Architecture and Mediocracy at UNESCO House

Theoretical Perspectives, Centre for Research on Politics; University of Dhaka, 1995

Modernism in the arts is a general term used to describe various tendencies in the first three quarters of the twentieth century. It refers mainly to a conscious attempt to break away from the artistic traditions of the nineteenth century, and also to a concern with form and the exploration of technique as opposed to content and narrative. Le Corbusier, probably the greatest proponent of Modernism, in a series of theoretical discourses on the subject laid down the ground rules which subsequent generations of architects have painstakingly followed. The structure of the artistic world, like that of the political world, reflects the nature of contemporary society . As in other fields, modernism in architecture addressed the social issues first and foremost and was aimed at providing an environment which could be enjoyed by a far wider user-group than could be imagined under the classed society of the nineteenth century. Technology and communication were given their due importance as the prime forces shaping the new world, free from the inhibitions of the nineteenth century. The theory was gradually put into practice by architects first all over the western world by the first half of the century, and with increased communication and need into the hither-to neglected third world by the sixties and seventies. Modernism through its sub-theme of internationalism proclaimed the universality and world-wide applicability of certain values of architecture and over the past 60 years, almost totally discarded all 'regional' building activity. In fact, it has been said about the architects of the time that " for them it mattered not at all whether a building bore any relation to its setting or to established cultural traditions. Indeed the less integrated it was, the more impact it would have, and the more effective it would be as an aesthetic manifesto" . This paper does not criticize the modern movement in architecture, for the 'style-lessness' of the modern movement was an indispensable necessity for its time, it was a movement for the general masses to make architecture accessible to all, rather than a chosen few. Society and values however are not static and the last quarter of the present century has seen discontent with the rigidity and plainness of previous generations. Various new movements have been born out of the residue of the modern phase. Now is the opportune moment to attempt a re-understanding of the principles behind the modern movement and to examine the reasons that alternatives to that purist movement are being sought. This paper also explores the present search that is being conducted for new directions in architecture at the thresh-hold of the new century, and comments on their validity in the context of third world urban centres.

Modernism was probably the most influential architectural movement of the twentieth century, spanning a period of over sixty years, and is still influential in current architectural theory. This essay will focus on the reasons that led to the general feeling of disappointment towards this architectural theory in its later years and the following birth of the Post-Modern movement . It is likely impossible to determine a single reason why this happened: a series of events hit the roots and principles of the Modernist movement and forced it to lose its initial strength. Beginning with the historical changes that resulted from the Second World War, Modernism was affected by these social and political transformations, which in turn provoked a change in the architectural theory and aesthetics, which led to the rejection of the Modernist style by both Post-Modernist architects and general public. Modernism as a movement died slowly and naturally as society changed.

Arts, 2017

Since the so-called " type-debate " at the 1914 Werkbund Exhibition in Cologne—on individual versus standardized types—the discussion about turning Function into Form has been an important topic in Architectural Theory. The aim of this article is to trace the historic shifts in the relationship between Function and Form: First, how Functional Thinking was turned into an Art Form; this orginates in the Werkbund concept of artistic refinement of industrial production. Second, how Functional Analysis was applied to design and production processes, focused on certain aspects, such as economic management or floor plan design. Third, how Architectural Function was used as a social or political argument; this is of particular interest during the interwar years. A comparison of theses different aspects of the relationship between Function and Form reveals that it has undergone fundamental shifts—from Art to Science and Politics—that are tied to historic developments. It is interesting to note that this happens in a short period of time in the first half of the 20th Century. Looking at these historic shifts not only sheds new light on the creative process in Modern Architecture, this may also serve as a stepstone towards a new rethinking of Function and Form.

The 1960–1980 period witnessed the formation of a transitional professional framework in architecture that contributed to the new geopolitical setting, mediated the crisis of hitherto prevailing forms of practice and design tasks, and redefined the scope of competences and the very role of the discipline. The key shift from an object-based to a process-based model of architectural knowledge production was affected by the emergence of new organizational forms and operational strategies. Institutions and agencies of the new kind – from dominant, state, interdisciplinary research institutes to nongovernmental organizations,1 informal groups, intelligences and transnational policies – occupied a central position in this transition. Although the actors differed widely in character, they enabled and encouraged an unprecedented scale of cooperation and exchange in multilateral systems related to architecture.2 The development of intensive transnational collaboration resulted in the formation of the current internationally influenced, yet localized discipline and architectural practice, which is " turning experiments in design into experiments in organizational process, decision-making and cross-disciplinary practice. " 3 In this article, we make an attempt to group and categorize the agencies, taking into consideration the types and operational modes adopted by them, and thus propose a provisional taxonomy of exchange frameworks in international architectural practice. The categories elaborated in the article together with their respective sets of examples also form a presentation of a new research perspective on the analysis of architectural culture in Central Europe.

2015

On the occasion of the publication of Modern Architecture: Romanticism and Reintegration’s first Spanish edition, this essay aims to discuss the impact of Henry-Russell Hitchcock’s book –published in 1929– on the history of architecture. In spite of being the first history of modern architecture written in English, Modern Architecture fell into oblivion due to the success of Hitchcock’s subsequent book, co-authored with Philip Johnson: The International Style: Architecture since 1922. Discussing the critical approaches to the text –from the first book reviews to the latest historiographical studies– brings to light Hitchcock’s contribution to the historiography of modern architecture.

The Sixties, 2009

Modern architecture that marked the 20th century is characterized by a new relationship that exists between architecture as art and architecture as a shelter. Industrial and technological development and the art of that period are the picture of the context in which architecture occurs and exists. That architecture ist determined and can not be analyzed without the knowledge of all the influential factors and changing paradigms. Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s. Its architectural style emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. Buildings of this period are in today's 21st century stable and treated as modern architectural heritage, reflecting the new age paradigm mainly in their interiors. New paradigms are contemporary; they imply trend of globalization, economic hardship, recession, architectural reflection that treat new strategies. This papre will show some of this strategies -emphasising ad hoc strategy in contemporary interior design approach of the museums of contemporary art in dialogue with a modern architecural heritage. Architecture is seen as a materialization of philosophy, outer frame as human life, while its internal frame as core --philosophy. "In constant integrating past into the present and in their interpenetration we can talk about continuity of architecture. That does not mean the disruption of existing, but steadily building and upgrading the existing, because only in this way it is possible creating conditions for the recognition of the present moment in the future." (Čehovin in Ugljen--Ademović, 2004: 89) Key words: historical continuity, modern architectural heritage, contemporary interior design, museum of contemporary art, ad hoc strategy

The work of Oswald Mathias Ungers and Rem Koolhaas is examined as intellectual legacy of the 1970s for architecture today. Particularly in the United States, this period focused on the autonomy of architecture as a correction to the social orientation of the 1960s. Yet, these two architects pioneered a more situated autonomy, initiating an intellectual discourse on architecture that was inherently design-based. Their work provides room for interpreting social conditions and disciplinary formal developments, thus constructing a `plausible' relationship between the two that allows the life within to flourish and adapt. In doing so, they provide a foundation for recalibrating architecture today.