78046 - History of Contemporary Architecture (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student is able to: recognize, historically locate and critically evaluate the major contemporary architectures - from eighteenth to twentieth centuries; to know the key aspects of building construction; to place the architecture in the city and in the territory. The student is also able to understand the relationship between architecture and other artistic disciplines involved in the design process. In addition, the student is able: to make archival and bibliographic research; to critically structuring a process of historical studies; to recognize the forms systems of the historical period under consideration; to describe and comment, in verbal and written form, an architecture of the considered period.

Course contents

History of contemporary architecture

Ornament, Structure and Space

Contents

The course aims to introduce students to the knowledge of architecture, from the nineteenth century to nowadays. The course will provide the student with a vision of architecture through the analysis of works and significant issues. The analysis of some issues, such as pattern and ornament, polychromy and cladding, the questions of truth and nature of the materials, the role and form of the structure, and the space configuration, will be privileged in the discussion of the architectures. Works by artists whose creative process has helped to focus concepts often decisive for architecture will be analyzed.

At the end of the course, the student will have the tools to evaluate the architecture from the point of view of the relationship between idea, conception, form and matter, and to understand the cultural, technical and artistic issues related to their implementation. The study of the various architectural experiences will allow the student to face a series of problems that could suggest any personal research projects.

Keywords: contemporary architecture, ornament, pattern, structure, space, construction, art.

Course topics

• Polychrome architecture systems: from Quatremère de Quincy to Jacques Ignace Hittorff
• From the principle of polychrome to the principle of coating: Gottfried Semper
• System of construction and system of structure: Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc
• Henri Labrouste: towards a poetic rationalism
• Architectures of the Chicago School: from the frame to the curtain wall
• Louis Henri Sullivan: ornement symbolic function
• Frank Lloyd Wright: the enclosure of the space
• Otto Wagner, Joseph Maria Olbrich, Josef Hoffmann, Josef Plečnik: order and truth of the coating
• Adolf Loos, from the law of coating to the Raumplan
• Seminar (Gottfried Semper)
• Auguste Perret, order and truth of the structure
• Mies van der Rohe: search for absolute structure
• Le Corbusier, from the ornamental composition to the ''espace indicible"
• Seminar (Adolf Loos)

There aren’t differences in program between students attending and not attending

For additional information see COURSE TIMETABLE 2016-17

Readings/Bibliography

Tests in progress (essays available in AMS Campus):

First test

- G. Semper, Origine tecnica delle principali forme-base, tipi e simboli dell’architettura, in Id., Lo stile, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 1992, pp. 39-49 (1a ed., Der Stil in den technischen und tektonischen Künsten oder praktische Ästhetik. Ein Handbuch für Techniker, Künstler und Kunstfreunde, vol. I, Frankfurt am Main, 1860)

- G. Semper, Il sostegno, in Id., Lo stile, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 1992, pp. 219-229 (1a ed., Der Stil in den technischen und tektonischen Künsten oder praktische Ästhetik. Ein Handbuch für Techniker, Künstler und Kunstfreunde, vol. II, Frankfurt am Main, 1863)

Second test

- A. Loos, Das Prinzip der Bekleidung, in “Neue Freie Presse”, 4 settembre 1898, trad. it., Il principio del rivestimento, in Id., Parole nel vuoto, Adelphi, Milano, 1991, pp. 79-86

Those who don't participate at the test or those who don't reach a suffieciente evaluation will be questioned on the bibliography concerning the tests in progress during the oral exam.

Oral exam

Basic texts (required):

- G. Fanelli, R. Gargiani, Storia dell'architettura contemporanea. Spazio, struttura, involucro, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2006 (chapters 1, 2, 6, 8)

- William J. Curtis, L'architettura moderna dal 1900, Phaidon, London, 2006 (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3)

Essays (required - essays available in AMS Campus)

M. Cometa, L’architettura italiana tra policromia estoricismo, in Id., Il Romanzo dell’Architettura. La Sicilia e ilGrand Tour nell’età di Goethe, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1999, pp. 299-325

G. Fanelli, R. Gargiani, L'origine tessile della parete e il principio del rivestimento, da Gottfried Semper alla Neue Sachlichkeit, in Id., Il principio del rivestimento. Prolegomena a una storia dell'architettura contemporanea, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1994, pp. 3-14

R. Gargiani, Le Style de Gottfried Semper: vers laconstructionincorporelle, in “eaV”, 1997, n. 3, pp. 71-81Giles Phillips, Framing what we see: the role of ornament instructuring. LouisSullivan's design logic, in Environment andPlanning B: Planning and Design, 2008, volume 35, pp. 772-793

G. Phillips, Framing what we see: the role of ornament instructuring. LouisSullivan's design logic, in Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 2008, volume 35, pp. 772-793 (optional for students attending)

A. Rosellini, Sculptures moulées di Le Corbusier, in Quando è scultura, Milano, Et Al., 2010, pp. 121-132

A. Rosellini, Gli intonaci di Le Corbusier senza pittura per le ville a Garches e Poissy, «ARCHI», 2012, 5, pp. 31-39

A. Rosellini, La Ville Contemporaine di Le Corbusier e Pierre Jeanneret, o del paesaggio svizzero sublimato in metropoli, in La Cittа Nuova. Oltre Sant’Elia. Cento anni di visioni urbane, Milano, Silvana Editoriale, 2013, pp. 67-79

A. Rosellini, Unité d’Habitation in Marseille - Experimental Artistic Device, in Ruth Baumeister, What Moves Us? Le Corbusier and Asger Jorn in Art and Architecture, Zurich, Scheidegger & Spiess, 2015, pp. 38-45 

The bibliography will be completed by the student that shall prepare, in agreement with the teacher, the list of essays required for the final report to be presented during the final exam (required)

There aren’t differences in program between students attending and not attending. Those who don't participate at the test will be questioned on the bibliography concerning the tests in progress during the oral exam

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars

Assessment methods

1. Tests in progress

2. Delivery of a written report

3. Oral Exam (on the topics discussed in the course and held in the bibliography)

1. Tests in progress

The tests include: oral presentations made by the students during the seminars. Evaluations of these works will be taken into account for the final exam.

Extracts of essays on subjects covered in the course will be provided to the students. It is required to develop a reflection on the essays and to find illustrations necessary to comment the works. With this material the student must prepare a presentation (PowerPoint, Keynote, PDF) and expose the results of its research.

The student must:

• Knowing the author of the essay
• Knowing the content of the essay
• Knowing the context in which the essay was written
• Develop a personal reflection
• Collect iconographic need to expose their reflections
• Participate actively in class seminars

To each test will be assigned from 0 to 6 points. To reach a suffieciente evaluation you may obtain a rating equal or greater than 4.

Those who don't participate at the test or those who don't reach a suffieciente evaluation will be questioned on the bibliography concerning the tests in progress during the oral exam.

2. Delivery of a written report

A week before the exam, each student will deliver a written report, complete with images, on a subject treated in class. The subject must be agreed with the professor before the end of the course (text length: minimum 10000 characters, including spaces; each image must be accompanied by the caption).

The relationship between text and image, and the layout will be evaluated.

The structure of the report will be divided into:

· Introduction (brief description of the work and its aims, presentation of the chosen topic)

· Central body (development of the subject), divided into paragraphs, if necessary

· Conclusion (that clarify the reflections and summarize the work done)

· Bibliography

For the preparation of the report refer to NORME REDAZIONALI per la redazione della RELAZIONE FINALE

3. Oral exam

During the oral exam, students must demonstrate to have acquired a critical understanding of the topics discussed during the course and a critical knowledge of the recommended bibliography. The student will develop a reflection on the architecture of the period covered in the course. The analysis should not be limited to the disquisition of the formal aspects of the individual works; the student will be able to break down the architecture showing an understanding of all aspects related to the central themes of the course and the formal and aesthetic reasons that have led certain technical choices.

After completing the course the student will be able:
• To know the features of the history of architecture of the considered period
• Identify and analyze the most significant works
• Develop personal reflections on the relationship between ornament, structure and space
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the various issues discussed
• Use correct terminology

The achievement of a comprehensive vision of the issues, the possession of a specific language, the originality of the reflection as well as familiarity with the architecture analysis tools will be evaluated with marks of excellence. Knowledge mostly mechanical or mnemonic of matter, a capacity of synthesis and analysis articulated or not, an use of proper language but not always appropriate, as well as a school domain of architectural history will lead to fair valuations. Training gaps or use inappropriate language, as well as a lack of knowledge of the architecture analysis tools will lead to votes that will amount on the sufficiency threshold. Training gaps, inappropriate language, lack of orientation within the bibliography and inability to analyze architecture will be evaluated negatively.

There aren’t differences in program between students attending and not attending

Teaching tools

The course images and a part of bibliography will be provided to the students

Links to further information

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HistoireArchitectureHistoireBeton/

Office hours

See the website of Anna Rosellini