CRITICAL REGIONALISM
Kenneth Frampton,
"Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an
Architecture of Resistance«
1983
What is the difference between culture and
civilization?
When did that difference come about?
KENNETH FRAMPTON, CRITICAL REGIONALISM, 1983
Frampton in his essay argues that it is critical to adopt universal
values of modernism, taking into account the geographical context of
the building.
Frampton does not want to refer directly to "folklore", but to the
climate, light, topography, and "local tectonic form", which should be
understood as historical and geographical conditions of the
construction industry.
MODERNISM vs. CRITICAL REGIONALISM
Frampton says that modernism is a dual-layer
phenomenon:
1. A philosophy of progress (including social and
technological issues, as industrialization and
standardization)
2. A formal manner. If it is applied mechanically it results
in uniformity.
Kenneth Frampton
The central principle of critical regionalism is
“surely a commitment to place rather than
space.”
Scenographic vs. tectonic architecture
Le Corbusier, Maison de Mandrot, Toulon, 1929-32
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Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye, 1929-30
Alvar Aalto, Villa Mairea, Noormarkku, 1938
Alvar Aalto, Villa Mairea, Noormarkku, 1938
Alvar Aalto, Villa Mairea
Noormarkku, 1938
Alvar Aalto, Villa Mairea, Noormarkku, 1938
Luis Barragan,
Own House,
1948
Georges Candilis, Housing, Casablanca, 1952
Candilis, Josic and Woods, Dice House, 1971 (p. 487)
Jose Antonio Coderch, Casa
Ugalde, nr Barcelona
and
Torre Valentina, 1950s
“…oscillation between “a
mediterraneanized, modern brick
vernacular” and “avant-gardist
Neoplastic composition.”
Alvaro Siza, Housing in Quinta da Malagueira outside the ancient city
of Evora, 1977. The morphology of original Roman settlement is
preserved.
Morphology: The branch of biology that deals with the form and
structure of organisms without consideration of function.
Alvaro Siza, House, Silver Coast, Portugal
"All the dwellings on the 17 plots are placed so as to ensure that the
lounge faces the lagoon in order to take advantage of the beautiful
views that the location offers. The dwellings comprise two levels so as
to keep the public and private areas separate."
Alvaro Siza,
Swimming Pool,
Oporto, 1966
Mario Botta, House, Riva San Vitale, 1972
Botta’s houses often appear as markets in the landscape,
either as points or a boundaries.”
Mario Botta, House at Ligornetto, 1975
“At Ligornetto, the pretext, the germinal idea, was imposed by the fact
that the area is an outlying zone, which is the limit of the urban
development that is possible in the area. In fact, the house itself
indicates a sort of limit, a wall, beyond which lies the open countryside.
This wall that has become a house is cut down the center, where there
is a special, privileged relationship with the landscape which, in this
case too, is a hill; it’s the only instance where the overriding theme of
closure opens towards the outside, the overriding theme of the house as
an expression of protection, which is provided by great lateral walls.”
Tadao Ando
Rokko Housing, Osaka
Church on Water, Hokkaido
Tadao Ando, Church of the Light, 1989
“Trans-optical architecture.”
Herzog and Meuron,
House at Tavola,
1988
Han Tümertekin, B2 Evi, Çanakkale, 2001
WHAT ARE THE ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
CRITICAL REGIONALISM?
1. Combination of regional and modern (culture and civilization)
2. Integration of regional materials with modern
3. Emphasis on topography (consideration of geographical context;
compatible with the environment/nature)
4. Tactility
5. Emphasis on place (not space)
Film: Globalization and Critical Regionalism
(15 minutes)