of creating my essay.

ILLUSTRATIONS - For my illustrations I will use photographs sourced from the Internet, and when applicable I will label and annotate them to show understanding and to link to my essay writing. I will also use some of my own illustrations/sketches.

Vanna Venturi House (1964)

by Robert Venturi

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (1997)

by Frank Gehry 550 Madison Avenue (1980)

by Philip Johnson

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Barcelona Chair, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1929). https://www.knoll.com/product/barcelona-chair Bauchair Armchair, by Seletti. https://www.madeindesign.co.uk/prod-bauchair-armchair-exclusivity-by-seletti-ref13000-seletti.html#description Black and Violet (1923) by Wassily Kandisky [Oil on Canvas]. http://www.wassilykandinsky.net/work-234. php Carol Highsmith, Vanna Venturi House [Photograph]. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/highsm/ item/2011631329/ Creative Commons CC0 (2017) Woman Doing Yoga [Photograph]. https://pxhere.com/en/photo/810239 David Shankbone, 13:28, 30 January 2011 (UTC) - David Shankbone [Photograph] Sony (AT&T) Building Granada Business Confederation (2007), [Photograph] by Fernando Alda & Javier Callejas Sevilla. https://www.archdaily.com/80955/granada-business-confederation-alejandro-munoz-miranda Gropius House by Walter Gropius (1928).

[Photograph 1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gropius_House

[Photograph 2] https://www.gardenvisit.com/gardens/gropius_house_and_garden

[Photograph 3] http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/gropius.html Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. by David Heald [Photograph]. https://www.guggenheim.org/about-us House in Monterrey, Mexico (2011) by Tadao Andao. https://amuse-i-d.vice.com/8-of-the-worlds-most-brilliant-modernist-houses/ Le Corbusier, La Ville Radieuse (1930) https://www.archdaily.com/411878/ad-classics-ville-radieuse-le-corbusier/51fadfbbe8e44ea2b0000010-ad-classics-ville-radieuse-le-corbusier-image Queensland modernism artwork [Digital Artwork]. http://ashleyhannahtucker.com/writing/hot-modernism/ ‘Shadows of the Sun’: a pedestrian walkway in Munich, Germany. Photo by Nathan Rupert / CC BYNC-ND. http://1508london.com/epistle/the-importance-of-light/ The Barcelona Pavillion, Ashley Pomeroy (2010) [Photograph]. https://www.cruisebe.com/sites/default/ files/portofcallobject/commons/4/42/The_Barcelona_Pavilion%2C_Barcelona%2C_2010.jpg The Guggenheim Museum Blibao, by Frank Gehry (1997). http://www.ebizbydesign.com/9846/ideas/ captivating-postmodernist-architecture-postmodern-architecture-modern-with-photo-of-postmodern/ The Red and Blue Chair is a chair (1917) by Gerrit Rietveld. https://arthistory.knoji.com/de-stijl-dutchmodernist-design-part-2/ The S House (2016) by Pitsou Kedem. [Photographs 1,2&3]. https://www.dezeen.com/2016/06/13/pitsou-kedem-s-house-concrete-box-glazed-living-area-herzliya-israel/ Wassily Kandinsky (1923), Composition VIII [Oil on canvas]. http://www.wassilykandinsky.net/work-50. php Wassily Kandinksy (1925), Yellow-Red-Blue [Oil on Canvas]. http://www.wassily-kandinsky.org/YellowRed-Blue.jsp Wilk, C. 2006, Modernism: designing a new world, 1914-1939, V&A, London. The Healthy Body Culture, Chapter 7.

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