ARCHITECTURAL THEORY
ASSIGNMENT NO.01
VISHAL DAS
SEMESTER-05
1. What is being modern? A modernist? A post- modernist? Avante Grade follower in art,
architecture, literature, fashion?
The basic idea of modernism is making something abstract. In other words, stepping out from
the orthodox and traditional style of creating things. This movement was started during the
period of World War-I. People needed a radical break from the repeating pattern of classical
style. Modernism is influenced majorly by political, social, cultural aspects. Experimentation
in field of art gave birth to many isms. Thoughts, emotions and many other traits were shown
through expressionism, fauvism, surrealism, etc. Presenting something Aesthetically pleasing,
in a minimalist and subtle way, but also showing it as a powerful figure was one of the main
aspects in the field of fashion during modernism. “Modernist Artists discarded conventional
methods of depicting perspective, colour and composition to portray their own visions. Their
attitudes were reinforced through scientific discovers that made them question the solidity of
the 'real' world and the reliability of perception.” While modern is creating an idea of our own
post modernism is viewing a familiar style and rediscovering the old style or borrowing some
of the elements and reintroducing to the new ideas. In architecture after all the re-inventions
in traditional architecture like classical, gothic (which known as neo gothic, neo classic. Etc.)
architects (like Walter Gropius, Rohe etc.) realized about unnecessary ornamentation of built
forms and just like coming out of the box of ornamentation and old technology and materials
they came up with an era of modernism in Architecture. Modernism in literature happened
because of horrors of WWI. It started in 1910-1960. Here also sudden and unexpected breaks
from traditional ways of viewing with the world changed writers thinking and led them to
think beyond realism and not for society but for individuals. Avante garde are people or work
who are experimental, unorthodox with respect to the society, culture, art or architecture.
Creating something innovative in their fields. Artists like Jackson pollock, Pablo Picasso did
remarkable work in the field of art and painting. Frank Lloyd wright, I.M. Pei, Frank Gehry are
some of the pioneers of Avant garde artist in architecture. Arthur brown, John cage, the
Beatles are some of the artist in the field of music.
4. How did he interrupt classicism and what is classical architecture.
Classical Architecture started with the rise of Greece. Classical Architecture is different from
other architecture, the architects during this era tried to make everything symmetrical.
Classical architecture has many types known as gothic, Hellenistic and roman. Classical
architecture was first style of architecture influenced by thoughts and traditions of society,
therefore we found buildings for society but not for any functional need( though there was
no need of functional architecture at the time of 5th century BCE).buildings for society like
cathedral, churches, residences etc. classical architecture had specific order in which
structures were built. Specific order of columns, alignment of spaces inside the building,
excessive ornamentation (which emphasized beauty of carvings but not the geometry of built
form), symmetry, perspective, order in design was some key elements of classical
architecture. Architecture speaks in silence and Kahn understood that the experience of time
is not only the duration but also the spaces. One of his greatest building the Salk institute, the
architecture merges with the pacific coast in a way that it elevates and creates an incredible
power of making a person feel honoured by the spaces created and the simplicity of the
structure. Kahn achieved aesthetics with bricks and the use of bare and unfinished concrete.
5. How did he follow order? How did he interpret forms? What did design mean to him? And
most importantly got reflected in his buildings?
In louis Kahn’s principles form is conceived as an unmeasurable concept. It transcends
individual’s feelings, thoughts, etc. He realized is that architecture is the thoughtful making of
space. He followed order as an important principle, because it brought a kind of discipline to
the form. Order implies that the person has a certain control over the design. Kahn was
trained in a clear order, the order of the Beaux-Arts, at the University of Pennsylvania under
his great teacher, Paul Cret. Then he lost that order and then he found out again in his own
new terms so that he could believe. The order in which Kahn grew up can be seen in a house
built in 1924 by George Howe, he gets the glass as much out of the way as he can. The "high
style" architecture in which Kahn was trained by Cret was called "modern classic". It's a
traditional classicism combined with modernism but still retaining a monumental symmetry
and employing permanent materials. Kahn's new order was based on the circle and the
square, was also based on something else that came out of classicism and the idea of served
and serving spaces, big spaces articulated and separated but connected to each other by small
spaces such as corridors, bathrooms etc. for him a design was something which is timeless,
connects to people, soothing and monumental, which stand out and is created with simple
forms and is devoid of glass. this classical architecture can be seen in Kimbell art museum.
[Link] is modernism in music, classical in music how do you identify emotions in music?
Modernism in music is period of evolution from classical which changed the language of
music, the way of presenting it. Every art form gets affected by things, surroundings and
mindsets of people of that particular era. Classical music was more rooted to tradition,
evolved from mindsets of people hence having thoughts of those people in that music,
instruments notes forms emotions everything in language of tradition. Every music has
language that we listen and it touches our heart. Music has language in different forms viz.
lyrics of the music, notes, pitch of the music, the way it is presented affects differently on
every person’s emotion. “The range of early musical instruments is most familiar through the
Bible - from the harp-playing King David to the sounds of brass and tinkling cymbal criticized
by St Paul - or through Greek myth, where Apollo is invariably associated with the lyre and
Pan with the reed pipes.” In early times music was used in churches and function and not very
popular for entirely entertainment purpose. Music plays an important role in changing
emotions. This physiological impact on human through music is referred to as modern.
Whereas the olden style of music emphasised on homophonic melodies and southing rhythm
which is referred to as classical in music.
Why and how Kahn’s monumentality different from Rohe, Wright and le Corbusier?
Monumentality is referred to a structure bold and imposing to the surroundings. It is a quality
in architecture which does not necessarily have to do with size, but with intensity of
expression. Louis Kahn defines monumentality as “a spiritual quality inherent in a structure
which conveys the feeling of its eternity, that it cannot be added to or changed. It cannot be
intentionally created. All of his monumental structure scales in height which stands out bold
in terms of scale and materials used with simple geometric forms”. Le Corbusier, Mies van
der rohe and Kahn contributed to the monumentality era. As height was a general factor to
showcase a dominancy or power the designs for Brasilia revealed an attempt at using the
skyscraper as a major symbolic element. Louis Kahn published essay discussed about
monumentality in 1944. Kahn was known as MASTER OF MONUMENTALITY in United States
in that period. In 19th century Kahn played major part in the development of monumentality.
Louis Kahn was open minded person. He didn’t set rule for the space. In his design the one
single space acts like multifunctional use. His structure is huge and has large openings on the
façade. He wants to connect the interior space to outer environment. On contract the le
Corbusier sets parameter for the space. In his structure, the space use as only specific
function, does not act as multifunction use. His most of the structure was made up of
concrete. For, example is mies van der rohe sky scrapers and many other buildings by other
famous architects which includes glass as a very integral material. According to Kahn ‘glass is
an absence of material’ therefore even if skyscrapers are long enough to create that
overwhelming feeling on person it doesn’t stands out to be monumental because its scale
doesn’t matter when it is compared to the horizontal built form of massive concrete or
something which is really opaque, which has volume and mass to see.
