Modernism

Modernism ⇨


Main article: Modern architecture

Around the beginning of the 20th century, a general dissatisfaction with the emphasis on revivalist architecture and elaborate decoration gave rise to many new lines of thought that served as precursors to Modern Architecture. Notable among these is the Deutscher Werkbund, formed in 1907 to produce better quality machine made objects. The rise of the profession of industrial design is usually placed here. Following this lead, the Bauhaus school, founded in Weimar, Germany in 1919, redefined the architectural bounds prior set throughout history, viewing the creation of a building as the ultimate synthesis—the apex—of art, craft, and technology.

When modern architecture was first practiced, it was an avant-garde movement with moral, philosophical, and aesthetic underpinnings. Immediately after World War I, pioneering modernist architects sought to develop a completely new style appropriate for a new post-war social and economic order, focused on meeting the needs of the middle and working classes. They rejected the architectural practice of the academic refinement of historical styles which served the rapidly declining aristocratic order. The approach of the Modernist architects was to reduce buildings to pure forms, removing historical references and ornament in favor of functionalist details. Buildings displayed their functional and structural elements, exposing steel beams and concrete surfaces instead of hiding them behind decorative forms. Architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright developed organic architecture, in which the form was defined by its environment and purpose, with an aim to promote harmony between human habitation and the natural world with prime examples being Robie House and Fallingwater.

Architects such as Mies van der Rohe, Philip Johnson and Marcel Breuer worked to create beauty based on the inherent qualities of building materials and modern construction techniques, trading traditional historic forms for simplified geometric forms, celebrating the new means and methods made possible by the Industrial Revolution, including steel-frame construction, which gave birth to high-rise superstructures. Fazlur Rahman Khan's development of the tube structure was a technological break-through in building ever higher. By mid-century, Modernism had morphed into the International Style, an aesthetic epitomized in many ways by the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Center designed by Minoru Yamasaki.

                                        The Bauhaus school building in Dessau, Germany.

                                        Guggenheim Museum, New York City, United States.

                                                        Cathedral of Brasília, Brazil.

                                                     Willis Tower, Chicago, United States.


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Early modern and the industrial age

Early modern and the industrial age

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With the emerging knowledge in scientific fields and the rise of new materials and technology, architecture and engineering began to separate, and the architect began to concentrate on aesthetics and the humanist aspects, often at the expense of technical aspects of building design.

There was also the rise of the "gentleman architect" who usually dealt with wealthy clients and concentrated predominantly on visual qualities derived usually from historical prototypes, typified by the many country houses of Great Britain that were created in the Neo Gothic or Scottish Baronial styles. Formal architectural training in the 19th century, for example at École des Beaux-Arts in France, gave much emphasis to the production of beautiful drawings and little to context and feasibility.

Meanwhile, the Industrial Revolution laid open the door for mass production and consumption. Aesthetics became a criterion for the middle class as ornamented products, once within the province of expensive craftsmanship, became cheaper under machine production.

Vernacular architecture became increasingly ornamental. House builders could use current architectural design in their work by combining features found in pattern books and architectural journals.

                                                      Palais Garnier, Paris, France.

                                            Pont Alexandre III Paris, France.

                                          Congeso Nacional Palace, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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Renaissance and the architect

Renaissance and the architect

Main article: Renaissance architecture

In Renaissance Europe, from about 1400 onwards, there was a revival of Classical learning accompanied by the development of Renaissance Humanism which placed greater emphasis on the role of the individual in society than had been the case during the Medieval period. Buildings were ascribed to specific architects – Brunelleschi, Alberti, Michelangelo, Palladio – and the cult of the individual had begun. There was still no dividing line between artist, architect and engineer, or any of the related vocations, and the appellation was often one of regional preference.

A revival of the Classical style in architecture was accompanied by a burgeoning of science and engineering which affected the proportions and structure of buildings. At this stage, it was still possible for an artist to design a bridge as the level of structural calculations involved was within the scope of the generalist.

                                                     St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy.

Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 14th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance architecture followed Gothic architecture and was succeeded by Baroque architecture. Developed first in Florence, with Filippo Brunelleschi as one of its innovators, the Renaissance style quickly spread to other Italian cities. The style was carried to France, Germany, England, Russia and other parts of Europe at different dates and with varying degrees of impact.

                                                         Palazzo Farnese, Rome, Italy.

Renaissance style places emphasis on symmetry, proportion, geometry and the regularity of parts, as they are demonstrated in the architecture of classical antiquity and in particular ancient Roman architecture, of which many examples remained. Orderly arrangements of columns, pilasters and lintels, as well as the use of semicircular arches, hemispherical domes, niches and aedicula replaced the more complex proportional systems and irregular profiles of medieval buildings.

                                            Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy.

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Middle Ages and Islamic architecture

Islamic architecture

Islamic architecture began in the 7th century CE, incorporating architectural forms from the ancient Middle East and Byzantium, but also developing features to suit the religious and social needs of the society. Examples can be found throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Spain and the Indian Sub-continent.

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem.

Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

Alhambra, Granada, Spain.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul.

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Middle Ages

In Europe during the Medieval period, guilds were formed by craftsmen to organise their trades and written contracts have survived, particularly in relation to ecclesiastical buildings. The role of architect was usually one with that of master mason, or Magister lathomorum as they are sometimes described in contemporary documents.

Notre Dame de Paris, France.

The major architectural undertakings were the buildings of abbeys and cathedrals. From about 900 CE onwards, the movements of both clerics and tradesmen carried architectural knowledge across Europe, resulting in the pan-European styles Romanesque and Gothic.

Notre Dame de Paris, France.

Notre Dame de Paris, France.

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 Thank you 

Writer: Pankaj Sonwane.

Bibliography:

 1) Photos from google photos.

 2) Information from books.

Asian architecture

Asian architecture

Early Asian writings on architecture include the Kao Gong Ji of China from the 7th–5th centuries BCE; the Shilpa Shastras of ancient India; Manjusri Vasthu Vidya Sastra of Sri Lankaand Araniko of Nepal .

The architecture of different parts of Asia developed along different lines from that of Europe; Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh architecture each having different characteristics. Buddhist architecture, in particular, showed great regional diversity. Hindu temple architecture, which developed around the 3rd century BCE, is governed by concepts laid down in the Shastras, and is concerned with expressing the macrocosm and the microcosm. In many Asian countries, pantheistic religion led to architectural forms that were designed specifically to enhance the natural landscape.

Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea.

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Kyoto, Japan.

The Great Red Gate at the Ming Tombs near Beijing, China.

Bahay na Bato houses in Philippines.

the view of Janaki mandir, Nepal.

Most Asian architecture was influenced by ancient religions, with influences from Hinduism and Buddhism becoming evident. Temples and worship sites incorporate or heavily focus on the influences of nature, even being carved as tunnels out of mountainsides.

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Ancient architecture

Ancient architecture

In many ancient civilizations, such as those of Egypt and Mesopotamia, architecture and urbanism reflected the constant engagement with the divine and the supernatural, and many ancient cultures resorted to monumentality in architecture to represent symbolically the political power of the ruler, the ruling elite, or the state itself.

The architecture and urbanism of the Classical civilizations such as the Greek and the Roman evolved from civic ideals rather than religious or empirical ones and new building types emerged. Architectural "style" developed in the form of the Classical orders. Roman architecture was influenced by Greek architecture as they incorporated many Greek elements into their building practices.


Texts on architecture have been written since ancient time. These texts provided both general advice and specific formal prescriptions or canons. Some examples of canons are found in the writings of the 1st-century BCE Roman Architect Vitruvius. Some of the most important early examples of canonic architecture are religious.

The Great Pyramids at Giza in Egypt.

The Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

Roman aqueduct in Segovia, Spain.

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Architecture as Career

Introduction

Architecture is a social art and a discipline which requires adequate knowledge of four major areas of human endeavor ; humanity, Art, Engineering science and Technology actually putting into practice. 

Today it is recognized as an intellectual profession in which architects design buildings of all kinds in most efficient, economic and beautiful way direct their construction for the society. Their contribution in shaping of environment and society in diverse range of situations, both in urban and rural contexts, is well identified. As matter of fact architects are the first people who conceive form and utility of the buildings in their minds and papers and later construction of those buildings is carried out by the contractors under their directions. 

Although many other professionals like engineers, surveyors and landscape architects contribute in design and construction of those buildings, yet architects are required to possess high qualities of an artist , a technocrat ,a businessman and a  team leader and they should  be able to co-ordinate to the work  of other technical specialists who also contribute their specialized knowledge to the planning  and construction of buildings. 

They should also be able to deal with the clients, contractors, material suppliers and landing institutions in their every day activities. Over and above they should be expert of construction and building materials with exposure to building codes, zoning laws, fire regulations and local bye-laws safety ordinances etc.

Architecture , therefore , is a creative and exciting career and it has long exercised fascination for those who have creative and analytical bent of mind as a career it equally suits to both boys and girls who have capabilities and aptitude to become an  architect and wish to acquire sound knowledge of all aspects of modern building technology , project management and execution. 

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