Chapter 2 - Regionalism and Identity
Chapter 2 - Regionalism and Identity
Chapter 2 - Regionalism and Identity
INTRODUCTION
Regionalism as defined by Wikipedia, may take many definitions according to the field of use. Regionalism as an art
refers to an American realist modern art movement that was popular during the 1930s. In international relations,
regionalism may refer to the expression of a common sense of identity and purpose combined with the creation and
implementation of institutions that express a particular identity and shape collective action within a geographical
region. Likewise, in politics, regionalism is referred to a political ideology that focuses on the interests of a particular
region or group of regions, whether traditional or formal.
We commonly talk about critical regionalism, in architecture, which is an approach that strives to counter
placelessness and lack of identity in modern architecture by using the buildings geographical context.
According to Prof. Chris Abel in his article, Regional Transformation in the Architectural Review 1077 November,
1986: Anatomy of Regionalism; he suggests that regionalism attempts to put back into architecture what modernism
conspicuously took out, namely continuity in a given place between past and present forms of building. He further
suggests that regional architecture has almost always accepted imported models and that it is the transformation of
model and type that the specific nature of regionalism can be discovered.
It is in countries of Third World, where the effects of modernisms break with the past have been compounded by a
drastically speeded up rate of development, that regionalism has a special meaning. For the inhabitants of these
countries, the business of deciding what does or does not belong in their region, acquires political and emotional
dimensions that smack of a basic struggle for cultural survival, frequently couched in the plaintive term of a search
for identity1
The regionalist approach is now seen to be one of the few potential ways of making architecture with a human face.
It permits architects to relate to the past in a deeper and more authentic way than Post-Modern Classism can ever
1
20
INTRODUCTION
attempt. It allows modernism to be built on humanely by injecting a sense of place and continuity without throwing
away the spatial and industrial advantages that Modernism offered.2
Contrary to the images, such architecture is not always local in its origins and may derive, wholly or in part, from
other sources. For instance, where truly indigenous examples are found, as in the mud brick architecture of the
central Nejd area of the Arabia Peninsula, they are the outcome of relatively isolated situations.3 As illustrated in fig
2-3 to fig 2-5.
The aims and methods of regionalists are further complicated if it is acknowledged that even the most powerful
forms of monumental architecture may be adapted to different conditions of place and culture. For example, the
Panthenon in Rome with its countless progeny and their regional variations. Likewise, the Swahili architecture of the
East African Coast originated from the Arab world and has transformed to suit the local climate and culture. See fig
2-6 and fig 2-7.
For both monumental and non-monumental architecture generally, the crucial measure of historical import is not
the individual work taken separately, but the whole linked series of precedents and later variants with all their
transformations over time, each of which in turn becomes an actual or potential model which can beget still more
transformations. Replications of the model provide essential elements of continuity through change by which
cultures measure their lineage.
Fig 2-6: A model of the original
Arab house which has transformed to
form the current Swahili house.
21
INTRODUCTION
22
INTRODUCTION
Archaeologists have uncovered several impressive Inca cities from the ground and have cleared dense vegetation that
has kept them hidden for many centuries. Among these cities are Vilcabamba, Cota Coca, Corihuayrachina,
Choquequirao, Vitcos and of course, the magical Machu Picchu. The latter one being the most spectacular. Perhaps the
most spectacular city on Earth! All of these were "lost" at some point. Like a needle in a haystack!
These cities were either raided and demolished by the Spaniards or abandoned by their population for unknown
reasons. Some of them were known, but they were forgotten. Their location was forgotten, rather. The vast jungles of
Peru can hide them so well, that even experienced explorers could walk away near them, without having any idea
about what is there. Also, there are cities that were never found by the Spaniards. They were never discovered until
the modern age like the Machu Picchu.
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INTRODUCTION
By mid-seventies, vernacular architecture distinguished itself as an important source where basic components of
design such as climate, technology and related symbolism have existed and matured over the centuries of mans
involvement in architecture.
Vernacular architecture does not go through fashion cycles. It is nearly immutable, indeed unimprovable, since it serves the
purpose of perfection. As a rule, the origin of indigenous building forms and construction methods is lost in the distant past.4
Fig 2-18: New Gourna Village, Egypt.
Architect: Hassan Fathy
Both have in common the idea of bringing a new and contemporary existence to vernacular forms and spatial
arrangement but differ in the way they treat community and technology.5
a) Conservative Vernacularism
The architecture employed here is indifferent to the community; it has inherited traditional technology, local
materials and the natural environment. The idea is to bring back to the vernacular mode, building tradition in
danger of extinction. It should be noted that use of durable materials increase the acceptability of conservative
vernacularism.
The most important contributor to conservative vernacularism was the late Hassan Fathy who devoted more than
half a century of his professional life on his endeavour.
This kind of vernacularism has some shortcomings i.e.:
i.
ii.
It has mostly been applied to residential houses. Hence, its application in other areas needs further
development.
It needs special skills in the choice and use of materials as
24
INTRODUCTION
to fossil a tradition pattern in concrete and give it to a family which probably no longer has the same requirements as its
predecessors seems to be preserving the wrong aspects of traditional architecture.6
b) Interpretative Vernacularism
This may be referred to as Neo-Vernacularism. It is an approach that has emerged to bring new life to vernacular
heritage for new and contemporary functions. Its widest area of application being the architecture for tourism and
culture, where technology which has nothing to do with those which existed regionally is utilized in order to bring
about:
i.
Modern comfort
ii.
Ease of construction and maintenance and
iii.
Modern infrastructure, heating, cooling and technical services
In these efforts more of a lip-service has been given to the regional components and therefore architecture has
become more of an expression of local shapes and forms where culture is reduced to souvenir and folklore.
6
25
INTRODUCTION
Regionalism was a move in architecture rejecting sameness of internationalism but not modernism. This is true
because modernism demands a respect for:
i.
inherent qualities of building materials,
ii.
expressiveness of structure and
iii.
functional justifications of forms that constitute buildings
This does not contradict much in essence with works of architects who wish to adopt a regional approach.7
To achieve the goals of regionalism of regionalism, modernism provides techniques to cope with problems and also
offers a code of ethics and categories of aesthetics for use.
According to Suha Ozkan, there are two categories of modern regionalism8
i.
Concrete modernism
ii.
Abstract modernism
7
26
INTRODUCTION
a) Concrete modernism
This accommodates all approaches to regional expression which directly replicates features, fragments or entire
buildings in the region combined with modern elements. These buildings when loaded with values of symbolic
relevance become much more acceptable in their new form which is due to the values attached to the original built
forms.
This type of regionalism is acknowledged by use of:
i.
Contemporary materials and construction techniques
ii.
Building qualities of the old which backs the new
It should be noted that post-modernism covers what is referred to as concrete regionalism
b) Abstract modernism
This involves abstracting elements from the past in order to derive building forms. It mainly incorporates the abstract
qualities of a building, for example massing, solids and voids proportions, sense of place, use of light and structural
principles in their reinterpreted form.
Abstraction also endeavours to bring back to existence the cultural issues by defining in terms of design elements the
prevalent culture of the region concerned.
Examples of modern regionalism buildings include:
i.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) by architect Henning Larsen
ii.
The Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi (Kenya)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) by architect Henning Larsen is a stately
government building rooted in two Islamic architectural traditions, the vernacular as found in the local mud brick
Najdi architecture, and the monumental as expressed in such works as the Alhambra and the Taj Mahal. Surrounded
by villas and office buildings, it provides office space for 1'000 employees; meeting, conference and prayer rooms;
banquet, library, auditorium, exhibition and parking facilities. The two semi-circular structures on either side of the
main entrance house on the left the banquet hall, and on the right the library. The entrance leads to the four-storey
triangular lobby. Each of the three main office areas centres upon an octagonal dome-covered plaza from which
barrel-vaulted corridors (inspired by traditional city suqs) connect to the lobby. Within each office area are three
formal gardens. Daylight reaches interiors far from the perimeter walls by means of these open to the sky spaces as
27
INTRODUCTION
well as by skylights. The degree of air conditioning needed has been reduced by thick walls, high quality insulation,
mashrabiyyas and small windows. The jury noted that "simplicity and complexity are outstanding features of the
design. This expensive building conveys a sense of economy and clarity. Recipient of the Aga Khan Award for
Architecture, 1989. 9
The Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi (Kenya) is connotatively, well known as the citys
landmark. It creates some unconscious satisfaction and a sense of ownership to the people, because it is a building
which belongs into the context and the region at large. Its use of materials, texture, form and colour makes it belong;
and gives it a great sense of placeness. For instance, The Amphitheatre relates to the African traditional house.
Likewise, the use of the conical roof relates to majority of African traditional huts. The building uses materials and
colour which look like mud (brown); and mud was commonly used as a walling material for most African houses.
The colour is not repulsive. It gives you a feeling that this is good and not exactly borrowed from elsewhere. The
building is an assemblage of geometry, but gives u a feeling of a circular form.
Town
Hall
According to Wikipedia dictionary, Critical regionalism is an approach to architecture that strives to counter the
placelessness and lack of meaning in Modern Architecture by using contextual forces to give a sense of place and
meaning. (In the 1980s a few architects and theorists were disappointed with the direction that architecture was
taking under the influence of postmodernism.10
Furthermore, according to A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, 2000 by James Stevens Curl,
Critical Regionalism is defined as a strategy for achieving a more humane architecture in the face of universally held
abstractions and international clichs.11 The term critical regionalism was first used by Alexander Tzonis and Liane
Lefaivre and later more famously and by Kenneth Frampton in Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six points of an
architecture of resistance.
AKTC
10
11
Wikipedia dictionary
James Stevens Curl : A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, 2000
28
a)
b)
Fig 2-34: "Space for Contemplation"
UNESCO, Paris by Tadao Ando
Source: http://www.arcspace.com/
INTRODUCTION
According to Frampton, critical regionalism should adopt modern architecture critically for its universal progressive
qualities but at the same time should value responses particular to the context. Emphasis should be on topography,
climate, light, tectonic form rather than scenography and the tactile sense rather than the visual.12 He further argues
that, architects should seek regional variations in their buildings instead of continuing to design in a style of global
uniformity using consumerist iconography masquerading as culture, and should mediate the impact of universal
civilization with themes drawn indirectly from the individual peculiarities of a particular place. While appreciating
the dangers of industrialization and technology, he did not advocate revivals of either the great historical styles or a
humbler vernacular type of building. In essence, he sought the deconstruction of global Modernism, criticized postModernism for reducing architecture to a mere communicative or instrumental sign, and proposed the
introduction of alien paradigms to the indigenous genius loci. He cited the work of Aalto and Utzon as offering
examples of Critical Regionalism in which the local and the general were synthesized. Frampton cites the Synatsalo
Town Hall building by Alvar Aalto as a typical Critical Regionalist building.
As put forth by Tzonis and Lefaivre, critical regionalism need not directly draw from the context; rather elements
can be stripped of their context and used in strange rather than familiar ways. Critical regionalism is different from
regionalism which tries to achieve a one-to-one correspondence with vernacular architecture in a conscious way
without consciously partaking in the universal. It seeks architectural traditions that are deeply rooted in the local
conditions. This results in a highly intelligent and appropriate architecture. In its broadest sense, then, the Critical
Regionalist sensibility looks to the uniqueness of site and location when deriving the formal aspects of any given
project. Its influence can be felt in the work of the Tichino School in Switzerland, the sophisticated urban insertions
of many contemporary Spanish architects (including Rafael Moneo), or the austere concrete forms of the Japanese
master Tadao Ando. All point to a design method that is assuredly modern but relies on the organic unity of local
material, climatic, and cultural characteristics to lend coherence to the finished work. The result is an architecture
suited to light and touch.
The following architects have used such an approach in some of their works, just to mention a few: Alvar Aalto, Jrn
Utzon, Studio Granda, Mario Botta, B.V.Doshi, Charles Correa, Alvaro Siza, Rafael Moneo, Geoffrey Bawa, Raj
Rewal, Tadao Ando, Mack Scogin / Merrill Elam, Ken Yeang, William S.W. Lim, Tay Kheng Soon, Juhani
Pallasmaa, and Tan Hock Beng. Some of their works are discussed later in this chapter and others, in chapter four.
12
Kenneth Frampton, "Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six points for an architecture of resistance", in "Anti-Aesthetic. Essays on
Postmodern Culture." Seattle: Bay Press, 1983
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INTRODUCTION
Meanwhile, regionalism is a progressive phenomenon characterised by main concepts of cultural production and
identity and relations of geographical zoning or locality, in a sub-conscious attempt to reposition humanistic
development most ideal for each given locality or region.14 Thus, regionalism stands for culturally concentrated deglobalization that practically distances itself from a world of universalization. Further, regionalism can be described as
a fostering of local craft coupled with response to local colours, materials and customs transforming them along their
own unique development trajectories.
Note how the built forms are informed by Kenyan traditional built forms
13
Birabi A. Kenneth & Nawangwe Barnabas, Globalization and Regionalism: Complementary or Antagonistic Paradigms? The
Case of Eastern Africa Architecture Ensembles Africa Habitat 6 (2012)
14
IBID
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INTRODUCTION
Lefaivre and Tzonis point to the writings of Lewis Mumford as the source for their concept of 'critical regionalism'.
Mumford broke with earlier romantic or nationalist forms of regionalism by advocating an architecture that
embraced local traditions while simultaneously engaging with the global, universalizing world. "With Mumford",
Lefaivre maintains, "regionalism becomes a constant process of negotiation between the local and the global."16
One of the key characteristics of regionalism is the way it attempts to revive and reinterpret local building traditions
to achieve a synthesis with modern architectural forms. Curtis states, "at its best, regionalism penetrates to the
generating principles and symbolic substructures of the past then transforms these into forms that are right for the
changing social order of the present."4 For Buchanan, regionalism "must be a genuine hybrid, a totally new
configuration which may include a remembrance of the past, but transformed or framed in terms of its significance
for today."17
Thus, people identify with buildings which may be abstracted or borrowed a lot from what they know. It could be
what they eat, what they use to build, what they dress in or what is available all around them.
15
Frampton, Kenneth (1996): Prospects for a Critical Regionalism. In: Nesbitt, Kate: Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture.
New York: Princeton Architectural Press: 482.
16
Lefaivre, Liane and Alexander Tzonis (2003): Critical Regionalism: Architecture and Identity in a Globalized World. Munich: Prestel:
34.
17
Buchanan (1983): With Due Respect: Regionalism. The Architectural Review 1035.
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INTRODUCTION
The grass root idea of culture is useful so long as it forces attention upon basic patterns of adaptation in the
traditional architecture of a region (.g. to climate) but misleading the moment that it ignores the role of exterior
influences. Most vernaculars are hybrid of indigenous and imported types, and these types also change and adapt.
Regionalism is inevitably involved in the struggle between city and country, industry and handicraft, peasant values
and the unrootedness of metropolis. Just as traditionalism is a reaction against loss of continuity, so regionalism is a
restorative philosophy in favour of supposed rural harmony among people, their artifacts and nature.
Igor Stravinsky
18
For the embryo of this critical positions see William J.R Curtis, Modern Architecture since 1900, Phaidon, Oxford 1982,
chapter 25, The problem of Regional Identity and 27,Modern Architecture and developing Countries since 1960.
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INTRODUCTION
Fig 2-42:
Casa Heschl at Agarone
Switzerland by Luigi Snozzi Source:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
The modern movement enthusiastically aspired to create a universal culture. The new Machines for living in set in
space, light and greenery were to emancipate their inhabitants from their bonds with the past, and cultivate a New
Universal Man. Half a Century later, however, the techno-rationally biased and economy-obsessed buildings that
have become only too familiar everywhere impair our sense of locality and identity. The standard building of today
accelerates estrangement and alienation instead of integrating our world-view and sense of self. Simply, we have lost
our faith in utopia.
Meanwhile, we have learned to admire unique and authentic forms of indigenous and vernacular traditions which
were earlier hardly considered part of the realm of architecture. We admire the tangible integration of natural and
material conditions, patterns of life and forms of building in traditional societies, and this gives us a strengthened
sense of causality and existence.
The diversity of building in traditional societies is brought about the impact of local conditions and the specificity of
culture. In our own culture the sheer force of industrial technology, combined with mobility, mass-communication
and uniformity of life-style is causing entropy that minimalises diversity. What is the feasibility of regional culture
and architecture in a world in which billions of people meet around tv-sets to watch the same football match? Are we
not gradually becoming detached from our foothold in geographical and cultural soil and going to live in a fictitious
and fabricated culture, the culture of simulacra that Umberto Eco has written about? Are we not moving towards a
worldwide consumerist folklore, a mosaic impacts and information detached from their origin? Isnt our culture
doomed to lose all its authenticity and turn into a planetary waxworks-show?
Snozzi, Luigi (1932 ) A Swiss architect has designed many buildings in Switzerland, amongst them, Casa Heschl at
Agarone; which testifies to his concern for the environment, his belief that there is nothing to invent, and that any
destruction must be done intelligently with reference to the past.
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INTRODUCTION
Is it possible to alter the course of our culture? Is the resuscitation of regional architecture in post-industrial and PostModern society feasible? Indeed, can authentic architecture exist at all in the metaphysical materialism that we live
in? Clearly, our identity, and mental well-being, cannot be supported by universally standardized and abstracted
environment. Cultural anthropology has revealed that we do not live in separate physical and mental worlds. The
two realms are totally fused and consequently, the organization of our physical world is a projection of the mental
one and vice-versa. Architecture capable of supporting our identity has to be situationally, culturally and symbolically
articulated.
The fundamental message of architecture is the very basic existential expression: how does it feel to be a human
being in this world? And the task of architecture is to make us experience our existence with deeper significance and
purpose. Architecture is to make us know and remember who we are. In the words of Aldo van Eyck: Architecture
must facilitate Mans homecoming.
Clearly, our identity, and mental well-being, cannot
be supported by universally standardized and
abstracted environment.
must
facilitate
Mans
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INTRODUCTION
Culture is not composed of elements which can be disassembled and re-composed; culture has to be lived.
Cultures mature and sediment slowly as they become fused into the context and continuity of tradition.
Culture is an entity of facts and beliefs, history and present, material realities and mental conditions. It
proceeds unconsciously and cannot be manipulated from outside. Hence an authentic culturally
undifferentiated architecture can only be born from differentiated patterns of culture, not from fashionable
ideals in design. But do such conditions really exist in our time?
The profoundly Mexican architecture of Luis Barragan, for instance, echoes distinct deep-structure features
of Mexican culture and life, particularly the presence of death as an accepted dimension of life, and turns
these cultural ingredients into this unique metaphysical and surreal art which is traditional and individual,
timeless and radical at the same time.
The architecture of Alvaro Siza is an abstraction and condensation of social and building traditions of
Oporto. His architecture is abstracted to the degree that one can hardly trace this tradition but its presence is
felt in the authoritative quality of his architecture.
The regionalist architecture of Hungarian Imre Makovecz is more explicitly generated from images of
Hungarian mythology and folklore and there is a feeling of cultural scenography in his work that suggests
archaic rites; one expects people to appear on the scene dressed in Medieval tunics.
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INTRODUCTION
Consequently, a culturally-adapted architecture is not merely a matter of visual style but of integration of culture,
behaviour and environment. To deny cultural differentiation is foolish. A culturally-specific character or style
cannot be consciously learned and added on the surface of design. It is a result of being profoundly subject to a
specific pattern of culture and of the creative synthesis which fuses conscious intentions and unconscious
conditioning, memories and experiences, in a dialogue between the individual and the collective. All artists
elaborate their self-image in their art and a differentiated building tradition supports the collective self-image of
an entire culture. This applies also to apparently traditionless building in America, the Strip, for instance.
36
INTRODUCTION
Instead of being born from integrity of cultural forces- the inner necessity, as Kandinsky named it- the
historicism of today is a form of intellectual manipulation. Culture is taken as an objectified, external
and given reality which can be consciously applied and expressed in design. The past is taken as a
source from which to select instead of being the continuum and context of creative work. Instead of
being accepted as an autonomous process, culture has been turned into an object of deliberate
fabrication.
The present concern with regionalism has the evident danger of turning into sentimental
provincialism, whereas vital products of art in our specialized culture are always born from an open
confrontation between the universal and unique, the individual and collective, the traditional and the
evolutionary.
37
INTRODUCTION
Alvar Aalto is the most outspoken advocate of situationally adapted modernity in the Nordic countries as well as
within the Modern Movement as a whole.
After his short enthusiasm for the main stream of the Modern Movement and its Universalist ideals, Aalto
emphatically expressed his suspicion of universal and techno-utopian ideology. In Aaltos thinking the task of
architecture was to mediate between man and technology and support his social and cultural integration.
There is unexplainable sense of rootedness and Finnishness in Aaltos design. His architecture seems to activate
certain deep responses in the observer.
The genius and success of Alvar Aaltos Syntsalo Town Hall resides in its understated monumentality, scaled to the
common man. Infused with regionalist cues, the entire composition is forthrightly Finnish, while exhibiting a
modernist eloquence connecting the work to the wider world. He created a national architectural style through the
practice of critical regionalism.
Aaltos great contribution to architecture is recognized in his advancement of a flexible and adaptable approach to
design, which empowers any individual, community, or organization, to express its inherent Individuality, while
embracing the modernist
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INTRODUCTION
a) The community
The history of Syntsalo as an industrial community began in 1897, when Johannes Parviainen bought the island
and set up a saw mill. In 1914, a plywood mill was started and in 1940, a factory manufacturing complete houses. In
1946, the factories were acquired by Enzo Gutzeit. At the time the town hall was built, some 3,000 people lived on
the island and half of them worked in the factory.
b) Main island master plan
a)
In 1924, the mill asked Aalto to design a master plan for the main island. The drawing, which dates from the period
1944-47, is governed by two themes. The first of these is an acropolis dedicated to sport and culture at the highest
point on the island, and the second is a fan-shaped square, a piazza triangulare, around which are located the
building for the municipal administration offices, the head office for the mill, and some shops and low-rise housing.
The fan shape, which Aalto had already applied to the Sunila housing area and used in an experimental townplanning proposal in the United States in 1941, came out strongly.
b)
The causeway and the railway approach the central square from the mainland in the northwest and the direction of
the traffic is continued in a fan-shaped park .There are roads on both sides of the park, which join together at the
point where the town hall is located, as they rise upwards towards the church road which runs northeast. The fanshaped central square is thus not an open square, but a clearing in the park lined with vertical pine trunks.
c) The competition
c)
The invited competition for the town hall was announced on September 15, 1949 and a 3000 m2 site was defined at
the upper end of the clearing -not around the central square as Aalto had previously shown in his town plan.
d) Other entries
Two other architects were invited to take part besides Aalto, Seppo Hytnen, who had designed the local
Lehtisaari School and Veikko Raitinen, who had designed the factory offices
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INTRODUCTION
e) Curia
The competition was won by Aaltos proposal under the pseudonym Curia. The expert members of the jury
appointed by the Association of Finnish Architects were Aulis Blomstedt and Yrj Lindegren. Their citation declares
that the location of the building in the terrain, use of materials, spatial arrangement
and costs had all been resolved best in Aaltos entry.
Furthermore, they pointed out that the dominant council chamber represented the monumental character of
public building extremely well, but was at the same time, warm and cosy. The competition was won by Aaltos
proposal under the pseudonym Curia.
Fig
2-55:
Veikko
Competition entry
Raitinens
The expert members of the jury appointed by the Association of Finnish Architects were Aulis Blomstedt and Yrj
Lindegren. Their citation declares that the location of the building in the terrain, use of materials, spatial
arrangement and costs had all been resolved best in Aaltos entry.
Furthermore, they pointed out that the dominant council chamber represented the monumental character of
public building extremely well, but was at the same time, warm and cosy.
40
INTRODUCTION
a)
b)
c)
d)
41
a)
INTRODUCTION
g) The truss
The most frequently repeated theme in the sketches consists of the roof trusses in the council chamber. There are
two distinct versions of these. The simple wooden trusses form a rhythmic feature that Aalto was applying at almost
exactly the same time in the student refectory at the University of Jyvskyl (The final version that was actually used is
based on a roof structure that Aalto called butterfly. There are only two of these in the council chamber and visually
they form an upwards-opening fan, a kind of crown-like motif. There is also a touch of genius in the functional idea
associated with them in so far as they allow the ceiling to be ventilated.
b)
h) Meaning
c)
There are parallels for the tower-like form of the council chamber in older cultures. The pitched roof is well known
in Mediterranean rural vernacular architecture with which Aalto was familiar and which he admired.
Aalto compared his town hall with Italys Palazza Pubblico in Siena, both using the courtyard motif to symbolize the
center of community and the unification of democratic values
d)
Aaltos plan may also have been influenced by the vernacular Karelian farmhouse compound he wrote about in
1941, in Architecture in Karelia. The Karelian house is in a way a building that begins with a single modest cell or
with an imperfect embryo building, shelter for a man and animals, and which then figuratively speaking grows year
by year.
The expanded Karelian house can in a way be compared with a biological cell formation .This arrangement
represents a metaphorical community; council chambers, administrative offices, library, spaces for small business,
and residential apartments.
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INTRODUCTION
i) Courtyard
The partially enclosed courtyard is elevated one-story above street level, partly in response to the buildings sloping
site, and partly to acknowledge the increased status of the public realm (civic government), over the private sector
(commercial business). The bi-level library massing works to tie the two domains together.
This admiration for nature is reinforced by the presence of a water fountain symbolizing life, rebirth, and Finlands
generous endowment of freshwater, a natural grass surface underfoot recalling the soft rebound of the forest floor,
and direct views of the vertical forest structure beyond.
The inner courtyard of the building does not exist in the earliest sketches and the grassy steps do not appear until the
official drawings stage.
On the other hand, the relationship of the building to the terrain and the way it is linked with the natural
Surroundings are of key importance.
In the sketches, the building is adapted to the contours of the land, and although the inner courtyard eventually used
is somewhat artificial, the grassy steps serve as a reminder of the overall form of the ground
j) Massing
Perhaps the most striking visual aspect of Syntsalo is the seemingly abstract massing of its individual forms.
The staggers and inclines appear to communicate with the irregular profile of the surrounding tree tops,
and give the whole composition a more three-dimensional depth.
Aalto may be referencing his fascination with Karelian vernacular form, as recalled in his essay, Architecture in
Karelia, This remarkable ability to grow and adapt is best reflected in the Karelian buildings main architectural
principle, the fact that the roof angle isnt constant. (Aalto)
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INTRODUCTION
k) Material
Aaltos palette consists of raw, unadorned, materials including red brick, copper, glass and wood.
The slightly rusticated brick is stacked in a Flemish bond pattern, accentuating the organic quality of the material,
and wraps from the exterior to the interior.
The use of brick breaks the abstracted forms down to a fine textured, more humanized scale, and recalls the brick of
local vernacular industrial structures.
Fig 2-63: Exteriors of Syntsalo Hall
Source:
http://c1038.r38.cf3.rackcdn.com
The varied window fenestration patterns reinforce the repetitious patterning of the surrounding forest.
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INTRODUCTION
In the Iraq of the 1950s, a flowering of the arts included intensive discussions among architects, artists,
writers, and intellectuals about the need for appropriate artistic expressions, influenced by both European
ideas and local traditions. The architects Wilson and Mason, who practiced in Iraq in the 1940s and whose
buildings interpreted local architecture employing indigenous master masons, also shaped Chadirjis ideas
about regionalism. This approach stagnated somewhat after World War II, when new technologies that
bypassed the contribution of the indigenous building industry were introduced. Architects such as Le
Corbusier, Walter Gropius, and Frank Lloyd Wright visited Iraq in the 1960s, encouraging the local Iraqi
architects to find their own expression of modern architecture. As a consequence, Chadirji sought to achieve
a synthesis between traditional forms and materials and modern technology and building types. He studied
local environmental features such as courtyards, screen walls, and natural ventilation. However, until the late
1960s his buildings were clearly functionalist and were determined by structural considerations and modern
materials, as evidenced in his Monument to the Unknown Soldier (1959) and in his Tobacco Monopoly
Offices and Warehouse (1969), both in Baghdad.20
Chadirji articulated his ideas concerning a modernism informed by tradition in his written works, theories
that can be seen in his villa for H.H.Hamood (1972), designed as a dramatic series of parallel vaults.21
In his analysis of built form, Chadirji led the way in the Middle East to re-evaluate architectures role in
culture and politics. The effects of his contributions have been long lasting and include his vision of rapidly
changing architectural forms as mediators between social needs and prevailing technology. The failure to
come to terms with this, he postulated, partly explained the collapse of architecture seen in Iraq after22
19
R. Stephen Sennott, Editor, Encyclopedia of 20th Century Architecture, Volume 1,A-F, Fitzny Dearborn, New York
London 2004 pg. 435
20
IBID pg 435
21
BID pg 435
45
INTRODUCTION
1945. Second, Chadirji saw the relationship between local traditional building and international modernism
as one in which an authentic regionalism based on an abstraction of tradition and modernity could
emerge. 23
To Bawa, the pitched roof is the archetype of southern Asian architecture. It is the dominant element that
governs his aesthetic, in which shape, texture, and proportion are the strongest visual factors in his buildings.
The great roof, with the buildings sides open to the flow of air and the view, give presence to both function
and form, to admit beauty and pleasure as well as purpose (as told to Hasan-Uddin Khan ,1984).
Another important feature of his work deals with movement through the building, modulated by the
rooms, passages, and courtyards that frame vistas or parts of the landscape. Of equal importance is the play
of light, in both the built areas and the rooms of the landscaping, which gives pleasure in addition to
giving comfortable, functional use of the spaces. Bawa pays careful attention to detail, ranging from the
expression of structure to the furnishing of rooms, regardless of the scale of the project. Bawa has been
fortunate to be in the position to choose his projects and select clients who are sympathetic to his approach.
They include artists and intellectuals, private institutions, and government. The perception and
organizational skills of his long time partner, Dr. Poologasundram, an engineer, has enabled the Bawa to
realize the buildings as conceived. He has worked with several others in his office for many years, and they
also assist him in the development of his ideas. However, Bawa remains the principal and controls every
aspect of the design.
22
BID pg 436
R.Stephen Sennott, Editor, Encyclopedia of 20th Century Architecture, Volume 1,A-F, Fitzny Dearborn, New York
London 2004 pg. 435
23
46
INTRODUCTION
Bawa designs using numerous freehand sketches, while simultaneously, working on the site layout plan,
section, elevation, and details. His partners and colleagues begin to formalize the work with schematic and
working drawings. Often construction drawings and details are discussed with the craftsman and are
changed. In the mode of the master architect, Bawa will alter his design on-site while the building is under
construction. This technique was even used on his large Parliament Complex Colombo which was built by a
Japanese company on a turnkey basis, but Bawas on-site decisions and solutions proved better and more
cost-effective than the original plan.
His personal residences best illustrate his approach to design. His country house, Lunuganga, has been a
continuing project since 1950. Set in a garden of 25 acres, the house and its free-standing pavilions overlook
terraces and a lake, and illustrate his concerns with site and the expression of a contemporary vernacular. He
has periodically added new buildings and elements, such as a large concrete chess set and a grove of
trees24and benches. Each of the pavilions has its own character and fits into its natural setting. It is perhaps
his masterpiece, and was once described by one of the workmen as a sacred place. His principal residence
in Colombo dates from 1969, and consists of four townhouses joined together with multiple small
courtyards and a maze of rooms. It illustrates well his characteristic skill in working with small spaces to
create intimacy and a sense of place.
His largest single structure, the Parliamentary Complex in Kotte (1982), is set in an artificially constructed
lake. Pavilions of varying size flank the ceremonial building, with its large central volume containing the
government assembly chamber and ancillary spaces. The huge copper roofs are reminiscent of monastic and
royal buildings of the past yet convey a contemporary image. Bawas buildings, both public and private, cover
a range of types, and although his work is often classified as vernacular, it is executed in varying styles.
Bawas work is contemporary yet seems to have existed in the landscape over the ages; it is a truly timeless
architecture. Artist Barbara Sansoni wrote that his work represents the distillation of centuries of shared
experience, and links at the first level of achievement, its ancient architecture to that of the modern world
(Taylor 1986).
24
R.Stephen Sennott, Editor, Encyclopedia of 20th Century Architecture, Volume 1,A-F, Fitzny Dearborn, New York
London 2004 pg. 224
47
INTRODUCTION
Fig
2-74:
SOS
Childrens
Village
International,Dakar, Senegal, designed by Henri
Chomette in collaboration with Thierry Melot
(1979)
Photo courtesy Bureaux dEtudes Henri
Chomette Aga Khan Trust for Culture
Born in Saint-Etienne (a city near Lyon), Henri Chomette (192195) developed early a passion for
architecture. A student of Tony Garnier in Lyon (194145), Othello Zavaronni, and Gustave Perret at the
cole des Beaux-Arts in Paris (194546), Chomette earned his degree in architecture in 1946. An admirer of
Le Corbusier and intern in his atelier de la rue de Svres 35 in Paris, Chomette rapidly gained recognition as
a major architect for the Reconstruction period after World War II throughout his practice in Paris, Le
Havre, and Lille. In France, the difficult period of Reconstruction with normalized architecture and the
takeover of geometers and engineers in the architectural project limited architects initiative, creativity, and
control over their projects for public buildings.26
Another fact differentiated architects working for the Bureaux dEtudes Henri Chomette from their peers:
their originality in reflecting and respecting African cultures,27 architectural patrimony, and environment in
all steps of the projects, from beginning to finalization. In opposition to many practitioners of the time, who
merely transplanted European architectural epitomes derived from the International Style and from all types
of revivals (including classical, Normand, and Provenal), Chomette and his colleagues intensively produced
both a local and a modern architecture considering cultures and their environment. In their quest for
authenticity through simplicity, all partners of the Bureaux dEtudes Henri Chomette clearly understood
that modern architecture in Africa needed use technology in order to serve social values and to suit popular
needs.
25
R. Stephen Sennott, Editor, Encyclopedia of 20th Century Architecture, Volume 1,A-F, Fitzny Dearborn, New York
London 2004 pg. 354
26
IBID pg 354
27
IBID pg 354
48
INTRODUCTION
Romanticized imagery about giant thatch-roofed cabins in the middle of a modern city, as well as out-of-place
urban-planning theories derived from masters such as Le Corbusier were not apropos in the architectural
repertoire and agenda of Chomettes firms. The latter offered an African alternative based on society,
economy, and technology during transitional periods preceding and following the independence
processes.28
Numerous projects in the heart of capitals such as Dakar, Abidjan, Niamey, Lome, and Cotonou, and in
secondary cities are attributed to the Bureaux dEtudes Henri Chomette. Their activity included urban
planning, housing projects, public administrations, embassies, hospitals, schools, transportation, hotels,
banks, private residences, and industrial buildings and structures.29
Fig 2-76: Aerial view of Abidjan, Cote dIvoire
Note: the Charles de Gaulle Bridge (1967)
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos
The following buildings and structures cover only an infinitesimal portion of the substantial contributions of
the Bureaux dEtudes Henri Chomette in African architectural and urban landscapes: State Bank of
Ethiopia (1953), City Hall of Abidjan (1956), National Palace of Benin (1963), Nour-Al-Hayat Mall (1965) in
Abidjan, French Embassy (1966) in Ouagadougou, National Saving Bank of Yaounde (1973), Charles de
Gaulle Bridge (1967) in Abidjan, Department of Finances Building (1976) in Abidjan, Ivorian Society of
Bank (SIB; 1976) in Abidjan, the Yopougon and Williamsville dwellings (1975) in Abidjan, and the School
of Librarians (1980) in Dakar.30
Similarities can be seen between the Bureaux dEtudes Henri Chomettes early works in the 1950s and the
later ones in the 1990s. Some of these concepts greatly influenced new generations of African architects,
such as Abou Koffi, Andree Diop, and Habib Diene, who acknowledged the pioneering and quintessential
work of the Bureaux dEtudes Henri Chomette. Major innovations and concepts include the following:
i. Integration of cultural features and connections referring to the population concerned in
the concept, design, spatial organization, and aesthetics of public and private buildings (the
R. Stephen Sennott, Editor, Encyclopedia of 20th Century Architecture, Volume 1,A-F, Fitzny Dearborn, New York
London 2004 Pg. 355
29
IBID
30
IBID
49
INTRODUCTION
stairway of honor of the National Palace of Benin in Cotonou [1963] consisted of several31
356 royal insignias and seals of Abomey, former capital of the kingdom of Dahomey)
ii. Use of local materials and modern techniques
iii. Structural transformation of buildings (for the City Hall of Abidjan built in 1956, the
facade was composed of revolving wooden panels for natural ventilation that later were
turned into a evolving thermal double glazing in the 1970s)
iv. Partnership with African craftsmen, artisans, and artists in all steps of the projects
v. Integration of Plastic Arts into the architectural project.
One observes the longevity of the Bureaux dEtudes Henri Chomette through a solid local
structure and independent management, the knowledge and enforcement of all the 32 rules
connected with building markets throughout West Africa, and the quality of economically
realistic and culturally oriented projects.
The quintessential partnership with local architects, engineers, craftsmen, and artists
reinforced the cultural identity of the architectural work of the Bureaux dEtudes Henri
Chomette, whose existence and expression served primarily Africans by defining and
designing a modern architecture completely African in its concept and its destination. 33
31
R.Stephen Sennott, Editor, Encyclopedia of 20th Century Architecture, Volume 1,A-F, Fitzny Dearborn, New York
London 2004 Pg. 356
32
Pg 357
33
Pg 358
50
INTRODUCTION
In 1976 the Aga Khan announced that he would establish an architectural award as a means of fostering the
growth of a modern and vibrant Islamic architecture within the context of rich and valuable traditions. In
spanning political and geographical boundaries, a major objective of the award was to create an overarching
sense of unity for the Muslim world, in spite of distinctive and sometimes disparate cultures. Excellence in
architecture was attributed not only to examples of finely designed architecture, but also to community
projects, such as housing for the poor and civil engineering works, clearly demonstrating the future direction
of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.35
In 1988, the Aga Khan reorganized his network of philanthropic institutions. The Aga Khan Award for
Architecture was transferred from the Aga Khan Foundation to the newly established Aga Khan Trust for
Culture, also responsible for the Historic Cities Support Programme and the Education and Culture
Programme. The goals of these cultural agencies were aligned with the Aga Khans original list of challenges
for the Islamic worldpursuit of excellence in architecture and related disciplines, conservation and re-use of
historic buildings and spaces, and education for architects and urban planners. A fourth objective of the
Trust for Culture was to encourage the interchange of ideas to enhance awareness of the relationship
34
R. Stephen Sennott, Editor, Encyclopedia of 20th Century Architecture, Volume 1,A-F, Fitzny Dearborn, New York
London 2004 pg. 46
35
IBID pg 46
51
INTRODUCTION
between historic and contemporary Muslim cultures and their built environments.36 On occasion, the Aga
Khan has bestowed a special Chairmans Award to recognize outstanding achievement in Muslim
architecture. In 1980 the first was presented to Egypts Hassan Fathy, architect, artist, and poet, particularly
acknowledging his encouragement of vernacular building systems and his work improving the built
environment of impoverished peoples. Others have followed and include Rifat Chadirji of Iraq and Geoffrey
Bawa of Sri Lanka.37
Recipients of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture have now more than80, and they have been as diverse as
the cultures they represent38. Juries concerned with self-sustainability often appreciated projects
demonstrating the viability of vernacular construction techniques and traditional building forms or the use
of locally available materials. This priority is evident in the Yaama Mosque in Tahoua, Niger (1986 award)
and the Stone Building System employed in Dara Province, Syria (1992 award).39
Fig 2-81: University of Technology Petronas ,
Aga Khan Award 2007 Winners
(Photo by Foster + Partners, Courtesy the Aga
Khan Award for Architecture)
Source: http://www.architecturelist.com/2007
This awards program has significantly inspired the architectural representation of Islamic culture during the
past 25 years. At a time when many of these cultures were threatened by Western influence, by economic
failure, and by political violence, the Aga Khans initiative reminded everyone of the quality of this cultural
heritage. At the same time, the awards broad scope, with its emphasis on alleviating living conditions of the
poor, on sustainability, and on the environment, has encouraged innovative solutions to rapidly worsening
societal problems. Although this award does not fit the mould of Western architectural perceptions, its
initial priorities were clearly established and are constantly evolving to meet the needs of many cultural
communities. Emphasizing not only contemporary architecture, but also historic architectural traditions
threatened by reconstruction and development, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture has helped to create a
means of expressing Islamic ideals in a modern context. The award promotes a sense of pride in Muslim
culture, and the vast number of submissions has facilitated documentation of over 6,000 works of modern
Islamic architecture, providing inspiration for future generations.40
36
R.Stephen Sennott, Editor, Encyclopedia of 20th Century Architecture, Volume 1,A-F, Fitzny Dearborn, New York
London 2004 pg. 46
37
IBID pg 46
38
IBID pg 46
39
IBID pg 47
40
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52
INTRODUCTION
26%
17%
22%
26%
Climate
Internationa styles
9%
Works of International
contemporary architects
53
22%
9%
13%
22%
4%
26%
INTRODUCTION
54