theory and history of architecture

DOCUMENTATION OF MASTER BUILDERS ARCHITECTURAL THEORY

MIRRA NAZIRA BINTI YAHYA AZMUDDIN

SBEA 2015/2016

AB15BE0082

2ND ASSIGNMENT

DR. HAZRINA HAJA BAVA MOHIDIN

CONTENT

BIL.

TITLE PAGE

1. 2.1 INTRODUCTION 2

2. 2.2 PRINCIPLES OF SPACE 3

3. 2.3 CASE STUDY BACKGROUND

4. 2.3.1 VILLA SAVOYE (LE CORBUSIER) 4-7

5. 2.3.2 ROBIE HOUSE (FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT)

8-10

6. 2.4 DISCUSSION AND SYNTHESIS-THEORY OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE

ON BUILDING

11-12

7. 2.5 CONCLUSION 13

8. 2.6 REFERENCE 14

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2.1 INTRODUCTION

The transition of modernisation of Traditional Architecture occurred and Modern

Architecture begins where modern architecture started to spark in the middle of 19th century

and is officially occurred in German during the 20th century. Some of the factors that

affecting the occurrence of the modern architecture are; Industrial revolution that cause the

technology to get advance rapidly, and also causing the high demand of houses as the people

started to move to the urbanized place that result the born of more architects to fulfil the

demands in designing more efficient building using advanced technology such as steel, cast

iron and bricks.

We are living in the 21st century version of modern architecture, where nowadays we

can see a lot of buildings that are being designed with I’d say deconstruction style and one of

the most famous architect in the 21st century is Zaha Hadid, she designs a lot of buildings

with curves that people call her by the name of ‘’queen of curve’’, and buildings that are only

can be built , thanks to modern and advance technology that we have today.

The chosen architects in this assignment are Frank Lloyd Wright, his chosen work is

the famous Robie House and Le Corbusier for his Villa Savoye work, whom both are the

master builders of modern architecture.

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2.2 PRINCIPLES OF SPACE

Space is technically a 3 dimensional field where the objects are in some ways are

connected and related in the positions and the directions. Principles of space are generally are

divided into different types of specification which some of it are; configuration of plane

elements in space, openings of space, organization of space and circulation through space.

Space is ascertained through the configuration of plane elements in space; horizontal

plane which can be arranged by placing it as base plane that is define as simple field of space,

as elevated base plane, depressed base planned and overhead plane. Vertical place; vertical

linear, single vertical, enclosed vertical and parallel vertical.

Opening space, an opening space is located within a wall or ceiling plane that appears

contrast to the background. There are also several ways of it being placed; within planes, at

the corner and between planes.

Organization of space, where two spaces may be connected in some basic ways; space

within a space, where a space may contain within larger space or within the volume.

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Interlocking space, where the field of space may overlap the volume of another space which

in other word as sharing the overlap space. Adjacent spaces where two spaces share the same

border and last but not least, Spaces linked by a common space.

Circulation of space can be defined by the way of approaching the building, entrance

to the building, configuration of path, relationship between path and space.

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2.3 CASE STUDY BACKGROUND

2.3.1 VILLA SAVOYE (LE CORBUSIER)

Born as Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, Le Corbusier, well known architect, designer,

painter, urban planner and the pioneer of modern architecture was born on October 6th 1889

in Switzerland and died on august 27th 1965. He is off Swiss and France nationality. At the

age of 14, he qualified to enter Ecole d’Art at La Chaux-de-Fonds which is a kind of

technical school which became the place of one of major influence in Le Corbusier’s life

throughout his younger years. His teacher; L’Eplattenier who he described as ‘a fascinating

teacher…. a master who opened to me the gateway to the world of art, with him, we lost

ourselves in the art of all ages and of all lands’ influenced Corbu’s early house designs.

Le Corbusier spent a lot of time travelling across Europe and other countries to

expand his architectural point of view. When travels to Italy in 1906, it was his first

introduction to the plasticity of white stucco forms in the bright sun, seen against the

Mediterranean sky while Austria is where he was first introduced to Art Nouveau movement

in general and to the architect Josef Hoffman in particular. Corbu worked for Hoffman for

short space of time in 1908 although the agreement suggests a more permanent arrangement

but Corbu made excuses. Despite being only in his twenties, it was clear to him that Art

Nouveau which characterized Hoffman’s work, was not for him and Le Corbusier went to

Paris for his first extended visit.

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Villa Savoye

Villa Savoye located at Poissy, France is one of the famous building design by Le

Corbusier with modernist architectural style built in 1929 and completed in 1931. Le

Corbusier is well known with his architectural approach; the usage of platonic forms and

space, his description that building is a ‘machine for living’, the usage of ‘modular system’

that he created and his popular theory of 5 points of New Architecture that he developed.

Le Corbusier’s modular system

The outer exterior of Villa Savoye is white which indicates purity, simplicity, and

health. Villa Savoye also located far from the city and is designed like floating box. The ramp

is placed from the entrance up to the salon, a formal interior space flows coherently into the

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roof garden outside. The ramp and cylinder of solarium or a room with glass as the roof

indicates the form of the ocean that brings the Villa Savoye close to nature in a very stunning

view of it.

Villa Savoye is well known Le Corbusier’s design that is based on his 5 points of

New Architecture which are;

Pilotis, which is reinforced concrete column as the replacement of supportive walls

that make the Villa Savoye seems to be raised up to the sky by some giant hand. The

existence of the pilotis also are intentionally used so that vehicles can be parked under the

building and for the grass or green to keep growing in order to preserve nature around the

Villa Savoye.

The free designing ground plan, with the absence of the walls, the construction is no

longer limited as its design process becomes free too, where the partitions in the building can

be freely arranged.

The free design of façade, that separated the exterior of the building from its structure

function that gives freedom to their design as well. In other words, relieving it of its structural

function.

The horizontal windows, are the effect of free façade as the entrance is located under

the main structure or the pilotis. The horizontal window which cuts the façade along its

overall length that provides optimum daylight in the rooms equally.

Roof gardens on a flat roof, while bringing nature close to the house, it is also

purposely design to provide essential protection to the concrete roof so that the flat concrete

roof is not entirely exposed to the sunlight or rain water that can decrease the strength of the

concrete roof.

Platonic forms or platonic solid is actually Plato’s philosophy of essentialism

attempted to bring objective truths to what he saw as relative and subjective experiences.

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It can clearly be seen that Le Corbusier applied the cube form in his Villa Savoye

design. Platonic solid design in architecture meant , when people see the structure they will

immediately know what type of shape it is, whether it is triangular shaped, rectangular shaped

and of course cubic shaped that is well fit to the environment, even Roman architect;

Vitruvias Pollia believed that a building that is based on this man’s geometry would achieve

universal appealing. Not to forget, Le Corbusier too, believed that a universal instrument is

easy to be created and can still has its own uniqueness and its own beauty that is rationally

proportions of everything produced by man. Le Corbusier also described ‘range of

harmonious measurements to suit the human scale, universally applicable to architecture and

to mechanical things’.

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2.3.2 ROBIE HOUSE (FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT)

Frank Lloyd Wright was born in the 1860’s an American who in his younger

days was influenced by his mother who enrolled him of Froebelian play school style at their

house that caused Wright to have an immediate tangible acquaintance with shapes. Wright

sees nature when he helped his uncle at the farm, Wright started to appreciate nature and saw

nature as a great teacher.

Wright’s father left him when he was only a teenager which makes him to think that

he has a great responsibility to his family. He became an apprentice to Allen Conover where

he experienced to be a supervisor of construction on several jobs while at the same time part

time studying Civil Engineering at University Of Wisconsin and left Conover’s office after 2

years of study and apprenticeship Wright went to Chicago when he is not more than 18 years

of age.

His uncle, Reverend Jenkin Lloyd-Jones had commissioned a well-known Chicago

architect, Lyman Silsbee. Wright later worked Silsbee for just less than a year but gave

Wright a good influence upon him. Wright later worked at Adler & Sullivan with first task of

designing Chicago Auditorium that introduced Wright to Art Nouveau (Sullivan concept of

ornament) where artist tried to find a new ‘’honesty’’ in design and saw in the forms of

nature a complete set of principles which, if followed would inevitably lead to this new

honesty in expression. Working at Adler & Sullivan also marked Wright’s beginning of being

a great architect of all time.

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ROBIE HOUSE

Frederick C. Robie House or as known as Robie House was actually being

built for Frederick C. Robie a young businessman, intentionally for a house nowadays the

United States National Historic Landmark, located on the campus of University of Chicago in

Chicago, Illinois. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and being built between 1908 and

1910 with Prairie style of Architecture at an original cost of approximately $55,000 (over

$1.4 million today).

Before Frederick C. Robie hiring Frank Lloyd Wright as the architect to design his

house, he did not even know who Wright actually was because he was a man who of lots of

idea who wanted his house to be filled with lots of natural lights, be able to look out around

his neighbourhood but does not want to be seen or looked at, at the same time. He started to

tell people about his dream house design that people suggested him to hire Frank Lloyd

Wright as the architect who will fulfil his desire.

Frank Lloyd Wright is famous with his architectural style and theory where he used

Prairie Style, cubism, organic architecture where he began to see through the tracery of

Sullivan’s ornament at the Auditorium (while working at Adler & Sullivan) and saw through

it a great architectural truth, and organic primitive in most of his building designs. Robie

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House on the other hand, is one of the famous building that is being built by using the Prairie

style approach.

Prairie Style is famous in architecture design around the world especially in north-

central Europe and Australia but has its roots at Chicago, Illinois. Prairie style of architecture

can be known by its horizontal lines, flat or hipped roof with broad eaves, windows placed

horizontally, solid construction and a very restrict rules in the decorating.

Robie House is a clear example of Prairie style of architecture where Frank Lloyd

Wright design it in horizontal lines that creates delicate balance of private and exposed space

to shield the residents from outsiders with low proportions, quiet and peaceful skyline. Robie

House also designed with outreaching walls for private garden for the residents, open planes

of rooms that flow into each other that creates a wide area. The horizontality also was

Wright’s response not only to the earth and the things that grew out of the earth but also to

the great spaces of America that would extend from the centre of the house out and lead the

eye toward a long horizon as the corner lot is three times long as its wide.

Robie House is also one of the first residences house to use steel beams in its design,

the steel beams were purposely and necessary to create the cantilevered balconies, which

appear to be suspended in mid-air.

Ribbons of windows that Wright designed were to fulfil his client desire to have a

natural light to flow in the building and not artificial lights. The clear glass composed in

pattern of flatten diamonds shape and diagonal geometry gives and evoke floral forms and

echoing the plants and the form of the building, Wright also chose a dynamic balance

between transparent and enclosure.

On the exterior, tons of bricks and lime stone anchor the house to the earth with

overhanging eaves and cantilever roofs shelter the residents. Through his use of various types

of materials, Wright chose a great and remarkable balance of forms and colours that are well

balanced with each other.

The expanse living space at the centre of the house is one of the great masterpiece of

20th century architecture. The light fell open is breath taking in its simplicity. A single room

comprising the living dining space is only divided by a central chimney.

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2.4 DISCUSSION AND SYNTHESIS- THEORY OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE ON BUILDING

Modern architecture started to spark in the middle of 19th century. Modern

architecture still developing day by day. Modernism in architecture is often associated with

steel-and-glass rectilinear boxes, and poured concrete used as a steel substitute, but yet, most

buildings nowadays are built with much more advanced technology with unique designs that

is unlimited and sometimes unthinkable for some people.

Above all, there are 5 main theory of modern architecture; theory of proportions, organic

architecture, form follows function, theory of style and theory of communication.

Theory of proportions are golden ratio, classical orders, renaissance theories, modular, ken,

anthropometry and scale. Architectural proportion is to strike the balance between these

extremes, creating an interesting visible order by the repetition of similar shapes. Le

Corbusier’s modular system is one of the famous theory of how proportions work. Le

Corbusier applied the theory of proportion in designing Villa Savoye where he used Golden

Section and human proportion so that the Villa Savoye is visually balanced in its own way.

Organic architecture is founded by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright himself. This theory

of architecture thought us that designing in building will be much interesting if it is well

connected or related to the surrounding. This theory helps architects to appreciate nature and

not just design a concrete building that has no aesthetic values and is a stranger to the earth

itself. Frank Lloyd Wright loved to use this theory in designing his building and it can also be

seen in Robie House where he used the brown colour of the exterior building indicates to the

colour of ground, the multiples components such as doors and windows also indicates nature

where they represents the landscape and plant life of the Midwest prairie of the USA.

Form follows functions is in general, a building which is designed specifically to its function.

Famous architects also used this theory in their design and even shaped it into their own

theory which are Lois Sullivan: aesthetic, Le Corbusier: machine and Mies Van Der Rohe:

structure.

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Theory of style, is the application of natural or original which are used due the climates such

as houses in Malaysia where the roof are with certain angles so that the rain water can easily

flow down, due to its culture such as church where some church are purposely design like the

church back in the gothic era so that people can easily recognize the church and also due to

its landscape. Le Corbusier used original shape of cubism as his style in designing Villa

Savoye.

Theory of communication in buildings design by some architects sometimes have its own

message that sometimes is hidden. Some architects use this theory in their design for their

clients that demands to show their power, wealth and whatnot. A clear example is the

Buckhingham Palace that is based on the neoclassical architecture is built and designed

specifically for the British Monarchy. It can be seen that the palace is very huge with its rich

decorative in the interior building, The Buckingham Palace is also furnished and decorated

with priceless works of art from the Royal Collection; the paintings are placed on the walls of

the curving marble stairs of the Grand Staircase and are still set as they were by Queen

Victoria to represent their power as the highest ruler in the United Kingdom.

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2.5 CONCLUSION

What I’ve learned from this assignment are, modern architecture is not only designing a

building that has no meaning or just using an advanced technology or even designing the

building with weird forms and whatnot, but we also have to consider many aspects in order to

design a good modern building, also to be a great modern architecture we have to consider

the five main theories which are theories of proportion, organic architecture, form follows

functions, theory of style and theory of communication.

The transition from traditional architecture to modern architecture made me realized that,

architecture building design goes with the flow following its era. We can see clearly that

early architecture designs before entering the modern, they tend to build something that fulfil

their basic needs, and we can clearly see what’s the meaning of the building and what it was

built for. But modern architecture, sometimes we have to enter the building to know what the

building is for, that’s what I really like about modern architecture, we have no limits and we

can almost design anything that we desire as long as we consider the main theories of modern

architecture.

Both Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier are great example of modern architect

that somehow a bit differ from each other in terms of their theories in architecture but both

appreciate nature and try to add it in their designs. At the end, designing a building will be

much attractive and better if we appreciate the nature.

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2.6 REFERENCE

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Savoye

2. http://www.slideshare.net/4kks/le-corbusier-principles

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Corbusier

4. https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=le+corbusier+architecture+theory

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_planning

6. http://www.biography.com/people/le-corbusier-9376609#the-radiant-city

7. http://www.biography.com/people/le-corbusier-9376609#early-years

8. http://www.yellowtrace.com.au/le-corbusier/

9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Corbusier%27s_Five_Points_of_Architecture

10. https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=theory+of+proportion+in+architecture

11. http://cal.flwright.org/tours/robie

12. http://www.flwright.org/researchexplore/robiehouse

13. http://www.thecraftsmanbungalow.com/frank-lloyd-wright-robie-house/

14. http://www.flwright.org/research/wright-robie-house.html

15. http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/robie/

16. http://www.prairieschoolarchitecture.com/frank-lloyd-wright/

17. http://www.antiquehomestyle.com/styles/prairie-school.htm

18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robie_House

19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_School

20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Lloyd_Wright

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