I remember in school, we were taught that
Modern Architecture began around the early 1920s, with the rise of prominent architects
such as Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier. And in a way, the image of their building
styles are probably what most people associate with Modern Architecture, sleek geometric
boxes of mostly glass and steel. So, for many years I took this as fact. However, the more I thought about it, the
more this seemed questionable. Ongoing developments in technological innovation,
changing attitudes of society, and the shifting of architectural theories were gradual process
that didn’t always coincide with each other. So when did Modern Architecture actually begin? Modernity is a complicated term to define
of course whether in architecture, art, literature, or philosophy. However in architecture, many attribute the
earliest beginnings of “modernization” to the industrial revolution, which first
took place in Britain from the mid-1700s to mid 1800s The development of large scale iron production
resulted in a large amount of iron making their way into building by the late 1700s,
which resulted in more efficient structural elements, wider beam spans, better lateral
stability as well as less fire-hazardous structures due to metal being non-combustible. But of course, while buildings during this
time used technologically advanced materials for practical reasons, they still “looked”
like traditional buildings, such as being cladded in traditional masonry and adhering
to classical proportions and visual styles. The building that is commonly accepted by
many to be the first example of “modern architecture” is the “The Crystal Palace”,
which was a 990,000 sqft building that hosted London’s legendary Great Exhibition of 1851. It was almost entirely made of slender cast
iron frames that sustained large sheets of plate glass. By the 1830s, technologies of the industrial
revolution made it possible for windows to be made significantly larger than ever before. However, what made the Crystal Palace revolutionary
was not only that it was tall, light and open, but it also seemed to defy conventional structural
expectations. Prior to this, all buildings were expected
to have a solid and sturdy base, with architectural elements getting progressively lighter as
it went up the building. This was not only true physically, but also
aesthetically. Classical architectural principals emphasized
this hierarchy of visual elements. To design a building that “looked” top
heavy not only seem to defy the laws of physics but also defied long-held aesthetic principals
of western architecture. The Home Insurance Building in Chicago, completed
in 1885, is often credited as the world’s first “Skyscraper.” Many construction projects in Chicago during
this time opted to use metal framing as opposed to timber due to the fact that most of Chicago
was destroyed during the Great Chicago fire of 1871. The Home Insurance Building became the first
tall building to be entirely supported by a structural steel frame. Steel is even stronger and more light weight
than iron, which not only meant buildings could be much taller, but window openings
could also be much larger, which is especially important at the ground level where retail
shopfronts are typically located. These early skyscrapers paved the way for modern
office towers and retail buildings. So why are we generally taught that Modern
Architecture didn’t begin until the early 20th century? Well it comes down to philosophy and theory. Even though new, revolutionary materials and
technologies were used in construction throughout the 1800s and buildings were starting to divert
away from classical aesthetics, most of those design decisions were made for practical and
economic reasons. It took until the turn of the 20th century
for the elements of modern architecture to be rationalized and standardized into a set
of formal principals. In 1896, American architect Louis Sullivan
published an essay titled "The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered" this is the essay where he coined the phrase “form follows function" which would go on to influence
generations of architects and designers. In 1919, Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus
School in Weimar, Germany. Bauhaus teachings asserted that architectural
form should be simplified to the bare essentials of function, and that a building should not
bear any ornamentation that does not follow the structure or purpose of the building. In 1920, Swiss architect Le Corbusier co-founded
a journal called L’Esprit Nouveau which advocated the idea that architectural design
should be divorced from historical references and associations. He also introduced urban planning theories
arguing that residential and commercial amenities should be zoned entirely separate from one
another. As you’ve probably noticed, these concepts
were pretty radical and while there were significant groups of architects and designers championing
these ideas around the world as early as the 1920s and 30s, most of the world was not ready
to get on board. Thus, there are some who argue that Modern
Architecture didn’t really begin until the 1950s. In the aftermath of WWII, massive reconstruction
projects took place all over the world, and due to the unprecedented scale of devastation
that occurred, there was a demand for economic construction processes and efficient urban
planning methods like never before. Thus, many public housing projects across
the world implemented modernist construction and planning strategies, but Modern concepts
of sleek minimalism and purity of form were also embraced by Capitalists and wealthy elites,
especially in America. Shiny, glass towers would pop up left, right
and centre across cities’ skylines throughout most of the 1950s and 60s. Thus, from the perspective of the masses,
the 1950s was really when Modern Architecture began to shape the lives of everyday people. Of course, the theories proposed by Modernist
would go on to be heavily criticized and in some cases entirely rejected by other architectural
designers, as well as the masses. Many sub-movements and diverging architectural
styles would later emerge as a response. But, those are topics for another time. So when did Modern Architecture actually begin? Well, what do you think? Do you think it starts with the departure
from classical conventions? The first published paper theorizing modern
practice? The founding of a school? Or the spread of its ideas to the masses? Let me know in the comments. Hey friends, thanks so much for watching. This video is obviously a very brief overview
of modern architecture so I’ve put lots of links to sources and further reading in
the description below. If you’re interested in watching more videos
like this, then here are a couple of my suggestions. Ok, bye for now! This video is obviously a very brief overview
of modern architecture so I’ve put - *cough cough* -oh f**k
Watched the whole thing! Super interesting stuff.
Great video! :D
U guys should really cheak out other stuff from their channel too. It's super cool.
The Wainwright Building! (Didn't watch the video, did used to live in Saint Louis.)
what is modern is relative to the age the declaration is made
Bricks made 'modern' architecture many thousands of years ago