MODERN ARCHITECTURE

Modern architecture is a group of styles of architecture which emerged in the first half of
the 20th century and became dominant after World War II.

Characteristics:
• The use of reinforced concrete and steel.
• Visual expression of the structure rather than hiding structural elements.
• Rectangular, cylindrical and cubic shapes
• Asymmetrical compositions.
• Large windows set in horizontal bands.
• Open plan floors.
• White or cream facades.

• Abstraction:
• Created by clean lines, basic shapes, and forms. Thus, simple,
plain, geometric forms, rectangular shapes, and linear elements
make the characteristics of modern architecture.
• Components positioned at 90-degrees to each other and an
emphasis on horizontal and vertical lines.
• Purpose is the essence. Function is a key objective and drives the
overall form and structure.
• Form follows function:
• Forms should be simplified
• The shape of a building or object should primarily relate to its
intended function or purpose.
• Less is More
• This refers to the minimalistic approach to a building, no excessive
ornamentation, no excessive elements.
• Ornament should follow the structure and purpose of the building.
• Truth to materials: Rather than concealing or altering the natural
appearance of a material, it ought to be visible and celebrated.
Materials used:

• Cast iron
• Plate glass
• Reinforced concrete
The Crystal Palace by Joseph Paxton at the Great Exhibition of 1851 was an early
example of iron and plate glass construction, followed in 1864 by the first glass and
metal curtain wall.
The cast plate glass process was invented in 1848, allowing the manufacture of very
large windows.

Architects
Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer,
and one of the pioneers of what is now called modern architecture.
• Some of the buildings are
• Villa savoye ,Fance 1928 -1931
• Dom-Ino House 1914-1918

Corbusier’s Five points of architecture

1. Lift The Building Over Pilotis. The ground floor of the house, like the street, belongs
to the automobile. Therefore housing is raised on pilotis to allow the vehicle’s movement
or the green continuity.

2. Free Designing Of The Ground Plan. A building floor plan should be free from
structural condition, so partitions can be organized in any way.

3. The Free Façade. The structure separates from the façade, relieving it of its structural
function.

4. The Horizontal Window. The façade can be cut along its entire length to allow room
to be lit equally.

5. The Roof Garden. A building should give back the space it takes up on the ground by
replacing it with a garden in the sky.
Louis Sullivan
 Known as Chicago's "Father of Skyscrapers," Louis Sullivan foreshadowed
modernism with his famous phrase "form follows function."
 Though he is known for his beautiful use of ornament, his true innovation came in
the way he adapted previous ornamental styles to the newly-emerging tall
buildings of the late 19th century, using it to emphasize a building's verticality.
 For these innovations in building tall, Sullivan is often credited as being a part of
the first "Chicago School" of architecture, which employed steel framed buildings
clad in ornamental masonry.
 Among the buildings for which Sullivan is known are the Wainwright Building in
St Louis, Missouri, the Guaranty Building in Buffalo, New York and the Carson
Pirie Scott Building in Chicago.
Mies van der Rohe
 Mies Van der Rohe is one of the most influential architects of the 20th century,
known for his role in the development of the most enduring architectural style of
the era: modernism.
 For almost a century, Mies' minimalist style has proved very popular; his famous
aphorism "less is more" is still widely used, even by those who are unaware of its
origins.
 Mies began to develop this style through the 1920s, combining the functionalist
industrial concerns of his modernist contemporaries and an aesthetic drive
toward minimal intersecting planes—rejecting the traditional systems of enclosed
of rooms and relying heavily on glass to dissolve the boundary between the
building's interior and exterior.
 Buildings
Crystal Palace

 The Crystal Palace was a glass and cast iron structure built in London,
England, for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The building was designed by Sir
Joseph Paxton, an architect and gardener, and revealed breakthroughs in
architecture, construction and design.
 Using combinations of prefabricated cast iron, laminated wood, and
standard sized glass sheets, Paxton created the “ridge-and-furrow” roof
design.
 Paxton’s ingenious design created an unprecedented exhibition space.
 The construction, acting as a self supporting shell, maximized interior
space, and the glass cover enabled daylight.
 The method of construction was a breakthrough in technology and design,
and paved the way for more sophisticated pre-fabricated design.
Villa Savoye
• Villa Savoye is a modernist villa on the outskirts of Paris, France.
• It was designed by Le Corbusier and built between 1928 and 1931
using reinforced concrete.
A manifesto of Le Corbusier's "five points" of new architecture, the villa is
representative of the bases of modern architecture, and is one of the most easily
recognizable and renowned examples of the International style.
Sydney Opera House

• The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts

centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the 20th century's
most famous and distinctive buildings.
Utzon wanted the shells to be portrayed like large while sails in contrast to the deep
blue waters of the ocean it stood upon. In order to achieve this aesthetic the shells
are covered with 1,056,066 ceramic tiles made in Sweden from clay and crushed
stone. Along with the placement of the tiles, it took eleven years to complete the
iconic roof structure.
The roof structures are commonly referred to as "shells”, they are precast
concrete panels supported by precast concrete ribs, not shells in a strictly structural
sense.