|
Twentieth
Century architecture saw the complete flexibility of
design and materials and, as Frank Lloyd Wright
stated, “the reality of a building was not the container
but the space within.” Wright, as an apprentice to Louis
Sullivan , drew his early design inspirations from
children’s learning blocks, Japanese architecture and
Thomas Jefferson’s belief in the common man. Wright’s
architecture progressed to become a unified plan between
the materials, the structure and the site creating a
natural flow through a free space. His “prairie houses”
had sweeping, horizontal lines, extended roofs, and
an absence of symmetry. In the 1930’s, Wright began
to provide his prairie house plans to be used for lower
income housing.
In
contrast to Wright’s theories, architect Le Corbusier
(Charles Edouard Jeanneret-Gris) believed that a building
must function as a “machine for living.” His buildings
were designed with complete freedom in subdividing the
interior into functional spaces. Le Corbusier also wanted
to build whole cities with living, working, and recreation
spaces suiting the needs of each individual.
German
architect Walter Gropius wanted to provide space for
large sections of the population, not specific individuals
like Le Corbusier. Gropius and his Bauhaus school students
designed factories and group housing; furniture, pottery,
and advertising; all meant as good design to be mass-produced
and available to all.
Mass-production
was the key after World War II as the war-based economy
was replaced by peacetime values. The demand for housing
exploded and cities grew outward with suburban housing
developments. Economical housing was created by the
standardization of a few simple designs and by using
materials that blended with the local environment. Though
criticized as “cookie-cutter” design, these housing
provided a comfortable living space for thousands of
families.
Modernism
adopted new technology as an evolution of architectural
progress and made a building’s function apparent in
its design. This continued until the 1970’s when a new
generation of artists and designers rejected Modernism
and adopted a Post-Modern viewpoint. Post-Modernism
revived vernacular styles but used cutting-edge
building materials and techniques. This allowed for
a reinterpretation of traditional ideas while inventing
revolutionary new forms in architecture.
What
do you think is next for architecture? What kind of
house do you see people living in 100 years from now?
Do you think Margaret Brown could have imagined that
she would have a 40-story skyscraper just a few blocks
from her house? Or, that computers would become the
command center of a house, opening the curtains, turning
on the heat, and starting your dinner?
Next: Form vs.
Function?
|
