UST College of Architecture

Theory of Architecture 2

Notes - Postmodernism and Critical Regionalism

A. POSTMODERNISM

● A late-20th-century style and concept in the arts, architecture, and criticism

● A reaction to modernism
● Represents a departure from modernism
● General distrust of grand theories and ideologies
● The term is associated with scepticism, irony and philosophical critiques of the concepts
of universal truths and objective reality.

Postmodern Art
(1) an elevation of text and language as the fundamental phenomena of existence

(2) the application of literary analysis to all phenomena

(3) a questioning of reality and representation

(4) a critique of metanarratives (cultural narrative that orders and explains knowledge and
experience)

(5) an argument against method and evaluation

(6) a focus upon power relations and hegemony (dominance)

(7) a general critique of Western institutions and knowledge

Postmodern Architecture

● Style which emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the austerity, formality, and lack
of variety of modern architecture
● Formally introduced by the architect and urban planner Denise Scott Brown and
architectural theorist Robert Venturi in their 1972 book Learning from Las Vegas.
● Flourished from the 1980s-1990s
● Some buildings built after this period are still considered postmodern.

Exponents of Postmodern Architecture

ROBERT VENTURI - “Less is a bore.” He authored Complexity and Contradiction in

Architecture.

Postmodernism’s main character is emphasized in the façade:

● Incorporation of historical elements

● A subtle use of unusual materials and historical allusions
● Use of fragmentation and modulations to make the building interesting
DENISE SCOTT BROWN - “Buildings should be built for people, and architecture should
listen to them.”

● Architect and Urban planner

● “FFF Studios”
○ Systematic approach to planning
○ form, forces, and function determine and help define the urban environment

Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown

● Urged architects to celebrate the existing architecture in a place, rather than to try to
impose a visionary utopia from their own fantasies.
● Understand the city in terms of social, economic and cultural perspectives
● Studies the trends of an area, marking future expansions or congestions.
● Ornamental and decorative elements “accommodate existing needs for variety and
communication”
● Advocated new ways of thinking about buildings
● Pritzker Prize Controversy (1991)
● Examples: Guild House and Vanna Venturi House

● The two authored “Learning from Las Vegas”

● Las Vegas = "non-city" and outgrowth of a "strip"
● The research group from Yale University, studied various aspects of the city
○ Commercial vernacular
○ Lighting
○ Patterns and styles
○ Architectural symbolism
● Venturi and Scott Brown created a taxonomy for the forms, signs, and symbols
they encountered.
● Ducks and Decorated Sheds are the 2 architectural typologies identified by
Venturi and Scott-Brown in Las Vegas
 Examples of “ducks” (left) Hotdog Stand at Coney Island; (right) basket-shaped Longaberger
Headquarters. Ducks are buildings that explicitly represent their function

MICHAEL GRAVES - “Architecture cannot divorce itself from drawing, no matter how
impressive the technology gets. Drawings are not just end products: they are part of the
thought process of architectural design. Drawings express the interaction of our minds,
eyes and hands.”

● Modernist architect in the 60s and 70s

● Longtime faculty member at Princeton
● Designs had Cubist-inspired elements and strong, saturated colors
● Work is famous for “playful style” and “colorful facades”
● Examples of his works: Portland Building, Denver Central Library, Hanselman House
(inspired by Le Corbusier), Team Disney Building, Walt Disney Dolphin Hotel, Walt
Disney Swan Hotel

Postmodern Architecture Characteristics

● Confusion and contradiction: new forms and features + contradictory elements of

classicism
● Arbitrary decorations: Uses elements of architectural history in new ways
● Fragmentation: Divides large buildings into several different structures and forms
(representing different functions)
● Curvilinear and asymmetrical forms: Rarely symmetrical, balanced, and orderly.
Usually curvilinear and fluid forms are used.
● Color: Unusual color palettes and combinations are featured.
● Humor and sculpture: Theatrical, absurd and sculptural forms

Other Postmodern Buildings:

M2 Building by Kengo Kuma
Piazza d’Italia by Charles Moore
AT&T Building and PPG Place by Philip Johnson
Chiat/Day Office Building by Frank Gehry
Kindergarten Wolfartsweier by Tomi Ungerer and Ayla Suzan
Hotel Zaandam by WAM Architected
Residence and Pool House by Robert A.M. Stern
B. CRITICAL REGIONALISM

Critical Regionalism counters the placelessness and lack of identity of the International Style
and rejects the whimsical individualism and ornamentation of Postmodern architecture

It believes that both modern and postmodern architecture are deeply problematic.

Critical Regionalism
● Architecture rooted in the modern tradition, but tied to geographical and cultural context.
● Not simply modern vernacular architecture
● Seeks to mediate between the global and the local languages of architecture.

Key Features

● Contextual Sensitivity: Buildings that fit seamlessly into their natural and cultural
surroundings.
● Use of Local Materials: Materials that are native to the area reflect the local
environment
● Human Scale: Consider the [local] human scale and interaction with the built
environment.
● Climatic Responsiveness: Adapting local climate conditions to improve comfort and
efficiency.
● Integration of Landscape: Blending the built form with the natural landscape to create
harmony.

Exponents of Critical Regionalism

Kenneth Frampton
● Architect, historian, author and architecture critic
● Studied architecture at the Guildford School of Art and the Architectural Association
School of Architecture in London
● Published essay “Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of
Resistance” (1983
His 6 Points of Critical Regionalism are:
1. Culture vs. Civilization. Critical Regionalism resists the dominance of universal
civilization while acknowledging the importance of progress.
2. Megaforms. Architecture should respond to the uniqueness of its site and community.
3. Place-Forms. Architecture should be deeply rooted in the specific characteristics of a
place, rather than adhering to globalized, placeless design trends.
4. Culture and Topography. Buildings should respond to the landscape rather than
dominate it.
5. The Visual vs. the Tactile. Frampton emphasizes the importance of engaging all
senses in experiencing architecture, not just the visual.
[Link] Critique of the Modernist "Glass-and-Steel" Aesthetic. He critiques the
overuse of industrial materials and internationalist aesthetics.
Glenn Murcutt
● Australian architect and Pritzker Prize Awardee
● Early architecture influenced by Mies, but Murcutt realized the importance of
understanding the impacts of Australia’s climate and landscape on architecture
● Analyzed and reinterpreted the key elements of Australian vernacular architecture
● Design solutions that responded to the Australian contexts.
● Example: Simpson-Lee House, Marika-Alderton House

Minette De Silva
● 1st Sri Lankan woman to be trained as an architect
● 1st Asian CIAM representative
● 1st Asian woman to be elected an associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects
(RIBA) in 1948
● Recognized for her contributions to developing 'regional modernism for the tropics’
● Examples: Karunaratne House - her first design and first house designed by a woman
(Sri Lanka), Kandy Arts Center

Balkrishna Doshi
● Indian architect
● Pritzker Prize awardee (2018) and Aga Khan Award for Architecture
● Worked under Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn
● Noted for his contributions to the evolution of architectural discourse in India
● Examples: Institute of Indology and Sangath