UNITY UNIVERSTY
ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT
NAME ADDISKIDAN TESFAYE
ID UUR01805/16
METABOLISM
METABOLISM
▪ is a design approach that integrates ▪ By mimicking the principles of
biological processes into the built ecosystems, metabolic architecture
environment to promote aims to create resilient structures that
sustainability and efficiency. This min
innovative concept leverages natural
▪ metabolosm was a post-war Japanese
cycles like decomposition and
photosynthesis to manage energy biomimetic architectural movement
flows and resource use within that fused ideas about architectural
buildings. megastructures with those of organic
biological growth.
WHAT IS THE METABOLISM DESIGN
STYLE?
Metabolism is a revolutionary architectural philosophy that emerged in
post-war Japan, driven by the need for flexibility in an increasingly
crowded urban environment. Inspired by biological processes, Metabolist
architects proposed buildings that could grow, evolve, and adapt over
time, just like living organisms.
METABOLIST HISTORY
The Metabolist movement filled the void left in 1959
when the Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture
Moderne (CIAM), founded in 1928 by Le Corbusier and
other Europeans, disbanded. At the 1960 World Design
Conference in Tokyo, the old European ideas about
static urbanism were challenged by a group of young
Japanese architects. Metabolism 1960: Proposals for a
New Urbanism documented the ideas and philosophies
of Fumihiko Maki, Masato Otaka, Kiyonari Kikutake, and
Kisho Kurokawa. Many Metabolists had studied under
Kenzo Tange at Tokyo University's Tange Laboratory.
THE END OF METABOLISM?
The 1970 International Exposition in Osaka, Japan was the last collective effort
of Metabolist architects. Kenzo Tange is credited with the master plan for the
exhibitions at Expo '70. After that, individual architects from the movement
became self-driven and more independent in their careers. The ideas of the
Metabolist movement, however, are themselves organic—organic architecture
was a term used by Frank Lloyd Wright, who was influenced by the ideas of
Louis Sullivan, often called 19th century America's first modern architect.
Twenty-first-century ideas about sustainable development are not new
ideas—they've evolved from past ideas. The "end" is often a new beginning.
STYLES
ORGANIC
ARCHITECTURE
ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE
Organic architecture, a concept popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright,
emphasizes harmony between buildings and their natural
surroundings. It involves designing structures that blend seamlessly
with the landscape, utilizing natural materials and forms, and creating
a cohesive relationship between the building, its occupants, and the
environment.
Organic architecture means to design buildings and structures
that are balanced with their surroundings and integrate form and
function as one, balancing the architecture with the surrounding
landscape so that they seem to merge.
PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE:
▪ Harmony with Nature: ▪ Site-Specific Design:
▪ Buildings are designed to complement ▪ Each building is tailored to its specific
and integrate with the surrounding location, considering the site's
natural environment rather than topography, climate, and natural
dominating it. features.
▪ Natural Materials: ▪ Cohesive Design:
▪ Organic architecture often utilizes ▪ Every element of the building, from the
materials like wood, stone, and natural structural framework to the furnishings,
aggregates, reflecting the is designed to work in harmony with
environment's resources. the whole.
▪ Form and Function: ▪ Sustainability:
▪ Buildings are designed with a focus on ▪ Organic architecture often incorporates
both the aesthetic appearance and the sustainable design principles, such as
practical function of the structure. renewable energy, water conservation,
and the use of natural materials.
BUILDINGS / ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE
EXTERIOR INTERIOR
CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGANIC
ARCHITECTURE:
▪ Integration with Nature: ▪ Form Follows Function:
▪ Buildings should blend seamlessly with ▪ The design of a building should be
their surroundings, as if they naturally dictated by its purpose and the needs
grew from the landscape. of its occupants.
▪ Sustainability: ▪ Fluid and Natural Forms:
▪ Organic architecture emphasizes the ▪ Organic architecture often features
use of renewable resources, natural curved lines, asymmetrical shapes, and
materials, and energy-efficient designs. flowing spaces that mimic natural
elements.
▪ Natural Materials:
▪ Open Floor Plans:
▪ Construction often utilizes wood, stone,
and other locally sourced materials, ▪ These promote a sense of connection
minimizing the use of synthetic between indoor and outdoor spaces.
products.
POSTMODERNISM
POSTMODERNISM
Postmodern architecture, a reaction against the austere ideals of modernism,
emerged in the late 1970s and 80s. It is characterized by its eclectic and playful use
of various architectural styles, historical references, ornamentation, and a rejection
of strict functionalism.
is a reaction against modernism as it breaks free from all traditional design rules while
assuring the function of the building. It employs an unusual combination of bright
colors, asymmetrical shapes, a variety of materials, and mashed styles.
CHARACTERISTICS OF POSTMODERN
ARCHITECTURE:
▪ Ornamentation: ▪ Rejection of Strict Functionalism:
▪ Unlike the minimalist approach of ▪ While functionality remains important,
modernism, postmodern architecture postmodern architecture prioritizes visual
embraces ornamentation, often appeal and expressive design, sometimes
incorporating historical details and motifs. deviating from strict functional
requirements.
▪ Playfulness and Humor:
▪ Use of Metaphor and Symbolism:
▪ Postmodern buildings often exhibit a sense
of humor, irony, and whimsy, rejecting the ▪ Postmodern architecture often uses
seriousness of modernism. metaphor and symbolism to convey
meaning and engage with urban context
▪ Historical References: and setting.
▪ Postmodernism draws on and reinterprets
architectural history, incorporating
elements from classicism, neoclassicism,
and other styles.
POSTMODERN ARCHITECTURE EXAMPLES
Robert Venturi’s seminal book Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture (1966) is one of the
earliest and most influential texts that challenged the rigid doctrines of Modernism and laid the
groundwork for the postmodern movement in architecture from the early 1970s until the late
1990s.
This new design paradigm welcomed endless experimentation and playful juxtaposition of
humorous details. Along with urban planner Denise Scott, Venturi’s ideas expanded into a
ground-breaking work, Learning from Las Vegas (1972). This seminal work provocatively argued
that the Las Vegas Strip, with its flashy neon lights, massive signage, and bold casino facades,
should serve as a model for organic architectural design influenced by the visitor’s needs.
POSTMODERN ARCHITECTURE VS MODERN
ARCHITECTURE
Modern Architecture:
Postmodern Architecture:
▪ Focus: Functionality, simplicity, and the use
of industrial materials like steel, glass, and
concrete. ▪ Focus: Embracing diversity, context, and
historical references.
▪ Principles: "Form follows function,"
geometric shapes, open floor plans, and a ▪ Principles: Asymmetry, local nature,
lack of ornamentation. originality, and a playful use of materials
and forms.
▪ Goal: To create efficient, rational, and
functional buildings that reflect ▪ Goal: To create buildings that are engaging,
technological advancements. contextually aware, and reflect the unique
characteristics of their environment.
▪ Examples: Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye, Mies
van der Rohe's Farnsworth House. ▪ Examples: Philip Johnson's AT&T Building,
Robert Venturi's Vanna Venturi House.
▪ Key Figures: Le Corbusier, Mies van der
Rohe, Walter Gropius. ▪ Key Figures: Robert Venturi, Denise Scott
Brown, Michael Gr
DECONSTRUCTIVISM
DECONSTRUCTIVISM
▪ Deconstructivism is a postmodern ▪ If we define deconstructivism, it
architectural style characterized by literally translates to the breaking
fragmentation, distortion, and a down, or demolishing of a
rejection of traditional architectural constructed structure, whether it
order and symmetry. It emerged in being for structural reasons or just an
the 1980s and 1990s, influencing a act of rebellion. It is perhaps for this
range of architectural projects. reason that many misunderstand the
Deconstructivist movement.
A style of architecture that arose as an absolute contrast
to the Russian movement of an architectural style called
constructivism during the world war. Deconstructivism
is a postmodern architectural subset. This style of
architecture represents the thought of breaking the
rules, the rules laid by the French classical architecture,
about geometry, symmetry, wholesomeness, and
visually stable structures. This style is the culmination of
disruptive ideas resulting in buildings visibly chaotic
haphazard. The final appearance and the character of
the building are dislocated and fragmented. The
formation of the volumes is usually non rectilinear and
unorganized.
INFLUENCES AND CHARACTERISTICS:
▪ Deconstruction Philosophy: ▪ Architects Associated with Deconstructivism:
▪ The movement's name and philosophical underpinnings stem from the work of Jacques ▪ Frank Gehry:
Derrida, who argued that language is inherently unstable and that meaning is not fixed.
▪ Known for his distinctive and often controversial designs, including the Guggenheim Museum
▪ Rejection of Modernism: and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
▪ Deconstructivism reacted against the functional and rational principles of Modernism, which ▪ Zaha Hadid:
sought to create order and harmony in architectural designs.
▪ Her work is characterized by fluid, curvilinear forms and a focus on creating dynamic and
▪ Fragmentation and Distortion: expressive spaces.
▪ Buildings often feature fragmented forms, distorted geometries, and a lack of obvious ▪ Peter Eisenman:
harmony or symmetry.
▪ Known for his exploration of fragmented forms and complex geometries.
▪ Complex Geometries:
▪ Bernard Tschumi:
▪ Deconstructivist structures frequently incorporate intricate and irregular shapes, often
deviating from traditional rectangular or cubic forms.
▪ His work often incorporates elements of chaos and unexpected juxtapositions.
▪ Surface Manipulation:
▪ Coop Himmelb(l)au:
▪ Buildings may exhibit manipulated surfaces, folds, and twists, further emphasizing the sense
of instability and fragmentation. ▪ Their buildings are known for their unconventional shapes and unconventional use of space.
▪ Examples: ▪ Rem Koolhaas:
▪ Notable examples of deconstructivist architecture include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao
(designed by Frank Gehry) and the Parc de la Villette (designed by Bernard Tschumi).
BUILDINGS
