Context?
Postmodernism stemmed from the ideals of self-expression, freedom to allow diversity and most importantly, deny Modernism. The pause created in the economy by the Second World War allowed for this shift in the ideology. Through this change, architects started to analyze their immediate context and learn from existing parameters of the cityscape. Like Modernists, they were as well inspired by the technological advancements, letting them shift from the Utopian ideal to an artificial one. Although this ideal was retrospective with respect to the context, it did not relate or acknowledge the connections with the immediate context. This contradiction, interestingly, doesn’t blend this architecture with its fabric rather makes it an icon.
The Hotel Sphinx
This drawing depicts the city grid only and doesn't show a relation to the mass or activity of the context.
The Floating Pool by Rem Khoolas
Again, the context becomes the backdrop of the architecture.
Lastly, it's interesting to hear Robert Venturi and Dennise Scott Brown talk about their practice.
https://youtu.be/u4RJcNHWu7Y
Does this mean that post-modernism architects have more of an ego than modernist architects? With iconic buildings it often becomes undeniable who the architect is.
ReplyDeleteAll architects struggle with ego. Modernists had the vision of trying to save the world by creating Utopia, Post-Modernists had the ego of letting go of this idea with their "New and Correct" vision for future metropolis.
DeleteUnfortunately, with the power and responsibility architects face, ego is surely our profession's pitfall.
I'm not sure if it is a question of ego or if it is purely exploration of form and function. They are very interested in studying context, but rather than relating to it they strive to imagine new possibilities.
ReplyDeleteIt probably is both!
DeleteAlternatively, it might be a question not of which has more ego, but the nature of each ego, especially considering modernism and post-modernism are so dramatically different in their goals and practices.
ReplyDeleteI think Postmodernism dose not deny Modernism. It is just another way to express themselves. Postmodernism still use the technology that the Modernism used, and tried to think more about people's activities.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with yage that the advent of postmodern architecture does not mean deny of modernist architecture. It now appears that postmodern architecture can also be considered as a partial revision and expansion of modernist architecture and as yet another manifestation of the diverse development of modernist architecture.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, when the postmodernist were trying to propose a new direction of architecture they were explicit about being wanting to reject Modernism in all forms.
DeleteIt is now that we retrospect and understand that they were connected and can draw inferences that connects both.