Issues in Modern Architecture

Asian Architectural Youth Symposium 2013

The Responsibility of Designer: Respect the human and nature

Issues in Modern Architecture Departure from Past …. Apil K.C, Architect, Nepal Introduction Urbanization is a phenomenon of physical growth of urban areas which is closely linked with modernization and industrialization process of expansion. It’s nothing but shifting of humanity and nature into a chaos world of concretes, steel and artificial things. Cities are growing and so is the urban slums and cost of urbanization is paid in terms of nature and humanity. In this alarming case of urban collapse, modern architecture are quite distracted from the ABCs that the civilization of mankind had imparted and nature had guided in centuries. Situation is even worse in developing cities, where architecture is mushrooming without any contemplation to urban forms, contextual surroundings and co-existence of nature and public-spirit. Recently, in an informal discussion, a very provoking statement was raised by senior architects and historians, i.e. “Architecture is a complete autocratic profession”. Substance of the statement was blur till justifications were made by some more avowals: divergence of architecture with nature and humanity, alien structures generated by individual’s fantasies, ignorance of socio-cultural existence with architecture and many more. The job of an architect is to depict the human relation, ease their socio-cultural behavior and make them neighboring to nature. Modern architecture had definitely brought the revolution in term of addressing the capitalist market of modern time but equation is settled in term of our social comfort and natural adaptive. The arrival of modern architecture in the first eras of the twentieth century suppressed traditional styles and complex forms evolved in errand of simple concepts and striking images. The result was an approach to the built environment that lent itself to public relations and propaganda, it played well in declarations and glossy architecture magazines but was less functional, less adaptive, and less human and engaging. In this alarming situation, there are some questions raised and issues to be identified in modern architecture: What happened wrong? Where did it happen? Why do designer stick with an approach that evidently doesn’t incorporate the co-existence of nature, social behaviour and architecture? Is it because their principles are overshadowed by the so called 'fashion statement' which is achieved by superimposing their own individualistic identities to achieve or make a mark on the society? Modern architecture must explore the reactions of this concerns and revise its principles for achieving its closeness to nature and humanity.

1. Cities, architects and architectures Architecture is a complex affair and involves a very wide range of people and personalities, ideas and philosophies, theories and actions. Architecture isn’t only about the filling the site with constructing concrete or steel blocks, rather it comprises the understanding of the place and turn it to more beautiful and liveable one. One must understand the basic, that site and place are different in wholesome, site could just be an earth-surface used as an architectural space but place includes site with consideration of its surrounding i.e. social, cultural and environmental essences of the space. One can’t define the architectural process without understanding the issues and aspects related with the site on which it is going to stand. First century work of Vitruvius proposes the fundamental laws of architectural work to serve as: Firmitas, Utilitas, and Venustas (structural adequacy, functional adequacy, and beauty). Since then, many architects, writers and scholars of engineering and art had proposed different principles, philosophies and pathways for architecture, but the basic content has remained the same. Sullivan’s “Form Follows function”, Corbusier’s “five points of architecture”, Lloyd’s “Organic architecture” and of many more had always tried to justify their opinions in their work but in gist “Contemporary architecture is based on the philosophy of individualism.” The contemporary architectural space depends on an artificial urban landscape to harmonize the logic, rationality and individuality of modernism. Emerging cities are developed in technological advancement where architects in struggle of marking their existence, cities are built full of landmarks rather than co-existed urban

Asian Architectural Youth Symposium 2013

The Responsibility of Designer: Respect the human and nature

form. Our sophisticated world does not distinguish science from technology, academics from experience and need from superfluity, because it confuses understanding with arbitrary control. The ideology of contemporary architecture is detached from nature and from human spirituality, resulting in buildings that are dangerously detached from human beings. Similarly in added framework, Human scale in modern architecture has been deliberately violated in modern epoch to show the abstract nature of creativity, for monumental effects, aesthetic effect and for serving automotive scale or commercial market: buildings are built higher than mountains and roads wider than sea yet crowded and congested. Architectural masterpieces by famous architects are furthermore diverted from the laws of nature, giving the city new look of synthetic world, Few examples like: I.M. Pei & Partners’ “John Hancock Tower”1, Toyo Ito’s “Za-Koenji Public Theatre”2 and Frank Gehry's “Walt Disney Concert Hall”3.

FIG. 1: JOHN HANCOCK TOWER, ZA-KOENJI PUBLIC THEATRE & WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL

But the case was quite different in traditional cities which was quite harmonious with the surrounding geography, climate and landscape, spiritual evolution and human psychology. Traditional architecture always celebrated humans as rich and complex beings, with capabilities far beyond those of a machine. The architectural outcome had profound consequences for the buildings and cities, for it suggests that architects and other urban managers were neither the sole producers of nor were sole responsible for, the buildings around us. The secret of designing successful co-existed architecture was to embrace the notion that the architecture is a holistic living natural element, similar to trees; stand still yet function as a part of an organic living environmental inventory, which was very judiciously used in their design philosophy; building material, forms and technology. Hence, many fingers are raised against modern architecture trends showing the superiority of traditional movement and knowledge like“….We do not need architects at all. After all, several research studies have shown that many of the greatest medieval cathedrals and some of the most successful contemporary housing developments have been produced entirely without the presence of anyone who might be readily equated with the figure that we traditionally understand to be an ‘architect’”4 Our present-day creation of architecture has much to learn from such seemingly radical scenarios that existed in past.

2. Kathmandu: A city in Decay and Rejuvenation Kathmandu, a city of GOD: was once a comprehensive heritage city contemplating the nature, society and culture in its compact homogeneous community. Various researchers, travelers and artists had mentioned about the architectural magnificence of the valley since centuries till few decades back. But the situation has distorted in the present retrospect, city is no longer the example of architectural magnificence rather the chaos of concrete containers in verge of picking moneymaking architecture or traditional indigenous art.

FIG. 2 WATERCOLOUR BY HENRY AMBROSE OLDFIELD, C. 1855: PATAN DURBAR SQUARE (1&2) & TEMPLES AT PASHUPATINATH 1

60 storied skyscraper’s windows were falling out and crashing to the pavements below. Referred as un-sustainable architecture “ Hottest spot of in town” in http://www.east-asia-architecture.org/aotm/ stainless steel building caused unnatural reflective environment 4 Rudofsky B., 1987 "Architecture without Architects: A Short Introduction to Non-Pedigreed Architecture." 2 3

Asian Architectural Youth Symposium 2013

The Responsibility of Designer: Respect the human and nature

But the town was not always like this, it had always fulfilled: Social requirement with the welcoming urban public spaces, Architectural magnificence with the intricately carved doors & windows and fine proportionate buildings, Nature co-existence with the environment friendly design and construction and Human scale design with aspect of road, house, temples and palace. When talking about design of spaces of the past, two characteristics come instantly to the fore: pedestrian scale of design and superb community spaces distributed around town. All these features made the town respond and belong to communities rather than individuals. Street was more than just a movement artery for pedestrians but also served as an activity space, where relation of house and street was quite clearly intended to interact visually as well as physically. Observing to any of the pictures from the past, one can simply say how nature friendly cities and human friendly architecture were developed at that time, something we would like to call “Organic architecture”, derived from the nature and guided by the human behavior. Material selection were directly from the nature and it would end up in nature with the same state completing the cycle of sustainability. Very surface analysis of pictures from past could be;  Slope roofs: “responding to the rainy climate of Kathmandu”,  Brick paved roads “Usage of local materials and pores in brick joints directly or indirectly supporting the integrated water recharge system of the valley”  Width of road and scale of building: “closely linked with the social and cultural behavior of the people”  Building and urban forms : “ expressing in artistic manner yet relating to the day to day lifestyle and belief of people, like FIG 3 : URBAN KATHMANDU practice of gods, animals and birds idol as sculpture” But with the changes in time and contemporary concept of academic design knowledge, modern architecture evolved suppressing the traditional indigenous understanding. Architectural historian Prof. Dr. Sudarshan Raj Tiwari mentions about transition in urban design and urban form of the Kathmandu valley as “….The changes over the period have been so extensive that it would be difficult to imagine the past, since we live today having pushed the pedestrian to the corner in difference to motor vehicles. Gods have to move around in festivals today well in the day so that the electric lines may be restored for the night and joy of men.” Skyline of the residences are distorted along with the roof profile and the human scale in architecture. Study of some of the evidences of the past and the existing scenario, vindicates some of the errors that modern developers and designers did in the course of rapid urbanization and imitating western civilization. Some of the major turns in transitional phase (Decay of Traditional architecture) of Kathmandu are:  Replacement of traditional material and technologies with RCC technology, creating liberty in superimposed forms contradicting with the natural as well as social co-existence.  Design criteria- limiting of prioritization with only utilitarian aspect of architecture which is unanimously defined by the user’s interest.  “Short-Term Financial Profit vs. Long-Term Economic Benefit”. After the open capitalist market, compromise with spatial quality of building has also diverted the face of architecture where it is majorly guided by business motives.  Change in the social pattern like “Separation of community” has resulted in individualization over social responsibility and public ownership with result in decrease in social bondage. Kathmandu is a city with lost identity which is in search of its character in between modern and traditional pathway. Kathmandu can’t be adjudicated as an assembled city which can be integrated anywhere in the space rather it has its own history, culture, social behavior and co-existence with nature since a very long-long time. Reviving of the city has majorly two aspect to consider as challenges and guidelines: accomplishing its modern demands and keeping its essence of traditional architecture, which is only possible when designers feel their responsibility towards behavioral pattern of nature and human.

Asian Architectural Youth Symposium 2013

The Responsibility of Designer: Respect the human and nature

3. Architecture for tomorrow Every stage of human civilization has developed its own unique building styles, by either borrowing from past cultures or inventing original forms; yet always in an integrated manner of nature, humanity and sociocultural behavior of that particular era. Many cities have already decayed and many are in the state, many are in the state of revival and many are rejuvenating, city development and architectural transition is a continuous process but it must always be guided by certain law of nature and ease the human vicinity. Lloyd’s organic architecture has also addressed ideas about the relationship of the human scale to the landscape (Nature), the use of new materials like glass and steel to achieve more spatial architecture, and the development of a building’s architectural “character,” which was his answer to the notion of style. If we go back in time and see how cradle of civilizations had shaped some incredible architectural forms, the inspiration for the point of genesis had always been the sources of nature. Even the most primitive forms of architecture stood up with the nature's materials molded up. Likely are the ones, even in the current time being, the materials abstracted from nature either used in the purest forms or modified. Apparently, if there's questions over livable environment or human friendly cities at present time, it is for the reason that the balance was disregarded: “The balance of give and take between architectural forms and nature” But one must consider that, no matter how much technologies advance, nature never fails to justify its superiority, Global warming, Earthquakes, etc. are the repercussions of the attempted Manmade vs. Nature. Entire has not vanished, of course. Humankind is irrepressible, and thousands of structures reflecting the human essence are erected around the world today and in the recent past, even though we never hear about them. They are indigenous, vernacular, and many of them self-built, together with all languages of human intuition about what a healthy environment has to be. Even the buildings in third-world favelas have more life in them than award-winning modernist or postmodernist erections. More formal buildings built in provincial traditional styles also prosper: Again, we don’t see them in the mass media. There are also quite a number of contemporary architects working with the classical form language, and many of their buildings are pleasing. Architects who relearn how to design classical buildings free up their instinct to perceive wholesome spaces, forms, and surfaces, and therefore their product is adaptive to human sensibilities. Throughout time, architecture has persisted as one of the most profoundly important reflections of culture. Each architectural work has a significant role in restoring balance between buildings, cities and our ecological inventory surely ecological urbanism without ecological architecture is impossible. The realization that nature embraces the city has powerful implications for how cities are built and maintained and for the health, safety, and welfare of each resident. Cities should be an extension of our natural environment. There is a need for the city to connect to organic structures systematically. We as designer must integrate social and technological resources in an effort to create an exchange of ideas and implementable action plan to redesign unhealthy urban habitats in balance with nature and humanity…. References 1) Tiwari, S.R “City Space and Life then, 150 years ago- A presentation of concept and realities”. 2) Yılmaz, M. (2006), “sustainable design in architecture” 3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architectural_theory 4) http://thoughteconomics.blogspot.com/2012/06/role-of-architecture-in-humanitys-story.html 5) http://www.thenatureofcities.com/2013/05/26/architecture-and-urban-ecosystems-from-segregationto-integration/ 6) http://architecturefortomorrow.com/ 7) http://www.bloomsburyacademic.com/view/PublicValueHumanities_9781849662451/chapter-ba9781849662451-chapter-0011.xml 8) http://www.pureinsight.org/node/1017 9) http://www.designwithpurposeblog.com/2012/08/14/organic‐architecture‐2/ 10) http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/index.htm 11) http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2011/11/4028/