Otto Wagner modern theory of architecture - Book Report/Review Example

Architecture being an art harmonizes the requirements of beauty in a building. It is a manifest of historical efforts by man to put up magnificent structures. Many unique architectural designs can be encountered in different parts of the world. Their uniqueness has been influenced by several factors including religion, migrations, ancient traditions and conquests. This manifests the significance and immeasurable value placed in architecture. Origin of architecture can be traced back to the antiquity in Romanesque and the Gothic Building styles developed with no literary research.

Traditional knowledge of architecture improved with deterioration of Latin literacy. As a proponent of Architectural realism, Otto Wagner main interest was in urban planning. Despite commencing his work as a traditional architect, he pioneered the transition from historicism to modern architecture that that spoke the innovativeness of its time. Wegner began his work as an architect with buildings designed in conventional Baroque and neo-classism styles. He attempted to deviate from the established traditional forms of architecture and brought in structural rationalism and technology.

However he retained the aspects of historicism and eclecticism. His style embraced and exhibited a distinctive change in architecture from traditional to purposeful building. The church of Vienna’s Steinhoff Sanitarium, the postal savings bank and several entrances to Vienna’s city railway are some of Wagner’s creative buildings. The argument of more honest, customized and functional architectural form is expressed in this building. This creativity is exhibited in structural composition and the incorporation of creative designs in areas such as the doors and windows.

The belief of art having purpose is expressed from his statement,”The practical element of man, which is particularly pronounced at now, is evidently here to stay and every architect is going to have to come to grip with the postulate, something that is not practical cannot be beautiful” (Otto 100). In the exploration of the ideas of modernity in architecture, he used the designs of his own buildings. He implored new technology, materials and simpler ornamentation. By considering modern technical conditions, he sought an architecture that freed himself from an all imitation.

Through his teachings and practice, Wagner developed architecture that did not imitate historical buildings. So what was the basis of his architecture? The ideas of Jugendstil were represented in Wagner’s work in the 1980s. Other architects seemed to set him apart because of his perspective on industrialization that meant the use of machines aesthetics, glorification of technological advancements and incorporation of new materials such as iron in architectural work. This incorporation of an open metallic crown with floral decoration and lighting bolt heads was evident on his work.

In his book modern architecture, he supports architecture based on modern materials and modern construction methods. He states, “All modern forms must be in harmony with the new requirements of our time” (Otto 23). He dispensed himself with almost all ornamentation and used materials in their