Context of studying History

Architecture is generally conceived-designed-and

realized-built-in response to an existing set of
conditions. These conditions may be purely
functional in Nature, or they may also reflect in
varying degree of social, political and economical
climate. In any case, it is assumed that the
existing set of conditions-the problem-is less than
satisfactory and that a new set of conditions-a
solution-would be desirable. The act of creating
architecture, then, is a problem-solving or design
process.
- Franscis D.K. Ching

yramids of Giza, Egypt

Milan Cathedral, Rome

CCTV Bldg., Beijin

Chennai
Cities are an immense
laboratory of trial and
error, failure and
success, in city building
and city design. This is
the laboratory in which
city planning should
have been learning and
forming and testing
Industrial
theories.
- Jane Jacobs
(The Death and Life of Great
American Cities )

Corridor

IT Corridor

City of Chennai which was planned to grow along the

2 mentioned axis, has created linear development
totally aligned towards the South. This aspect will be
a part of History some decades from now when the

History of
Architecture and
Culture V
UNIT I Beginning of Modernity

Which of this is this is Style??????

Style is something that shifts over time and

repeats itself in various expressions but on the
same functional core

Beauty

1 Utility
Romanesqu
3
e
Renaissanc
e

2
Gothic
4
Baroque
1 CathedralofLisbon.

2 Reims
Cathedral,
France

3 Basilica of Santa
Maria Novella,
France

4 Cathedral of
Santiago de
Compostela, Spain

What is Modern?
Modern
Meaning: Of what is momentary; of the Transient
with its opposite notion no longer being a clearly
defined past but rather an indeterminate
eternity.
Time is regarded as being linear, irreversible,
and progressive opposed to the Classical ideas of
Cyclic nature of time
Result
Replacement of CYCLIC model of history and life
with the PROGRESSIVE model addressing every
age as unique and unrepeatable and as an
advance on proceeding periods.

Pre-historic Perspective of
Time
Percepti
on of
Future

Human
Civilizati
on
Time

Time till the time of Middle ages was considered to

be a Cyclic where history repeats itself over and over
again. Owing to this reason no importance was given,
for it is repetitive in nature and bound to happen in

Modern Time

2560 BC

600 BC

80 AD

432 BC

360 AD

100 BC 800 AD

1653 AD

Modernism on the contrary to Classical era, is based

on a notion that Time is Linear and not cyclic. This
stressed on the importance of documenting the past to
learn and preserve it for the future.

Origin of modernity
1. Extraordinary technical changes
2. Birth of new consciousness that started to
question its own IDENTITY.

Architectural Questions:
1. Why do we build the way we build?
2. Why should we build it the same way?
3. What is this way BASED on? Whose ideas?

Vitruvian
Architecture

Architectural construction during the classical

time had been based on a the works of Marcus
Vitruvius Pollio a person from the Roman era.
His book The Ten books on Architecture the only
existing complete documentation of construction
during the Classical Antiquity (Roman era) was
considered as the bible for all construction
through out History till the beginning of Modern
era.
Modernism has it roots in rejecting the
perspectives of Vitruvian architecture
Historic structures was preserved and
documented for the first time to create a ideas
that could be defined afresh based on current

Vitruvian
Architecture

1. Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (80

BC 15 BC): Roman
architect, Engineer and
Writer.
2. The Ten books on
Architecture (De
architectura)
3. Extensive documentation of
Roman building methods as
well as the planning and
design of structures.
4. The famous story of
Archimedes and his bathtime discovery is from this

De Architectura
1. Primary source of
construction from
Classical Antiquity
2. Guideline for
construction followed
for centuries
3. Attributes of design
a) Utility
b) Solidity, and
c) Beauty

Palladio Classicism
Andrea Palladio (1508
1580); Italian
Renaissance architect
Palladio drew inspiration
from surviving Roman
buildings, Roman
authors (especially the
architectVitruvius) and
Italian Renaissance
architects.

Villa Foscari, 1550 60

Villa La Rotonda

Villa Barbaro

Birth of Modernism
1. Questioned the Universal validity of Vitruvian
proportions?
Result:
Physical excavation of prehistoric to ancient
buildings and structures to document and
understand them afresh
2. Increased mans ability to control nature
3. Split between Architecture and Engineering as
two different fields
4. Discussion began on a question whether the
MODERNS could not rival or even surpass the
ANCIENTS to achieve the highest ideal of Art.
Result: Replacement of CYCLIC model of history
and life with the PROGRESSIVE model