COLIN ROWE AND

FRED KOETTER

utopia and collage city theories

 COLIN ROWE
• British architectural – historian
critic
theoretician and teacher
• Graduated from Liverpool school of
architecture
• First essay – the mathematics of ideal
villa(1947)

FRED KOETTER
• British architect and architectural historian
• Graduated from university of Oregon and
cornell university (also taught here and in
yale, Harvard, Kentucky university)
• Founder of koetter,kim and associates
 TOPICS
1) UTOPIA AND TRADITION
2) COLLAGE CITY
3) CONTEXTUALISM
COLLAGE CITY – CONTEXTUALISM –
UTOPIA AND TRADITION – • Was initially • Was proposed as a
• Originated by his essay developed as an compromising
• Colins and freds ideas essay theory
about merging fantasy, • Based on – • Had 2 concepts. First
reality and modern 1) Karl poppers anti- was about stand
tradition. utopianism alone structures and
2) Isaiahs anti- the second space
hedgehog carved into tissue.
perception • Basic idea was to mix
3) Idea of bricoleur type and context.
 MATHEMATICS OF IDEAL VILLA
• COLIN ROWE’S first essay going parallel to collage city and approach of Fred.
• In this essay he analysed the diffrences between HOA and Modern Arc through Le
Corbusiers – Villa Stein and Paladio’s – Villa Malcontenta.
• He discovered that villa stein involved tradition and new idea. Also that Corbusier
has used analytic and geometric principles from traditional arc.
• When he does a comparision study of the same through diagrams, he found they
have strong similarities in aspect of plan, ratios and volumes.
• However the faccade’s are different.
Conclusion –
• He claims that modern architectcs works are more complex that thought(LC)-
As the architects claim the buildings are in pure form and new from existing ones.
• But also that after the analysis it only means Modern architecture does not reject
HOA and that modern designs may or may not be entirely new.
 UTOPIA
t is a imagined community or society that has highly desirable or nearly
perfect qualities for it’s citizens.

CONTENT DETAILS

Essay by – Colin Rowe

Reflections/articles – manfredo taufri and many others
AUTHOR’S ANALYSIS AND VIEWS
BASIS OF ALL ANALYSIS
UTOPIA
• It deals with qualities such as exonomics, government, justice of a
city. The opposite is dystopia.

REFLECTIONS FORMULATED FROM EDSAY BY MANFREDO TAUFRI

• Reflects particular cultural climate in 2 magazines that are – 1)
contropiano 2) controspazio
CONTROPIANO CONTROSPAZIO

Relates to sociology, philosophy, Called a little magazine

politics

It relates to issues of class relations Published outside circuits which

with ideal and cultural aspects ofass affirm role of politics as the real
capitalist society purpose of architectural project
Authors views on Utopia

• They identify a distinction between implicit-object of contemplation

Explicit- instrument of social changem
• From theatrical view points there is no condemnation of the utopian
vision but rather a sharp reflection on the role and value, Utopia has
assured to urban projects, along history of relationship between
architecture and city.

RESULT- A abstract scientific idealism is developed.

AUTHORS VIEWS ON COLLAGE CITY

• The first 2 chapters of callage city is based on utopia’s theories.

• The article aims to make the word fantasy seem real and achievable
in a weaved environment.
• And here reality acts as a set of concrete instances and material
characteristics related to history.

RESULT – Totalitarian and authoritarian propheric Utopias.

CONCLUEION – The author tell the critical point where both extremes
are not what a city should lean towards.
• To avoid the results and h nce also the process of anticipation on
those of retrospection the city must act as –
1. Theatre of memories
2. Theatre of prophery

The combination of there 2 happens only when there is synchronicity

between Utopia and tradition.(a chapter of which is also there in
collage city as reconquest of time)
KSSA B.Arch Sem 7 15ARC 7.6: URBAN DESIGN
KSSA B.Arch Sem 7 15ARC 7.6: URBAN DESIGN
KSSA B.Arch Sem 7 15ARC 7.6: URBAN DESIGN
UTOPIA TRADITION

KSSA B.Arch Sem 7 15ARC 7.6: URBAN DESIGN

UTOPIA AND TRADITION

KSSA B.Arch Sem 7 15ARC 7.6: URBAN DESIGN

UTOPIA AND TRADITION

KSSA B.Arch Sem 7 15ARC 7.6: URBAN DESIGN

THE HEDGEHOG AND THE FOX

•Influence of Isaiah Berlin- his article

“The Hedgehog and The Fox”(1957).
•Berlin categorizes people or their way
of thinking in two general classes.

•The first class is hedgehog that knows

only one great subject and links
everything to that universal and
dominating subject.

•The second class is the fox that knows

many things and that are capable of
pursuing many diverse goals, which can
sometimes be contrasting.

KSSA B.Arch Sem 7 15ARC 7.6: URBAN DESIGN

 THE HEDGEHOG AND THE FOX

•Colin Rowe and Fred Koetter defined Le Corbusier as a fox posing as a

hedgehog from time to time.
•And this illustrates that the hedgehog and the fox can not be
separated with precise lines.
•The same scheme can be seen in the article named “Notes on the In-
between” by Fred Koetter.
•He argues that since the age of enlightenment, thoughts’ world is
perceived as an arena in which contrasting thoughts fight, and that the
solution is always sought in destroying the opposing idea.
•He reminds the famous contrasts, us vs. them, that have been
presented to the architecture world in recent years, however much in-
between is closer to the reality.
•Because the reality is complex, diverse, slippery, uncertain,
indefinable.
•Unfortunately unclear definitions are not preferable. Thus, for a
strong and credible argument, it is necessary to put on fox’s mask, like
Le Corbusier.

KSSA B.Arch Sem 7 15ARC 7.6: URBAN DESIGN

UTOPIA AND TRADITION

• Influenced by Karl popper‘s anti-utopian theory.

• His views on Utopia are –
1. Very firmly isolated models of society
2. They are despotic and lack tolerence

These views formed the basis of collage city

• Rome and kotter’s views on Utopia and inevitability of tradition
1. Just as science runs tests, hypothesis, examinations and relaplaces new
methods and techniques,
Architecture and society can also do the same with tradition.
2. Tradition provides advancem my even if it’s a contradiction

• Rowe’s views &

1. One can take strength from novelty and fantasy
2. But that Strength should be connected to existing and familiar frame of
memories, which does not include –
a) Seperating nostalgia from prophery
b) Rememberance from expectations
c) Arcadian from Utopia with precision
• He believes that the former being called conservative mad the later as radical is a
misleading idea and is to be avoided.
 THE CRISIS OF OBJECT : PREDICAMENT OF TEXTURE
• IT DISCUSSES OF ETHICS OF GOVERNING THE CITY PLAN AND
MORPHOLOGY OF SPACE , VOID AND FUNCTION.
• ARGUES ABOUT IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS AND URBAN SOLUTIONS.
• THE AUTHOR POSES THREE QUESTIONS :
1. WHY ARE WE COMPELLED TO PREFER NOSTALGIA FOR FUTURE TO THAT
OF PAST?
2. COULD AN IMAGINED IDEAL CITY REFLECT FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL
CONSTITUTION?
3. COULD IDEAL CITY FUNCTION AS A THEATRE OF MEMORY AND PROPHERY?
• MODERN ARCHITECTURE HAD GRID CITY PLANS WHICH SEALED OFF
BUILDINGS FROM PUBLIC USE.
• A CITY SHOULD BE A COMIBNATION OF SOLID AND VOID.
• VOID FOR PUBLIC REALM.
• THEY REJECTED THE IDEA OF HAVING CONTINUOUS VOID TO PLACE
TOWERS SO THAT THEY APPEAR LIKE “ TOWERS IN PARK”.
• EXAMPLE : LE CORBUSIER’S PLAN VOISIN,PARIS VS VICTORIA PLAZA
MAYOR, SPAIN.
• HISTORY OF WHAT IS BEYOND BRINGS MORE LIFE TO THE CITY.
• EXAMPLE: PEOPLE FEEL NEARER TO DISNEY WORLD THAN MODERN
CITIES.
• SPECULATIVE PLEASURE OF THE CITY WALKER CREATING HIS OWN
NARRATIVE TO SPACES THAT ARE INACCESIBLE TO HIM ALLOWS FOR
MORE CONNECTED EXPERIENCE THAN ALLOWING FREE REIGN TO
MEANDER ACROSS EVERY OPEN SPACE IN THE CITY.
• THE MODERNIST VIEW OF BUILDING AS OBJECTS IS NOT DISREGARDED IN
ITS TOTALITY.
• THIS PROPOSAL SUGGESTS THAT BUILDINGS SHOULD ACT BOTH AS SPACE
OCCUPIER AND SPACE DEFINER MAINTAINING AN INDIVIDUAL PRESENCE
WHILE PROVIDING CONTINUITY TO URBAN TEXTURE.
• EXAMPLE: COMBINING EXISTING TRADITIONAL BUILDINGS AS OBJECTS
AND ITS REINTERPRETATION AS TEXTURE.
 COLLISION CITY AND POLITICS OF BRICOLAGE
• AUTHOR DISCUSSES ABOUT THOSE WHO DESIGN AND CREATE THE SPACES
RATHER THAN THE SPACE THEMSELVES AND ALSO URBAN IMPACT OF
POLITICS.
• COLLAGE – THE ACT OF ASSEMBLING VARIOUS COMPONENTS IS A TIME
BASED ACTIVITY AND REQUIRES AN UNDERSTANDING OF CHANGE AS
PART OF THE PROCESS.
• CITIES COULD BE IMPROVED THROUGH COLLAGING VARIETY OF URBAN
ELEMENTS INCLUDING SHAPED OPEN SPACES INTO CONTINUOUS FABRIC
OF CITY.
• EXAMPLE : PLAN OF VERSAILLES AND VILLA ADIRIANA
 COLLAGE CITY AND RECONQUEST OF TIME

• COLLAGE CITY CAN BE DEFINED AS – A CITY OF FRAGMENTS FROM THE

PAST ,PRESENT AND FUTURE TAKING INSPIRATION FROM WORKING
EXAMPLES IN EXISTING CITIES.
• SOME SCIENTIFIC , OTHERS PICTURESQUE
• SOME ANTIQUE, SOME RATIONAL OTHER DISORDER.
• POST MODERN COMPOSITION LACKS PRESCRIPTION OF RESEMBLANCES ,
SHIFTED CONTEXT , RECYCLED MEANINGS, ALLOWING CITY TO CREATE
ITSELF AND FORM ITS OWN MEANING FROM BORROWED FRAGMENTS.
• FRAGMENTS CAN BE EXISTING AND HISTORIC URBAN OBJECT TROVES ARE
PRESENTED TO THE READER IN EXCURSES TO BE IMPLEMENTED INTO
URBAN COLLAGES DESIGNED BY THEIR AUDIENCES.
• MEANWHILE REAL CITIES HAVE BEEN SHAPED BY THE ACCUMULATION OF
STEP-BY-STEP PROGRESSES, UNFINISHED INTENTIONS AND OBLIGATORY
COMPROMISES
 EXCURSUS
1.MEMORABLE STREETS
2.STABILIZERS
3.POTENTIAL INTERMEDIATE SET PIECES
4.PUBLIC TERRACES
5.COMPOSITE BUILDINGS
6.GARDENS collonades as memory lane

piazza in paris stoas in athens as intermediate set pieces

• SOME ARGUE THAT MANY CONTEMPORARY CITIES DUE TO NATURE OF
THEIR DEVELOPMENT OVER TIME ARE COLLAGES OF HISTORIC
FRAGMENTS , BUT NATURE OF COLLAGE CITY IS THAT THE FRAGMENTS
WERE APPLIED STRATEGICALLY TO ALLOW CITY TO DEVELOP AND
NURTURE ITSELF.
• ROWE SUGGESTS THAT ARCHITECTS AND URBAN DESIGNERS SHOULD AIM
FOR MIDDLE GROUND TO PRODUCE SOLUTIONS WHICH CAN BE
CONTEMPORARY , EFFECTIVE AND FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO MOVE WITH
TIME AND ADAPT TO FUTURE SITUATIONS.
• IN COLLAGE CITY, ROWE AND KOETTER ALSO HAD AN
IMPLICIT CONTEMPT FOR RECENT AMERICAN AND
EUROPEAN HIGH- RISE HOUSING PROJECTS, WHICH HAD
BEEN DESIGNING WITH MODERN ARCHITECTURAL
APPROACH.
• IT IS ALSO A CRITIQUE FOR MODERN ARCHITECTURE.
• ONE OF THESE PROJECTS IS ILLINOIS PRUITT- IGOE.
ILLINOIS.
• PRUITT- IGOE WAS KNOWN AS THE DEATH OF THE
MODERN ARCHITECTURE. PRUITT- IGOE WAS A LARGE
URBAN HOUSING PROJECT; IT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1954
IN USA.
• IT WAS MADE UP OF THIRTY THREE BUILDINGS.
• BY THE LATE 1950S AND THE BEGINNING OF 1960S,
PRUITT- IGOE PROJECT WAS FAMOUS AND IT WAS TAKEN A
PRIDE. HOWEVER, BY THE LATE 1960S, THE PROJECT HAD
BECOME INTERNATIONALLY INFAMOUS FOR ITS POVERTY,
CRIME AND SEGREGATION.
• IT WAS PART OF AN EVOLVING CRISIS OF SOCIAL
SEGREGATION IN 1970’S. THIRTY THREE BUILDINGS WERE
DEMOLISHED WITH EXPLOSIVES IN THE MID-1970. PRUITT-
IGOE WAS BECOMING AN SYMBOL OF URBAN RENEWAL
AND PUBLIC-POLICY PLANNING FAILURE