American Architecture in Perspective - Assignment Example

Topic How has American architecture been influenced by cultural events over the decades? Cite specific examples. Scholars would never dispute thefact that American architecture has been relatively diverse owing to the influence of prominent subgroups that were behind the American cultural movements over the decades. The affinity of these sectors with the country they felt closest to shaped the emergence of several architectural designs such as those which follows the indigenous, colonial, African and the Mediterranean, among others. In the same way, the repercussions of economic depressions that have occurred in several periods of American history and crises such as that which happened in 1873 have also left their mark. For instance, the heightened interest in the simplification of the volumes and the exterior decoration paved the way for a sector of American contemporary architecture, which according to Joseph Scully and Neil Levine (2003), followed a trend which is geared towards order and clarity in design. “There is a renewed sense of large simple volumes of space, of clear structural articulation, of high, dignified proportion.” (Scully and Levine 2003, p. 64) Topic #2-What do you think the architecture of the future will look like using past models and influences as a guide Economic might is huge factor on what architecture would have to offer in the future. The current architectural landscape is set against a diminished economic and political power, not in the context of a loss in war, but in comparison to the glorious years in the tradition of the Chicago school, for example. During the days of expansion, of railways and steel, the American architecture burst with vitality and that observers do make a point of reminding us time and time again that what we have is a degenerating architecture in our midst. Given a positive economic scenario, American architecture would experience rejuvenation in the future otherwise it would wallow in stagnation and restrained vitality. Another interesting school of thought theorizing the future of American architecture is the contention that it is in dire need of new directions. Margaret Kentgens-Craig argued that the architect would be faced with designing dilemma. She stressed: On one hand, experimentation and innovation were desired; on the other, the lack of tangible alternatives hindered new concepts from taking hold… The great majority of artists in the country… are neither extreme modernists nor are they old fogies. They desire to be modern in thought and performance but they do no wish to throw over the traditions of the past. (Craig 1999, p. 30) Topic #3-Compare and contrast the architecture of the 3 different regions from the late 19th to early 20th century Regional variations in architecture are testaments of the eclectic diversity of the United States as a nation. An example of three different regional architectural groupings include colonial, indigenous and the urbanization. In the words of Mark Gelernter, we are provided with very specific distinctions on colonial architecture in the West. For example, In the 1920s the entire California town of Santa Barbara mandated the Spanish colonial style for all new future constructions. Charles Z. Klauder similarly established an Italian vernacular style for all buildings and future development on the University of Colorado campus… They expressed ideals which many Americans wished to attain after the upheavals of the war, including domestic bliss, material affluence and connections to ancient and venerable traditions. (p. 1921) Indeed, there are those who argue that Spanish architecture, as an example, appropriately expresses the Californian climate and culture. The late 19th century to the early 20th century marked a period in the architectural timeline when urbanization shaped the landscape as industries supported the growth of cities. Urban design became more and more significant with the likes of New York and Chicago experiencing substantial makeovers. The cities featured a reoriented architectural tradition where designing accommodated the advent of automobiles, circumferential expressways, and electronic communication. The American metropolis featured low skyline, two to four-storey buildings, homogenous architecture of brick rows or some other regional vernacular tradition and the Greek revival monuments which were transformed into functional edifices that would attract retail customers. (Conzen 1990, 273) A specific example would be the tenement buildings on North Street in Boston’s North End. This dense and congested area underwent a rebuilding cycle towards a turn-of-the-century living quarters. During this period, “small-scale building was revolutionized by ‘balloon-frame construction: a light frame of standard milled, 2-by-4-nch timber. Easy and economical to build, balloon-frame stores and houses were thrown up in towns and cities all over the expanding West and Midwest.” (Campbell et al. 2004, p. 71). Regionalism is also deeply manifested in the countryside as the likes of bold Richardsonian Romanesque, indigenous Native American motifs or Italianate Classicism architecture were used against the backdrop of powerful natural settings. (Gelernter, p. 1920) To cite some examples, we have the Broadmoor Hotel at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs and the Navajo influence on the chain of hotels associated with the Santa Fe Railroad in the Southwest. At this point, we refer to Frank Lloyd Wright’s design which according to most has a style that is uniquely his own. Wright, working mainly on private houses, abandoned all the historical elements of architecture. Instead, he created interior spaces that flow from one to another. Wright’s designs featured the innovative use of steel, glass and concrete, creating spaces and structures which have never been seen in the past. This style would establish its own category in the architecture. Topic #4- Thomas Moran became a very wealthy man after painting a series of pictures that would eventually lead to the founding of the country’s park system. The Congress appropriated $10,000 for the purchase of his drawing called the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone which measured seven by twelve feet and featured distant falls and a striking display of the canyon’s golden walls. (Moran, 2007) This painting would eventually launch a successful painting career. In 1871, when Moran came back to the Yellowstone there was already a burgeoning town in the Green River Valley of Wyoming, which Moran closely identifies with Yellowstone. The town had a school house, church, hotel and a brewery along the western terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad. In the painting, however, called Cliffs of the Upper Colorado River, the architectural structure was different and the National Gallery of Art has this to day: Exercising a degree of artistic license worthy of Turner, Moran erased all signs of commercial development, concentrating instead on the multicolored buttes rising above river. In painting that contained more fiction than fact, Moran replaced railroad tracks with Indian caravans. This theme would, henceforth, inspire other variations which reflected a nostalgic view of Indian life. Topic #5-Cite 3 Architectural Revival Movements The “revival” in the Greek Revival Movement is said to be a misnomer. Barksdale Maynard states that this style is only a revival in the sense that its decorative vocabulary was based upon classic Greek detail, while in all other aspects it was typically America. (Eggener 2004, p. 132) This architectural movement is said to be unique to the country and a peculiar expression of democratic meanings. It has no counterpart in Europe and the temple-form house, in particular was independent of contemporaneous European influence. Gothic revival, on the other hand, was intimately bound up with ideas of self-sufficiency and Christian virtue. (Eggener, p. 95) It is marked by the classical styles popular in medieval times. It is particularly popular in United Kingdom, Europe and North America. The St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York is one example of this style. (link: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3d/StPatricksfrom45Rock.JPG) Finally, Romanesque Revival pertains to the style that was famous before the Civil War. Popeliers et al. (2003) described it as Round Arch Style owing to its salient characteristics which are the rounded arches and belt courses. (p. 54) Its difference over its historic counterparts in the 11th and 12th century is the simplicity in style. An excellent example of this movement is the Bexar County Courthouse in San Antonio, Texas. (link: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Bexar_County_Court_House_perspective.jpg) 1. What is Modernist Architecture? Modernist architecture is a term given to building styles with similar characteristics, having simplified form and with no overt decorations proclaiming utility and function as the presiding factors in building design. Bill Risebero (1985), in his book, Modern Architecture and Design, explained that it is anti-stylistic with its design seen in the context of, and defined by, modern economic system. (p. 11) 2. What is Post-Modernism? Post modernism is largely seen as a reaction to the modernist’s emphasis on function. Tim Woods (1991) elaborated that postmodernism is partly generated by the necessity of postwar urban housing regeneration, in a grand utopian gesture. (p. 90) He further explained its relationship to modernism in these words: Postmodernism is a knowing modernism, a self-reflexive modernism, a modernism that does, only in a celebratory rather than repentant way. (p. 8) 3. Outline the life and work of Philip Johnson. Philip Johnson is an icon in American architecture. He founded the Department of Architecture and Design at MoMA and was awarded an American Institute of Architects Gold Medal. His famous work include the Glass House, his own residence, the Seagram Building and the Puerta de Europa in Madrid, among others. 4. Name the political and social influences seen in the architecture post 1970s. Japan is a testament to what happened in architecture after the 1970s in the context of social and political influences. Faced with rapid commercial expansion and limitation on land area, technology to consumerism became the base for both architecture and the culture. On the other hand, according to Fletcher et al. (1996), cities also increasingly shifted towards being cosmopolitan citing historical images and the multitude of eclectic sources and as a result buildings celebrated the diversities of the modern city and architecture began to enjoy the popular, playful and profitable. (p. 1582) 5. Name 5 Post-Modern Structures 1. Seagram Building 2. Piazza dItalia 3. San Antonio Public Library 4. Abteiberg Museum 5. Portland Public Service Building Bibliography Campbell, J., Chilcoat, L., Derby, S. and Nystrom D. Lonely Planet USA. Lonely Planet, 2004 Conzen, M. The Making of American Landscape. UK: Routledge, 1990 Craig, M. The Bauhaus and America. MIT Press, 1999 Eggener, K. American Architectural History: A Contemporary Reader. UK: Routledge, 2004 Gelernter, Mark. A History of American Architecture. UPNE, 2001 Moran. National Gallery of Art. 2007. Retrieved January26, 2007, from http://www.nga.gov/feature/moran/west7.shtm Moran. National Gallery of Art. 2007. Retrieved January 26, 2007, from http://www.nga.gov/feature/moran/west14.shtm Poppeliers, J., Schwartz, N. and Chambers, A. What Style is it: A Guide to American Architecture, rev. ed. John Wiley and Sons, 2003 Risebero, B. Modern Architecture and Design. MIT Press, 1985 Scully, V. and Levine, N. Modern Architecture and Other Essays. Princeton University Press, 2003 Woods, Tim. Beginning Postmodernism. Manchester University Press, 1999 Cliffs of the Upper Colorado River Read More