The key tenets of critical regionalism do they apply to the work of peter zumthor? by Will Brouwer

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

The$key$tenets$of$Critical$Regionalism:$Do$they$apply$to$the$work$of$Peter$ Zumthor?$ It! is! widely! recognised! that! the! term! ‘Critical! Regionalism’! was! first! coined! by! Alexander!Tzonis!and!Liane!Lefevre!in!their!1981!work!entitled!The$Grid$and$the$ Pathway.i$ It! is! also! associated! with! Kenneth! Frampton,! who! used! the! term! in!! Critical$ Regionalism:$ Six$ Points$ for$ an$ Architecture$ of$ Resistance.ii! ! Critical! Regionalism!is!regarded!as!an!approach!to!architecture,!rather!than!a!movement! or! coherent! style! within! architecture.! ! When! it! first! arose,! it! expressed! a! dissatisfaction! of! tendencies! within! both! modernist! and! postJmodernist! movements! architecture.! This! paper! will! present! some! of! the! key! tenets! of! Critical!Regionalism!as!put!forward!by!Tzonis!and!Levaifre!and!Frampton.!It!will! then!proceed!to!investigate!the!work!of!the!Swiss!architect!Peter!Zumthor.!Based! on! evidence! of! selected! buildings,! it! will! argue! that! Zumthor’s! work! does! represent!a!thoughtful!application!of!a!Critical!Regionalist!approach.!! Critical!Regionalism!can!be!regarded!as!an!approach!to!architecture,!rather!than! representing! a! coherent! movement! or! style! within! architecture.! ! When! it! first! arose! in! the! early! 1980s,! Critical! Regionalism! expressed! a! dissatisfaction! of! tendencies!within!both!modernist!and!postJmodernist!movements!architecture.!! This!is!acknowledged!by!Lefaivre!and!Tzonis:! “...!critical! regionalism! has! emerged! as! one! of! those! alternatives! to! a! clearly!aging!modernism!and!postmodernism’s!younger!prematurely! ailing!sibling,!deconstruction.”iii! Critical!Regionalism!can!broadly!be!regarded!as!being!opposed!to!the!imposition! of!a!standardised!and!homogenous!architecture!across!the!globe.!It!was!felt!that! architecture!needed!to!be!more!sensitive!to!place!and!local!identity!and!culture.!! However,! Critical! Regionalism! does$ not! represent! a! complete! rejection! of! modernism! or! a! return! to! a! regional! vernacular! architecture! as! will! be! argued! below.! ! Critical! regionalism! is! not! about! being! either! for! the! global! or! for! the! local.!Rather!it!seeks!to!blend!positive!features!modern!(e.g.!knowledge!of!new! materials! and! technologies)! with! a! sense! of! place.! In! sum,! it! seeks! a! critical! architecture!that!can!be!regarded!as!contemporary!but!not!placeless.! For! Tzonis! and! Lefaivre,! the! central! problem! was! how! to! develop! a! contemporary! regional! architecture! in! light! of! dominant! global! forces! shaping! architecture.!For!them,!Critical!Regionalism!offers!a!way!forward.!It!is!presented! as!a!‘new!type’!of!regionalism.!! “We! would! like! to! argue! the! one! contemporary! trend! of! Regionalist! architecture! –! Critical! Regionalism! –! is! a! more! original! movement! which! has! come! about! as! a! response! to! new! problems! posed! by! contemporary!global!development!of!which!it!is!strongly!critical,!and! that!the!poetics!of!this!new!movement!are!to!a!great!extent!different! from!if!not!antithetical!to!other!architectural!regionalist!techniques!in! the! past.! In! fact! the! beginning! of! this! new! kind! of! regionalism! has! coincided! with! the! realization! of! the! obsolescence! of! traditional! perceptions! of! regions! as! static! closed! entities! corresponding! to!

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

similarly! invariant,! insular! groups! and! the! outworn! character! of! traditional!regionalist!architectural!modes!of!expression.”!iv! In! Architecture$ of$ Regionalism$ in$ the$ Age$ of$ Globalization,$ Lefaivre! and! Tzonis! argue!that!debates!on!regionalism!took!place!throughout!history.!An!interesting! example!of!such!debates!are!the!architectural!exhibitions!held!by!the!New!York! Museum!of!Modern!Art!(MoMA)!in!the!1930s!and!1940s.!These!exhibitions!were! surrounded!by!fierce!debates!between!advocates!of!‘International!Style’!(which! can! be! regarded! as! synonymous! with! modernism! in! the! US)! and! those! more! sympathetic!to!regionalism.!An!exhibition!curated!by!Philip!Johnson!and!HenryJ Russell! Hitchcock! in! 1932! and! entitled! ‘Modern$ Architecture:$ International$ Exhibition’!was!significant.!!It!introduced!the!International!Style!as!a!distinctive! architectural!movement.!!According!to!Lefaivre!and!Tzonis,!the!Great!Depression! and!World!War!Two!changed!the!mood!and!MoMA!gradually!became!a!bastion!of! regionalism.! MoMA! resumed! its! strong! support! for! modernism! once! Philip! Johnson!returned!as!director!after!the!war.v!! In!the!architectural!controversies!of!the!time,!Lefaivre!and!Tzonis!draw!attention! to!the!work!of!Lewis!Mumford.!Mumford!had!challenged!notions!of!a!nationalist! type! of! regionalism.! He! was! against! Nazi! taste! in! architecture! or! that! it! represented!a!German!homeland.!Lefaivre!and!Tzonis!argue!that:! “Mumford!tried!to!define!what!regionalism!meant!in!the!present!day.! He! warned! that! it! was! not! a! return! to! the! traditional! picturesque! or! Romantic! regionalism! in! search! of! the! ‘rough’,! the! ‘primitive’,! the! purely! local,! the! ‘aboriginal’,! ‘the! selfJcontained’.! Neither! was! it! in! conflict! with! the! ‘universal’.! ! He! argued! that! regionalist! architecture! has!to!overcome!the!‘deep!unbridgeable!gulf!between!peoples!of!the! earth’! which! Heimatsarchitektur! –! that! is! nationalist! regionalism! J! is! in!fact!deepening.”vi! ! Mumford! later! focused! on! developing! a! regionalist! position! as! a! critical! confrontation!to!‘an!International!Style’!that!he!claimed!had!lost!its!way.vii!There! are! parallels! between! Mumford’s! regionalism! and! the! Critical! Regionalism! of! Tzonis! and! Lefaivre.! First,! both! represent! a! critical! confrontation! against! modernism.! By! tracing! the! idea! of! ‘critical’! to! the! work! of! German! philosopher! Immanuel!Kant,!Tzonis!and!Lefaivre!provide!an!insight!into!their!own!approach.! For! them,! there! are! two! senses! to! the! word! ‘critical’.! To! be! critical! is! to! adopt! both! (a)! a! confrontational$ attitude$ and! (b)! question$ the$ legitimacy! of! particular! worldviews.! ! Accordingly,! they! argue! that! Critical! Regionalist! architecture! not! only!confronts!the!large!number!of!mainstream!architectural!projects!today,!but! also!“raise!questions!in!the!mind!of!the!viewer!about!the!legitimacy!of!the!very! regionalist!tradition!to!which!they!belong.”viii!! ! ! !

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

! !

! Figure$1$?$Alexander$Tzonis,$Liane$Lefaivre,$Lewis$Mumford$

! A!second!parallel,!is!that!both!Mumford!and!Tzonis!and!Lefaivre!are!advocates!of! a! more! outward$ looking! regionalism.! You! can! be! more! sensitive! to! place! and$ embraces! universal! human! values.! This! contrasts! to! a! more! inward! looking! regionalism! that! cultivates! separation! and! holds! on! to! some! nostalgic! vision! of! traditional!architecture.!!! Kenneth! Frampton! has! also! been! influential! for! the! development! of! a! Critical! Regionalism.! In! his! paper,! Towards$ a$ Critical$ Regionalism:$ Six$ Points$ for$ an$ Architecture$ of$ Resistance,$ Frampton! argues! that! a! dominant! ‘universal! civilisation’!has!eroded!the!ability!of!a!locally!inspired!culture!to!shape!the!urban! environment.! It! is! not! always! clear! what! exactly! is! understood! by! ‘universal! civilisation’!but!it!is!wider!than!just!a!critique!of!an!architectural!movement!like! modernism.! Frampton! favourably! quotes! the! French! philosopher! Paul! Ricoeur! who!does!identify!the!essence!of!Frampton’s!Critical!Regionalism:! ‘It! is! a! fact:! every! culture! cannot! sustain! and! absorb! the! shock! of! modern!civilization.!There!is!a!paradox:!how!to!become!modern!and! to!return!! to!sources,!how!to!revive!an!old,!dormant!civilization! and!take!part!in!universal!civilisation.’ix!! Frampton! is! disappointed! with! the! avantJgarde.! At! times! the! avantJgarde! has! supported!a!process!of!modernisation.!At!other!times!they!have!opposed!aspects! of! industrial! development.! Frampton! suggests! that! they! have! become! more! divided! and! “less! associated! with! a! critical! adversarial! culture.”x! For! Frampton,! the! avantJgarde! can! no! longer! be! relied! upon! to! support! a! progressive! project.! What! ‘progressive’! means! can! be! unclear.! It! suggests! a! project! aimed! at! improving! human! wellJbeing.! For! Frampton,! the! avantJgarde! was! been! taken! over!by!instrumental!reason.!The!idea!of!‘instrumental!reason’!has!deeper!roots! in!philosophy.!It!can!be!understood!as!a!way!of!thinking!that!always!searches!for! the! most! efficient! way! of! securing! certain! ends.! For! example,! a! property! developer! may! bulldoze! a! site! and! destroy! a! forest! to! make! profits.! But! the! individual!benefit!to!the!property!developer!may!result!in!wider!social!costs.!If! deforestation! causes! climate! change,! then! humanity! is! worse! off.! The! Age! of!

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

Enlightenment! had! been! associated! with! reason! and! progress! J! things! would! somehow!always!‘get!better’.!!Frampton!questions!this!worldview.!! Instead,!Frampton!puts!forward!a!case!for!adopting!an!alternative!position!that! favours! ‘Critical! Regionalism’.! Frampton’s! Critical! Regionalism! challenges! both! universal!civilisation!and!different!world!cultures.!!As!Frampton!writes:!! “Architecture!can!only!be!sustained!today! as! a! critical! practice! if! it! assumes! an! arrièreIgarde! position,! that! is! to! say,! one! which! distances! itself! equally! from! the! Enlightenment! myth! of! progress! and! from!a!reactionary,!unrealistic!impulse!to! return! to! architectonic! forms! of! the! preJ industrial!past.”xi!! Figure$2$?$Kenneth$Frampton$

!! !

In! this! sense,! Critical! Regionalism! can! be! seen! as! providing! an! architecture$ of$ resistance.!Frampton!suggests!that!local!communities!are!able!to!provide!a!critical! resistance! to! largeJscale! urban! sprawl.! He! stresses! the! importance! of! place! –! of! living! and! being! in! a! soJcalled! ‘bounded! domain’.! Place! should! shape! how! we! experience!architecture.xii!! An! architecture! informed! by! place! is! more! likely! to! be! sensitive! to! topography! and! light! according! to! Frampton.! ! Instead! of! a! bulldozer! levelling! a! site,! irrespective!of!the!physical!and!natural!contours!of!the!land,!a!critical!and!locally! informed! approach! to! architecture! seeks! to! ensure! that! the! building! is! woven! into! the! site’s! topography.! ! This! is! also! true! of! light,! where! local! knowledge! of! sunlight!may!influence!the!positioning!of!windows!to!maximise!or!shade!natural! light,!rather!than!conform!to!the!dominance!of!a!universal!standard!design!and! tendencies!to!use!artificial!lighting!and!air!conditioning.!! In! a! reference! to! the! philosopher! Walter! Benjamin! (1892J1940),! Frampton! warns!of!a!‘loss!of!aura’!arising!from!the!“relatively!static!application!of!universal! technology.”xiii! Equally,! Frampton! cautions! against! a! kind! of! nostalgic! regionalism!that!merely!seeks!to!copy!traditional!buildings!from!idealised!vision! of!a!distant!past.!! Awareness!of!local!light!and!topographic!conditions!integrates!the!regional!in!an! unsentimental$ way.! Despite! this! importance! of! light! and! topography,! Frampton! makes!clear!that!“....!the!primary!principle!of!architectural!autonomy!resides!in! the!tectonic!as!opposed!to!the!scenographic!...”xiv!This!is!a!wider!understanding!of! the!tectonic!–!one!that!is!not!just!concerned!with!materials!used!in!construction! or! engineering,! but! a! tectonic! that! blends! craft! and! materials! in! a! way! that! not! only!addresses!the!function!of!a!building,!but!also!aims!to!raise!construction!to! an!art!form.!!In!this!sense,!Frampton!argues!that!a!critical!regionalist!approach! can!be!interpreted!as!the!“presentation!of!a!structural!poetic!rather!than!the!reJ presentation!of!a!façade.”xv!

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

A! critical! regionalist! approach! to! architecture! does! not! only! appeal! to! the! eyes! and!the!visual,!but!also!to!the!tactile!and!other!senses.!This!appears!to!support! Pallasma’s!more!phenomenological!approach!in!his!Eyes$of$the$Skin:$Architecture$ and$ the$ Senses.$ For! Frampton,! it! is! necessary! to! counterJbalance! the! priority! given! to! the! visual! in! universal! civilisation.! By! actively! engaging! all! the! senses,! including! sound,! smell! and! touch,! it! requires! being$ in$ the$ place! to! experience! architecture.!A!Critical!Regionalist!approach!provides!for!an!architecture!of!the! senses!that!reasserts!place!in!its!resistance!to!global!uniformity.!!In!other!words,! “The!tactile!and!the!tectonic!jointly!have!the!capacity!to!transcend!the! mere!appearance!of!the!technical!in!much!the!same!way!as!the!placeJ form!has!the!potential!to!withstand!the!relentless!onslaught!of!global! modernization.”xvi!! Several!architects!are!often!thought!of!as!Critical!Regionalist!perspectives.!!These! include!Alvar!Aalto!(Finland),!Jorn!Utzon!(Denmark),!Tadao!Ando!(Japan),!Enric! Miralles!(Spain),!Alvaro!Siza!(Portugal)!amongst!others.!Kenneth!Frampton!has! pointed! to! the! role! ! of! ! light! and! the! tactile! in! Tadao! Ando’s! work.xvii! ! Enric! Miralles’! renovation! of! the! Santa! Caterina! Market! in! Barcelona! appears! to! acknowledge! the! work! of! the! distinctive! Catalan! architect! Antoni! Gaudí! (1852J 1926)!yet!add!a!contemporary!twist!in!its!use!of!materials!that!contrasts!with!the! more!traditional!façade!of!the!market.!This!does!not!necessarily!mean!individual! architects! themselves! are! entirely! comfortable! with! being! labelled! as! being! ‘Critical!Regionalist’.xviii! !

! Figure$ 3$ ?$ Gaudi's$ school$ roof$ next$ to$ the$ Sagrada$ Familia$ and$ Miralles'$ Renovation$ of$ the$ Santa$ Caterina$Market,$both$in$Barcelona.$

! ! ! ! ! !

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

The! work! of! the! Swiss! architect,! Peter! Zumthor,! does! appear,! however,! to! be! sympathetic! to! a! Critical! Regionalist! perspective.! ! ! Born! in! 1943,! Zumthor! was! awarded!the!Pritzker!Architecture!Prize!in! 2009! and! the! RIBA! Gold! Medal! award! in! 2013.xix!!As!RIBA!observed!in!awarding!the! prize!to!Zumthor,! “He! is! exceptionally! talented! at! creating! highly! atmospheric! spaces! through! his! mastery! of! light! and! choice! of! materials.!Zumthor's!buildings,! such! as! his! small! rural! chapels! and! the! Thermal! Baths! at! Vals,! are! an! experience! for! all! the! senses,! with! every! detail! reinforcing! the! essence! of! the! building! and! its! xx surroundings.” ! Figure$4$?$Peter$Zumthor$ ! RIBA’s! reference! to! the! tectonic! and! the! senses!hints!at!a!similarities!between!Zumthor!and!Frampton’s!understanding!of! Critical!Regionalism.!!This!is!also!in!evidence!in!two!of!Zumthor’s!buildings,!both! chapels.!! The!Brother$Klaus$Field$Chapel$(Germany!2007)!demonstrates!the!thoughtful!use! of!contrasting!materials!J!concrete,!metal!and!wood!and!the!interplay!of!light!and! darkness! that! combine! to! make! it! a! genuine! ‘architecture! of! the! senses’.!! Concrete! was! layered! over! vertical! tree! trunks.! Once! enclosed! in! concrete! exterior!wall,!these!were!then!burned!to!leave!a!ribbed,!darkened!and!scorched! interior.! The! use! of! materials! are! certainly! important! to! Zumthor.! Their! tactile! qualities!goes!beyond!the!visual.!We!can!admire!the!chapel!from!a!distance!but!it! is!only!being!in!there!–!in!the!place$I$that!we!are!able!to!genuinely!experience!his! architecture.!!Similar!to!what!Frampton!suggests,!it!counterJbalances!the!priority! given!to!the!visual!in!universal!civilisation.!!Zumthor!described!his!own!feelings! regarding!the!chapel:! “It!is!a!very!existential!space.!It!talks!about!the!wind!and!the!rain!and! the!snow!and!the!weather!and!the!stone!and!darkness!and!light,!and! charcoal! and! there! is! a! fire! ...! you! still! can! smell! it.! So! that’s! very! elemental!I!guess.”xxi! ! ! !

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

The!building!is!evidence!of!Zumthor’s!own!sense!of!crossing!thresholds!between! the!exterior!and!the!interior.!It!connects!place!to!the!universal.!What!he!writes! Atmospheres$could!apply!to!his!design!for!this!chapel:!! “...something! very! special! that! fascinates! me! by! architecture.! <Tension$ between$ Interior$ and$ Exterior>.$ $ ...! The! way! that! architecture! takes! a! bit! of! the! globe! and! constructs! a! tiny! box! of! it.! And!suddenly!there’s!an!interior!and!an!exterior.!One!can!be!inside!or! outside.! Brilliant!! And! that! means! –! equally! brilliant!! –! this:! thresholds,! crossings,! the! tiny! loopJhole! door,! the! almost! imperceptible! transition! between! the! inside! and! the! outside,! an! incredible! sense! of! place,! an! unbelievable! feeling! of! concentration! when! we! suddenly! become! aware! of! being! enclosed,! of! something! enveloping!us,!keeping!us!together,!holding!us!–!whether!we!be!many! or!single.”xxii! Ths! chapel! certainly! does! not! conform! to! some!global!uniformity.!Nor!does!it!indulge! in! some! romantic! image! of! what! should! be! local! architecture.! Its! concrete! speaks! of! modernism.! The! chapel! stands! alone! in! a! field.! At! first! impression,! the! high! exterior! walls!do!not!appear!to!fit!the!topography!of! the! flat! surrounding! fields.! However,! the! internal! charred! wood! recalls! the! surrounding! woodland.! Light! is! funnelled! through! the! ceiling! and! forces! us! to! look! upwards.! Is! light! being! allowed! in! or! darkness! allowed! to! escape?! ! Light! and! darkness! speak! to! its! location.! Zumthor! plays! with! the! natural! light! of! the! big! skies! of! the! flat! horizon! outside.! He! creates! an! intimate! space! for! a! universal! human! activity! J! contemplation.! In! Thinking$ Architecture,! Zumthor’s! speaks! of! the! fusion! between! architecture! and! landscape:!“Material!and!construction!have!to!relate!to!the!place,!and!sometime! even! come! from! it.! Otherwise! I! have! the! feeling! that! the! landscape! does! not! accept!the!new!building.”xxiii! Figure$5$?$Brother$Klaus$Field$Chapel,$ Germany.$

!!! ! ! ! ! ! Figure$6$–$Interior$of$Brother$Klaus$Field$Chapel$$

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

! Figure$7$?$Cross$Section$of$Brother$Klaus$Field$Chapel$

The! sculptural! quality! of! the! Brother! Klaus! Field! Chapel! creates! both! a! tension! and! harmony! between! the! building! and! its! landscape! and! reflects! an! architect! who! avoids! the! uniform.! Like! Critical! Regionalism,! it! also! forces! us! to! examine! notions!of!what!may!be!considered!to!be!a!typical!regional!architecture!for!that! location.! In! designing! the! unexpected,! he! has! succeeded! in! creating! a! genuine! contemporary!architecture.! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Figure$8$?$St.$Benedict$$Chapel,$Switzerland$

Materials,! light! and! landscape! are! also! interwoven! in! Zumthorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s! St.! Benedict! Chapel! (Switzerland! 1988).! It! did! not! replicate! the! Baroque! style! of! a! former! chapel! that! had! been! destroyed! in! an! avalanche.! It! does! St.! Benedict! Chapel! acknowledge! local! alpine! architecture.! Yet! the! cylinderJshaped! design! is! !

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

innovative! and! does! not! replicate! the! traditional.! ! The! chapel’s! roof! is! cleverly! raised! from! its! walls! to! allow! for! local! natural! light.! Wood! is! extensively! used.! The!exterior!is!clad!in!wood!shingle.!The!simplicity!of!the!interior!of!the!wooden! columns,!ceiling!and!benches!reflect!quality!craftsmanship.!Zumthor!values!craft.! This! is! not! a! nostalgic! return! to! assumed! lost! skills! of! preJindustrial! builders.! Rather!it!is!a!celebration!of!skill!and!quality!through!time!in!construction!even!if! this!requires!the!use!of!modern!techniques.!! “I! feel! respect! for! the! art! of! joining,! the! ability! of! craftsmen! and! engineers.!I!am!impressed!by!the!knowledge!of!how!to!make!things,! which!lies!at!the!bottom!of!human!skill.!I!try!to!design!buildings!that! are!worthy!of!this!knowledge!and!merit!the!challenge!to!this!skill.”xxiv! Zumthor’s! respect! for! universal$ human! skill,! craft! and! quality! construction! is! combined! with! sensitivity! to! place.! The! St.! Benedict! Chapel! touches! upon! local! building!traditions!in!an!unsentimental!way,!is!infused!with!natural!light!and!is! in! harmony! with! the! landscape.! As! such,! it! is! a! worthy! example! of! Critical! Regionalist!aspirations.!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

! Figure$9$?$St.$Benedict$Chapel$–$Entrance$details.$The$Chapel$is$embedded$in$the$region’s$topography.$

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

!!!!!

!!!!!!!!! ! !

! ! Figure$10$â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$St.$Benedict$Chapel.$Quality$craftsmanship$has$created$a$simple$wooden$interior$that$ glows$with$natural$light$from$above.$

! !

10!

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Figure$11$?$Therme$Vals.$$Local$grey$stone$resembles$the$mountain$cliffs$of$its$surroundings.$

Figure$12$?$Therme$Vals.$Green$roof$blends$into$the$valley.$$

Another! of! Zumthor’s! buildings! are! the! Thermal! Baths! in! Vals! (Switzerland! 1996).! It! is! built! of! locally!quarried!stone!that!mimic! the! cliffs! of! the! imposing! Alps! that! soar! in! the! background.! From! above,! the! grass! roof! blends! the! site! into! the! green! valley.!On!the!inside,!bathers!are! invited! to! explore! narrow! riverJ like! channels! of! transparent,! steaming!water!enclosed!by!grey! vertical! stone! walls.! ! Zumthor! speaks! of! meandering! through! the!space.!!

“The!meander,!as!we!call!it,!is!a!designed!negative!space!between!the! blocks,! a! space! that! connects! everything! as! it! flows! throughout! the! entire! building,! creating! a! peacefully! pulsating! rhythm.! Moving! around!this!space!means!making!discoveries.!You!are!walking!as!if!in! the!woods.’!Everyone!there!is!looking!for!a!path!of!their!own.”xxv!! Darkness!is!softened!by!natural!light!that!enters!through!slender!windows.!The! inside! is! seamlessly! connected! with! the! outside,! as! internal! water! links! to! an! external! courtyard! pool.! Intimate! internal! space! gives! way! to! a! sky! held! up! by! mountains.!Water!and!stone,!warm!and!cold,!inside!and!outside!–!all!provide!for! a! full! sensory! experience.! Zumthor! observed! that! the! “..! spa! is! no! fun! fair...! but! focuses!on!the!quiet,!primary!experience!of!bathing,!cleansing,!relaxing...”xxvi!!

11!

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

Therme! Vals! were! not! immune! to! universalising! commercial! interests.! Maybe! this! is! the! biggest! problem! with! Critical! Regionalism! today.! Presented! as! a! confrontation! with! modernism! and! postJmodernism,! both! Tzonis! and! Lefaivre! and! Frampton! played! less! attention! to! power! of! global! finance.! Therme! Vals! provides!an!example!of!this.!!When!the!local!commune!could!no!longer!afford!the! upkeep,!they!decided!to!sell.!!Zumthor!lost!his!battle!to!purchase!the!complex!to! a! wealthy! property! developer.xxvii! ! This! is! an! ironic! twist.! Elsewhere,! Zumthor! indicated!what!would!be!his!ideal!client.!! “If! somebody! wants! a! wellJmade! building! customJdesigned! to! its! purpose!and!to!its!site,!that’s!my!client.!If!somebody!wants!a!Zumthor! building!that!is!not!my!client,!because!I!am!not!a!brand.”! The! irony! is! that,! a! wealthy! owner! can! now! exploit! a! ‘Zumthor! building’! as! a! brand! to! serve! commercial! interests! of! the! Therme! Vals! complex.! ! Critical! Regionalism’s!hope!was!for!architecture!sensitive!to!place!yet!contemporary.!!Yet! its! opposition! to! universalising! tendencies! of! a! homogenised$ architecture! may! need!rethinking.!Demand!for!nonIstandardised$buildings!might!simply!reflect!the! universal! power! of! money.! If! a! contemporary! regional! architecture! was! solely! driven!by!commercial!interests!and!the!use!of!star!architects!to!develop!a!brand,! then!that!would!distort!the!call!for!an!‘architecture!of!resistance’!that!Frampton! had!suggested.!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Frampton!referred!to!a!paradox!J!how!to!become!modern!and!return!to!sources.!!

Figure$13$?$Therme$Vals,.$Inside$pools$allow$bathers$to$‘meander’.$$Internal$spaces$connect$seamlessly$with$the$exterior.$

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Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

Zumthor’s! holistic! work! provides! a! step! toward! resolving! this! paradox.! He! designs! with! quality! and! beauty! in! mind! and! his! buildings! aim! to! move! and! connect! people! together.xxviii! The! use! of! natural! light,! materials! and! landscape! also!combine!to!give!phenomenological!aspects!to!Zumthor’s!work,!which!is!not! inconsistent! with! Critical! Regionalism’s! rejection! of! placelessness.! ! Zumthor! anchors! his! buildings! to! a! region.! They! challenge! us! to! confront! ideas! of! local! identity! and! culture.! It! is! an! architecture! that! resists! global! homogenisation.! Nevertheless,! critical! confrontation! with! universal! civilisation! remains! in! flux.! The! nature! of! what! is! being! resisted! also! evolves.! We! may! need! to! question! if! globalisation! really! does! produce! a! uniform! and! placeless! outcome! in! architecture.xxix! Construction! and! materials,! both! old! and! new,! also! need! to! respond! to! new! challenges.! The! need! to! design,! build! and! live! in! a! more! ecologically!sustainable!way!is!one!such!challenge.! !

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Endnotes$ ! i!!The!full!title!is!The$Grid$and$the$Pathway:$An$Introduction$to$the$work$of$Dimitris$ and$Suzana$Antonakakis.$See:!Tzonis,!A.!and!Lefaivre,!L.!(1990)!‘Why!Critical! Regionalism!Today?”.!In!Nesbitt,!K.!ed.!(1996)!Theorizing$a$New$Agenda$for$ Architecture:$An$Anthology$of$Architectural$Theory,$1965I1995.$New!York:! Princeton!Architectural!Press,!p.!484.!! ! ii!Frampton,!K.!(1990)!‘Towards!a!Critical!Regionalism:!Six!Points!for!an! Architecture!of!Resistance”!in!Foster,!H.!ed.!The$AntiIAesthetic:$Essays$in$ Postmodern$Culture,!New!York:!The!New!Press,!pp.!17J34.! ! iii!Tzonis,!A.!and!Lefaivre,!L.!(1990)!‘Why!Critical!Regionalism!Today?”.!In!Nesbitt,! K.!ed.!(1996)!Theorizing$a$New$Agenda$for$Architecture:$An$Anthology$of$ Architectural$Theory,$1965I1995.$New!York:!Princeton!Architectural!Press,!p.! 484.!! ! iv!!Ibid,!p.!485.! ! v!!Lefaivre,!L.!and!Tzonis,!A.!(2012)!Architecture$of$Regionalism$in$the$Age$of$ Globalization:$Peaks$and$Valleys$in$the$Flat$World,!London:!Routledge,!pp.!112J 128.! ! vi!Ibid,!p.!117.! ! vii!Tzonis!and!Lefaivre!(1990),!op.!cit.,!p.!486.! ! viii!Tzonis!and!Lefaivre!(1990),!op.!cit.,!p.!488.! ! ix!!Paul!Ricoeur!cited!in!Frampton!(1990)!op.!cit.,!p.!18.! ! x!Frampton!(1990),!p.!21.! ! !

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Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xi!Ibid,!p.!22.! xii!Ibid,!pp.!27J28.! xiii!Ibid,!pp.!29J30.! xiv!Ibid,!p.!30.! xv!Ibid,!p.!31.! xvi!Ibid,!p.!33.! ! xvii!!Frampton,!K.!(1995)!Pritzker!Architecture!Prize!Essay:!Thoughts!on!Tadao! Ando.!Available!at:!http://www.pritzkerprize.com/1995/essay.!Last!accessed:! 11!January.! ! xviii!Alvaro!Siza:!Architect!Biography.!Available!at:! http://architect.architecture.sk/alvaroJsizaJarchitect/alvaroJsizaJarchitect.php.! Last!accessed!11!January!2014.! ! xix!For!Zumthor’s!Priztker!Prize!see:! http://www.dezeen.com/2009/04/13/peterJzumthorJwinsJpritzkerJprize/.!For! his!award!of!the!RIBA!Gold!Medal!see:! http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RoyalGoldMedal/RoyalGoldMedal2013.a spx#.UsmGCXn8FBU! ! xx!RIBA,!Royal!Gold!Medal!2013.!Available!at:! http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RoyalGoldMedal/RoyalGoldMedal2013.a spx#.UsmGCXn8FBU.!Last!accessed:!11!January!2014.! ! xxi!BBC,!Exploring!Peter!Zumthor’s!‘holistic!approach’!to!design.!Available!at:!! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worldJradioJandJtvJ21894859.!Last!accessed:!11! January!2014.! ! xxii!Zumthor,!P.!(2006)!Atmospheres.!Basel:!Birkhäuser,!pp.!45J47.! ! xxiii!Zumthor,!P.!(2010)!Thinking$Architecture,$3rd$expanded$edition.!Basel:! Birkhäuser,!p.!99.! ! xxiv!Ibid,!p.!11.! ! xxv!See:!Archdaily,!The!Terme!Vals,!Peter!Zumthor,!Available!at:! http://www.archdaily.com/13358/theJthermeJvals/.!Last!accessed:!11!January! 2014.! ! xxvi!See:!Time!Magazine,!Peter!Zumthor,!Available!at:! http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1890768_1867636,00.htm l.!Date!last!accessed:!11!January!2014.! ! xxvii!See:!Architect!Discussion!Forum,!‘Architect!loses!bid!to!buy!out!therme!baths! at!Vals.!Available!at:!!http://archinect.com/forum/thread/41088601/zumthorJ losesJbidJtoJbuyJoutJthermeJbathsJatJvals.!Last!accessed:!11!January!2014.! !

14!

Will Brouwer

Student ID 4161337

K13AH3

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xxviii!Zumthor!(2010),!Thinking$Architecture,$op.!cit.!p.!75.! ! xxix!See:!Ibelings,!H.!(1998)!Supermodernism:$Architecture$in$the$Age$of$ Globalization,!Rotterdam:!NAi!Publishers.! ! Bibliography$ $ BBC,!Exploring!Peter!Zumthor’s!‘holistic!approach’!to!design.!Available!at:!! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worldJradioJandJtvJ21894859.!Last!accessed:!11! Janauary!2014$ ! Frampton,!K.!(1990)!‘Towards!a!Critical!Regionalism:!Six!Points!for!an! Architecture!of!Resistance”!in!Foster,!H.!ed.!The$AntiIAesthetic:$Essays$in$ Postmodern$Culture,!New!York:!The!New!Press.! ! Frampton,!K.!(1995)!Pritzker!Architecture!Prize!Essay:!Thoughts!on!Tadao!Ando.! Available!at:!http://www.pritzkerprize.com/1995/essay.!Last!accessed:!11! January.! ! Ibelings,!H.!(1998)!Supermodernism:$Architecture$in$the$Age$of$Globalization,! Rotterdam:!NAi!Publishers.! ! Lefaivre,!L.!and!Tzonis,!A.!(2012)!Architecture$of$Regionalism$in$the$Age$of$ Globalization:$Peaks$and$Valleys$in$the$Flat$World,!London:!Routledge.!! ! Pallasmaa,!J.!(2012)!The$Eyes$of$the$Skin:$Architecture$and$the$Senses,!3rd!ed.,! Chichester:!John!Wiley.! ! RIBA,!Royal!Gold!Medal!2013.!Available!at:! http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RoyalGoldMedal/RoyalGoldMedal2013.a spx#.UsmGCXn8FBU.!Last!accessed:!11!January!2014.! ! Tzonis,!A.!and!Lefaivre,!L.!(1990)!‘Why!Critical!Regionalism!Today?”.!In!Nesbitt,! K.!ed.!(1996)!Theorizing$a$New$Agenda$for$Architecture:$An$Anthology$of$ Architectural$Theory,$1965I1995.$New!York:!Princeton!Architectural!Press.! ! Zumthor,!P.!(2006)!Atmospheres.!Basel:!Birkhäuser.! ! Zumthor,!P.!(2010)!Thinking$Architecture,$3rd$expanded$edition.!Basel:! Birkhäuser.! ! !

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