1

ARCHITECTURE OF THE 20TH

CENTURY

EARLY GLIMPSE
Architecture of the 19th Century

 Modernist
movements at the
turn of the 20th
century,
architectural design
reflecting:
1. Modernization of
society.
2. Rapid
technological
advancement.
Architecture of the 19th Century

 It covers numerous
movements, schools of
design, and architectural
styles, some in tension with
one another, others
overlapping and defying
each other.
Architecture of the 19th Century

 The concept of 20th century Architecture is Modernism.

 It gained popularity after WW11, since then became the dominant

architectural style for institutional and corporate building into the 21st
century.

 Modernism generated reactions, mostly Postmodernism; which

preserve pre-modern elements, resulting to Neo-modernism which
emerged as a reaction to Postmodernism.
Architecture of the 19th Century
Architecture of the 19th Century
Architecture of the 19th Century
AMONGST NOTABLE ARCHITECTS
Important in the development of
Modern Architecture

 Ludwig Mies van der Rohe  Gerrit Rietveld

 Le Corbusier
 Walter Gropius
 Erich Mendelsohn
 Frank Lloyd Wright
 Joseph Eichler
 Richard Neutra
 Louis Sullivan
 Bruno Taut
 Arne Jacobsen
 Oscar Niemeyer
 and Alvar Aalto
 Philip Johnson
 Charles Moore
Architecture of the 19th Century
MODERN ARCHITECTURE, by year

 Modernisme (1888–1911)  PWA Moderne (1933-1944)

 Art Nouveau (1890–1905)  Stalinist (1930s–1950s)

 Prairie School (1890s–1920s)  Googie (1940s–1960s)

 Expressionism (1910–)  Mid-Century modern (1940s–1960s)

 De Stijl (1917–1931)  Brutalism (1950s–1980s)

 Bauhaus (1919–1933)  Structuralism (1959–)

 Constructivism (1920–1932)  Postmodernism (1960s–)

 New Objectivity (1922–1933)  Blobitecture (1960s–)

 Streamline Moderne(1926–1950s)  Contemporary (1970s–)

 Rationalist-Fascist (1920s–1930s)  High-tech (1970s–)

 International style (1920s–1960s)  Critical regionalism (1980s–)

 Functionalism (1920s–1970s)  Deconstructivism (1980s–)

 Futurism (1920s–)  Neomodern (1990s–)

 Organicism (1920s–)  New Classical (1990s–)

 Art Deco (1925–1939)  Neo-Futurism (2000s–)

 Postconstructivism (1930s)
Architecture of the 19th Century
 The iron,the glass and the
wood

 Standardized and
industrial prefabricated
of parts

 Architectural engineering

Crystal Palace, London 1851

Joseph Paxton
 Functionalists of the International Style

Peter Behren as the first director.

Others are,

Walter Gropius Le Corbusier

Mies van der Rohe
Functionalists of the International Style

Bauhaus-House of Building, Dessau, Germany

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
12

la Citta Nueva –the new city Antonio Sant’Elia

Le Corbusier ‘Machine’ & F. L. Wright ‘Organic’

FLW, Falling Water, Bear Run, Penn,1937-39

Eero Saarinen – Monumental

Saarinen, Dulles Airport,Washington DC:1958-62

Arts After WW2 -Pop Art figural imagery…

Andy Warhol Silksreen Painting "Elvis I and II", 1964

Journal

Peter Cook, P-I-C,Medium Pressure Area,1964

World Expo

Kisho Kurokawa,Takara Beautilion,Expo 70,Osaka:1970

Post-Modernist – ‘Less is bore’

MICHAEL GRAVES,PORTLAND
BUILDING,OREGON:1979-82
Post-Modernist – ‘Less is bore’

Gehry,Guggenheim Bilbao,1993-97
De-Architecture – ‘question vs answer’

S.I.T.E Projects Inc.,BEST Supermarket,Houston,TX:1975

High-Tech – ‘2nd machine age’

Rogers + Piano,Pompidou Center,Paris:1971-77

 22

ARCHITECTURE OF THE 20TH

CENTURY

The Beginning of Modern Architecture

 Architecture of the 18 th Century
23

 Science has the answers to the

mysteries of the universe
 Architecture became simple,

refined and ‘rational’

 ‘Boullee & Newton’

‘clear rules & principles’

Greek, Roman models
 Architecture of the 18 th Century
24

Rationality expressionism

Newton Cenotaph by Etienne Louis Boullee

 Architecture of the 19th Century
25

Industrial Revolution

 Era of mechanization
 Built machine shops/iron foundries

 Steam engine

 Railways

 Contribution to civil engineering

 Architecture of the 19th Century
26

The changes of social needs & order

 The birth of great department store
and arcades
 The need to create an imposing effect
for the aristocracy
 Scientific study of architectural history
begin
 Architecture of the 19th Century
27

 Industrialization boosted the need of

proper dwellings/better living
conditions
 Housing reform movement sparked
the housing developments
 Architecture of the 19th Century
28

New building materials create

new possibilities
Iron
 Concrete

 Glass
 Architecture of the 19th Century
29

Railway stations
‘industrial style’
 First rail track built in Britain (1825)
 By 1854, 9000 miles length of track

 Such phenomenon spread to other European countries

such as France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Russia
 Evolving of new structure like tunnels, viaducts,

large span station

 Architecture of the 19th Century
30

Railway stations
‘examples’

 King Cross Station

 St Pancras Station

 Large, tall, bright structure

 Dilemma ‘function and style’
 Engineers vs architects
 ‘How to dress a naked structure’
 Architecture of the 19th Century
31

 The symbol of the

highest point of
architectural
engineering

 Gustave Eiffel, Eiffel Tower, Paris 1889

 Architecture of the 19th Century
32

 The iron,the glass and

the wood.
 Standardized and
industrial
prefabricated of parts
 Architectural
engineering

Crystal Palace, London 1851 by Joseph Paxton

 Architecture of the 19th Century
33

Crystal Palace, London 1851 by Joseph Paxton

 Architecture of the 19th Century
34

Crystal Palace, London 1851 by Joseph Paxton

 Architecture of the 19th Century
35

Crystal Palace, London 1851 by Joseph Paxton

 Urban Development
36

In the early of 20th century,

 Fast growing industrial activities
 Economic boom

 The capitalists and land owners as

the dominant class
 Their main concerns was money and profit
 Urban Development
37

As a result,
 The urgent needs for labours to work
in factories and construction
 Causing migration to urban areas

 High density population

 Urban living stress and conflicts

 Urban Development
38

Urban conditions
 Factories,
smokes
 Traffic
congestions
 Pollution and
health concerns
 Drainage
problems
Source: www.flatrock.org.nz/.../march_of_the_machine.htm
 Urban Development
39

Urban living conditions

 High population
 Living stress
 Social conflicts
 Labourers
explotation by
the capitalists
 Machinery vs
Humanity
 Urban Development
40

Urban living reformation

In the United Kingdom, the formation of
London City Council by young concern
architects. They introduced,
 Idea of ‘focal point’

 Flats with better arrangement systems

To create a sound living and social

environment for the majority public
 Urban Development
41

In London, a new urban concept was introduced by

Ebenezer Howard. The concept is known as
‘Garden City’. It emphasised on,

 Low density buildings which gives more space, light

and air to the city dwellers
 Appropriate proportion between population and the
number of schools, houses and factories for better
development planning
 Urban Development
42

‘Garden city - UK’

 Low rise flats

 Gardens as
part of the
planning
 Urban Development
43

 Liveable and
friendlier
neighbour hood
 Urban Development
44

Urban living reformation

 In France, one of the most comprehensive urban
planning was developed by Tony Garnier between
1901-1904.

 The model town based on this planning was known

as the ‘Cite Industrielle’ located in Lyon, Paris.
 Urban Development
45

‘Cite Industrielle’
In this town,
 The houses are simple and cubical in form

 Large industrial buildings

 Supportive urban elements and facilities such as,

towers and elegant bridges mainly built from

concrete.
 Urban Development
46

‘Cite Industrielle - France’

This town emphasised on the aspects,
 Communal ownership of building and land

 Controlling industry and traffic to avoid

environmental disturbances
 Centres for communal activities such as sports to

strengthen community spirit

 No police stations and religious buildings.
 Urban Development
47

Cite Industrielle,
 aerial view and
normal view
 Urban Development
48

The role of Architecture in relationships with,

 People

 Technological development

 Urban transformation
 Architecture of the 20th Century
49

 Architecture towards FUNCTIONALISM

 FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION”

 Louis Sullivan
 Architecture of the 20th Century
50

Auguste Perret

House in the rue Franklin, Paris 1902-03

 The first demonstration of reinforced

concrete in a multi-story building.
 Architecture of the 20th Century
51

 Art and crafts movement in England

 William Morris
 Philip Webb

 John Ruskin

 Avoid social problems

 Arts & Crafts movement
52

 Previously, it was
mentioned that such
movement evolved as a
reaction to the
‘mechanistic’ structure.
 ‘Machine’ vs ‘humanity
& romanticism’
 The return to the beauty
of nature, traditional
arts and craftsmanship
 Arts & Crafts movement
53

 William Morris and John Ruskin were the

pioneers of this movement which originated in
England. They were greatly influenced by the
work of, A W Pugin – ‘House of Parliament,
London’

 Morris made a strong statement,

‘ USE meant social use for the benefit of many
not MISUSE for the benefit of the few’

 Meanwhile, Ruskin introduced the philosophies

called as the ‘7 Lamps of Architecture’
 Arts & Crafts movement
54

House of Parliament, London by A W Pugin

 Arts & Crafts movement
55

RED HOUSE by William

Morris and Philip Webb
(1859-1860).
Its characteristics,
 ‘English vernacular’

 Exposure of materials
‘bricks and stucco’
 Simple molding

 Curvilinear ornaments
‘leaves and plants’
 Timber and built-in,
crafted furniture
 Arts & Crafts movement
56

 Consequently, other European countries began

to adopt such attractive ideas to express their
own local and vernacular architectural designs

 Similar phenomenon also appeared in the

United States and it became influential to the
emergence of the famous ‘Chicago School’ as
described in the earlier discussions.
 Arts & Crafts movement
57
 Architecture of the 20th Century
58

 Art Nouveau

 Vegetalforms meet new building materials

(glass and iron)

 Later
developed into different names as
regional variants
 Architecture of the 20th Century BRUSSELS
59

Victor Horta

Emile Tassel,Brussels 1893

 Architecture of the 20th Century
PARIS
60

 Overblown decoration
Hector Guimard, Entrance to the Metro Station,Paris
1900
 Architecture of the 20th Century
SPAIN MODERNISMO
61

Casa Batllo,Barcelona 1904-06

Antonio Gaudi I Cornet

Architecture becomes sculpture

 Architecture of the 20th Century
vs revival of the 19th century
62

 Paris Opera House

lavish
intricate
ornamental
exotic
 Architecture of the 20th Century
vs revival of the 19th century
63

 Altes museum, Berlin

‘Education purpose’
 House of Parliament,
London
‘Religion purpose’

Tradition, nationalisme
Vs
Universalism, globalisation
 Architecture of the 20th Century
Cube instead of curve: Glasgow and Vienna
64

Mackintosh’ design principles

• Traditional and revivalism

(scottish farm house)
• Reject Greek and Roman
• Clarity and elegance in the
spatial quality of space
• Harmonising various sizes of
spaces
• Exploitation of artificial and natural
lighting
• Less abstract and curve (Gaudi)
 Architecture of the 20th Century
Cube instead of curve: Glasgow and Vienna
65

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Glasgow School of Arts 1896-1909

 Architecture of the 20th Century
66

Otto Wagner

Austrian Post Office Savings Bank, Vienna 1904-06

 Bringing together architecture and engineering.

 “Anything impractical cannot be beautiful”
Architecture of the 20th Century

 Pure architecture

 Reject decorative elements

 Focus on technical aspect

Adolf Loos  Architecture is not 3D art, but the
organization of space

“ORNAMENT IS CRIMINAL”
67
 Architecture of the 20th Century
68

Villa Steiner, Vienna 1910

Adolf Loos
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
69

UTOPIAN IDEA

 Searching for the most ideal living through

sciences and technologies

 The needs of proper housing after World War 1

become of the main architectural issues
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
70

The emergence of pre-modern architectural movement in

Europe. These movements act as the catalysts to the modern
and contemporary architectural styles of today.

Those pre-modern movements are,

 ‘Expressionism and Amsterdam school’ – Northern Europe
 ‘Cubism’ – France
 ‘Futurism’ – Italy
 ‘De Stijl’ - Holland
 ‘Constructivism’ – Russia
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
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Germany and Northern Europe

‘Expressionists and Amsterdam school’

 Continuation of Art Nouveau

 Evolved into ‘Brutalism’ after WW2
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
72

Design ideas and characters,

 highly personal & emotional

 artistic modes
 less on function, more on sensational form
 free form, plasticity, no right angle
 abstract sculpture, metaphor, symbolism
 anti-rationale
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
73

The beginning of
Expressionism

Glass Pavilion,Werkbund Exhibition in Cologne 1914 by Bruno Taut

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
74

Eigen Haard Housing Project, Amsterdam 1913-15, Michael de Klerk

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture

Other examples of Amsterdam School Architecture 75

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
76

…evokes a giant liner..

Chilehaus, Hamburg 1921-24

Fritz Hoger
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
77

Grundtvig Church, Denmark 1913-1926,

P.V.Jensen-Klimt
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
78

The Grosses Schauspielhaus (The Great Theater) Berlin 1919, Hans Poelzig
The catalysts of Modern Architecture

‘Inner Energy &

Tension in Form’

Einstein Tower, Postdam1920-24,

Erich Mendelsohn
79
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
80

Einstein’ key ideas,

‘MATTER AND ENERGY’

expression of spiritual order,

internal process and the
rhythm of heaven and earth
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
81

Factory with crane Sacred building

Mendelsohn’s expressionist ideas in sketches

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
82

France
‘Cubism’

Influenced by Key ideas

 Otto Wagner
(architect)  New artistic language
 Reject the bourgeois
 Pablo Picasso
 Use of pictorial art
(master painter)
The catalysts of Modern Architecture

Examples of Pablo Picasso paintings

83
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
84

“The Black Madonna” Department Store, Prague 1911-12

Josef Gocar
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
85

Villa, Huis ter Heide 1916

Robert van’t Hoff
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
86

ITALY
‘Futurism’
Key ideas
 Began as a poetic movement than expanded into

architecture
 Expression of a denial of the past and a belief in

progress
 Idealism-’new imagery city’-modern metropolis
 Movement and the power of speed as a defining

character of the future.

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
87

Manifesto 1909 (FUTURISM),

 Attack on historicism / traditional culture

 Championed the expression nourished by

contemporary forces and poetic sensations by the

 Industrial environment

 Suggested the destruction of museums and

academies
 New beauty- ‘beauty of speed’ – ‘dynamism’

‘ships, aircrafts and automobiles’

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
88

Antonio Sant’elia
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
89

la Citta Nueva –the new city Antonio Sant’Elia

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
90

La Citta Nouva
‘the new city’
Ideas,
 Abstract and poetic – abolish
decoration
 Swift, mobile and dynamic

 Progressive, bold and simple

 Elasticity and lightness

 Mechanical analogies

 Celebrating new materials – iron,

glass to replace brick and wood
 Building types – ‘hangars,
stepped apartment, multilevel
stations’
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
91

ARCHITECTURE AFTER THE WW1

 The period 1900-20 is defined as the new

direction of modern art and architecture

 1920-30 after the war, a new , more relevant

architecture backed by social purpose came into
scene.
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
92

HOLLAND
‘de stijl’
It was formed in 1917 by Influenced by
 French Cubists
 Theo van Doesburg

 Gerrit Thomas Rietveld  Piet Mondrian

 Jacobus Johannes Pieter Oud
 Frank Lloyd
 Jan Wils Wright
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
93
•

Composition with Red, Yellow,

and Blue, 1921 by Piet Mondrian
 Rectilinear purity so carefully
considered that the slightest
change would destroy the integrity
of the composition. I
 Individual elements to maintain
absolute equilibrium and a strong
sense of tension extending to the
outer edges of the canvas.

 Perfectly balanced compositions

rendered in pure line and planes
of primary colors.

The idea of ‘Neo-plasticism’

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
94

Neo-plasticism is the belief that art should

not be the reproduction of real objects, but
the expression of the absolutes of life.

To the artists way of thinking, the only

absolutes of life were vertical and
horizontal lines and the primary colours.
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
95

De Stijl’s manifesto in 1918,

 Rejection of all traditional ornamental

decoration
 Building should be as radically simplified as
the Mondrian’s art
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
96

Design ideas and characters,

 Neo-plasticism
 Conception of spaces
 Reaction towards ‘Classical Beaux Art’
 Influenced by African sculptural arts, oriental carpets and
Japanese printing
 Simple and geometrical
 Straight lines
 Plain cubes with interpenetrating flat planes
 Primary colors
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
97

Schroder House, Utretch 1924, Gerrit T. Rietveld

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
98

Schroder House, Utretch 1924, Gerrit T. Rietveld

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
99
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
100

Bedroom set and clock by Rietveld

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
101

Red and blue chair, table by Rietveld

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
102

RUSSIA
‘Constructivism’
After the Russian revolution,
 artistic and architectural expression through art,
poster and propaganda
 social reconstruction to portray Russians as the
most advance society
 from 1917 to 1932 Russian artistic ideas were among
the foremost in the world
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
103

 Constructivism was founded by an artist/architect

named Vladimir Tatlin who born in Moscow. He studied
at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and
Architecture and at the Penza Art School.
 An underlying feature of Constructivism is that it was
promoted by the new Soviet Education Commissariat
which used artists and art to educate the public.
 As an educator, Tatlin emphasized design principles
based on the inner behavior and loading capacities of
material. It was this work with materials that inspired
the Constructivist movement in architecture and design.
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
104

 Constructivist art is characterized by a total abstraction and

the acceptance of everything modern. It is often very
geometric, it is usually experimental, and is rarely
emotional.
 Objective forms and icons were used over the subjective or
the individual. The art is often very simple and reduced,
paring the artwork down to its basic elements.
 Constructivist artists often used new media to create their
work. They sought an art of order, which would reject the
past old order which had culminated in World War I. It is
their attempt to pursue a world of more understanding,
unity and peace.
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
105

Artworks, sculptures

Suprematism, 1918
Kasimir Malevich and Lazar Lissitsky
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
106

The Man with the Movie Camera, 1929

This poster was created by Vladimir and
Georgii Stenberg, who were members of a
group of artist engineers in the early Soviet
Union. It was to promote films that embody
the constructivist style.
This poster uses a montage of several
drawings and designs from the film. It uses
contrasting colours and simple designs and
geometric shape. It has a very strong
emphasis on technology (the camera), which
persists in the constructivist art.
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
107

Model for the 3rd International Tower, 1919-

1920, Vladimir Tatlin

Russian Constructivism derived its name from

Tatlin's construction of abstract sculptures.
This model displays the ideals of abstraction,
functionalism and utilitarianism.
It characterised most of the Constructivist
sculptures created from diverse materials of the
industrial age: metal, wire and plastics which
signified the strong influence of technology
Mock-up as a gigantic communication centre with
radio, film studios and meeting rooms to
challenge Eiffel Tower
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
108

Buildings and structures

Pravda Building Project, 1923, Moscow,

by Vesnin Brothers (Victor, Leonid, Alexander)

‘Things created by modern artists must be pure

constructions, devoid from ballast of representation’
…..like abstract paintings.
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
109

The Wolkenbugel 1924, Lissitzky and Stam

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
110

Rosakov Workers Club, 1928, Konstantin Melnikov

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
111

Lenin Institute, 1927, Leonidov

‘radio mast were a major part of soviet architectural thoughts…
a way of educating people in the remote areas’
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
112

ITALY
‘Rationalist’

Emphasises,
‘Architecture should based strictly on laws of logic
and proportion’
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
113

Casa del Fascio,Como, Italy(1936), Giuseppi Terragni

 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
114

Discussions
 Revolutionary of the voices and languages in
architecture in responding to the scientific and
technological progress
 Similarities and differences of movements
 Order and logic of the ‘classical’
 Natural organism of the ‘romanticism’
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
115

Italian Rationalist
GIUSEPPE TERRAGNI AND GRUPPO 7

….ARCHITECTURE BASED STRICTLY ON THE LAWS OF

LOGIC AND PROPORTION….
 The catalysts of Modern Architecture
116

Summary
Modern architecture began as,
• Social reaction towards the life styles of
the previous societies – ‘social revolution’
• Industrialization
• The need to change – ‘universal, spirit of
experiment, inquiry and artistic’
 117

to be continued…..