ARCHI 158: World Architecture History
Anthony Tung, Preserving the World’s Great Cities
THE CENTURY OF DESTRUCTION
1. According to Anthony Tung, what characterized the 20th century? What were the causes and
the types of destruction that occurred?
2. Was the destruction caused by outside people or the governments and inhabitants of the cities
themselves?
3. What was more destructive, World War II or the planning that took place afterwards?
4. What happened to the old historic city as it grew? What were the characteristics of the new
development in relation to the old cities?
5. What is the impact of population growth on urba development? Give some quick figures.
THE MODERNIZATION OF CITIES
Before beginning this reading, use google to look up the following:
Gerrit Rietveld: Schroder House
Le Corbusier, Ville Radieuse (Voisin Plan), Ronchamp (Notre Dame du Haut)
Mies van der Rohe, Seagram Building, Barcelona Pavilion
Eero Saarinen, TWA Terminal
Frank Lloyd Wright: Guggenheim Museum New York
1. What happened during the Industrial Revolution? What was the urban situation in the 1800’s in
many cities?
ARCHI 158: World Architecture History
Anthony Tung, Preserving the World’s Great Cities
2. What was the impact both positive and negative of industrialization on cities and quality of life?
3. List some of the new inventions that came about in the industrial revolution that changed cities
permanently.
4. Were the results of modern innovations and progress positive?
5. What was the impact of industrialization on housing?
6. What was the culture of building prior to the Twentieth Century?
7. What was the modern culture of building that began in the 20th Century?
8. Who were some of the pioneers of this brave new world of architecture?
9. How did industrialization affect aesthetics of objects and buildings?
10. How did Modernists feel about decoration?
ARCHI 158: World Architecture History
Anthony Tung, Preserving the World’s Great Cities
11. What happened in Holland? What happened in Vienna? What about Chicago? What were new
ideas that occurred in Germany and France?
12. How did the twentieth century affect the construction of buildings and their economics?
13. How did high strength steel affect architecture?
14. How did the new language of architecture appear when juxtaposed next to the old traditional
buildings?
15. Did architects design just buildings, or other things as well?
16. What did modern architects think about the preservation of the traditional city? Give some
names and examples.
17. What did Le Corbusier propose for Paris in his Voisin Plan?
18. How did Le Corbusier feel towards the urban block as a unified sculptural mass or multiple
different buildings in a “conversation”?
ARCHI 158: World Architecture History
Anthony Tung, Preserving the World’s Great Cities
19. Were the modern buildings constructed as archetypes practical and easy to build?
20. What was the state of historic cityscapes and urban centers by the time of the twentieth century
modern movement?
THE INVENTION OF MODERN URBAN PRESERVATION
1. How did modernization of cities make the historical resources even more valuable?
2. What belief began t emerge about the historic centers of cities? What caused this?
3. What did historic cities come to symbolize in the face of war and modern architecture?
4. What did people fear would be lost of the historic buildings in their cities were destroyed? Was
this a fear of local indigenous culture or universal international culture?
5. Who is ultimately responsible for the creation, destruction or preservation of our cities?