Constructing Modernity

This term investigates how modern architecture was constructed—both literally (through steel, concrete, glass, plastic) and conceptually (through new design approaches and social ideals). Lectures trace key buildings from the Industrial Revolution to the present, examining the material foundations of modernism.

Industrial Revolution and International Style

Texts

Addis, B. (2006) ‘The Crystal Palace and its Place in Structural History’, International Journal of Space Structures, 21(1), pp. 3–19.

Gideion, S. (2005) ‘1850–1890 Experimental Architecture’ in Building in France, Building in Iron, Building in Ferro-Concrete, pp. 120–151.

Johnson, P. (1931) Built to live in. NY: Museum of Modern Art.

Johnson, P. (1932) Modern architecture: international exhibition. NY: Museum of Modern Art.

Cast Iron and Steel

This session examines steel construction in the twentieth century. It discusses how steel construction enabled open plans, continuous space, and transparent envelopes through Mies van der Rohe's pursuit of 'universal space'. The session then explores how steel's standardisation enabled prefabricated housing, from post-war emergency shelter to the Case Study Houses' aesthetic experiments. Finally, students will trace steel's expressive possibilities, examining how it allowed architects to pursue complex geometries from Fuller's geodesic domes to contemporary parametric architecture, where digital tools extend steel's capacity to create expressive and experimental forms.

1 Early Modern and the Architectural Avant-Garde

Texts

Friedman, A. T. (1998), ‘People Who Live in Glass Houses: Edith Farnsworth, Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe and Philip Johnson’ in Women and the Making of the Modern House: A Social and Architectural History. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 126–59.

Mertins, D. (2005) ‘Mies’s Event Space’, Grey Room 20, pp. 60–73.

Smith, L. (2022) ‘Mies van der Rohe and the Universal Space Project’, Drawing Matter.

Buildings

Chareau, P. & Bijvoet, B. (1932) Maison de Verre, Paris.

Mies van der Rohe, L. (1930) Tugendhat House, Brno, Czech Republic.

Mies van der Rohe, L. (1951) Farnsworth House, Illinois.

Mies van der Rohe, L. (1956) Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.

Mies van der Rohe, L. (1968) Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin.

Johnson, P. (1949) Glass House, New Canaan, Connecticut.

Rudolph, P. (1952) Walker Guest House, Sanibel Island, Florida.

Videos

ARTE (2004) ‘Episode 18: La Maison de Verre’, Architectures.

ARTE (2009) ‘Episode 43: The Sainte Genevieve Library’, Architectures.

2 Postwar Experimentation & Domestic Architecture

Buildings

Eames, C. & Eames, R. (1949) Eames House (Case Study House No. 8), Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.

British Iron and Steel Federation (1946–1950) BISF Houses, United Kingdom.

Prouvé, J. (1951) Maison Tropicale.

Fuller, R. B. (1945) Dymaxion House, Wichita, Kansas.

Fuller, R. B. (1967) US Pavilion (Expo 67), Montreal.

Piano, R. & Rogers, R. (1977) Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.

Rogers, R. (1969) Rogers House (Wimbledon House), London.

Rogers, R. (1968–1971) Zip-Up House.

Rogers, R. (1986) Lloyd’s Building, London.

Ito, T. (1984–1989) Silver Hut, Tokyo.

Ito, T. (2001) Sendai Mediatheque, Sendai, Japan.

Fujimoto, S. (2011) House NA, Tokyo.

Fujimoto, S. (2013) Serpentine Pavilion, London.

Gehry, F. (1997) Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain.

Videos

ARTE (1997) ‘Episode 2: The Georges Pompidou Centre’, Architectures.

ARTE (2005) ‘Episode 32: The Multimedia Library of Sendai’, Architectures.

ARTE (2001) ‘Episode 23: The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao’, Architectures.

Reinforced Concrete

This session examines reinforced concrete in the twentieth century. It discusses how concrete enabled the formal language of early modernism through Le Corbusier's Five Points and the International Style's aesthetics. The session then explores Brutalism's embrace of exposed concrete as honest and socially committed material, from Unité d'Habitation to British housing estates and public buildings. Finally, students will be introduced to concrete's sculptural possibilities, examining how architects treated it as 'liquid stone' poured into expressive and experimental shells and curves from Ronchamp to the Sydney Opera House.

1 Early Modern and the Architectural Avant-Garde

Texts

Johnson, P. (1932) Modern architecture: international exhibition. NY: Museum of Modern Art.

Le Corbusier (1931) Towards a New Architecture. London: Architectural Press.

Buildings

Le Corbusier (1915) Maison Dom-ino, Paris.

Le Corbusier (1931) Villa Savoye, Poissy.

Le Corbusier (1952) Unité d’Habitation, Marseille.

May, E. (1925–30) New Frankfurt (Neues Frankfurt), Frankfurt am Main.

Le Corbusier & Pierre Jeanneret; Mies van der Rohe, L.; Gropius, W.; Oud, J. J. P. (1927) Weissenhof-Siedlung, Stuttgart, Germany.

2 Raw Concrete

Texts

Calder, B. (2022) Raw Concrete: The Beauty of Brutalism. London: Penguin.

Buildings

Smithson, A. & P. (1954) Hunstanton School, Norfolk.

Smithson, A. & P. (1972) Robin Hood Gardens, London.

Lasdun, D. (1957–1959) Keeling House, London.

Lasdun, D. (1968) University of East Anglia, Norwich.

Lasdun, D. (1976) National Theatre, London.

Chamberlin, Powell & Bon (1976) Barbican Estate, London.

Hodgkinson, P. (1972) Brunswick Centre, London.

Brown, N. (1978) Alexandra Road Estate, London.

Goldfinger, E. (1972) Trellick Tower, London.

Lyons Israel Ellis (1966–69) Wyndham Court, Southampton.

Luder, O. (1966) Tricorn Centre, Portsmouth.

Greater London Council Architects’ Department (1968) Southbank Centre Complex (Hayward Gallery, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room), London.

Greater London Council Architects’ Department (1964–1967) Pimlico School, London.

Ando, T. (1976) Azuma House, Osaka.

Ando, T. (1993) Rokko Housing, Kobe.

Kahn, L. (1965) Salk Institute, La Jolla.

Kahn, L. (1983) National Assembly Building (Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban), Dhaka.

Videos

ARTE (n.d.) ‘Episode 14: The Convent of La Tourette’, Architectures.

Architecture Foundation (2017) Neave Brown in Conversation.

3 Liquid Stone

Texts

TBC

Buildings

Le Corbusier (1955) Notre-Dame du Haut (Ronchamp), Ronchamp.

Le Corbusier (1960) Convent of La Tourette, Éveux.

Saarinen, E. (1962) TWA Flight Center, New York.

Nervi, P. L. (1957–1960) Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome.

Candela, F. (1958) Los Manantiales Restaurant, Mexico City.

Utzon, J. (1957–1973) Sydney Opera House, Sydney.

Tange, K. (1964) Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo.

Siza, Á. (1998) Portuguese Pavilion (Expo ’98), Lisbon.

Zumthor, P. (2007) Bruder Klaus Field Chapel, Mechernich.

SANAA (2009) Rolex Learning Centre, Lausanne.

Videos

ARTE (n.d.) ‘Episode 14: The Convent of La Tourette’, Architectures.

Architecture Foundation (2017) Neave Brown in Conversation.