ARTH  

367  -­  STUDIES  IN  20TH  CENTURY  ART  AND  ARCHITECTURE:  

MODERNIST  ARCHITECTURE  IN  NORTH  AMERICA  
 
Winter  2019  
Mondays,  3:00-­5:30  pm,  EV-­1.605  
Instructor:  Rebecca  Lemire  
Email:  [email protected]  
Office  hours:  Mondays,  6:00-­7:00pm,  EV-­3-­771  
 
COURSE  SUMMARY    
This  course  will  survey  the  history  of  modernist  architecture  in  North  America.  Applying  a  cross-­
cultural  approach,  we  will  consider  the  ways  in  which  modernism  was  the  result  of  the  interaction  
between  various  cultural  perspectives  from  across  the  continent,  as  opposed  to  being  merely  a  
Western  phenomenon.  Similarly,  students  will  learn  how  modern  architecture  was  connected  to  
a  range  of  socio-­political  and  technological  developments,  and  develop  their  ability  to  define  
modernism  as  a  whole.  While  we  will  examine  prominent  moments  in  the  history  of  modern  
architecture  such  as  the  advent  of  the  Bauhaus  and  the  work  of  Frank  Lloyd  Wright,  we  will  pay  
equal  attention  to  lesser  known  regional  examples  as  well  as  work  by  women  and  other  
marginalized  communities.  The  course  will  also  look  at  how  other  disciplines  such  as  visual  art  
and  music  influenced  modernist  building,  including  an  examination  of  the  Synthesis  of  the  Arts  
movement  and  its  various  incarnations  throughout  Mexico,  the  Caribbean,  Canada,  and  the  U.S.  

COURSE  OBJECTIVES    
•   Develop  a  critical  understanding  of  the  history  of  modernist  architecture  in  North  America    
•   Learn  how  to  define  modernism  as  it  relates  to  architecture  and  acquire  the  appropriate  
terminology  
•   Critically  analyze  modernist  architecture  first-­hand  
•   Learn  a  well-­rounded,  cross-­cultural  approach  to  addressing  modernist  culture  and  
architectural  history  as  whole  
 
SCHEDULE  (Subject  to  Change)  
 
JANUARY  7:  Course  Overview  and  Methodologies  for  Teaching  Modernism  in  North  America  
JANUARY  14:  Intro  to  Modernism:  Influences,  Foundations,  and  The  Chicago  School  
JANUARY  21:  The  Prairie  School  and  the  Legacy  of  Organic  Architecture  
JANUARY  28:  California  and  the  Southwest  Reading  Response  Due  at  Beginning  of  Class  
FEBRUARY  4:  No  Class  /  Time  to  meet  with  your  group,  and/or  visit  buildings    
FEBRUARY  11:  American  East  Coast:  The  Harvard  School  and  High  Modernism  
FEBRUARY  18:  American  Midwest  /  Building  Presentations  Begin:  Groups  1,  2  and  3  
FEBRUARY  25:  Mid-­Term  Break  /  No  Class  
MARCH  4:  Mexico  /  Groups  4,  5,  6  
MARCH  11:  Canada  /  Groups  7,  8,  9  
MARCH  18:  Hippie  Modernism  and  Counterculture  /  Groups  10,  11,  12  
MARCH  25:  Modernism  in  Film,  Photography,  and  Contemporary  Art  /  Screening  of  Un  Soleil  
Difficile  and  accompanying  Guest  Lecture  by  François  Lemieux  (Montreal-­based  artist)  
 

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APRIL  1:  Modern  Art  and  Architecture:  Transatlantic  exchanges  between  Europe  and  the  
Americas,  Guest  Lecture  by  Dr.  Nicola  Pezolet  (Associate  Professor,  Concordia)  /  Groups  13,  
14,  15  
APRIL  8:  The  Caribbean/  Postmodernism/  General  Exam  Review  /  Groups  16,  17,  18  +  Other  
Groups  Present  if  Needed  
 
DNE  (Drop  Date  with  Refund):  Jan  21,  2019  
DISC  (Drop  Date  without  Refund):  March  18,  2019  
 
REQUIREMENTS  
You  are  required  to  attend  lectures  and  complete  the  assigned  readings  before  the  class  in  
question.  Your  written  assignments  must  be  submitted  both  as  a  hard  copy  (in  class)  and  online  
(via  Moodle).  All  requirements  are  to  be  completed  on  their  scheduled  date.  There  are  no  
extensions  or  make-­up  exams,  except  in  the  case  of  illness  (must  be  proven  with  doctor’s  note).  
Late  assignments  will  be  docked  5%  per  day.  
 
EVALUATION  
 
Reading  Response,  15%,  Due  January  28  
Choose  one  reading  from  the  first  four  weeks  of  class  (whichever  is  most  appealing  to  you)  and  
write  a  250  word  response  (one  page,  double  spaced).  This  should  be  a  concise,  critical  
analysis  of  the  work  i.e.  What  were  the  main  points  presented  by  the  author?  Did  you  find  their  
argument  to  be  successful?  Could  you  easily  make  a  counter-­argument?  What  questions  does  
this  article  or  chapter  spur  for  you?    
 
Building  Case-­Study:  Presentation,  20%,  See  Schedule  for  Group  Number/Date  
As  part  of  a  group  of  three,  prepare  a  short  but  well  thought-­out  presentation  on  a  modernist  
building  in  Montreal.  The  presentations  should  be  between  10  and  15  minutes  long  and  each  
person  must  speak  for  an  equal  amount  of  time.  You  are  also  required  to  prepare  one  
corresponding  discussion  point/question  to  be  delivered  at  the  end  of  your  presentation  (NB:  
The  class  will  not  be  asked  to  respond  immediately  to  your  talking  point,  but  we  will  have  a  
general  discussion  after  all  presentations  are  done  for  the  day).  
 
If  one  person  in  the  group  does  not  do  their  portion  of  the  work,  the  others  will  not  be  
penalized.  As  such,  very  clear  individual  roles  will  be  assigned  within  the  groups.  You  will  be  
asked  to  cover  three  aspects  of  the  building  -­  one  aspect  for  each  person  in  the  group:  

1)   General  history  of  the  building  -­  Architect,  Date,  When/Why  it  was  built  etc.    

2)   The  physical  experience  of  walking  through  or  around  the  building  -­  Essentially,  a  
‘building  tour’  through  photos.  Also  think  about  how  it  fits  into  its  surroundings.  For  ex:  
Does  it  blend  in  with  the  surrounding  buildings,  or  stick  out?  

3)   How  this  building  connects  to/  fits  into  modernism  a  whole  -­  For  example,  what  other  
similar  examples  can  you  find?  Is  the  architect  well-­known/  associated  with  a  particular  
form  of  modernism,  or  with  a  group/collective  of  other  architects?  

An  example  of  a  talking  point  or  question  at  the  end  could  be  something  as  simple  as  –  Would  
you  want  to  live  or  work  in  this  building?  Why  or  why  not?  

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Groups  will  be  formed  in  class  on  January  14th  and  I  will  assign  each  group  a  different  building.    I  
suggest  creating  a  google  drive  for  your  group,  and  compiling  your  images  into  a  single  
PowerPoint  or  pdf  to  present.  Then,  for  example,  each  person  will  address  3  slides.    

This  assignment  encourages  students  to  critically  analyze  architecture  first  hand.  It  also  
emphasizes  co-­learning  and  collaborative  work.  Each  member  of  the  group  will  be  required  to  
visit  the  building,  and  document  the  work.  As  stated  above,  you  will  then  be  asked  to  “walk  us  
through”  or  “around”  the  structure  as  part  of  your  presentation  (depending  on  whether  or  not  you  
are  permitted  to  go  inside).  This  will  also  require  you  to  describe  and  critique  the  building  based  
on  principles  you  have  learned  in  class,  and  your  own  individual  background  research.  See  
‘Written  Analysis’  section  for  more  ideas  on  the  types  of  information  you  can  include  in  your  
presentation.  While  it  is  recommended,  you  do  not  necessarily  have  to  visit  the  buildings  
together  as  a  group.  Allocation  will  be  made  for  groups  to  meet  during  class  time.  
 
NB:  I  understand  that  due  to  physical  constraints  it  may  not  be  possible  for  a  student  to  visit  their  building  
in  person.  If  this  is  the  case,  please  let  me  know  and  we  can  discuss  an  alternative  arrangement.    
 
Building  Case-­Study:  Written  Analysis,  30%,  Due  one  week  after  your  presentation    
This  is  the  written,  critical  analysis  of  the  building  you  are  assigned  as  part  of  your  group.  It  is  an  
extension  of  your  presentation  work  and  should  demonstrate  what  you  learned  from  compiling  
your  presentation  and  discussing  this  building  with  your  group/with  the  class.  It  should  be  clear  
and  concise,  and  be  approximately  750  -­  1000  words  (3  -­  4  pages,  double-­spaced).  Feel  free  to  
use  first  person  as  I  am  interested  in  your  subjective  experience  of  the  building.  However,  you  
must  also  research  and  discuss  the  history  of  the  building.  Who  is  the  architect?  What  are  they  
known  for?  How  does  this  building  fit  into,  or  not  fit  into  their  larger  canon  of  work?  What  social,  
political  and/or  technological  developments  was  it  connected  to?  What  modernist  principles  does  
this  building  demonstrate,  and  how  does  it  fit  into  the  history  of  modernism  as  a  whole?  
 
Final  Exam:  35%,  Date  TBA  
The  exact  content  is  to  be  determined,  but  this  will  certainly  require  you  to  draw  upon  the  
knowledge  you  have  gleaned  from  the  class  lectures  and  readings  (including  your  own  
presentations  on  Montreal  buildings).  It  will  likely  take  the  form  of  an  architectural  analysis  and  
short  essay.  The  exam  date  is  yet  to  be  set,  but  will  occur  in  April  after  classes  have  finished.    

COURSE  MATERIAL  
Each  week,  we  will  read  a  primary  text  and/or  a  scholarly  article  or  book  chapter.  Readings  will  
be  available  in  the  electronic  course  reserves  section  on  Moodle,  unless  otherwise  indicated.  
While  not  mandatory  for  the  course,  I  would  also  recommend  William  Curtis’s  Modern  
Architecture  Since  1900  and  Kenneth  Frampton’s  Modern  Architecture:  A  Critical  History  (4th  
Edition)  for  students  who  are  looking  for  a  good  primer  on  the  topic.  I  will  also  try  to  make  both  
available  in  the  course  reserve  room  at  Webster  library.    
 
EMAIL    
Emails  must  be  limited  to  more  technical,  or  very  specific  questions.  For  longer  discussions,  
please  come  to  my  office  hours,  or  if  it  is  very  time  sensitive,  we  can  possibly  speak  on  the  
phone.    
 
 
 
3
CLASS  CONDUCT  
Please  wait  until  after  class  has  finished  to  ask  me  questions  (i.e.  do  not  approach  me  before  
class  unless  it  is  very  urgent  as  it  may  delay  the  class).  As  per  emails,  please  come  to  my  office  
hours  for  questions  which  are  not  specific  or  technical.    
 
TECHNOLOGY  POLICY  IN  THE  CLASSROOM  
You  are  allowed  to  use  computers  in  the  classroom  to  facilitate  note  taking.  However,  you  are  
not  allowed  to  engage  in  other  types  of  activities  using  phones,  tablets  or  computers,  whether  it  
is  work  for  other  classes,  social  networking,  gaming,  or  texting,  as  it  keeps  the  student  from  
listening  and  participating  fully,  and  it  may  also  distract  the  other  students  in  the  classroom.  It  is  
also  forbidden  to  capture  images  of  other  students,  as  it  infringes  on  Canadian  privacy  laws.  
 
RECORDING  POLICY  
I  do  not  permit  students  to  record  my  lectures.  This  is  also  for  your  benefit,  and  to  encourage  
active  listening.    
 
PLAGIARISM  
The  most  common  offense  under  the  Academic  Code  of  Conduct  is  plagiarism  which  the  Code  
defines  as  “the  presentation  of  the  work  of  another  person  as  one’s  own  or  without  proper  
acknowledgement.”  This  could  be  material  copied  word  for  word  from  books,  journals,  internet  
sites,  professor’s  course  notes,  etc.  It  could  be  material  that  is  paraphrased  but  closely  
resembles  the  original  source.  It  could  be  the  work  of  a  fellow  student,  for  example,  an  answer  
on  a  quiz,  data  for  a  lab  report,  a  paper  or  assignment  completed  by  another  student.  It  might  be  
a  paper  purchased  through  one  of  the  many  available  sources.  Plagiarism  does  not  refer  to  
words  alone  –  it  can  also  refer  to  copying  images,  graphs,  tables,  and  ideas.  “Presentation”  is  
not  limited  to  written  work.  It  also  includes  oral  presentations,  computer  assignments  and  artistic  
works.  Finally,  if  you  translate  the  work  of  another  person  into  French  or  English  and  do  not  cite  
the  source,  this  is  also  plagiarism.  
 
In  Simple  Words:  
DO  NOT  COPY,  PARAPHRASE  OR  TRANSLATE  ANYTHING  FROM  ANYWHERE  WITHOUT  
SAYING  FROM  WHERE  YOU  OBTAINED  IT!*  
 
*(Source:  The  Academic  Integrity  Website:  
http://provost.concordia.ca/academicintegrity/plagiarism/)      
 
CITATION  GUIDES  
If  you  are  uncertain  of  how  to  properly  cite  work,  please  consult  the  The  Concordia  Library  
Citation  and  Style  Guides:    http://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/citations.html  
 
The  Purdue  Writing  Lab  is  also  an  excellent  online  resource  and  includes  examples  of  how  to  
cite  in  four  standard  styles:  https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html    
 
WRITING  CHALLENGES  
In  grading  your  assignments,  good  writing  (that  is,  grammar,  sentence  structure,  clarity  of  ideas,  
strength  of  argument,  etc.)  will  be  taken  into  account  as  part  of  your  evaluation.  If  you  would  like  
assistance  with  your  writing,  or  would  like  the  help  of  an  editor,  please  visit:  
 

4
Student  Learning  Services:  Counselling  and  Development,  Hall  Building,  
H-­440  
Tel.  848  2424,  ext.  3545  
Email:  [email protected]  
Web:  http://learning.concordia.ca/  
 
HEALTH  AND  PERSONAL  DIFFICULTIES  
If  you  are  experiencing  health  or  personal  difficulties  that  impede  your  work  or  attendance,  
please  contact  me  as  soon  as  possible,  and  do  not  wait  until  you’ve  fallen  behind.  We  can  likely  
arrange  to  make  accommodations.  
 
CONCORDIA  SERVICES  
Please  note,  there  are  a  range  of  services  available  to  you  as  students  at  Concordia:  
 
Health  Services:  514-­848-­2424,  ext.  3565,  http://www.health.concordia.ca  
Counseling:  514-­848-­2424,  ext.  3545,  http://cdev.concordia.ca  
Advocacy  and  Support  Services:  http://supportservices.concordia.ca/  
Student  Transition  Centre:  http://stc.concordia.ca/  
New  Student  Program:  http://newstudent.concordia.ca/  
Access  Centre  for  Students  with  Disabilities:  http://supportservices.concordia.ca/disabilities/  
(NB:  You  must  contact  the  Office  for  Students  with  Disabilities  at  least  two  weeks  before  your  
exam  to  make  special  arrangements)    
Student  Success  Centre:  http://studentsuccess.concordia.ca/  
Financial  Aid  &  Awards:  http://web2.concordia.ca/financialaid/  
 
GRADING  
Art  History  Grading  System  
A+  90-­100   B+  77-­79   C+    67-­69   D+      57-­59   F      0-­49  

A      85-­89         B      73-­76   C        63-­66   D          53-­56      

A-­    80-­84           B-­    70-­72   C-­      60-­62   D-­        50-­52      

 
 

ASSIGNED  WEEKLY  READINGS  (Subject  to  Change)    

JANUARY  7:  Course  Overview  and  Methodologies  for  Teaching  Modernism  in  North  
America  

Mercer,  Kobena,  “Art  History  after  Globalisation:  Formations  of  the  Colonial  Modern,”  in    
  Avermaete,  Tom,  Serhat  Karakayali,  and  Marion  Osten  eds.,  Colonial  Modern:    
Aesthetics  of  the  Past,  Rebellions  for  the  Future  (London:  Black  Dog  Publishing  Ltd.,    
2014),  232-­242.  
 
 

5
  
JANUARY  14:  Intro  to  Modernism:  Influences,  Foundations,  and  The  Chicago  School    

Curtis,  William  J.  R.,  “Introduction,”  and  “Industrialization  and  the  City:  The  Skyscraper  as  Type  
  and  Symbol”  in  Modern  Architecture  Since  1900  (London:  Phaidon  Press,  1996),  11-­17  
  and  33-­51.  
 
JANUARY  21:  The  Prairie  School  and  the  Legacy  of  Organic  Architecture  

“Evening  1”  Wright,  Frank  Lloyd.  An  Organic  Architecture:  The  Architecture  of        
Democracy  (Cambridge,  Mass.:  The  MIT  Press,  1970),  1-­8  (Evening  2  Optional).  
 
Birmingham,  Elizabeth,  “The  Case  of  Marion  Mahony  Griffin  and  The  Gendered  Nature  of    
Discourse  in  Architectural  History,”  Women’s  Studies,  vol.  35,  no.  2  (2006):  87-­123.    
 
JANUARY  28:  California  and  the  Southwest    

Narath,  Albert,  “Modernism  in  Mud:  R.  M.  Schindler,  the  Taos  Pueblo  and  a  Country  Home  in    
Adobe  Construction,”  Journal  of  Architecture,  vol.  13,  no.  4  (August  2008):  407-­426.  
 
Neutra,  Richard  J.,  “Chapters  24  and  25,”  in  Survival  Through  Design  (New  York:  Oxford    
University  Press,  1984),  179-­191.  
 
FEBRUARY  11:  American  East  Coast:  The  Harvard  School  and  High  Modernism  

Hitchcock,  Henry-­Russell,  and  Philip  Johnson,  The  International  Style  (New  York:  MoMa,    
1932).    
 
NB:  The  above  is  a  full  exhibition  catalogue,  however,  the  text  portion  is  not  very  long.  I  would  
like  you  to  take  a  look  at  the  full  book,  as  it  is  important  that  you  get  a  sense  of  how  the  
architecture  was  presented  here.    
 
Frampton,  Kenneth,  “The  Eclipse  of  the  New  Deal:  Buckminster  Fuller,  Phillip  Johnson    
and  Louis  Kahn,”  in  Modern  Architecture:  A  Critical  History  (London:  Thames  &  Hudson,  
2014),  238-­246.  

FEBRUARY  18:  American  Midwest  

Moholy-­Nagy,  Sibyl,  “The  Diaspora,”  Journal  of  the  Society  of  Architectural  Historians,  vol.  24,  
  no.  1,  1965:  24-­26.      
 
Moholy-­Nagy,  Sibyl,  “The  Future  of  the  Past,”  Perspecta,  vol.  7,  1961:  65-­76.    
 
FEBRUARY  25:  Reading  Week  (No  Class)  
 
MARCH  4:  Mexico  

Eggener,  Keith  L.  “Contrasting  Images  of  Identity  in  the  Post-­War  Mexican  Architecture        
                       of  Luis  Barragan  and  Juan  O'Gorman,”  Journal  of  Latin  American  Cultural  Studies,  vol.      
9,  no.1  (2000):  27-­45.                              
6
  
MARCH  11:  Canada  

Cardinal,  Douglas,  and  George  Melnyk,  “The  Human  Organism  and  the  Mechanical  Grid,”  and    
“The  Indian  Concept  of  Oneness,”  in  Of  the  Spirit:  Writings  (Edmonton:  NeWest  Press,  
1977),  34-­39  and  55-­57.    
 
Milosz,  Magdalena,  “Instruments  as  Evidence:  An  Archive  of  the  Architecture  of  Assimilation,”    
Journal  of  the  Society  for  the  Study  of  Architecture  in  Canada,  vol.  41,  no.  2  (2016):  3-­10.    
 
MARCH  18:  Hippie  Modernism  and  Counterculture  

Rudofsky,  Bernard,  “Preface”  in  Architecture  Without  Architects:  A  Short  Introduction    

to  Non-­Pedigreed  Architecture  (London:  Acad.  Ed,  1981)  
 
Sadler,  Simon,  “Mandalas  or  Raised  Fists?  Hippie  Holism,  Panther  Totality,  and  Another    
Modernism,”  in  Hippie  Modernism:  The  Struggle  for  Utopia  (Minneapolis:  Walker  Art  
Center,  2016),  114-­125.  
 
MARCH  25:  Modernism  in  Film,  Photography,  and  Contemporary  Art  
 
Elsaesser,  Thomas,  “The  Architectural  Postcard:  Photography,  Cinema,  and  Modernist                                  
                           Mass  Media,”  Grey  Room  70  (Winter  2018):  80-­101.  

April  1:  Modern  Art  and  Architecture:  Transatlantic  exchanges  between  Europe  and  the  
America  -­  Guest  Lecture:  Dr.  Nicola  Pezolet  (Associate  Professor,  Concordia)    

Golan,  Romy,  "L'Éternel  Décoratif:  French  Art  in  the  1950s,"  Yale  French  Studies,    
  vol.  98  (2000):  98-­118.  
 
APRIL  8:  The  Caribbean/  Postmodernism/  General  Exam  Review  

Carranza,  Luis  E,  and  Fernando  L.  Lara.  “Fidel  Castro,  in  Conversation  with  Ernesto  “Che”    
  Guevara  Decides  to  Convert  a  Golf  Course  into  Art  Schools  in  Cuba”  Modern    
  Architecture  in  Latin  America.  Art,  Technology,  and  Utopia.  (Austin:  University  of  Texas    
  Press,  2015),  214-­217.  
 
Lawton,  Jacquiann,  “Social  and  Public  Architecture  in  Kingston,  Jamaica”  in  The  Modern    
  Movement  in  the  Caribbean  Islands:  Docomomo  Journal,  vol.  33  (2005),  58-­63.    
 
Gallo,  Emmanuelle  and  Doucet,  Jean,  “Martinique,  Case  Studies  in  Modernism”  in  The  Modern    
  Movement  in  the  Caribbean  Islands:  Docomomo  Journal,  vol.  33  (2005),  72-­19.