Paradigm shift in architecture: Modern Architecture styles-3

Paradigm shift in architecture: Modern Architecture is the fifteenth article of a series of articles investigating the paradigm shift in architecture. In the previous fourteenth articles, I have discussed several different papers for academics, researchers, and professionals who have different perspectives on the paradigm shift in architecture.

This article is the continuity of my investigation of the reality of the paradigm shift, its effect on the work environment, and its real characteristics. Here I will start as indicated in my previous articles from ancient history to modern-day’s architecture. The organic and futurist modern architectural styles are the subject of my discussion here.

Organic architecture appeared in the USA in the 19^th century. The term organic architecture was coined by the American architect Wright¹. In a speech at the annual meetings of the Detroit society of architects, he was invited to describe what is organic architecture. The term was mentioned several times in these meetings between 1945-1957. Wright did not define what is organic architecture but was describing what it is by talking about socioeconomic and political aspects of life in the USA. I can define organic architecture as the style of architecture that considers nature and its creatures in terms of natural growth, form, and functional relationship, and their relationship to others is the base for simulation in the architectural design process. Organic architecture does not have many contributors rather than Wright but there is one proponent the Hungarian Imre Makovecz, one of his prominent architectural projects is the theatre in Mako see figure1.

Organic architecture has its roots as Wright declares in his speeches in Japanese domestic architecture, in the gothic cathedral architecture of the Middle Ages. The quality and sense of the internal spaces are beautiful and are part of the adjacent external spaces of gardens.

There are several reasons why organic architecture appeared. Wright in his writings about organic architecture is concerned about many new ideas but first shows his total rejection of modern architecture. He demands from specialists and people stop talking about modern architecture because it is the architecture of nothing. He describes western architecture as he says what we call classic architecture is merely a block of building material sculptured in some kind of style or fashion from the outside. The reality of a building does not consist of walls and roofs but in the space within to live in, the reality of the building is in the interior space. He asks in talking about classic architecture what do you have know? Form follows function? But more important is that form and function are one.

Wright talks about many ideas about his architecture and the future of architecture.  He talks about architectural independence, internal human movement, architectural integrity, architecture that is devoted to a purpose, architecture that is vital, and the entity in architecture that seeks the completeness in ideas in execution that is absolutely true in method, true to purpose, and true to character. A project that represents these words in bold is the Robie house designed by him in the USA See figure 2.

He in his work and writings because he is the only one adopting this style of architecture and one Hungarian architect seeks to liberate himself as others in roman architecture from following others, styles, methods, and building techniques. He presented in his speeches the “declaration of independence”. So, the independence of what?

The independence of all imposition of whatever source is not in touch with life. Independence of all classicism the old and the new and any devotion to classic. Independence of crucifixion of life by current commercialized or academic standards and more than that the rejection of all kinds of imposition upon life.

What makes organic architecture different than other styles of architecture or what are the characteristics of the organic style in architecture?

Collin² indicates that the major characteristic of the organic style is that its designs emerged naturally from the circumstances of their creation, the accommodation required, the character of the surrounding landscape, the climate of the region, the available materials, and others. The architecture of the human spirit. Organic architecture focused on the human dimension in architecture.

Upon assessing this style of architecture’s characteristics and other styles of architecture like international style, constructivism, and expressionism are no different in main characteristics. The international style celebrated the glory of having open space and its human characteristics in terms of functional value. Constructivism respected the value of surrounding space and its landscape to the building’s mass and design. All these styles were the opponents of all classical styles and their theories. These styles showed extreme rejection of ornament and fashion in the external face of buildings. Wright’s contradiction lies in his rejection of academic standards. As I have discussed in roman architecture Romans started the first steps to teach architecture in schools or academic arenas. In later stages, the French established the first art, Craft, and architecture academy to teach architecture. Classical architecture did not follow any rules and guidelines but rather the designer’s knowledge and expertise. After the establishment of architecture schools, architectural principals were aligned with the teaching curriculum like shapes and forms relationships, proportion, human circulation and movement, light and air importance in function and form, and the use of the material in construction.

So what are these standards that wright wanted to isolate from the architectural design process?

Organic architecture came to introduce the role of the human in creating architecture and the later relation to nature. It is not different in characteristics than other modern architectural styles. Here these characteristics of organic architecture do not represent a paradigm shift in architecture.

Futurism refers to the futurists’ architecture that appeared in Italy at the beginning of the 20^th century. Futurism had its roots in Italian poetry and art. The manifesto written by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in 1909 was the first manifesto of futurism. This movement attracted more than poets but painters, and musicians. Several Italians contributed to the development of this style and movement. The exhibition in Milan of the new tendencies in the participation of Antonio Sant Elia and Mario Chaittone. Sant Elian produced the first architectural manifesto of futurism under the influence of the Filippo manifesto of futurist architecture. In 1920 Marchi wrote another manifesto of architecture called the manifesto of dramatic futurist architecture.

One of the main contributors to this movement was the painter and sculptor Umberto Boccioni who described the movement’s aesthetics as; we synthesize every moment (time, place, form, color-tone) and thus paint the picture See figure 3.

The movement and the style appeared against the classical architecture and styles, the abolishment and removal and neglect of any ornament from the antique architecture, and against the old rules and architectural treaties.

Futurist architecture characteristics range from celebrating the advanced technology used in the construction of architecture to showing the use of this technology in external building forms like glass façade elevators. The expression of the machine in its energic, dynamic, and speed. The style introduced the architecture of dynamic and energic forms of various types of buildings like sports facilities and rail stations. One of the first architectural works was by Sant Elia in Milan see figure 4.

To stand on the style principles of Sant Elia he wrote a manifesto of futurist architecture composed of 13 points in 1913. It includes major characters like futurist architecture is transience and transience and each generation will build its own city, people must understand architecture as an effort to harmonize with freedom and with great audacity, architecture must find inspiration in the elements of the mechanical world created by us and architecture must be beautiful in its complete synthesis and integration, futurist architecture celebrates the powers of oblique and elliptical lines which are dynamic by nature and are more effective thousands of times than perpendicular and horizontal lines, this architecture remains as art that is synthesis and expression. Sant Elia continues to describe the new style and movement in his manifesto of futurist architecture.

The style developed in the period between 1960- 1970. Several architects participated in the newly developed style which was named Neo-futurism. These architects are from Finland, America, and Netherlands.

As I have discussed in the previous articles this movement and style share the main characteristics of rejecting classical antique architecture, antique ornament, and all rules and old architecture treaties. Here in analyzing the style and movement principles and characteristics, they did not present any fundamental change to the architectural design, or the way architecture should be done.

References

1. Wright, F.L. and Meehan, P.J. (1987) Truth against the World: Frank Lloyd Wright speaks for an organic architecture. New York u.a.: Wiley.
2. Davies, C. (2017) A new history of modern architecture. London: Laurence King.
3. Wright, F.L. (1981) The Future of Architecture. New York: New American Library.
4. Manifesto dell’Architettura futurista – Antonio Sant’Elia, Milan, 11 July 1914