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A Different Kind of Modernism
I'm starting to
have mixed feelings about modernist architecture: some of it I find repulsive
and other examples are simply breathtaking. I agree
with Brad's assertion that change is good and necessary: we don't want to
recycle the same style over and over again until it simply becomes stagnant. We
need something that will develop with and reflect our culture. However, I take
issue with the Modernists' insistence of completely breaking from the past and
"making something new." Development is crucial, but how can we
develop a relevant and time-appropriate style of architecture if we have no
starting point, no ground on which to build? We are all products of our past
and our environment, so it makes sense that architecture too should have some
links to the past.
Perhaps it would
be useful to refine our concept of "modern" architecture, because at
this point I think we're grouping different styles under the name
"modernism." Modernism we can equate with the "floating box"
stripped of all ornamentation, generally cold and "expressed in a pure
geometry" (Paradise Now 503). The photo-examples given by Amanda and a few
by Brad seem to be in a slightly different style, with less geometry and more
creativity. I think we can safely call this style closer to postmodernism than
modernism. Postmodernism was a reaction against the cold design of modernism
and strove to "banish the fear of memory from modern architectural
design" (Britannica). It also incorporated more ornamentation and often
contained "playful elements" (Britannica).
Some postmodern buildings also take cues from past styles, such as Robert Venturi's addition to the National Gallery in London , which is heavily influenced by Classical architecture
I think
postmodern architectural style is much closer to what we view as
"good" modern architecture -- it references the past, its shapes
seems more true to nature that the harsh geometry of its precursor, and, in
some ways, it's just friendlier than modernist architecture. It's also able to
do this while still creating something new. So postmodernism seems to best
combine the ideals of Ruskin's architecture with the main demand of modernism
to create a style that best suites the needs of a dynamic, evolving culture
like our own.
Source:
"architecture, Western." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition. 26 Sept. 2006
<http://library.eb.com/eb/article-47421>
This is a great
page if you're interested in Postmodernism. You probably won't be able to
access it unless 1) you have an account with Britannica or 2) you have a City
of
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