PHASES OF POST
MODERNISM
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• HISTORICISM
• HIGH TECH
• NEO MODERN
• CRITICAL REGIONALISM
• MEMPHIS MILANO
• DECONSTRUCTIVISM
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
HISTORICISM
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
• Returning back to Classical Architecture. (Where as Modernism rejected all
classical and traditional decorative forms)
• Axial symmetry
• External form, ornamentation and meaning.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
Team Disney Building ,Michael Graves [Link] G KOIPPALLIL
ALLAN GREENBERG
• Allan Greenberg (born September 1938) is an American
architect and one of the leading classical architects of the
twenty-first century, also known as New Classical
Architecture.
• He was the originator and leading practitioner of
"canonical classicism," one of many design responses
to postmodernism emerging in the mid-1970s
• Classicism as architectural vocabulary of post modern era.
• Contemporary Classicism
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
PORTLAND PUBLIC SERVICE BUILDING
• 15 storied municipal office building at Portland Oregon, USA
• Opened : 1982
• Architect : MICHAEL GRAVES
• Competition entry judged by Philip Johnson: a rejection of Modernist Principle
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• The Portland Building, by architect and product designer Michael Graves, is
considered the first major built work of Postmodernist architecture.
• The design, which displays numerous symbolic elements on its monumental
facades, stands in purposeful contrast to the functional Modernist architecture
that was dominant at the time.
• As Graves explains of his architecture: it’s “a symbolic gesture, an attempt to re-
establish a language of architecture and values that are not a part of modernist
homogeneity.”
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• The building attempts to create a continuum between past and present: it’s a
symmetrical block with four off-white, stucco-covered rectangular facades
featuring reinterpreted Classical elements, such as over-scaled keystones, pilasters
and belvederes.
• The building is set on a two-story base, reminiscent of a Greek pedestal, which
divides it into the Classical three-part partition of base-body-top.
• Furthermore, Graves added symbolism through color—green for the ground, blue
for the sky, etc—in order to visually tie the building to its environment and
location.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Front facade inspired from Classical architecture
• Ceramic tiles and glass curtain-wall façade design
• Eclectic, Classical ornamentation in new paradigm
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• 1st notable Post Modern Building
• Square: Modernism: Post Modern decorations wrapped around Modernism
• Architectural historian Charles Jencks wrote: "The Portland still is the first major
monument of Post Modernism, just as the Bauhaus was of Modernism, because
with all its faults it still is the first to show that one can build with art, ornament,
and symbolism on a grand scale"
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
HUMANA BUILDING
• Head quarter of Humana Corporation. Opening year: 1985
• Situated at the downtown of Kentucky
• Architect: Michael Graves
• Locally called Milk-carton building
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Each of the sides of the building is different, but all meet in a sloping pyramid at
the top and are clad in pink granite. The north facade's exterior gallery, for
instance, is perfectly flush with the original Main Street storefronts, so that it
honors the older downtown architecture.
The large curve at the top of the building serves as an observation deck, and is the
outermost point of the building, providing for a view of the Ohio River and Main
Street.
• Pink Granite cladding of exterior facade inspired from eclectic depiction of
different historic monuments.
• Parthenon and pyramid
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
ENGINEERING RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF
CINCINNATI, WEST CAMPUS
• Michael Graves, 1995
• Serves as entrance point of the campus
• Four main volume, the primary one breaking the symmetry of the building
• Topped with four sculptural smokestacks
• Called Cash Register due to its curved copper roof
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
Depiction or Doric columns [Link] G KOIPPALLIL
Place making ( place over space) [Link] G KOIPPALLIL
Vanna Venturi House – Robert Venturi
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1964
• Less is bore
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Architects can no longer afford to be intimidated by the puritanically moral
language of orthodox Modern architecture. I like elements which are hybrid rather
than "pure," compromising rather than "clear," distorted rather than
"straightforward." ... I am for messy vitality over obvious unity. I include the non
sequitur and proclaim duality.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Complex Form
• Pitched Roof
• Historic depiction
• Axial balance, classical proportion
• Change of scale and proportion
• Ground floor set firmly on land: not elevated on pilotis
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] ITALIA,CHARLES WILLIAM MOOR,NEW ORLEANS 1978
• Arch of Septimius Severus
• Pinnacles and flying buttress – Gothic
• Water spouts
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• This site initially was meant for
people with Italian heritage.
• It included a temple-shaped
pergola, a triumphal arch,
painted stucco over a steel
frame, a campanile, curved
colonnades, and an island-
shaped in the form of Italy.
• A highly pictorial approach was
taken by Charles Moore in
designing the Piazza. Around
the fountain, the colonnades,
arches, and a bell tower is
arranged in a curving formation.
Brightly colored structures were
trimmed with classical orders.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Stuttgart Museum, James Stirling
• Stuttgart Germany ,1984
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
HIGH TECH
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• High-tech architecture, also known as structural expressionism, is a type of Late
Modern architectural style that emerged in the 1970s, incorporating elements of high
tech industry and technology into building design.
• High-tech architecture grew from the modernist style, utilizing new advances in
technology and building materials.
• It emphasizes transparency in design and construction, seeking to communicate the
underlying structure and function of a building throughout its interior and exterior.
• High-tech architecture makes extensive use of aluminium, steel, glass, and to a lesser
extent concrete (the technology for which had developed earlier), as these materials
were becoming more advanced and available in a wider variety of forms at the time
the style was developing - generally, advancements in a trend towards lightness of
weight.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Technology as ornamentation
• Technology can be construction technique, new material or services
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
POMPIDOU CENTRE ,RICHARD ROGERS AND RENZO
PIANO,1977,PARIS
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• The Centre Pompidou is a cultural landmark that has its structure and mechanical
services visible on the exterior of the building.
• The highly-flexible container for art was completed in 1977 by British architect
Rogers and Italian architect Piano, who were then collaborating together at their
studio named Rogers + Piano.
• "The centre is like a huge spaceship made of glass, steel and coloured tubing that
landed unexpectedly in the heart of the Paris, and where it would very quickly set
deep roots," Piano said of the building.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Described by Piano as a "big urban toy", Centre Pompidou contains six-storeys of
large column-free spaces. It is the largest museum for modern art in Europe and
also contains a vast public library and a centre for music and acoustic research.
• The building is designed so that the internal spaces can be easily rearranged –
made possible by placing the building services, corridors, elevators and structural
members on its exterior.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
COLOR CODING OF EXTERNAL SERVICES
• Green - Plumbing
• Blue - Climate Control
• Yellow - Electrical
• Red - Fire Safety And Circulation
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
LLYOD BUILDING,RICHARD ROGERS,MIKE
DAVIES,LONDON,1986
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Similar to Centre Pompidou the Lloyd’s building is designed “inside out.” All of the
service functions are removed from the interior and placed at the exterior of the
building.
• This not only allows for easy replacement and maintenance on the elevators,
plumbing, or electrical facilities, but it frees up the interior to create an open and
flexible plan that allows for uninterrupted activity on each level.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• With the open spatial planning, the interior is capable of being reconfigured on a
moment to moment basis with partition walls that can subdivide each floor and
create new and interesting spaces.
• The Lloyd’s of London building consists of three main towers-each attached to
their own service tower-that are concentrically oriented around a 60 meter atrium
at the heart of the building.
• Each floor acts as a gallery overlooking the atrium; however, only the first four
floors are open to the atrium whereas the rest are enclosed by glass panels.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Bowellism –inside out architecture
• Services exposed as part of the façade design
• Clutter free interior space
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
PACIFIC DESIGN CENTRE 1975,CESAR PELLI, LOS
ANGELES,CALIFORNIA
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Designed by architect Cesar Pelli and Norma Merrick Sklarek for Gruen Associates,
the complex was created to serve as a multi-use facility for the design community,
containing everything from workshops to showrooms to restaurants.
• It rose in three major stages. The first (1975) was Center Blue, an enormous, bright
blue building that almost immediately became known as "The Blue Whale" for its
outrageous size and hue.
• Next (1988) came Center Green, a huge, faceted, bright green building. In 2011,
the two buildings were joined by Center Red, a suitably gargantuan, pointedly
curving, bright red building.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Bright red ,blue and green tinted glass cladding
• Technology as ornamentation
• Strong and remarkable urban form
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
GHERKIN,LONDON,2001,NORMAN FOSTER
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• The first ecological skyscrapers in London, England, a rapidly recognizable addition
to the city’s skyline, is located at 30 St Mary Axe.
• The building was built on the former location of the Baltic Exchange, destroyed by
an IRA bomb in 1992, as a result the location has a historical, cultural, and
emotional significance that required a special consideration by each of the parties
involved.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• The building has roots in a radical, technical, architectural, social and spatial
approach. Generated by a radial plan, its energy-conscious enclosure resolves
walls and roof with a continuous triangular skin, allowing very spacious floor
columns, lights and views.
• Norman Foster conceived the aerodynamic form as a possibility to allow the wind
to flow around the building, its facades, instead of being diverted downwards, at
ground level.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
NEO MODERNISM
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Neomodern or neomodernist architecture is a reaction to the complexity
of postmodern architecture and eclecticism in architecture, seeking greater
simplicity.
• Neo-modern architecture shares many of the basic characteristics of the modern
movement of the first half of the 20th century.
• Both reject ornamentation, applied decorations and deliberate attempts to imitate
the past.
• Neo-modern buildings, like modern ones, are designed with emphasis on
functionality, and looking for a sober aesthetic and monolithic volumes.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
NEO MODERN
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
• New-simplicity Reaction against complexity & eclecticism of post-modern architecture
• Reform of modern approach
• Neo-modern denotes the time-frame, when the post-modern (historicism) was waning
off.
• Reaction against the predatory result of market-economy and capitalism.
• Neo-modernism describes a school of thought driven out of modernism as well as
criticizing the modernist approach from post-modern context.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
NEW HARMONY ATHENEUM, RICHARD MEIER, 1979.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• A visitors centre at New Harmony. Named After Greek Athenaeum,Temple Of
Athena.
• Design based on modernity and its critical refinement.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
MODERNITY
• Extensive use of white color
• Use of predominant rectilinear design elements
• Material palette – similar to internationalism
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART,BARCELONA ,SPAIN
,1987-1995, RICHARD MEIER
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
JUBILEE CHURCH ROME,ITALY ,2003
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
WALL HOUSE 2,GRONINJEN,NETHERLAND,JOHN HEJDUK
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
CRITICAL REGIONALISM
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Critical regionalism is an architectural concept that seeks to balance local needs
and capabilities with the progressive lessons of modernization.
• The term Critical Regionalism was coined by Alexander Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre in
the early 1980s, and was later elaborated by architectural critic and historian
Kenneth Frampton in his essay ‘Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an
Architecture of Resistance’, published in 1983.
• Critical regionalism can be defined is an architectural approach that strives to
counter the homogeneity inherent in modernist architecture (Henrique,
2013, Slessor, 2000).
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• By using contextual forces, critical regionalism imparts a sense of place and
meaning to architecture.
• Critical regionalist designs are sensitive to the local climate as well as the
technological constraints of the local building industry.
• The practitioners of critical regionalism seek to integrate global architectural and
technological developments with regional sensibilities derived from spatial,
cultural and historical contexts (Yeang, 1987).
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Contemporary architecture has predominately been indulging in standardised
solutions that aim to minimise construction costs (Henrique, 2013).
• Homogeneous solutions are being replicated around the world without paying
much attention to the specificities of different locations where the buildings are
situated.
• By employing normative plans, the construction industry has reduced the role of
architecture to merely designing the external skins for packaging their buildings
(Frampton, 2007).
• Critical regionalism is therefore vital in contemporary times as it resists the
overpowering onslaught of homogeneously internationalised architecture by
relating architecture to the realities of the place.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
Context-specific Architecture: Does the design respect the character of the
surroundings in which it is situated? (Yeang, 1987)
Historical Knowledge: Does the architecture take into account the building traditions
of the region? The design should however incorporate historical knowledge only in its
essence and should not resort to literal references (Yeang, 1987, Mehrotra, 2011,).
Climate Responsiveness: Does the architecture of the building respond self-evidently
to the climatic conditions at the site where it is situated? The design should benefit
from best solar orientations and should minimise the dependence on mechanical
means such as air-conditioning and artificial lighting for the functioning of the building
(Correa, 1983, Yeang, 1987, pp. 57; Henrique, 2013).
Materiality: Does the project use locally available materials predominantly for the
construction? (Henrique, 2013)
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
Ecology and Landscape: Does the project minimise the impact of its construction on
the ecology of the site and the surroundings? (Yeang, 1987)
Social and Cultural Appropriateness: Does the architecture of the building respond to
the social needs and lifestyle choices of its intended users? (Lefaivre and Tzonis,
2003, pp. 11; Jain, 2000)
Technology: Does the design adapt modern technology in a sustainable way to
benefit the building programme? (Lefaivre and Tzonis, 2003; Yeang, 1987)
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
Säynätsalo Town Hall / Alvar Aalto
• Aalto’s winning proposal for the project follows the traditional European court-
and-tower model of a civic center.
• The complex consists of two wood-framed brick buildings: the rectangular library
block and the U-shaped government building.
• These two buildings act as a retaining wall that allowed Aalto to fill the central
courtyard with earth excavated from the slope of the site; thus, the courtyard is
lifted one story above the surrounding landscape.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• This difference in elevations creates two contrasting experiences of the building,
depending on whether one is inside the courtyard or observing from outside.
• Inside the courtyard, the facades of the surrounding library and office spaces are
only one story tall; however, outside observers instead see an imposing two-story
facade, much of which is monolithic, unornamented brick.
• The two staircases leading up to the courtyard from ground level are likewise
divergent in style. The eastern staircase is formal and rectilinear, with two flights
carved from impeccably hewn granite.
• The western staircase has a more irregular footprint, and is made not of stone or
brick but of terraced sod held back by wooden planks.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
CIDADE DE GOA,CHARLES CORREA ,1982
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
JAWAHAR KALA KENDRA,JAIPUR,CHARLES CORREA,1991
• In the case of Jawahar Kala Kendra (1992) at Jaipur ,Correa׳s design has been
shaped by the 18th century plan of the Jaipur walled-city which in turn was based
on the ancient Hindu diagram of vastu-purusha mandala.
• So, the Kendra׳s plan has been divided into nine squares, with each square
corresponding to a different planet and houses functions akin to the behaviour of
the respective planet as per Hindu mythology (Davey, 1992). Thus, Correa׳s design
is able to invoke two historical layers at once.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
TSCHUGGEN BERGOASE SPA AND HOTEL,
SWITZERLAND,MARIO BOTTA
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
DECONSTRUCTIVISM
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
• Opposite to ordered rationality of Modernism
• Complexity and contradiction argues against the purity, clarity and simplicity
of modern design
• Ornamentation: complexity of geometry and structural imbalance
(Ornaments of Post Modern Historicism: illusions of historic richness,
depiction of classical design elements)
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• It gives the impression of the fragmentation of the constructed building,
commonly characterized by an absence of obvious harmony, continuity, or
symmetry.
• Besides fragmentation, deconstructivism often manipulates the structure's surface
skin and deploys non-rectilinear shapes which appear to distort and
dislocate established elements of architecture. The finished visual appearance is
characterized by unpredictability and controlled chaos.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• If we define deconstructivism, it literally translates to the breaking down, or
demolishing of a constructed structure, whether it being for structural reasons or
just an act of rebellion. It is perhaps for this reason that many misunderstand the
Deconstructivist movement.
• Deconstructivism is, in fact, not a new architecture style, nor is it an avant-
garde movement against architecture or society. It does not follow “rules” or
acquire specific aesthetics, nor is it a rebellion against a social dilemma. It is the
unleashing of infinite possibilities of playing around with forms and volumes.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Constructivist architecture, or ‘constructivism’, is a form of modern
architecture that developed in the Soviet Union in the 1920s.
• Inspired by the Bauhaus and the wider constructivist art movement that emerged
from Russian Futurism, constructivist architecture is characterised by a
combination of modern technology and engineering methods and the socio-
political ethos of Communism.
• Despite there being few realised projects before the movement became outdated
in the mid-1930s, it has had a definite influence on many
subsequent architectural movements, such as Brutalism.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
Tatlin's Tower, The Monument to the Third International, 1919 (Vladimir Tatlin)
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
WEXNER CENTER FOR THE ARTS,OHIO ,PETER EISENMAN
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Sense of incompleteness
• Aesthetics over functionality and structure
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao /Frank Gehry
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
JEWISH MUSEUM BERLIN – DANIEL LIBESKIND
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
ARONOFF CENTER FOR DESIGN ARTS ,PETER EISENMAN
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
MAXXI MUSEUM / ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS,ROME
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER / ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS,
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
MEMPHIS MILANO
• The Memphis Group, also known as Memphis Milano, was an Italian design and
architecture group founded by Ettore Sottsass. It was active from 1980 to 1987.
The group designed postmodern furniture, lighting, fabrics, carpets, ceramics,
glass and metal objects.
• The Memphis group's work often incorporated plastic
laminate and terrazzo materials and was characterized by ephemeral design
featuring colorful and abstract decoration as well as asymmetrical shapes,
sometimes arbitrarily alluding to exotic or earlier styles and designs.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Ettore Sottsass invited a group of young designers and architects to discuss the
future of design.
• Together, they wanted to change the concept of what design had been focused on,
which had been Modernism, and aimed to do so by creating and forming a new
design collective.
• After their initial meeting, the group went away to brainstorm different ideas and
concept, and three months later, came back together ready to share over a
hundred drawings they had produced during that time.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• The Bauhaus and Modernism movement preached about form after function,
stripping design to its bare minimum to create timeless beauty and as renowned
architect Mies Van De Rohe states, “less is more”.
• However, according to Sottsass, “Functionalism is not enough. He felt that design
should be sensual and exciting”.
• The Memphis Group viewed the Modernist’s minimalist approach to be void of
personality, individualism or to put it simple, lifeless; in Robert Venturi’s words –
“less is bore”.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Memphis members were sick of the uniformity and structures of contemporary
design and worked to redevelop a new way, inspired from previous movements
such as Art Deco and Pop Art, as well as 1950s Kitsch styles and futuristic themes.
• Freed from the rules of Modernism, the Memphis members became open to
experimentation; playing with every element possible. They wanted to bring back
fun and excitement into design
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
Memphis Design furniture and home goods [Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• The distinct characteristics of the Memphis Group include bright colours, Kitsch
styling and geometric forms. The playful design language clearly manifested their
aim with the use of bold expressive texture, colour, unorthodox shapes and
contrasting materials.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
• Other than creating cartoonish, wacky and whimsical appearance, the Memphis
members also favoured the use of ‘inappropriate’ and cheap materials, especially
plastic laminates for its ‘lack of culture’.
• The vibrancy, eccentricity and ornamentation opposed the modernist ideals;
breaking the barriers between high and low-class design.
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
ALESSANDRO MENDINI
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL
[Link] G KOIPPALLIL