Summaries

What is Modern Architecture? by Crinson

The article argues that definition of modern architecture is complex to answer. It supports this claim by three brief cases such as the Vienna Method in 1933, the structurally and ornamentally expressive forms of Crown Law Office in the late 1950s, and the Maison Tropicale by Angela Ferreira. The fundamental issues in these cases have to do with aligning modernism with the benefits of welfare, engaging the users of modern architecture in its design process and the relation of modern architecture to the conditions of modernity enacted by colonial power. To understand modern architecture’s world, you have to learn its codes and recognize the formal language. The author emphasizes the need to find a shared language, most especially a uniform of visual symbols. To sum up, the article emphasizes the universal characteristic of modern architecture.

Non West Modernist Past: Rethinking Modernisms And Modernities Beyond The West by Chang

The article argues that there is an asymmetrical relationship between the West and the non-West. We strive for a more socially and politically situated understanding of modernism. The author also notes that modernism is less about ‘style’ or aesthetics and more about its relationship to social conditions and politics. He mentions that the problem is not simply geographical, but also cultural. The phrase tradition has no authority over architectural vocabulary suggests that traditional practices and styles do not limit the language and concepts used in modern architecture. This means that architects are free to innovate and create new methods without being constrained by historical circumstances.

Crafting Architecture Criticism by Leatherbarrow

The article argues that criticism remakes the project by opening debate an offering a few form of interpretation. The article states that to be useful and persuasive, architectural criticism must bring into view a design’s unique characteristics. The author emphasizes how everyday opinion and academic theory overlap due to the form criticism takes-either print or online. He states that the professional criticism is about interpretation and evaluation that comes from careful observation. Careful observation and careful description reeducate the critic. The author also counterarguments that the critic must sort and decide which facts are significant and applicable.

Critical Response

Similar to Leatherbarrow, I also find architectural criticism to be a necessity. Providing constructive feedback suggests ways to improve or enhance the design; it commends creativity and innovation. It helps you improve and grow more professionally. It also challenges your ideas and make you see the situation from a different angle. However, architectural criticism is a really tough task because there are so many aspects that can’t be distinguished as right or wrong, for example, aesthetics; the beauty is on the eye of the beholder, as they say. What might be beautiful to someone may just seem artificial to another one. Hence, becoming an effective architectural critic involves knowledge, the power of persuasion and awareness. Architectural critics understand the nature of the project and make the picture clearer.

Interpretation

Sydney Opera House is the perfect example of how the use of modern architecture is an instrument of social change. Modern architecture can promote social interactions and create environments that inspire us. Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts center that houses concert hall, theatre, yallamundi rooms (often used for weddings or business conferences), and other facilities such as a recording studio, retail shops, cafes, restaurants, bars including the Opera Bar and Opera Kitchen. I find it fascinating how a well-designed building like Sydney Opera House can create a community that build the frameworks of our lives.

Take Away

• Modern architecture is an instrument of social change
• Architecture is universal
• Architecture criticism is a craft
• Modernism is less about ‘style’ or aesthetics & more about its relationship to social conditions and politics