Post-Modern Philosophies

• In 1960’s, modern architecture faced criticism and was felt barren

and lacked meaning. Reformers felt that architecture should be
responsive to peoples’ needs. Hence, new thoughts in Post-
modernism arrived defending new theories.
• In 1970’s, situation seemed to be getting bad as the public slum
housing projects and built environment seemed least functional to
the evolving society. Hence, the new philosophies evolved into the
following styles:
– Post Modernism
– High-Tech Modernism
– Deconstructivism
• Post-Modern Architects: Philip Johnson, Robert Venturi, Michael
Graves, Richard Rogers, I.M.Pei, Norman Foster, Peter Eisenman,
Frank Gehry, Richard Mier, and others.
 Post-Modern Philosophies
Post Modernism Characteristics:
- Architects felt impatient with the constraints and monotony of
international style and aimed towards new designs.
- Use of familiar shapes and forms in quite unexpected ways.

Philip Johnson’s AT&T building (Sony Building) is a post modernist

skyscraper in International Style.
Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Michael Graves
 Post-Modern Philosophies
High-Tech Modernism Characteristics:
- Also called late-Modernism or Structural Expressionism
- Incorporated industrial and technological elements in building designs.
- Created new aesthetics in contrast to standard modern architecture.
- Use of nuts and bolts, chemical glass, exposed pipes, ventilation ducts,
formwork and centering.
- Continuous development in technology led to structures which were
machine-like made in steel, aluminium, glass and framework finished in
bright colours.
- Prefabricated and assembled, beams, ducting and functional elements
are placed on outside.
- Interior spaces are multifunctional.
- Richard Roger’s centre, Pompidou Paris
- Norman Foster’s Hong Kong Shanghai Bank Headquarters
- I.M.Pei’s Bank of China in Hong Kong
 Post-Modern Philosophies
Deconstructivism Characteristics:
- Sub-movement in Post-Modern Architecture
- Features broken buildings.
- Building design attempts towards a disharmonious abstract
- Elements of building have no visual logic and seem like dismantled.
- Seattle library
- Libeskind’s imperial war museum
- Peter eisenman
- Frank gehry
- Richard myer
 Post-Modern Philosophies
Cubism Characteristics:
- Cubism was 20th century Avant-Garde art movement
- Objects are broken up, analysed and reassembled in an abstarct
form.
- Artists depicted the subject from multitude viewpoints.
- Leading artists of this movement were Pablo Picasso, Fernand
Leger, Georges Braque and Juan Gris.
 Post-Modern Philosophies
Purism Characteristics:
- Aesthetic approach interested in Utopian vision of art and modern
living.
- Purism believes in order, harmony and rationalism.
- Art should embrace new industrial world to make objects made by
machines.
- Preferred cool colours, glossy finish and clean lines.
- Le Corbusier