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Modern and Contemporary Architecture Styles

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 Dedication
This book is whole heartedly dedicated to my dearest
parents, my father and mother Maimona Al-shareef. It is
as well exceptionally dedicated to my family members, my
dear wife Eathar, my son Amr, my daughters Raneem,
Gowan and Lamar who patiently endured my restless
nights far from them.

i
 Prelude
Even though the American author, critic and philosopher Henry David Thoreau once said” “How
vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live” so many people will still
continue admiring writing in its various forms. In this book it is found that architectural design
styles are thoroughly investigated. Modern architecture styles (1850- until today) come to be
known via writings and works of renowned revolutionary architects beginning by pioneers of
Modern architecture as Joseph Paxton and Auguste Perret reaching to Frank Gehry and Zaha
Hadid who were all together contributed to the diverse Modern and Contemporary
architecture style this book is meant to shed light on their significance.
Charles Jencks who continued what the preceding theorists as Vitruvius, Palladio, Vignola,
Voysey, Lethaby, Le Corbusier, and Venturi in regards to diversification in architecture style laid
the foundation for the categorization of the diversified styles this book traced and gave
exemplars to, which could assist readers to easily appreciate their profiles and be able to
differentiate between them. What is peculiar about this book is it, and for the first time, does
not only incorporate great buildings, which have been emerging for couple of years in Saudi
Arabia in particular and the Arab region in general, but also categorize these buildings into the
main architecture styles known and common to architects and people alike. Buildings such as
the National Commercial Bank of Jeddah, Al Faisaliyah Center and the Kingdom Center of
Riyadh, and Abraj Al Bait of Mecca were, for the first time ever, being categorized as Post
Modern architecture buildings, a fact that would definitely boost the quest for the search for
styles diversification Saudi Arabia deserves and surely needs to look for. The book’s
categorization of architecture styles extends to the Arab region where famous buildings such as
The Arab Organizations Headquarters Building in Kuwait and The Sudanese football sport
association in Sudan are as well exemplars of Post Modern architecture buildings. The book
comes to conclude that Saudi Arabia and the Arab region to which Saudi Arabia belongs are
until today dominantly employing very limited architectural design styles with the exception of
few Contemporary architecture styles as Critical regionalism architecture found in many Arab
region countries and Deconstructivism architecture found only in Saudi Arabia as the King
ii
Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) in Riyadh and the Sheikh Zayed
Bridge in The United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia architecture students and future practicing architects and their counterparts in the
other Arab region countries by reading and digesting the significance of architecture styles
diversification shown in this book, as the writer hopefully anticipates, they will able to employ
such styles and the future upcoming styles in the various forthcoming building projects. This
book is inspirational for architecture students and practicing architects alike in their search for
ambitious up to date architecture styles every nation is proudly boasting to have buildings in
such styles to show how rich they are in sense, heritage and fortune.

College of Architecture and Planning, Qassim University

Dean of the College: Dr Mohammed Al Marwaee
iii
Table of Contents
Contents Page No
PART ONE
1-Modern architecture………………………………………………………………………………………….………..…………1
CHAPTER ONE
1-1 Modernism of the pre four great architects ………………………..……….………………….………………….1
1-1-1 Building materials and their influence on architectural thought……………………………….……...1
1-1-2 Movement, School and Style……………………………………………….……………………………..…………..1
1-1-3 Technology, technologist, technique and technician………………………………………………...……..2
1-1-4 Movements……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….3
1-1-4-1 Art and Art Crafts movement(1860-1900)………………………………………………………….………….3
1-1-4-2 Art Nouveau(1895-1905)………………………………………………………………………….……………………8
1-1-4-3 Succession……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………15
1-1-4-4 Futurism…………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………….17
1-1-4-5 Expressionism (Formalism)………………………………………………………………………………………….19
1-1-4-6 Rationalism (Functionalism)……………………………………………………………….……………………….20
1-1-4-7 Cubism…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………...22
1-1-4-8 Russian Constructivism…………………………………………………………………………………………..……23
1-1-4-9 Art Deco…………………………………………………………………………..………………………………………….24
1-1-4-10 International style movement (1920-1930)……………………………………………………………….27
CHAPTER TWO
1-2 The Four great architects……………………………………………………………………………………….………….29
1-2-1 Walter Gropius……………………………………………………………………………………………….………………29
1-2-2 Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe………………………………………………………………………………..……………34
1-2-3 Le Corbusier (Charles-Edward Jeanneret-Gris)……………………………………………………..…………41
1-2-4 Frank Lloyd Wright……………………………………………………………………………………….…………………48
CHAPTER THREE
1-3 The architecture of the post four great architects…………………………………………….………………61
1-3-1 Late modernism architecture………………………………………………………………….………………………61
iv
1-3-1-1 High-tech style…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….62
1-3-1-2 Sculpturalism style……………………………………………………………………………………………………….64
1-3-1-3 Extreme articulation style……………………………………………………………………………….….……….65
1-3-2 Post-Modern Architecture………………………………………………………………………………………………66
1-3-2-1 Worldwide Post-Modern Architecture………………………………………….……………………………..67
1-3-2-2 Regional Post-Modern Architecture…………………………………………………………….……………...71
1-3-2-3 Local Post-Modern Architecture…………………………………………………………………..……………..76
PART TWO
2-Contemporary architecture…………………………………………………………………………………………………..89

CHAPTER FOUR
2-4 Blobitecture……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….89
2-4-1 Worldwide Blobitecture Architecture……………………………………………………………………………..90
2-4-1-1 Guggenheim Museum Bilbao……………………………………………………………………………….………90
2-4-1-2 The EMP Museum…………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..91
2-4-1-3 The water pavilion……………………………………………………………………………………….………………91
2-4-1-4 The Kunsthaus building…………………………………………………………………………………..……………92
2-4-1-5 The Selfridges department store………………………………………………………………………….……..92
2-4-1-6 The octopus-like business building…………………………………………………………………..………….93
2-4-1-7 Roy Mason’s Xanadu House………………………………………………………………………………………..94
2-4-1-8 The Allianz Arena…………………………………………………………………….…………………..……………..94
2-4-1-9 The Philological Library………………………………………………………………………….…………………….95
2-4-2 Regional Blobitecture architecture………………………………………………………………………………….95
2-4-2-1 Burj Al-Arab……………………………………………………………………………………………………….………..95
2-4-2-2 Corinthia Hotel……………………………………………………………………………………………….…………..96
CHAPTER FIVE
2-5-3 Critical Regionalism…………………………………………………………………………….………………………….97
2-5-3-1 Worldwide Critical Regionalism……………………………………………………………………………………97
2-5-1-1 Bagsvaerd Church……………………………………………………………………………………………………….97
v
2-5-1-2 The Alvar Alto’s Saynatsalo Town Hall……………………………………………………………………….98
2-5-1-3 The NMB Bank……………………………………………………………………………………………….……………99
2-5-1-4 Antonio Public Library…………………………………………………………………………….………………..100
2-5-3-2 Regional Critical Regionalism……………………………………………………………………………………100
2-5-3-3 Local Critical Regionalism…………………………………………………………………………………………..100
2-5-3-1 Prince Salman Central library……………………………………………………………………..……………..101
2-5-3-2 The King Khalid International Airport…………………………………………………………………………101
2-5-3-3 The ARC Office Building……………………………………………………………………….…………………….102
CHAPTER SIX
2-6 Deconstructivism…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….108
2-6-1 Worldwide Deconstructivism architecture…………………………………………………………..……….108
2-6-1 Frank Gehry
2-6-1-2 Peter Eisenman…………………………………………………………………………………………….…………...114
2-6-1-3 Bernand Tschumi……………………………………………………………………………………………………….124
2-6-1-4 Daniel Libeskind…………………………………………………………………………………………………………133
2-6-1-5 Rem Koolhaas……………………………………………………………………………………………………………146
2-6-1-6 Zaha Hadid………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..158
2-6-1-7 Coop Himmelblau………………………………………………………………………………………..…………….165
2-6-2 Regional Deconstructivism architecture…………………………………………………….………..……….180
2-6-2-1 Zaha Hadid………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..180
2-6-3 Local Deconstructivism architecture………………………………………..……………………………………182
2-6-3-1 Zaha Hadid………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..182
CHAPTER SEVEN
2-7 Sustainable architecture…………………………………………………………………………………..…………….184
2-7-1 Worldwide Sustainable architecture…………………………………………………………………………….184
2-7-1-1 Buildings zoning (Placement) with regard to urban planning………………………………..……184
2-7-1-2 The employment of sustainable building materials………………………………………….………..184
2-7-1-3 The generation of renewable energy…………………………………………………………………………187
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 2-7-1-4 The BPSA’s green headquarters…………………………………………………………………………….…..190
CHAPTER EIGHT
2-8-1 Novelty architecture……………………………………………………………………………………..………………197
2-8-1 Worldwide Novelty architecture
2-8-1-1 The Longaberger Company headquarters………………………………………………………………….197
2-8-1-2 Ark Hotel…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….198
CHAPTER NINE
2-9 Warped architecture………………………………………………………………………………………………………..199
2-9-1 Worldwide Warped architecture…………………………………………………………………………………..199
2-9-1-1 Music instruments building…………………………………………………………………………………..…..199
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………201
‫البيبلوغرافيا العربية‬

vii
Table of figures Page No
Figure (1): The Coalbrookdale bridge designed by Thomas Pritchard in 1779 in Britain……....…….3
Figure (2): Exterior view of the Crystal Palace built in 18……………………………………………………………4
Figure (3): Interior view of the Crystal Palace………………………..…………….…………………………………….4
Figure (4): Upper floor of the Crystal Palace………………………………………………………………………………5
Figure (5): Ground floor of the Crystal Palace………………………………………………………..…………………..5
Figure (6): The Eiffel Tower built in France, Paris, in 1889………………..………………………………………..5
Figure (7): Auguste Perret’s Rue Franklin apartment in Paris, built in 1903………………………………6
Figure (8): Details on the external walls of Auguste Perret’s Rue Franklin apartment………..……..6
Figure (9): The Red House designed in 1859 in Bexleyheath in southeast London, England…..…..7
Figure (10): The Garden City urban planning ideas initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard.…..8
Figure (11): The entrance to Square-Victoria station on the Montreal Metro features an
original………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….9
Figure (12): Victor Horta’s Tassel House stairway in Brussels in 1892…………….………………….…….10
Figure (13): Peter Behrens’s AEG Turbine factory built in Berlin in 1909………………………………….11
Figure (14): A clock designed by Peter Behrens for AEG Turbine factory………………………....………11
Figure (15): The Guaranty Building built in New York in 1895 now called the “Prudential
Building”……..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……12
Figure (16): Oriel windows……………………………………………………………….…………………………….………..13
Figure (17): Gaudi’s Sagrada Famila, built between 1903-1926 ……………………………………………….14
Figure (18): The roof and the nave of the Sagrada Famila………………………………………………………..14
Figure (19): The secession building, Vienna, built in 1897 by Joseph Olbrich for the exhibition of
the secession group…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….15
Figure (20): The Schroder House designed by Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld, Utrecht,
Netherlands in 1924….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….16
Figure (21): Rietveld's Red and Blue Chair, which inspired the Schroder House design
concept…………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..16
Figure (22): Antonio Sant'Elia’s project drawings for La Citta Nuova (The New City) (1912–
viii
1914)………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….………..17
Figure (23): A building proposal in Antonio Sant'Elia’s project drawings for La Città Nuova (The
New City) (1912–1914)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….17
Figure (24): Santa Maria Novella station in Florence, Italy, 1932……………………………….…………….18
Figure (25): Santa Maria Novella station’s sky light…………………………………………………………..……..18
Figure (26): Erich Mendelsohn's Einstein Tower in Potsdam, Germany completed in
1921…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………19
Figure (27): Adolf Loos’s Steiner house, built in 1910, Vienna, Austria………………………………….….21
Figure (28): Front view of Adolf Loos’s Steiner house………………………………………………………………22
Figure (29): Ground floor plan of Adolf Loos’s Steiner house……………………………………………..…….22
Figure (30): Vladimir Tatlin’s Monument to the third international,1919 ………………………...…….24
Figure (31): The Chrysler Building, designed by architect William Van Alen in New York in
1930…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………25
Figure (32): Empire State Building designed by William F. Lamb in 1931, New
York……………..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..26
Figure (33): The Rockefeller Center……………………………………………………………….…………………………27
Figure (34): The Bauhaus school of architecture Gropius built it with his students in Dessau,
Germany from 1919 until 1926……………………………………………………….……………………………………….30
Figure (35): The Fagus Factory, a shoe factory designed by Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer in
Germany, construction completed 1925………………………………………………………………………..………..31
Figure (36): Story Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1950 –part of The
Harvard Graduate Center………………………………..………………………………………………………………………32
Figure (37): Part of the new University of Baghdad campus which was intended to be built in
the late 1950s situated near the Tigris River, designed by Gropius and others……………..………….32
Figure (38): A housing development called Interbau, constructed in 1957 International Building
Exhibition (IBA 57) at the West side of Berlin, designed by Gropius………………….….………………….33
Figure (39): Pan Am Building now called MetLife Building built in New York in 1963 (246 m)
designed by Pietro Belluschi and Walter Gropius and others…………………………………………………..34
ix
Figure (40): Mies Van Der Rohe’s German Pavilion for the Barcelona exposition (The Barcelona
Pavilion) in 1929- red marble, the famous Barcelona chair is shown in
space……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….35
Figure (41): Mies Van Der Rohe’s German Pavilion for the Barcelona exposition (The Barcelona
Pavilion) in 1929- green marble………………………………………………………….……………………………………36
Figure (42): The Barcelona chair, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for German
Pavilion for the Barcelona exposition in 1929…………………………………………………………….……….36
Figure (43): The Chicago Lake Shore Drive along Lake Michigan was built in 1951…………….…….37
Figure (44): The. Seagram. Building .built in. New .York, 1958, by. Mies van .der Rohe, in
.collaboration. with .Philip Johnson………………………………………………………………………………………...38
Figure (45): The plan of the Seagram building………………………………………………………………………….39
Figure (46): The Seagram building’s structural steel I-column covered with reinforced concrete
as a fire proof material………………………………………..………………………………………………………………….39
Figure (47): Mies’ Caroline Weiss Law Building in Houston, Texas, 1953……………..……..……………40
Figure (48): The “Domino House” initiated in Switzerland in 1914……………………………..……………41
Figure (49): Le Corbusier with his paintings circa 1922 at 35 rue de Sevres studio,
Paris…………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………42
Figure (50): Le Corbusier proposal for the Contemporary City or “Ville Contemporaine” in
1922………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………43
Figure (51): Villa Savoye built in Poissy, Paris, in 1931…………………………………………………………….44
Figure (52): Notre Dame Du Haut church or “Ronchamp”, built in eastern France in
1950………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………46
Figure (53): An interior view of Notre Dame Du Haut church or “Ronchamp”………………………….46
Figure (54): Unite d'Habitation (of Germany) built in 1952……………………………………….……………..47
Figure (55): The Chandigarh Legislative Assembly building built in Chandigarh, India in
1953………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..47
Figure (56): Le Corbusier’s “chaise lounge” or Long chair……………………………………....……………….48
Figure (57): Wright's` Unity Temple, Oak Park, Illinois, 1907……………………………………………………51

x
Figure (58): A view showing the stained glass and the light of Unity Temple……………………………51
Figure (59): Wright’s Robie house, close to the University of Chicago campus, built in
1909…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………53
Figure (60): Taliesin West Wright’s residence, business studio and learning place, built in
1936……….……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….54
Figure (61): The Garden Room’s lighting via translucent canvas…………………………………………….54
Figure (62): Wright’s Falling water or Kaufmann Residence, built in Pennsylvania in
1936……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………….55
Figure (63): Falling water house sitting area interior view with furniture designed by
Wright……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..56
Figure (64): Johnson Wax Headquarters of Johnson Company built in Wisconsin in 1936…..……57
Figure (65): Johnson Wax Headquarters’ Great room and the Open Plan idea………..……………….58
Figure (66): Wright's chair for Johnson Wax Headquarters president………………………………..…….58
Figure (67): Solomon R.Guggenheim Museum built in New York in 1959…………………………………59
Figure (68): The helical spiral ramp tapering towards the top most cylindrical l form to create
an upward tapering atrium……………………………………………………..……………………………………………….60
Figure (69): Art works displayed on a busy day inside concave exhibition niches surrounding the
central spiral…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….60
Figure (70): Georges Pompidou Center for Art and Culture, designed by Richard Rogers and
Renzo Piano, built in Paris, 1977………………………………………………………………………………………………63
Figure (71): The Sydney Opera House, built between 1957 and 1973 by Jorn Utzon, Sydney,
Australia…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…...65
Figure (72): The National Congress, Um durman-Khartoum, The Republic of the Sudan, built in
1973………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………66
Figure (73): Vanna Venturi House, designed by architect Robert Venturi for his mother Vanna
Venturi, constructed in 1964, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania…………………………………….………………….68
Figure (74): The American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) Corporation built in 1984, USA, New
York -Sony Building…………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………..69
xi
Figure (75): An Egyptian style Mashrabiya projecting out of a room external wall…………......…..72
Figure (76): The Arab Organizations Headquarters Building built in 1994 in Shuwaikh,
Kuwait……………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....74
Figure (77): The Sudanese football sport association, Khartoum, Sudan, 1997…………………………75
Figure (78): The National Commercial Bank, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, built in 1984…………..…………76
Figure (79): The National Commercial Bank………………………………………………………………………..……76
Figure (80): The six-storey high car park of circular ground plan…………………………………..………….77
Figure (81): A floor plan of The National Commercial Bank………………………………………………………79
Figure (82): Al Faisaliyah Center or Al Faisaliah Center, built in 2000, Riyadh…………………………81
Figure (83): Shanghai World Financial Center, built in Pudong, 2008…………………….…………………82
Figure (84): Al Faisaliyah tower is aligned in a direct axis with the Kingdom Centre…………………83
Figure (85): The Kingdom Centre, built in 2002, Riyadh…………………………………………………….……..83
Figure (86): Abraj Al-Bait Towers, built in Mecca, 2011…………………………………………..……………….84
Figure (87): Taipei 101, built in 2004, Taiwan…………………………………………………………………………..85
Figure (88): Burj Khalifa built in Dubai, 2010…………………………………………………………………………….85
Figure (89): Ajyad Fortress atop the Bulbul hill…………………………………………………………………………86
Figure (90): Al-Kaaba Al-Musharrafah overlooked from Abraj Al-Bait Towers located across the
street to the south from an entrance to the Masjid al Haram mosque………………………..…………..87
Figure (91): Ron Herron's Walking Cities project of the sixties…………………………………………..…….90
Figure (92): The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, along the Nervión River, built in
1997……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....……….90
Figure (93): Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame………..……91
Figure (94): The water pavilion built in the Netherlands, 1997……………………………………………..….91
Figure (95): The Kunsthaus building built at 2003 in Graz, Austria………………………………………..….92
Figure (96): The Selfridges department store designed by Future Systems, built in Birmingham
in 2003…….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..92
Figure (97): The octopus-like business building near a crossroad in Wangjing region,
Beijing……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..93
xii
Figure (98): Xanadu Houses designed by Roy Mason One of the………………………………………………94

Figure (99): The Allianz Arena, Germany, Munich, at 2005 designed by the architects Herzog and
De Meuron………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………94
Figure (100): The Philological Library built in Free University of Berlin at 2005……………………..…95
Figure (101): A longitudinal section of the Philological Library…………………………………………..…….95
Figure (102): Burj Al-Arab of Dubai, 1999………………………………………………………………………….……..96
Figure (103): The Burj Alfateh or Corinthia Hotel - the Egg building, built in Khartoum,
2003………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………96
Figure (104): Jorn Utzon’s Bagsvaerd Church built in Denmark at 1976………………………………..….98
Figure (105): Alvar Alto’s Saynatsalo Town Hall in Finland at 1952…………………………….…………….99
Figure (106): Anton Alberts’ and others NMB Bank, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,
1987…………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..99
Figure (107): San Antonio Public Library, Texas, Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta,
1995……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..100

Figure (108): Prince Salman Central library at King Saud University…………………………..…………..101

Figure (109): An exterior view of King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
1982……….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….102
Figure (110): An interior view of King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
1982…….……….……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….102
Figure (111): The ARC Office Building, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Abiat Architects, Egypt…………..….103
Figure (112): Follies of Parc De La Villette built in 1987, Paris………………………………….…………….107
Figure (113): Follies of Parc De La Villette built in 1987, Paris…………………………………………..……107
Figure (114): Gehry’s residence, built in Santa Monica, California, 1977………………………………..109
Figure (115): A plan of Gehry’s residence………………………………………………………………………….……109
Figure (116): An isometric perspective of Gehry’s residence………………………………………….………110
Figure (117): Head On exhibit of the 99 wolves’ sculptural replicas at Guggenheim Museum
Bilbao…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………110
Figure (118): The outdoor sculpture exhibit, the giant female spider called Maman or
xiii
mother…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….111
Figure (119): The external exhibit of the Tulip………………………………………………………………………..112
Figure (120): The external exhibit of Jeff Koons’s Puppy…………………………………………………....….112
Figure (121): The atrium or The Flower the organizing center of the museum…………………..…..113
Figure (122): An external view of the museum where cladding in glass, titanium, and limestone
is vividly shown………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………113
Figure (123): The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao built in 1997…………………………………………………114
Figure (124): Wexner Center for the Arts built in Columbus, Ohio state in 1989………………..….116
Figure (125): Scaffolding like walkway in the Center meant to give a sense of
incompleteness………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……116
Figure (126): Staircase taking to the upstairs screenings and talk’s large room…………………..….117
Figure (127): Star-shaped seats for watching video interviews produced by the artists……….…117
Figure (128): The buildings from far so much look like series of mountains…………………………...118
Figure (129): Four of the six stone-clad buildings form from a far……………………………………….…119
Figure (130): People could climb up on top of the roofs especially the steeply
Megabiblioteca or the grand library’s roof, to have a full view of the whole city………….……..119
Figure (131): The south elevation of the archive building……………………………………………….……..120
Figure (132): The east end of the complex where the rose and tan quartzite stone surfacing the
slippery slope roof is approached…………………………………………………………………………………………..121
Figure (133): An unfamiliar looking window…………………………………………………………………………..122
Figure (134): City of Culture of Galicia Archive and Library…………………………………………….………122
Figure (135): City of Culture of Galicia Archive and Library plan………………………………………..…..122
Figure (136): The interior of the library……………………………………………………………………………..…..123
Figure (137): A restaurant in Parc de la Villette………………………………………………………………………126
Figure (138): Follies in Parc de la Villette……………………………………………………………………………..…126
Figure (139): Music museum and concert hall by architect Christian de Portzamparc, in
1995………..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..127
Figure (140): The 2,400 seats symphony concert hall within the Paris Parc de la Villette……….127
xiv
Figure (141): The Paul Cejas School of Architecture Building twisted slightly to contrast
with the rectilinear formalism…………………………………..………………………………………………………….128
Figure (142): Florida International University’s School of Architecture court of palm trees……129
Figure (143): The veneered structures clad in bright variegated tiles colored in red and
yellow…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….130
Figure (144): Individual student’s cubicles; the above overlooking the one beneath and all
opportuned to receive daylight……………………………………………………………………………………………..130
Figure (145): The reddish striking rear façade…………………………………………………………………….....132
Figure (146): Vertically slanted windows accommodates indirect daylight………………………..…..132
Figure (147): The twisted zigzag Jewish museum and the older Berlin Museum's baroque wing
to the right………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…135
Figure (148): The Garden of Exile and Emigration or Garden of Eden…………………………………….136
Figure (149): The criss crossing corridors representing the loss of the Jews………………………..…136
Figure (150): A Christian cross shape represents the controversy behind the crossifiction of
Jesus………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………137
Figure (151): The Holocaust Tower or the Holocaustturm………………………………………………………137
Figure (152): The Denver Art Museum called the Frederic C. Hamilton building was built in
2006 in Denver’s Civic Center, Colorado…………………………………………………………………………138
Figure (153): Libeskind’s simple and humble freehand sketch interprets his intellectual and
perceptive shape design idea………………………………………………………………….……………………………..139
Figure (154): Ground floor plan of The Denver Art Museum………………………………………………….139
Figure (155): The 'Big Sweep' exhibit by Coosje van Bruggen and Claes Oldenburg…………….….140
Figure (156): A giant bronze spider by French-born American sculptor Louise Bourgeois is
placed in front of the entrance………………………………………………………………………………………………140
Figure (157): The museum’s main entrance……………………………………………………………………………141
Figure (158): Another Georgia O’Keeffe’s Exhibit or Follies…………………………………………………….141
Figure (159): The four story atrium aids visitors’ navigation…………………………………………………..142
Figure (160): The interesting skylights via which people could appreciate the external views of
xv
the museum……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….142
Figure (161): Denver International Airport with its peaked roof…………………………………..………..143
Figure (162): The artists’ work is displayed and hung in over 20 different ways on the dramatic,
sloping, obliquely shaped galleries……………………………………………………………..………………………….144
Figure (163): Modern & Contemporary Gallery, allows visitors to rest and partake of multimedia
opportunities…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………145
Figure (164): Early design concept shown in a watercolor sketch by Daniel Libeskind……………145
Figure (165): A conceptual design stage structural model………………………………………………………146
Figure (166): Seattle Central Library built in 2004 from the North-East façade………………….…..147
Figure (167): The 1ST floor or the atrium, the auditorium and staff floor……………………………..…148
Figure (168): The 1ST floor or the atrium floor there are two entrances from the east and only
one entrance from the west…………………………………………………………………………………………………..149
Figure (169): The 2nd floor, the kids’ public assembly or the Children's Library and foreign-
language resources………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..149
Figure (170): The western side of the Living Room at the 4TH floor………………………………..………150
Figure (171): The 5th floor, the mixing chamber contains computers, reference at the south
and the staff space at the north…………………………………………………………………..…………………………150
Figure (172): The Reading Rom a four-story ramp goes from the 6th floor to the 9th floor..…….151
Figure (173): The 10th top floor, has views of the surrounding mountains towards the west....151
Figure (174): the eastern entrance facing west shown from outside towards the north…………152
Figure (175): The eastern entrance facing west shown from inside towards the south………….152
Figure (176): Seattle Central Library’s main entrance one of the two eastern entrances; the one
towards the south from inside…………………………………………………………………….…………………………153
Figure (177): A section looking towards the North…………………………………………………………………153
Figure (178): China Central Television Headquarters of China or the CCTV Headquarters built in
2012…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….154
Figure (179): There are three over glass portals on the 37th floor beneath the overhang………155
Figure (180): On the 37th floor from where people look down to the plaza………………………….155
xvi
Figure (181): The TVCC building at the North as the three adjacent buildings to the complex
appear……..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….156
Figure (182): The landscape plan or site plan…………………………………………………………………..…….157
Figure (183): China Central Television Headquarters ‘horizontal and vertical zoning……………..157
Figure (184): The BMW Central Building built in 2005 in Leipzig , Germany brings together
three disconnected buildings…………………………………………………………..……………………………………159
Figure (185): Three departments are housed in these three buildings; the fabrication of raw
auto bodies or the body in white, the paint shop and finally the assembly hall……………………..159
Figure (186): The BMW Central Building………………………………………………………………………………..160
Figure (187): The offices, meeting rooms, and public relations facilities are all built around
elevated conveyors, creating an interesting relationship between the employees, the cars, and
the public…………………….……………………………………………………………………………………….……………….160
Figure (188): All of the structure was oriented to trace the lines of movement through the
building, to emphasize these linear trajectories…………………………………………….……………………...161
Figure (189): The Phaeno Science Center, Wolfsburg, Germany, built in 2005………………….……162
Figure (190): The sleek cone-shaped columns on which the structure propped up………………..163
Figure (191): Interactive exhibits……………………………………………………………………………………….…..164
Figure (192): The prolonged void positioned at the only top most floor………………………………...164
Figure (193): The Z-car a hydrogen-powered, zero-emission city car for two people with a three-
wheel base…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....165
Figure (194): The Akron Art Museum built in 2007, Akron, Ohio…………………………………………...166
Figure (195): A lobby called the Crystal serves as a public entry and a focal visual space
connecting the museum’s artistic, educational, administrative, and public departments………167
Figure (196): Vertical and horizontal circulation topped off with shards of twisted, folded glass
planes…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….167
Figure (197): The Roof Cloud a 100 m long cantilevered steel and aluminum canopy
hovers over all three elements…….………………………………………..…………………………………………..168
xvii
Figure (198): The cantilevered cloud roof gestures toward the street- a front
view……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……...169
Figure (199): The cantilevered cloud roof gestures toward the street- A side view………………..169
Figure (200): Provision of daylight to the interior via leaning glass panels’ roof
surface………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...………..170
Figure (201): The centre’s public space is shared between an outdoor cinema and a huge
reception area…..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..171
Figure (202): An outdoor cinema with seating for 4,000 people beneath LED saturated outdoor
roof elements…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………174
Figure (203): The Red Carpet Area or the reception area leading to the Double
Cone………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….…175
Figure (204): The larger of the two roofs projects a column-free, 85m cantilever over the
Memorial Court……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….177
Figure (205): A double cone represents the only vertical supporting structure for the large
projecting roof……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….177
Figure (206): A north western entrance to the Cinema Mountain……………………………….…………178
Figure (207): A cafe at ground floor level and a staircase leading to a restaurant
above……….……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..178
Figure (208): A funnel-like structure, a staircase leading to a restaurant above………………….….179
Figure (209): Separate entrances and foyers are provided for theater and cinema……………..…179
Figure (210): The one-north project master plan, Singapore, 2001…………………………………….....180
Figure (211): Sheikh Zayed Bridge connects mainland Dubai to the island of Abu Dhabi
completed 2010, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi………………………………………………………….……181
Figure (212): Sheikh Zayed Bridge at night…………………………………………………………………..…………182
Figure (213): The state of the art diamond crystals jewelry-like (KAPSARC)…………………………...183
Figure (114): Th roof crystalline modular six-sided cells with many connections in between
them………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….183
Figure (215): The BPSA's green headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa, built in
xviii
2005………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………190
Figure (216): Split over three levels of open plan space, the main staircase leads down to the
internal 'street' on the ground floor…………………………………………………………………….…..……………193
Figure (217): The reception area features tulip chairs from a hand-woven karakul rug…..……..194
Figure (218): The Longaberger Company headquarters in 1997, Newark, Ohio………………..……197
Figure (219): Ark hotel designed by Alexander Remizov………………………………………………………..198
Figure (220): Victor Enrich’s Music instruments building……………………………………………………….199

xix
Introduction
Modern architecture has a great influence on the architecture we are experiencing today.
Ancient architecture of the Nile valley has an immense influence on the architecture preceding
it even though it not as advance as it is. The same Nile valley architecture has noticeably
influenced the architecture that succeeded it.
The aspect this book concentrates on is the architectural design style, which to the writer’s
humble claim is the most significant aspect architects and students of architecture are urged to
glorify. Architectural design style notions fall under the issues of theory of architecture, but
never the less modern architecture ever since commencement based its peculiarity on the
variations of design styles each and every building is assumed to distinguishably have.
According to French, H. (1998) the new various unfamiliar building forms emerged in modern
architecture since 1885 attained their popularity despite the objection they faced by renowned
architects of the time.
The methodology followed in coming out with this book is a through comprehensive analysis in
which a historical review to styles beginning by the term, which were in the beginning used to
describe modern architecture, such terms were schools and movements. Critics had diversified
writings to the explanations and interpretations of the notion of style, in this book some
renowned critics as Charles Jencks, Henry Russell Hitchcock, Kenneth Frampton, some of the
pioneers of Deconstructivism architecture explanations and interpretations of some styles were
employed.
The utilization of the three main building materials; steel, glass and later on reinforced concrete
and the usage of three modern architecture terms; movement, school and style were known
for the first time during the period of modern architecture. These terms with which iconic
buildings, the pioneers that produce them and the theories that come along with them
explaining their design styles were also known for the first time during the period of modern
architecture.
So many books were written in different subjects of modern architecture, but there were few
books focused on architectural design styles, the main issue without which architectural iconic
xx
buildings of today could have attained their fame. A great number of architecture students I
taught in the past fifteen years of my teaching experience in about eight architecture schools
and programs have so much liked the way modern architecture is presented to them. The
significance of this book is; it explains Modern architecture AND not at its worldwide context, it
goes further to give students exemplars of styles and movements of modern architecture and
Contemporary architecture at the regional level and most importantly that of Saudi Arabia,
which architecture students live within without appreciating its noticeable linkage to the most
advanced up to date Modern architecture styles and Contemporary architecture styles,
according to critics, came to an end in the year 1985 to be continued as Contemporary
architecture styles presently produced worldwide, regionally and locally in Saudi Arabia.
Regionally and locally the employment of up to date styles of Modern architecture was not
evidenced at the time they employed at the worldwide level , which made the writer coming
out with a method of categorization of styles in which their presence at the regional and the
local level besides the worldwide level was traced. New styles as those of Contemporary
architecture as Frampton, K. (1983) explains were employed at the regional and the local level
in a short time compared to the very long time it took to employ them. Contemporary
architecture is the architecture that is produced at the present time. As defined by Jencks, C.
(1988) contemporary architecture contains the architecture that is produced at the recent
decades, from the eighties until the present time. Contemporary architecture, therefore, faced
with contemporary challenges, rocket speed technological advancement in both building
materials and design software reaching up to CATIA and some more magnificent CAD
(Computer Aided Design) software. Exemplars of design styles such as Blobitecture
architecture, Critical regionalism, Deconstructivism, Sustainable architecture, Novelty
architecture, warped architecture, which are considered the most renowned contemporary
architecture styles are thoroughly studied, analyzed and explained in this book. Deconstructivist
architects such as Frank Gehry, Peter Eisenman, Bernard Tchumi, Daniel Libeskind, Rem
Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid, Coop Himmelblau and so many emerging contemporary architecture
architects contributed to the most controversial architecture of the present time,
xxi
Deconstructivism architecture. A amongst all contemporary architecture Sustainable
architecture, eco-friendly building or green building, the most environmental conscious
architecture, that focuses on energy efficiency attained much significance due to the recent
pressing and challenging economic and political issues as Gipe, P. (2004) defined. Sustainable
architecture theoretical base is as well thoroughly analyzed to understand the necessity
architects perceived in coming out with buildings that so much glorify the significance of
contemporary architecture evidenced in Sustainable architecture.
Exemplars of the most up to date Contemporary architecture such as Novelty and Warped
architecture have not been traced at the regional and the local level in a way that a certain style
is said to be employed. What is found could more or less be merely fashion and not style.
Fashion is defined as the manner of doing or making something. Hurlburt (1977) considered
style as a particular distinctive mode or form of construction or execution in any work or art. He
goes on emphasizing the distinction between style and fashion stating that;
”A careful distinction is needed between the style arrived at by designers working toward a
common objective and the merely fashionable solutions that grow out of imitation”. As these
styles with so many other recent styles, are just employed in Europe, USA and other countries
at a stage, which could still be a trial and error stage not yet accepted as well as not yet
matured enough to be tried regionally and locally.

xxii
PART ONE
Modern architecture
 CHAPTER ONE
Modernism of the pre four great architects
1-Modern architecture
Modern architecture is the architecture that started at the year 1885 and still
continues as contemporary architecture, critices agreed that it has come to an end
by the year 1988.
CHAPTER ONE:
1-1 Modernism of the pre four great architects
1-1-1 Building materials and their influence on architectural thought
Modern architecture is the architecture that employed three modern construction
materials; steel, glass and later on reinforced concrete. The rejection of decorations
and ancient building styles that remain imitated for years was the first thing that
pioneers of modern architecture called for according to French, H. (1998).
New unfamiliar building forms, later on, emerged. That was the real beginning of
simplicity and the expression of aesthetics of functionalism was possibly made
through the simplicity of building forms, therefore, the spacial functionalism was so
much correlated to formal functionalism.
Modern architecture was characterized by the utilization of the three main building
materials; steel, glass and later on reinforced concrete and the usage of three
modern architecture terms; movement, school and style for the first time, these
terms with which iconic buildings, the pioneers that produce them and the theories
that come along with them explaining their design concepts were also known.
In modern architecture individualism of buildings made possible individualism of
their designers, therefore, each architect had his own special interpretation for each
building he designs. The above mentined notion brought about the term
individualism that inturns, according to critics especially Jencks, C. (1988), makes
possible the categorization of buildings in certain architectural styles.
1-1-2 Movement, School and Style
Since the dawn of modern architecture, architects have not been restricted to the
known ancient styles; styles such as the Gothic, have been, therefore, according to
Conway, H. et al (1994), inspired by a great deal of modern architecture concepts.
Besides the term “style” two more significant terms were introduced in modern
architecture; movement and school. Movement classifies buildings based on the

1
ideas and notions of its architects. This classification is most probably done through a
manifesto issued by members of the movement, in which their objectives are to be
announced. Buildings produced in such movements do not necessarily satisfy all
manifesto objectives.
A School is formed when a certain group of architects at a certain location (City) at a
certain Country at a certain time limited to some few years, contribute to produce
buildings based on certain architectural design thoughts and concepts. Schools
normally produce new forms of buildings, which are characterized by new buildings
profiles that vividly emerge. Schools, as well, precipitate drastical change in buildings
compared to their antecedents. The influence the school precipitate is not
necessarily formal. In a Style buildings are categorized on the bases of their physical
or visual profiles, historical periods, or geographical locations. Styles are products of
either movements or schools; they are, therefore, associated with individual
buildings Calloway, S. et al (eds), (2005) affirmed. Even if a building is produced by a
designer not knowing under which style it is categorized, critics would be able to
categorize it, especially in the case of students designs.
1-1-3 Technology, technologist, technique and technician
The term technology means the systematic application of practical knowledge in a
certain industrial (mechanical) discipline, out of which the term technologist is
coined. Who ever applies that systematic practical knowledge is refered to as a
technologist. The term technology is different from the term technique, which means
the perfect methods acquired through good working experience. A technician,
therefore, is a person who acquires perfect methods out of good working
experience. According to Banham, R. (1960) at modern architecture period
architectural works found application mechanism due to the emergence of industrial
machines with which came along with the notions mentioned earlier; technolog,
technologist, technique and technician. Technolog provided good opportunity for the
diversificstion of itellectuall thoughts, that have accompanied the three modern
construction materials; steel, glass and reinforced concrete out of which various
construction materials emerged. Some of such construction materials are;
Ferrocement, Chromium, Titanium, Teflon, Fiber glass and so many others.

2
At the beginning of modern architecture buildings were not limited only to certain
types nor were they limited to conventional functions, their types extended to
include bridges an exemplar of such is the Coalbrookdale bridge designed by Thomas
Pritchard in 1779 in England, the bridge that marked the beginning of the usage of
Wrought iron a construction material later on used in the construction of the Crystal
Palace as Hitchcock, H. et al (1977) explained, figure (1).

Figure (1): The Coalbrookdale bridge designed by Thomas Pritchard in 1779 in Britain
1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironbridge, accessed 2013 December 18

1-1-4 Movements
1-1-4-1 Art and Art Crafts movement (1860-1900)
Working in groups in architecture was known first when architectural movements
came to existence. During modernism architecture was not only a local or a regional
preocupation; it was as well a preoccupation common to all architects all over the
world. The most well known movements are Art Nouveau (1890-1905) and art Decor
(1935-1925).
The Crystal Palace was the first and best exemplar of so many buildings that were
known at the dawn of modern architecture, it was that gigantic building, which was
designed by Joseph Paxton in 1851, Hitchcock, H. et al (1977) emphasized, figure(2).
The building was faced with criticism and rejection in the first beginning, as Pugin
described it as “Glass Monster” and Ruskin refered to as “The Cucumber frame”.
Critics consider it to be the beginning of the collapse of architecture. According to
them the Crystal Palace was a swerve from familiar inherited valuable ancient
architecture, an architecture they were accustom to for a very long time.
Some of the characteristics of the Crystal Palace were;

3
- It was among the first exhibitions known in history
- It measures 125m length x 60m width, ,figure(4) &,figure(5)
- It was wrapped with class and framed with iron
- It contained whole big and tall trees,figure(3)
- It was among the first structures in which the notion of mass production was
employed
- It was among the first structures in which prefabricated building materials are
employed
- It was the first building in which Ottis elevator is employed
- It was built in not more six months

Figure (2): Exterior view of the Crystal Palace built in 1851

2:http://archinect.com/forum/thread/33528575/the-crystal-palace, accessed 2013 December 18

Figure (3): Interior view of the Crystal Palace

3:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crystal_Palace_interior.jpg, accessed 2013 December 18

4
 Figure (4): Upper floor of the Crystal Palace
4:http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:Crystal_Palace_-_plan.jpg, accessed 2013 December 18

Figure (5): Ground floor of the Crystal Palace

5:http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:Crystal_Palace_-_plan.jpg, accessed 2013 December 18

The Eiffel Tower which France is famous for was designed by Gustave Eiffel in Paris in
1889 as a monument that is much formally appreciated externally when viewed from
outside and less functionally appreciated internally when climbed. The Eiffel Tower
monument is an architectural expression of power, sovereignity and stability, Figure
(6).

Figure (6): The Eiffel Tower built in France, Paris, in 1889

6:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Paris_06_Eiffelturm_4828.jpg, accessed 2013 December 18

5
The Belgium Auguste Perret was the first to use reinforced concrete in buildings in
1903 in Rue Franklin apartment in Paris, an apartment with details on the external
walls that reached a hight of eight stories for the first time in history, Figure (7) &
Figure (7).

Figure (7): Auguste Perret’s Rue Franklin apartment in Paris, built in 1903

7:http://www.paris-architecture.info/PA-027.htm, accessed 2013 December 18

Figure (8): Details on the external walls of Auguste Perret’s Rue Franklin apartment
8:http://www.paris-architecture.info/PA-027.htm, accessed 2013 December 18

Ideas calling for the necessaty of an architecture that reflects certain values
associated with the time and space of architecture were known for the first time in
history an exemplar of such ideas are found in the movement of Art and Crafts, a
movement that rejects the environmental pollution and the squatter settlement the
6
phenomenon that accompanied the industrial revolution as the then new factories
produced. The industrial revolution never bothered about the aesthetic values of
buildings, but a reverse to that it focdused on production, benefit and profit making
Tein, F et al (2003) explains. Due to all that residences of factory workers were
neglected by the same factory owners, architects at that time assisted them to attain
such objective. The founder of Art and Crafts movement called for naturalism and
traditionalism in interir design by using wall papers and carpet where as terra cotta
could be used externally in roofs. The garden is also significant, being an early
example of the idea of a garden as a series of exterior rooms. William Morris wanted
the garden to be like an integral part of the house. The rooms consisted of a herb
garden, a vegetable garden, and two rooms full of old-fashioned flowers, jasmine,
lavender, quinces, and an abundance of fruit trees, apple, pear and cherry. The
famous Red House designed in 1859 in Bexleyheath in southeast London, England in
which reddish terra cotta was used in the roof and red brick in the walls was known
to be one his best contribution with the assistant of his friend architect Philip Webb.
Refering to Hall, P et al (1998) in this house the two friends departed far from the
industrial revolution of that time and its building materials products out of which
environmental polluted refuses were as well produced. The two friends decided to
choose a site location far from the factories where they built their house
emphasizing the principles of the Art and Crafts movement, figure (9).

Figure (9): The Red House designed in 1859 in Bexleyheath in southeast London, England

9:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Red_House,_Bexleyheath.JPG7:http://www.paris-architecture.info/PA-027.htm,
accessed 2013 December 20

7
Art and Crafts movement includes Garden City, an urban planning movement
initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were
intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by greenbelts and
parks, containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and agriculture. Garden
City movement called for the association of buildings to greenbelts and parks at the
same time distancing such buildings from the industrial polluted refuses. Ebenezer
Howard’s Garden City would house 32,000 people on a site of 6,000 acres, planned
on a concentric pattern with open spaces, public parks and six radial boulevards, 37
m wide, extending from the centre. The garden city would be self-sufficient and
when it reached full population, another Garden City would be developed nearby.
Howard envisaged a cluster of several garden cities as satellites of a central city of
50,000 people, linked by road as Rail Tein, F et al (2003) affirmed, figure (10).
The architect and planner, Ebenezer Howard, is considered a pioneer in the
development of modern City Planning, searching for guarding residences from the
industrial polluted refuses. The movement continued from 1860 until 1900 extended
to too many countries beyond the borders of Europe compared to movements’
preceeding or succeeding it.

Figure (10): The Garden City urban planning ideas initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard
10:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lorategi-hiriaren_diagrama_1902.jpg7:http://www.paris-architecture.info/PA-027.htm,
accessed 2013 December 20

1-1-4-2 Art Nouveau (1895-1905)

Even though Art Nouveau movement continued for only ten years, it succeded
Garden City movement and, therefore, Art and Crafts movement. Art

8
Nouveaumovement has also coincided with Garden City movement, a coincident
that had much influence on Art Nouveau making it to be inspired by nature in the
employment of modern building materials, which were used in various forms.
Salim, A. (1993) wrote; Art Nouveau movement was led by Henry VanDe Velde in
Belgium when artists hold discussions about form and technology influenced by the
ideas of William Morris, which were distanced from the technology of building
industry of the time. These artists preferred Morris’s ideas as a reaction to previous
movements’ ideas. Despite the shortnes of this movement its influence still
continues until the present time as it was the beginning of the distinction between
what is termed as Eclecticism, in which different theories are drawn in a single
building; various profiles from different styles are drawn in one building through
forms that imitate nature with its curvature in trees, clouds, and rocks such
streamlining curvature distanced the Art Nouveau movement from rigid geometrical
forms characterized ancient architecture buildings.
Among architects who designed adopting concepts of Art Nouveau movement is
Hector Guimard who is considered the best known representative of the French Art
Nouveau movement style. The entrance to Square-Victoria station on the Montreal
Metro, Paris in 1900 features an original Guimard entrance from the Paris Metro is
the best exemplar of the remains all his works, figure (11).

Figure (11): The entrance to Square-Victoria station on the Montreal Metro features an original

Guimard entrance from the Paris Metro, Paris in 1900

11:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GuimardMon.JPG7:http://www.paris-architecture.info/PA-027.htm, accessed 2013
December 20

9
In Belgium Victor Horta is another architect who is regarded as one of the most
important names in Art Nouveau architecture; according to Dernie, D. (1995) the
construction of his “Hotel Tassel” in Brussels in 1892 ranked him as the first to
introduce Art Nouveau to architecture, Hector Guimard was influenced by his works
and further spread his ideas not only to France but also to the whole of Europe.
Horta’s Hotel Tassel was built in Brussels for the Belgian scientist and Professor Emile
Tassel in 1893-1894. It is generally considered as the first true Art Nouveau building,
because of its highly innovative plan and its ground breaking use of materials and
decoration, figure (12).

Figure (12): Victor Horta’s Tassel House stairway in Brussels in 1892

12:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tassel_House_stairway.JPG, accessed 2013 December 20

Other significant contributer in Art Nouveau architecture is the Deutscher

Werkbund, which was founded in 1907 in Germany. In the works of this groub vivid
influence of the industrial revolution was obviously noticed. According to Schwartz,
F. J. (1996) Deutscher Werkbund is a German association of artists, architects,
designers, and industrialists. The Werkbund was to become an important event in
the development of modern architecture and industrial design, particularly in the
later creation of the Bauhaus school of design. Its initial purpose was to establish a
partnership of product manufacturers with design professionals to improve the
competitiveness of German companies in global markets. Deutscher Werkbund
included twelve architects and twelve business firms. The architects of this groub
include Peter Behrens, Eliel Saarinen, Henry van de Velde who was commissioned to
build a theatre for its 1914 Cologne Exhibition in Cologne, and the most famous

10
member of the groub was the architect Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, who was once
served as its architectural director.
Peter Behrens’s contribution in Deutscher Werkbund, Hitler's urbanistic dreams for
Berlin with the commission for the new headquarters of the AEG Turbine Factory, an
early example of industrial classicism built in 1909. The two sides of the hall measure
100m long and 15m tall glass and Steel wall. Behrens designed the building and all its
electrical, aircondition and furniture components including clocks, figure (13 )& (14).

Figure (13): Peter Behrens’s AEG Turbine factory built in Berlin in 1909
13:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Berlin_AEG_Turbinenfabrik.jpg, accessed 2013 December 20

Figure (14): A clock designed by Peter Behrens for AEG Turbine factory
14:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Berlin_AEG_Turbinenfabrik.jpg, accessed 2013 December 20

The challenges of Art Nouveau in America were different, Chicago and New York
were populated, and population was, therefore, an arduous problem. In America,
buildings in which architects tried their best to reflect Art Nouveau ideas were stores
as building types and skyscrapers in hights. Henry Hibson Richardson, a gradute of
Ecole Des Beaux Ares in Paris and a student of Henry Labrouste founded Chicago
11
School, referred to hear as First Chicago School. It is a school that was known for its
commercial style, therefore, many critics refered to as the “commercial style”
describing the innovative tall buildings of Chicago at that time. Architects of that
school were active in Chicago between 1880 and 1890. Condit, C.W (1964)
emphasized that the distinguishing features of the Chicago School are the use of
steel-frame buildings with masonry cladding (usually terra cotta), allowing large
plate-glass window areas and limiting the amount of exterior ornamentation.
Sometimes elements of neoclassical architecture are used in Chicago School
skyscrapers. Many Chicago School skyscrapers contain the three parts of a classical
column. The first floor functions as the base, the middle stories, usually with little
ornamental detail, act as the shaft of the column, and the last floor or so represent
the capital, with more ornamental detail and capped with a cornice. The Home
Insurance Building designed by William Le Baron Jenney, was regarded by some
critics as the first skyscraper in the world, built in Chicago in 1885 and was
demolished in 1931. It had 10 stories reaching to a height of 42 m. In 1890, two
additional floors were built on top of the original 10-story building. It was the first
building to carry both floors and external walls entirely on its metal frame.
The Guaranty Building built in New York in 1895 now called the “Prudential Building”
was designed by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan as geometrical abstraction form
reaching up to 13 stories, figure (15).

Figure (15): The Guaranty Building built in New York in 1895 now called the “Prudential Building”
was designed by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan

15:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prudential_Building_HDR.jpg, accessed 2013 December 20

12
Their design for the building was based on his belief that "form follows function".
They divided the building into four zones. The basement Frei, H. (1992) explains was
the mechanical and utility area. Since this level was below ground, it did not show on
the face of the building. The next zone was the ground-floor zone which was the
public areas for street-facing shops, public entrances and lobbies. The third zone was
the office floors with identical office cells clustered around the central elevator
shafts. The final zone was the terminating zone, consisting of elevator equipment,
utilities and a few offices. The supporting steel structure of the building was claded
with terra cotta blocks in line with Art Nouveau ideas.
Frank Lloyd Wright started his career in the firm of Adler and Sullivan but later
created his own Prairie Style of architecture. The "Chicago window" originated in this
school. It is a three-part window consisting of a large fixed center panel flanked by
two smaller double-hung sash windows. The arrangement of windows on the facade
typically creates a grid pattern, with some projecting out from the facade forming
bay windows. The Chicago window combined the functions of light-gathering and
natural ventilation; a single central pane was usually fixed, while the two
surrounding panes were operable. These windows were often deployed in bays,
known as oriel windows, which projected out over the street, figure (16).

Figure (16): Oriel windows

16:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2006-03-30_2240x1680_chicago_school_windows.jpg, accessed 2013 December 20

Today, there are different styles of architecture all throughout the city, such as the
Chicago School, neo-classical, art deco, modern, and postmodern.
The best Art Nouveau’s architectural works then were in Spain in Spain, for more
precision these works were mostly associated with Antoni Gaudi’s. As Zerbst, R.
(2002) explains Gaudi braught togethr different crafts in which he was skilled:
13
ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging and carpentry to which he added
techniques in the treatment of materials, such as trencadís, made of waste ceramic
pieces to come out with his exeptional works. In Spain Art Nouveau movement was
called Catalan Modernista. Gaudi’s still-uncompleted Sagrada Familia is famous for
its eight tall canpaniles and the roof and its nave as it is as well one of the most
visited monuments in Spain Gaudi, figure (17) & (18).

Figure (17): Gaudi’s Sagrada Famila, built between 1903-1926

17: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia, accessed 2013 December 20

Figure (18): The roof and the nave of the Sagrada Famila
18:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sagrada_Familia_nave_roof_detail.jpg , accessed 2013 December 20

As a multidesciplinary architect Gaudi was known to be a good interior decorator,

decorating most of his buildings personally, from the furnishings to the smallest
details. Apart from taking care of every detail of all structural and ornamental
elements, he made sure his constructions had good lighting and ventilation. For this
purpose, he studied each project's orientation with respect to the cardinal points, as
well as the local climate and its place in its surroundings. At that time, there was an

14
increasing demand for more domestic comfort, with piped water and gas and the
use of electric light, all of which Gaudi expertly incorporated. Gaudi’s works,
especially the Sagrada Famlia were inspired by the organic shapes of nature that is
why he was nicknamed "God's Architect" as his slogan that says"The Straight Line
Belongs to Men, The Curved One to god" was a proof to that.
Towards the end of Art Nouveau period architects produced various architectural
movements appeared at a time, unlike before when one movement continues alone
for quite a long time, exceeding five years, before another movement follows as
Nuttgens, P. (1997) clarified.
1-1-4-3 Succession
The term Secession was coined by Georg Hirth to represent the spirit of various
modern and reactionary European seperationists movements especially in France,
Germany, Belgium and Austria. The best known secession movement was the Vienna
Secession formed in 1897. The Secession style was known in Austria as Sezessionstil,
Jugendstil or Secession style. The motto of the style is "To every age its art, to art its
freedom". According to Topp, L. (2004) secessionism architects buildings were
characterized by purer geometric forms owed nothing to historical influence; the
secession building at Vienna, built in 1897 by Joseph Maria Olbrich for the
exhibitions of the secession group is the best exemplar to that, figure (19).

Figure (19): The secession building, Vienna, built in 1897 by Joseph Olbrich for the exhibition of the
secession group
19:http://www.answers.com/topic/vienna-secession, accessed 2013 December 25

15
The Schroder House designed by Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld who worked side by
side with Mrs Schroder (The owner of the house) to design the house in Utrecht,
Netherlands in 1924. Schroder with the aid of Rietveld envisioned a house in which a
connection between the inside and outside is created. The house is one of the best
known examples of De Stijl movement and arguably the only true De Stijl building.
The facades are a collage of planes and lines. This enabled the provision of several
balconies. Like Rietveld's Red and Blue Chair, which inspired the Schroder House
design concept, each component has its own form, position and colour. The black,
red, blue and yellow are the only four colours in which the chair was painted five
years after it was made in 1918. Colours were chosen as to strengthen the plasticity
of the facades; surfaces in white and shades of grey, black window and doorframes,
and a number of linear elements in primary colours. There is little distinction
between interior and exterior space, the rectilinear lines and planes flow from
outside to inside, with the same colours and surfaces, figure (20) & (21).

Figure (20): The Schroder House designed by Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld, Utrecht, Netherlands in
1924
20:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rietveld_Schr%C3%B6derhuis_HayKranen-20.JPG, accessed 2013 December 25

Figure (21): Rietveld's Red and Blue Chair, which inspired the Schroder House design concept
21:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Rietveld_chair_1.JPG, accessed 2013 December 25

16
After the 1914 Cologne aggregation diverse architectural ideas arose resulted in
form of various movements. The most famous movements that are parallel to
International Style movement or its preceding are; Futurism, Expressionism
(Formalism), Abstraction, Cubism, Rationalism (Functionalism), Russion
Deconsrtuctivism, and Art Deco.
1-1-4-4 Futurism
Antonio Sant'Elia, the Futurist architect, expressed his ideas of modernity in his
project drawings for La Citta Nuova (The New City) (1912–1914) according to
Crispolti, E. et al (1986), a project that was never built. Sant'Elia aimed to create a
city as an efficient, fast-paced machine. He brings togethr light and shape to
emphasize the sculptural quality of his projects. Sant'Elia reveals the essential lines
of forms in his new city, where every aspect of life was to be rationalized and
centralised into one great powerhouse of energy. The city was not meant to last, and
each subsequent generation was expected to build their own city rather than
inheriting the architecture of the past, figure (22), (23).

Figure (22): Antonio Sant'Elia’s project drawings for La Citta Nuova (The New City) (1912–1914)
22:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Santelia01.jpg, accessed 2013 December 25

Figure (23): A building proposal in Antonio Sant'Elia’s project drawings for La Città Nuova (The New
City) (1912–1914)
23:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Santelia02.jpg, accessed, 2013 December 25

17
Several Futurist buildings were built between 1920–1940, including public buildings
such as railway stations, maritime resorts and post offices. Examples of Futurist
buildings still in use today are Trento's railway station, built by Angiolo Mazzoni, and
the Santa Maria Novella station in Florence. The Florence station was designed in
1932 by the Tuscan Group of architects, which included Giovanni, Italo and Mazzoni.
The station’s sky light is fascinating anad its floor-plan is inspired by a bundle of
sticks, the very symbol of Fascism by which futurism was influenced, figure (24) &
(25).

Figure (24): Santa Maria Novella station in Florence, Italy, 1932

24:http://architecturerevived.blogspot.com/2011/11/firenze-santa-maria-novella-station.html, accessed 2013 December 25

Figure (25): Santa Maria Novella station’s sky light

25:http://architecturerevived.blogspot.com/2011/11/firenze-santa-maria-novella-station.html, accessed 2013 December 25
18
The universal dynamism and bare-boned structure of Futurist architecture can be
vividly seen. The basic elements of the station's function and structure were
abstracted to the essential and then treated as a machine. Great grids of skylights
lead the passenger to the platform, where open-aired slits stand above the waiting
train. It is as bare as a factory yet sculpted carefully for each space's function.
Fascism is more to be seen on the exterior, with a sand colored brick that strips all
ornament and gratuity. It ignores all context and precedence in an effort to be
relevant to the now and unite all classes of people. It is a vigorous style which
conforms to all people and cultures, yet imposes a dominant authoritative dogma.
The Novella Station is the essential link between optimistic Futurism and destructive
Fascism.
1-1-4-5 Expressionism (Formalism)
It is a movement that focuses on the expression of emotional experience rather than
physical reality. It is refered to as an Avant-Garde style, meaning to say it is a style of
innovation. As Gordon, D ( 1987) explains, Bruno Taut's Glass Pavilion of the Cologne
Werkbund Exhibition (1914) shown in page 20, and Erich Mendelsohn's Einstein
Tower in Potsdam, Germany completed in 1921 are the best exemplars of
expressionism movement, figure (26).

Figure (26): Erich Mendelsohn's Einstein Tower in Potsdam, Germany completed in 1921

26:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Babelsberg_Einsteinturm.jpg, accessed 2013 December 25

19
Works of Expressionism architecture are characterized by the following;
- Distortion of form for an emotional effect.
- An underlying effort at achieving the new, original, and visionary.
- Utilises creative potential of artisan craftsmanship.
- Tends more towards the Romanesque and the rococo than the classical.
- Though a movement in Europe, expressionism is as eastern as western. - It draws as
much from Moorish, Islamic, Egyptian, and Indian art and architecture as from
Roman or Greek.
- Conception of architecture as a work of art.
1-1-4-6 Rationalism (Functionalism)
In Adolf Loos’s essay “Ornament and Crime” he rejected the florid style of the Vienna
Secession, In this essay, he explored the idea that the progress of culture is
associated with the deletion of ornament from buildings, and that it was ,therefore,
a crime to force designers to waste their time on ornamentation. Loos calls for the
simplicity of buildings influencing the minimal massing of modern architecture. This
call causes controversy, and, therefore, Loos was considered the spiritual father of
Modern Architecture, Tournikiotis, P. (1994) elaborated.
Steiner House became a worldwide example of rationalist architecture. Loos took
control of the structure outer aesthetics being an exterior public side, while leaving
the interior open for the interpretation and expression of the client. In this building,
Loos starts with one main volume in which the space and elements follow the rules
and composition of classical architecture. He organizes the interior of that volume
with smaller cubes, rectangles boxes, and cylinders arranged in a volumetric puzzle
of sorts. This determines the internal organization of his buildings and Loos regularly
uses protrusions from the main block to create other areas of the building such as
terraces. In the Steiner house, Loos uses his volumes to create a classical tripartite
façade. He does this by creating a recess between the two wings of the house that
continues straight to the roof. In general, Loos lets his fenestration be subdivided
into squares and rectangles that all obey a modular system, which corresponds
perfectly with the geometry of the façade. This system sets up order on the interior
such as the living room being connected to a terrace that has access to the garden. In
20
the Steiner house, the living area is raised slightly above the ground level and
separated from more private areas of the house such as bedrooms and painting
studio, which was located on the first floor. The served space in this house is neatly
separated from the serving space by placing the serving space in the basement and
attic. In reference to Sharp, D. (2002), the Steiner house has a stucco facade like
most of his other buildings. Loos built his buildings with roughcast walls and used the
stucco to form a protective skin over the bricks. He used stucco for its functionality.
The stucco facdes have another benefit: they create a smooth, unornamented, and
white surface. This surface represents the nature of the material and also does not
hint to what is inside the building. This peculiar design was meant to demonstrate
certainty of form and economy of space, proving that traditions can be changed, for
a functional and non-aesthetic purpose. For these reasons, and in that respect, this
movement is regarded as a contrast to Art Nouveau and Expressionism as well as
referred to as a functional Rationalism style. Loos’s works were looked at as
contribution to Cubism movement, figure (27), (28) & (29).

Figure (27): Adolf Loos’s Steiner house, built in 1910, Vienna, Austria
27:http://justinsarchitecturalmusings.blogspot.com/2011/02/adolf-loos-steiner-house.html, accessed 2013 December 29

21
 Figure (28): Front view of Adolf Loos’s Steiner house
28:http://justinsarchitecturalmusings.blogspot.com/2011/02/adolf-loos-steiner-house.html, accessed 2013 December 29

Figure (29): Ground floor plan of Adolf Loos’s Steiner house

29:http://justinsarchitecturalmusings.blogspot.com/2011/02/adolf-loos-steiner-house.html, accessed 2013 December 29

1-1-4-7 Cubism
Cubism is an innovative (avant-garde) movement pioneered by artists later on joined
by architects and others. Its formal characteristics are; faceting of form, spatial
ambiguity, transparency, and multiplicity Blau, E. et al Nancy (1997) clarified. Diverse
elements could be superimposed, made transparent or penetrate one another, while
retaining their spatial relationships. Cubism had become an influential factor in the
development of modern architecture from 1912 onwards, developed by architects
such as Peter Behrens and Walter Gropius, with the simplification of building design,
22
the use of materials appropriate to industrial production, and the increment use of
glass.
Cubism considers buildings as artwork, which are, therefore, analyzed, broken up
and reassembled in an abstracted form. All architecture drawings are referred to as
abstracted forms since they reduce the information content of concepts, to retain
only information which is relevant to a particular purpose as Catherine de Zegher et
al (eds.), (2005) explained.
1-1-4-8 Russian Constructivism
This movemement came to existence after 1914 depending on industrial production
and imitating machine like buildings. The movement was in favour of art as a
practice for social purposes as Cooke, C. (1995) described. Vladimir Tatlin’s
Monument to the third international constructed in 1919 was the real beginning of
this movement. In Lodder, C. (1985) analysis to the monument; Tatlin's Constructivist
tower was to be built from industrial materials: iron, glass and steel. In materials,
shape, and function, it was envisaged as a towering symbol of modernity leaning 450.
It would have dwarfed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The tower's main form was a twin
helix which spiraled up to 400 m in height, around which visitors would be
transported with the aid of various mechanical devices. The main framework would
contain four large suspended geometric structures. These structures would rotate at
different rates of speed. At the base of the structure was a cube which was designed
as a venue for lectures, conferences and legislative meetings, and this would
complete a rotation in the span of one year. Above the cube would be a smaller
pyramid housing executive activities and completing a rotation once a month.
Further up would be a cylinder, which was to house an information centre, issuing
news bulletins and manifestos via telegraph, radio and loudspeaker, and would
complete a rotation once a day. At the top, there would be a hemisphere for radio
equipment. There were also plans to install a gigantic open-air screen on the
cylinder, and a further projector which would be able to cast messages across the
clouds on any overcast day. It was designed to make people recall the dream of the
Tower of Babel. Tatlin wanted all countries to use this expressive edifice. It is
unfortunate that this edifice was made out of empty tins and cigarettes packets to

23
represent how construction could be coupled with the dynamism of mass movement
as Milner, J. (1983) elaborated, figure (30).

Figure (30): Vladimir Tatlin’s Monument to the third international,1919

30:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tatlin%27s_Tower_maket_1919_year.jpg,accessed 2014 January 7

1-1-4-9 Art Deco

The term “Art Deco” was first used by Le Corbusier in series of articles in his journal
L'esprit nouveau under the headline 1925 Expo: Arts Deco. This movement first
appeared in France, as most of the movements previously mentioned, during the
1920s, flourished internationally between 1930 and 1940. Its budings are of eclectic
styles that combine traditionalism with modernism in profiles and materials. Art
Deco buildings are enriched with colors, bold geometric motifs and lavish
ornamentation as Bayer, P. (1992) explains. It also represented luxury and glamor.
Technology embracing distinguishes Art Deco from its predecessor movement, Art
Nouveau that favored motifs associted with nature.
Art Deco sky scrapers exceeded fifty stories in which environmental issues as
ventilation and acaustics atain more significance. The ministry of housing has stoped
construction of high rise building since 1913 in New York due to problems pertaining
to planning until the appearance of The Empire State in 1931 by Shreve, Lamp and
Harmon reaching the hight of 82 stories.
Exemplars of Art Deco sky scrapers are; The Chrysler Building, The Empire Stat and
the Rockefeller Center all in New York. The Chrysler Building, designed by architect

24
William Van Alen for Walter Chrysler, the chairman of the Chrysler Corporation in
1930 reaching a hight of 319 m, remained the world's tallest building for 11 months
before it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931. It is still the tallest
brick building in the world with an internal steel skeleton. On the four corners of the
61st floor are eight eagles, two eagles placed at each corner. A shiny stainless steel
pinacle toping the building forming pyramidical crown, where overlaping discs are
carefully arranged. A 38 m spire positioned at the top most part of the pinacle, in
four parts, riveted on top of the pyramidical crown to reach a total hight of 77 m,
figure (28).

Figure (31): The Chrysler Building, designed by architect William Van Alen in New York in 1930

31:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building, accessed 2014 January 7

The Empire State is 102 story building (44.2 meters high including the 62 m pinnacle
with a spire on top of it), nicknamed Empire State after New York. It was the first
building to have more than 100 floors with a modernistic stainless steel canopies at
the entrances, the 86th-floor observation deck offers impressive 360-degree views of
the city. There is a second observation deck on the 102nd floor that is open to the
25
public. The building was designed by William F. Lamb of the architectural firm
Shreve, Lamb and Harmon according to Tauranac, J. (1995).
Robertson, D. (23 April 2012) wrote; the Empire State Building makes more money
from tickets sales for its observation decks that it does from renting office space,
figure (32).

Figure (32): Empire State Building designed by William F. Lamb in 1931, New York
32:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Empire_State_Building_from_the_Top_of_the_Rock.jpg, , accessed 2014 January 7

The Rockefeller Center owned by the Rockefeller family, designed by architect

Raymond Hood is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 89000 m. Loth, D.
G. (1966) elaborates; The Center is a combination of two building complexes: the
older and original 14 Art Deco office buildings from the 1930s, and a set of four

International-style towers. Radio City Music Hall completed in December, 1932 was
considered as the largest theater in the world that seats 6,000 people. The Music
Hall interiors are one of the world's greatest examples of Art Deco designs.On the
70th floor, reached by both stairs and elevator, there is a 6.1 m wide viewing area,
allowing visitors a unique 360-degree panoramic view of New York City.

26
Technology embracing reflecting lavish, luxurious and glamorous ornamentation is
vividly shown in the employment of timber, mirror and stainless steel reflective
cladding, figure (33).

Figure (33): The Rockefeller Center

33:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GE_Building_by_David_Shankbone.JPG, accessed 2014 January 7

1-1-4-10 International style movement (1920-1930)

In reference to Hitchcock, H. etal (1997) Henry Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson
coined the term “The International Style” in their book that is titled “The
International Style”. Their book was written to record the International Exhibition of
Modern Architecture, which was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
City in 1932. In that book Hitchcock and Johnson identified, categorized and
expanded upon characteristics common to Modernism all over the world and its
stylistic aspects. They defined a style that would summarize characteristics of
modern architecture based on works of specific architects between 1920 and 1930.
They identified three principles: the expression of volume rather than mass, the
emphasis on balance rather than preconceived symmetry, and the expulsion of
applied ornament. To them any building that is to be considered in the International
style should have satisfied the three principles already mentioned. “To me what had
been achieved in 1914 was the style of the century” as Pevsner, N. (1979) is quoted.
This style that Pevsner is referring to is the International style. According to him the

27
1914 congregation of architects all over the world in Cologne, Germany in which
they tried their best to answer questions regarding aspects of economics and
sociology, of materials and function marks the beginning of International style.
The typical International Style high rise buildings usually consists of the following:
- Square or rectangular footprint
- Simple cubic "extruded rectangle" form
- Windows running in broken horizontal rows forming a grid
- All facade angles are 90 degrees.
Some of the most famous movements that succeeded Art Nouveau movement were
already studied. During the period of International Style movement renowned
architects or as termed”pioneers” become key figures in the discipline of
architecture. The most important key figures, therefore, are; the four great
architects.

28
CHAPTER TWO
The Four great architects
CHAPTER TWO:
1-2 The Four great architects
In the period of International architecture style, the four most renowned architects
were as follows;
1-2-1 Walter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius was Born in Berlin in 1883 moved to America until his
death in 1969 (aged 86). Gropius could not draw, and was dependent on
collaborators and partner-interpreters throughout his career. In school he hired an
assistant to complete his homework for him. In 1908 Gropius found employment
with the firm of Peter Behrens, one of the first members of the utilitarian school. His
fellow employees at this time included Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and
others as Wolfe, T. (1981) and others wrote.
Gropius founded Bauhaus school of architecture one of the early schools that
attained world wide recognition, figure (34). Its work was focused on industrial
buildings and academic institutions and residential facilities localy in Germany and
abroad. He was the dean of the Bauhaus since 1915 until the year 1930, built the
Bauhaus school of architecture with his students from 1919 until 1926 according to
Peel, L. et al (1998). In the Bauhaus art in drawing rooms is brought together with
industries and crafts in the production halls. Art and industry are, therefore, vividly
linked. In spite of its name, and the fact that its founder was an architect, the
Bauhaus did not have an architecture department during the first years of its
existence. Nonetheless it was founded with the idea of creating a 'total' work of art
in which all arts, including architecture would eventually be brought together. Art,
architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography are
the courses taught in the Bauhaus School. The school existed in three German cities
(Weimar from 1919 to 1925, Dessau from 1925 to 1932 and Berlin from 1932 to
1933), under three different architect-directors: Walter Gropius from 1919 to 1928,
Hannes Meyer from 1928 to 1930 and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe from 1930 until
1933, when the school was closed by its own leadership under pressure from the
Nazi regime as Frampton, K. (1992) argued.

29
Figure (34): The Bauhaus school of architecture Gropius built it with his students in Dessau, Germany
from 1919 until 1926
34:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bauhaus.JPG, accessed 2014 January 7

Gropius has been calling for team work, where the architect becomes the
coordinator in all works, as this was the objective of the study in the Bauhaus during
his period when he was calling his contemporaries for individualism.
The Fagus Factory, a shoe factory designed by Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer in
Germany, construction commenced in 1911 and completed 1925. For the first time
in history a complete facade is conceived in large flat clear glass surfaces forming a
clear cube. It was then hard to separate exterior from interior in the building
according to Pevsner, N. (1979). The Fagus Factory was greately influenced by the
design of Peter Behrens' AEG's Turbine factory. It was regarded as an interpretation
and criticism of their teacher, Peter Behrens's, work even though both have corners
free of supports. At the time of the design of Fagus, Gropius was collecting
photographs of industrial buildings in the USA to be used for a Werkbund
publication. The design of these American factories was also a source of inspiration
for Fagus, figure (35).

30
 Figure (35): The Fagus Factory, a shoe factory designed by Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer in
Germany, construction completed 1925
35:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fagus_Gropius_Hauptgebaeude_200705_wiki_front.jpg, accessed 2014 January 7

Gropius was harassed by the Nazi regime, forced to travel to Britain where he
resided since 1934 until 1937 in his way to America. British architect Maxwell Fry,
who helped Gropius to flee the country due to Nazi regime harrasment, so much
benifited from Gropius resident in Britain.
Gropius buildings were mostly educational colleges and public housing buildings.
Among his most famous buildings is The Harvard Graduate Center also known as
"the Gropius Complex" in Massachusetts in 1950, designed with the aid of TAC (The
Architects' collaborative), a firm headed by Walter Gropius and seven younger
architects. The Story Hall was part of The Harvard Graduate Center, figure (36). The
Gropius Complex, though it cannot be said that Gropius was its sole designer, is
formed of eight centers including small and large spaces organized in the Oxbridge
form (Oxford and Cambridge). These spaces are residences, galleries, sitting and
dining halls, and a multipurpose hall seats 250 people. All blocks are of reinforced
concrete whereas the social buildings are of steel with a traditional corridor opens to
various units. The Gropius Complex was regarded as the first modern building on the
Harvard University campus, it was also the first endorsement of the modern style by
a major university and was seen in the national and architectural presses as a turning
point in the acceptance of the aesthetic in America. Gropius was belived to say
“There is no finality in architecture, only continuous change.” intending to say
architecture is never a finished task.
31
 Figure (36): Story Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1950 -part of The Harvard
Graduate Center
36:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Story_Hall, Harvard_University,_Cambridge_MA.jpg, accessed 2014 January 7

A new university University of Baghdad campus was intended to be built in the late
1950s situated near the Tigris River. Its buildings were designed by Walter Gropius
and other architects one is an architect from TAC (The Architects Collaborative), who
commenced their master plan in the 1950s for a new university campus for the
Colleges of Engineering, Sciences and Liberal Arts for a total of 6,800 students, figure
(37).

Figure (37): Part of the new University of Baghdad campus which was intended to be built in the late
1950s situated near the Tigris River, designed by Gropius and others
37:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Quad_at_the_University_of_Baghdad.gif, accessed 2014 January 7

A housing development called Interbau was constructed as part of the 1957

International Building Exhibition (IBA 57) in an area located at the West side of
Berlin of which Gropius contributed by a building block. Many renowned architects
competed in the competition among them are; Alvar Alto, Le Corbusier, Oscar
Niemeyer and Hans Scharoun who Worked within the constraints of size, layout and

32
cost, forty-eight architects designed a huge range of accommodation, both low- and
high-rise, figure (38).

Figure (38): A housing development called Interbau, constructed in 1957 International Building
Exhibition (IBA 57) at the West side of Berlin, designed by Gropius
38: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hansa4tel_5a.jpg, accessed 2014 January 7

Gropius developed the idea of the Cantilever on Both Sides that are usually Curtain
Glass. This idea was considered later as of the most important and the most
prominent elements of modern architecture. He was the first to use the cantiliver on
both sides of the building since load above exterior columns is less than load above
interior columns structurally; therefore, he omitted exterior columns. Such ideas are
used frequently employed in modern architecture. He normally links between social
issues and architecture for these reasons, low-cost and academical buildings he so
much worked on help in the graduatation of generations that contribute in solving
peoples housing problems.
The Pan Am Building now called MetLife Building is a skyscraper built in New York in
1963 reached a hight of 246 m; it was designed by Pietro Belluschi and Walter
Gropius and others from TAC group. It was the largest commercial office space in the
world at that time, but lacks proportion and has a huge scale according to Willensky,
E. et al (2010), figure (39).
33
Figure (39): Pan Am Building now called MetLife Building built in New York in 1963 (246 m) designed
by Pietro Belluschi and Walter Gropius and others
39:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Walter_Gropius_photo_MetLife_Building_fassade_New_York_USA_2005-10-03.jpg,
accessed 2014 January 7

1-2-2 Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe

He was a German architect born in 1886 moved and lived in America until he died in
1969. He employed modern materials such as industrial steel and plate glass to
define interior spaces. His designs were based on freedom of free-flowing open
space. He called his buildings "skin and bones". He was also known for his slogans;
"less is more" and "God is in the details".
Mies was an apprentice at the studio of Peter Behrens from 1908 to 1912 working
alongside with Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier. As French, H. (1998) explains; his
lack of formal education did not hinder him from becoming a renowned architect. He
admired the broad proportions, regularity of rhythmic elements, and compositions
using simple cubic forms.
Mies made use of previous architectural styles of De Stijl movement architects; Adolf
Loos and Gerrit Rietveld. From Adolf Loos he borrowed the concept of getting rid of
unnecessary ornament application and replacing it with the straightforward display
of materials and forms, as from Gerrit Rietveld the arrangement of functional spaces
within spaces and the distinct articulation of parts. He generally took from De Stijl
34
movement the use of simple rectilinear and planar forms, clean lines, pure use of
color, and the extension of space around and beyond interior walls creating the
spacial concept of "Free plan" or “open plan” and the "Floating room". Loos’s slogan
"ornament is a crime" was fully adopted by Mies whose skyscrapers were greatly
admired.
According to Rubio, I. (1993), the temporary German Pavilion for the Barcelona
exposition (The Barcelona Pavilion) in 1929 was used for the official opening of the
German section of the exhibition. It is the most significant building in the history of
modern architecture, known for its simple form and its spectacular use of
extravagant materials, such as green and red marble, tinted glass either grey, green,
or translucent, perform exclusively as spatial dividers, red onyx and travertine.
Horizontal lines crossing the vertical ones creating corridors and openings without
doors, as well as axial corridors from a side entrance leading to the sculpture pool
left to the main entrance. Onyx and marble wall plates rest on travertine floor to
which little load is transformed from the relatively small roof plates as the major
load is transformed to floor via the chrome-clad cruciform columns. Prestigious
furniture specifically designed for the building, among which the iconic Barcelona
chair was also evidenced in the pavilion as Fletcher, B. (1975) explains, figure (40),
(41) & (42).

Figure (40): Mies Van Der Rohe’s German Pavilion for the Barcelona exposition (The Barcelona
Pavilion) in 1929- red marble, the famous Barcelona chair is shown in space
40:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Van_der_Rohe_Pavillion_overview.jpg, accessed 2014 January 13

35
 Figure (41): Mies Van Der Rohe’s German Pavilion for the Barcelona exposition (The Barcelona
Pavilion) in 1929- green marble
41:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Barcelona_mies_v_d_rohe_pavillon_weltausstellung1999_03.jpg, accessed 2014 January
13

Figure (42): The Barcelona chair, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for German Pavilion for the
Barcelona exposition in 1929
42:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mies-Barcelona-Chair-and-Ottoman.jpg, accessed 2014 January 13

In the 1940s, a Second Chicago School emerged from the work of Ludwig Mies van
der Rohe and his efforts of education at the Illinois Institute of Technology in
Chicago. Its first and purest expression was the Lake Shore Drive Apartments built in
1951 and their technological achievements. This was supported and enlarged in the
1960s due to the ideas of structural engineer Fazlur Khan as Billington, P. (1985)
elaborated. He introduced a new structural system of framed tubes in skyscraper
design and construction. The Bangladeshi engineer Fazlur Khan defined the framed
tube structure as "a three dimensional space structure composed of three, four, or
possibly more frames, braced frames, or shear walls, joined at or near their edges to
form a vertical tube-like structural system capable of resisting lateral forces in any
36
direction by cantilevering from the foundation. Closely spaced interconnected
exterior columns form the tube. Horizontal loads, for example wind, are supported
by the structure as a whole. About half the exterior surface is available for windows.
Framed tubes allow fewer interior columns, and so create more usable floor space.
Where larger openings like garage doors are required, the tube frame must be
interrupted, with transfer girders used to maintain structural integrity.
The Chicago twin pair of glass and steel apartment towers on Lake Shore Drive along
Lake Michigan was built in 1951 was regarded essential for the development of
modern High-tech architecture. Grids of steel and glass curtain walls, complete lack
of ornamentation profiles of minimalist composition satisfy Mies’ “less is more” and
“skin and bones” slogan. Covering the building with non-functional I-beam mullions
is said, according to critics, to contradict his “less is more” concept, but according to
him such mullions reflect the inner structure and, therefore, give truth to the
aesthetic of the building, truth that the the international style inherited from the
Bauhaus called for, figure (43).

Figure (43): The Chicago Lake Shore Drive along Lake Michigan was built in 1951

43:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:860-880_Lake_Shore_Drive.jpg, accessed 2014 January 13

37
The Seagram Building was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, in collaboration
with Philip Johnson, figure (44).

Figure (44): The Seagram Building built in New York, 1958, by Mies van der Rohe, in collaboration with
Philip Johnson
44:http://www.architecturaldigest.com/blogs/bronsons-last-call/2013/12/ad100-gala-party-planning-decorations-slideshow,
accessed 2014 January 13

The building which was completed in 1958 stands 157 m with 38 stories as the
headquarters for the Canadian Joseph Seagram's & Sons. According to Frampton, K.
(1997) Seagram was built of a steel frame, on which non-structural glass walls were
fixed, the plan of the building shows that, figure (45). Mies would have preferred the
steel frame to be visible to all for aesthetic purposes as well as a sign of strength and
stability; however, American building codes required that all structural steel should
be covered with a fireproof material, usually concrete, because improperly protected
steel columns or beams may soften and fail in fire cases, figure (46).
Mies avoided concrete at all costs since, to him, it hides the structure of the building,
he, therefore, structually used non structural painted bronze I-beams with internally
reinforced concrete shell. These are visible from the outside of the building, and run
vertically, like mullions, surrounding the large glass windows gving much emphasis to

38
 Figure (45): The plan of the Seagram building
45:http://redchalksketch.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-the-seagram-building-new-york /, accessed
2014 January 13

Figure (46): The Seagram building’s structural steel I-column covered with reinforced concrete as a
fireproof material

46:http://redchalksketch.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-the-seagram-building-new-york /, accessed
2014 January 13
39
the hight as well as a feeling of strength, convidence and stability. The employment
of expensive, high-quality materials and lavish interior decoration including bronze,
travertine, and marble made the Seagram to be the most expensive skyscraper at
the time. For Seagram Building to have a uniform appearance avoidance of window
blinds disorder and irregularity on the building facades, Mies disliked, is a necessaty.
According to Mies people using different windows will draw blinds to different
heights, making the building appear disorganized. To reduce this disproportionate
appearance, he specified window blinds which only operated in three positions;
either fully open, halfway open or closed, or fully closed.
Caroline Weiss Law Building in Houston, Texas is one of only two Mies designed
museums in the world and one of the largest art museums in America as Schulze, F.
(1985) described, figure (47). Mies was later on commissioned to design two
buildings for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston as additions to the Caroline
Weiss Law Building.

Figure (47): Mies’ Caroline Weiss Law Building in Houston, Texas, 1953
47:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Museum_of_Fine_Arts_Houston.jpg45:http://redchalksketch.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/
ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-the-seagram-building-new-york /, accessed 2014 January 13

Architects at that time, as assumed until today, were not just restricting themselves
to architecture they were as well multidisciplanaries finding themselves involved in
various spheres. Mies was not an exception; he was taking the lead at that time as a
multidisciplinary, his design and construction of the Barcelona chair for the German

40
Pavilion for the Barcelona exposition in 1929 categorized him as an interior designer
and an industrial designer beside him being a renowned architect. A mong the
various designs he did were the Brno chair and the Tugendhat chair.

1-2-3 Le Corbusier (Charles-Edward Jeanneret-Gris)

Le Corbusier was an architect, artist, designer, urbanist, and writer. He was born in
Switzerland 1887 travelled around Europe to so many countries evevntually resided
in France to become a French citizen in 1930. According to Frampton, K (2001), in
1907 Le Corbusier traveled to Paris, where he worked in the office of Auguste Perret,
the French pioneer of reinforced concrete. From there he travelled to Germany to
work with renowned architect Peter Behrens, where he met Ludwig Mies van der
Rohe and Walter Gropius. in 1911, he contiued his journies to the Balkans visiting
Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey, filling sketchbooks with renderings of what he saw,
including many famous sketches of the Parthenon, whose forms he would later
praise in his book "Towards a new Architecture," published in 1923 Von Moos, S
(2009) explained.
Personal experiences regarding Le Corbusier and his architectural designs and
theories heard by the writer from the German professor of ABU, Nigeria, Friedrich
Schwerdtfeger, who was once Le Corbusier’s student, taught the author of this book
for years until 1999 at ABU, Nigeria.
Le Corbusier’s theoretical architectural studies produced many theories among
which the “Domino House” is the most famous, figure (48).

Figure (48): The “Domino House” initiated in Switzerland in 1914

48:http://blog.ramzinaja.com/2010/05/le-corbusiers-dom-ino-
house.html45:http://redchalksketch.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-the-seagram-building-new-york /,
accessed 2014 January 13

41
The “Domino House” concept, which initiated in Switzerland, proposed an open floor
plan consisting of concrete slabs supported by a minimal number of thin, reinforced
concrete columns around the edges, with a stairway providing access to each level
on one side of the floor plan. This concept became the foundation for most of his
architecture for the next ten years.
Le Corbusier began his own architectural practice with his cousin, Pierre Jeanneret
(1896–1967), a partnership that lasted until the 1950s, Jencks, C (2000) explained. In
1918, Le Corbusier met the Cubist painter Amedee Ozenfant. Ozenfant encouraged
him to paint, and the two collaborated for a long time when Le Corbusier was able to
produce a lot of paintings, figure (49). The two rejected “Cubism” to jointly establish
a new artistic movement, “Purism”. Ozenfant and Le Corbusier established the Purist
journal L'Esprit nouveau or “the new spirit”. “Purism” movement ideas influenced his
architectural buildings to become of much abstraction in which ornamentation
totally disappeared. Some points of the Purist Manifesto as Ball, S. (1981) clarified;
there is a hierarchy in the arts: decorative art is at the base, the human figure at the
summit, art consists in the conception before anything else, and Purist seeks the
pure element in order to reconstruct organized paintings which seem to be facts
from nature.

Figure (49): Le Corbusier with his paintings circa 1922 at 35 rue de Sevres studio, Paris
49:http://socializarq.com/arq/le-corbusier/page/245:http://redchalksketch.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/ludwig-mies-van-der-
rohe-the-seagram-building-new-york /, accessed 2014 January 13

42
Between 1918 and 1922, Le Corbusier built nothing, concentrating his efforts on
Purist theory and painting. In 1922, Le Corbusier and his cousin Jeanneret opened a
studio in Paris at 35 rue de Sevres.
Slums in Paris have caused a nightmare to french officials. Le Corbusier sought of
efficient ways to house the large growing number of people in response to this urban
housing crisis. Contemporary City or “Ville Contemporaine” in French was an
unrealised project proposed in 1922 to house three million inhabitants; this project
was one of Le Corbusier’s contributions to city planning and housing, figure (50). The
centerpiece of this plan was a group of sixty-story cruciform skyscrapers built on
steel frames and encased in curtain walls of glass. The skyscrapers housed both
offices and the flats of the wealthiest inhabitants. These skyscrapers were set within
large, rectangular park-like green spaces. At the center of the planned city was a
transportation center which housed depots for buses and trains as well as highway
intersections and at the top, an airport. Le Corbusier segregated the pedestrian
circulation paths from the roadways, and glorified the use of the automobile as a
means of transportation. As one moved out from the central skyscrapers, smaller
multi-story zigzag blocks set in green space and set far back from the street housed
the proletarian workers.
Le Corbusier organized the International Congresses of Modern Architecture (CIAM)
to mark the beginning of foundation in 1928, in Switzerland, by a group of 28
European architects, tha renowned writer Sigfried Giedion was its first secretary

Figure (50): Le Corbusier proposal for the Contemporary City or “Ville Contemporaine” in 1922

50:http://www.themodernist.co.uk/2012/03/le-corbusier-modernist-of-the-
month/45:http://redchalksketch.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-the-seagram-building-new-york /,
accessed 2014 January 13

43
general. CIAM was one of many 20th century manifestos meant to advance
architecture as a social art. The objective of CIAM is to spread the principles of
Modern Movements focusing on all the main domains of architecture such as
landscape, urbanism, industrial design, and many others. CIAM continued its
conferences to hold ten of them, but unfortunately it was disloved in the last 11th
conference in the Netherlands by team 10 or Team X.
According to Frampton, K (2001) Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret designed many
private houses in Paris of which the most prominent one was Villa Savoye owned by
Pierre and Emilie Savoye constructed in reinforced concrete, figure (51).

Figure (51): Villa Savoye built in Poissy, Paris, in 1931

51:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:VillaSavoye.jpg45:http://redchalksketch.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/ludwig-mies-van-der-
rohe-the-seagram-building-new-york /, accessed 2014 January 13

It was built in Poissy in 1931 at the southern side of Paris by Le Corbusier and his
cousin Jeanneret. The villa, which is now open to visitors year round, is a
representative of the bases of modern architecture, and is one of the most easily
recognizable and renowned examples of the International style. Unlike his earlier
town villas Corbusier was able to carefully design all four sides of the Villa Savoye in
response to the view and the orientation of the sun.
On the ground floor he placed the main entrance hall, ramp and stairs, garage,
chauffeur and maids rooms. As Weber, N. (2008) continued clarifying, at first floor
the master bedroom, the son's bedroom, guest bedroom, kitchen, salon and external
terraces. The salon was orientated to the south east whilst the terrace faced the
44
east. The son's bedroom faced the North West and the kitchen and service terrace
were on the south west. At second floor level were a series of sculpted spaces that
formed a solarium. The plan was set out using the principle ratios of the Golden
section: in this case a square divided into sixteen equal parts, extended on two sides
to incorporate the projecting facades and then further divided to give the position of
the ramp and the entrance.
The villa was designed addressing Le Corbusier’s “five principles of architecture”,
obtained from the “Domino house” concept, the bases of his new architectural
aesthetic:
1- Ground level pilotis support, elevating the building from the earth and allowed an
extended continuity of the garden beneath.
2- Roof Garden, serving as a garden and terrace, reclaiming for nature the land
occupied by the building.
3- Free floor plan, relieved of load bearing walls, allowing walls to be placed freely
and only where aesthetically needed.
4- Ribbon Windows, providing illumination and ventilation.
5- Free facades, serving only as a skin of the wall and windows. Facades not ristricted
by load bearing considerations as cantilivered projecting floors could easily be
provided.
Le Corbusier’s theory “a house is a living machine” was vividly reflected in the design
of Villa Savoye, where he related cars approach to buildings to space location
influenced by them. The Ronchamp church design is another example. Notre Dame
Du Haut church or “Ronchamp”, a name refered to the plateau area in eastern
France, where the church was built in 1950, designed by Le Corbusier. His principles
of the machine aesthetic were shown in the structural design of the roof, which was
inspired by the engineering of airfoils. The church is characterized by thick walls,
with the upturned roof supported on columns embedded within the walls. In the
interior, the spaces left between the wall and roof, as well as coloured light sent
from the wall openings serve to further reinforce the sacral nature of the space. The
building is beautifully linked with its landscaped surroundings Weber, N. (2008)
described, figure (52) & (53).

45
 Figure (52): Notre Dame Du Haut church or “Ronchamp”, built in eastern France in 1950

52:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RonchampCorbu.jpg45:http://redchalksketch.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/ludwig-mies-
van-der-rohe-the-seagram-building-new-york /, accessed 2014 January 16

Figure (53): An interior view of Notre Dame Du Haut church or “Ronchamp”

53:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ronchamp_012.jpg, accessed 2014 January 16

Among the various movements and styles Le Corbusier contributed to was

“Brutalism” style, which flourished between 1950s until the mid 1970s. The English
architects Alison and Peter Smithson coined the term in 1953, from the French term
“beton brut”, or "raw concrete", a phrase used by Le Corbusier to describe the
poured board marked concrete with which he constructed many of his post World
War II buildings a time building construction cost became questionable. It is
chacterized by linear, fortresslike and blockish, with predominantly concrete
construction. Buildings in which the style was employed are government buildings,
low-rent housing, low cost functional structures, shopping centers and enventually

46
college buildings.
The best known early Brutalist architecture is the work of Le Corbusier, in particular
his Unite d'Habitation (of Germany) built in 1952 and the Secretariat Building in
Chandigarh, India built in 1953, figure (54) &(55).

Figure (54): Unite d'Habitation (of Germany) built in 1952

54:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Corbusierhaus_Berlin_B.jpg, accessed 2014 January 16

Figure (55): The Chandigarh Legislative Assembly building built in Chandigarh, India in 1953

55:http://www.themodernist.co.uk/2012/03/le-corbusier-modernist-of-the-month/, accessed 2014 January 16

Recently stone like surfaces, covered in stucco, or composed of patterned, precast

elements are exemplars of Brutalism. The main campus building of the Qassim
University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia is an example of Brutalist architecture.
Like all renowned architects of the time, Mies Van Der Rohe and the others Le
Corbusier was a multidisciplinary architect his works extend to include Interior

47
Design and Industrial Design beside architecture, art, urbanism, and writing. He
designed and constructed furniture, he had, therefore, so many innovative chairs
designed at that time, among which the “chaise lounge” or Long chair was the most
famous, figure (56).

Figure (56): Le Corbusier’s “chaise lounge” or Long chair

56:http://www.themodernist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/le_corbusier_lc4_chaise_lounge.jpg, accessed 2014 January

16

1-2-4 Frank Lloyd Wright

Wright was a multidisciplinary American architect, interior designer, industrial
designer, writer and educator like Mies Van Der Rohe, Le Corbusier and others. As
Smith, K. (1998) explains, Wright was known for coining the term “Organic
Architecture” more of a design philosophy than a movement or a style. Organic
Architecture is interpreted as a building relationship to the natural surroundings in
other words as architect and planner David Pearson described; buildings "grow out
of the site".
Wright started working with Sullivan and Adler during the Art Nouveau Movement,
which was called Chicago School. He continued working in various following
movements coming out with his own architectural concepts, philosophies and styles.
Wright from Brutalism, which Wright adopted in some of his designs as the Robie
house, and some other Le Corbusier’s styles critics began considering architecture as
art, science and technology.
Lewis (1985) emphasized Oxford English Dictionary's definition to architecture. To
him architecture is at once art and a science that demands logic, method, rational
analysis, and measurable quantification, on one hand, and intuition, emotion,

48
sentiment, willfulness, and subjective judgment, on the other hand. Others take
architecture to be associated with technology. According to Hepler (1998),
architecture is a blending of technology and art. Sebestyen (2003) in his book titled
new architecture and technology goes on relating architecture to technology as he
also reminds people to the fact that architecture besides being technology it is also
art.
To Day architecture is an environmental design where man attains his health. He
again goes on defining architecture as the frame in which people live inside and not
just look at it from outside. Day's (2004) definition to architecture as a health giving
emphasizes that.
As Snyder et al (1979) stated that designs undergo certain processes until, if possible,
they reach their design product final stage or as called design realization stage, a
number of stages are passed, before the architectural design style is reached. It is at
the design product final stage or as called design realization stage that architectural
design styles are recognized. Steps of architectural design hierarchal sequence are
normally followed. The sequence is ordered as: notion, idea, concept, scenario or
philosophy, and style.
Concepts are discursive and result from reason; White (1975) continues clarifying
that architectural design concepts are described as graphical products of ideas in
their design process. In concepts words are translated into visual images through
diagramming. Concepts are as well described as preliminary sketches of a building
project in the first few hours of working in it. Concepts must be verbalized
(philosophied) and drawn at the same time. The vocabulary of architectural design
concept includes function, space, circulation, sequences of spaces, context and
enclosure, daylight, integration of structure and form, and sitting in the landscape.
Concepts are also concerned with space, use , or technology imaginative effort to
bring apparently dissimilar things together.
Architectural design philosophy is a general conceptual statement for a building in a
short essay or scenario that ties together all the important ides that influence the
design solution since the goal in developing a concept appropriate to a project is to
integrate the various parts into a unified whole, a designer expects the final building

49
itself to be the integrated statement of several concepts. Uji (1994) considers
architectural design philosophy as the various and the unlimited building design
solutions or styles. Certain methodologies and processes could be adopted to get
specific architectural design solutions or philosophies. Such solutions or philosophies
have been categorized into two main classifications. These classifications are
concerned more with how best to evolve spatial and formal solutions or
philosophies. Design philosophy, is the theoretical search for concepts, which may
probably be verbalized or remain imbedded in the designer's psyche, playing a
catalytic or influencing role on his or her design. Whenever, the design philosophy is
written down in a form of an essay it becomes a conceptual scenario.
As Blake, P. (1960) explains, Unity Temple is a church built in Oak Park, Illinois, 1907
in a single material, reinforced concrete. It is considered by critics to be the first
modern building in the world. It is assumed that some modernism architects design
concepts were inspired by Unity Temple, such as Mies Van Der Rohe’s.
Frank Lloyd Wright stated his conceptual scenario as:
“Why not, then, build a temple, not to GOD in that way more sentimental tha
Sense, but build a temple to man, appropriate to his uses as a meeting place, in
which to study man himself for his God's sake? A modern meeting-house and good
time place. Build a beautiful room proportioned to this purpose. Make it beautiful in
this simple sense, a natural building for a natural man”.
Wright being not only an architect, interior designer, industrial designer, he designed
the furniture, the stained glass and the light of Unity Temple. According to Levine, N.
(1993), to reduce noise from the street, Wright eliminated street level windows in
the temple. Instead, natural light comes from stained glass windows in the roof and
clerestories along the upper walls. Since the members of the church would not be
able to look outside, Unity Temple's stained glass was designed with green, yellow,
and brown tones in order to evoke the colors of nature. The main floor of the temple
is accessed via a lower floor (which has seating space), and the room also has two
balconies for the seating of the congregation. These varying seating levels allowed
the architect to design a building to fit the size of the congregation with good
acoustics. In this design Wright realized for first time ever that the real heart of a

50
building is its space, not its walls, therefore, Blake, P. (1960) called him "The Mastery
of Space", figure (57) &(58).

Figure (57): Wright's` Unity Temple, Oak Park, Illinois, 1907

57:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oak_Park_Il_Unity_Temple9.jpg, accessed 2014 January 16

Figure (58): A view showing the stained glass and the light of Unity Temple
58:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Unity_Temple_Interior.jpg, accessed 2014 January 16

The term “Prairie Style” was coined by Wright supported by architectural critics and
historians who noticed how the buildings and their various components owed their
design influence to the landscape and plant life of the Midwest prairie of the United
States. For his Prairie houses Wright designed the house, the interiors, the windows,
lighting, rugs, furniture and textiles.

51
The artist Hurlburt (1977) in his book bearing the title layout: the design of the
printed page, he stated that Wright completed the design of Robie house in 1909
before Cubism received its name, in other words, Cubism was inspired by the Robie
house, figure (59).
Critics, therefore, considered Wright’s Robie house as a piece of art and a design,
therefore, Wright was also considered a designer and an artist at the same time.
Robie house is considered the greatest example of Wright’s Prairie style, the first
architectural style that was uniquely American. Robie house measuring only 18 m by
55 m was built for the then married 28 years old Robie who wanted his house to be
close to the University of Chicago campus. The Robie House is one of the best known
examples of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie style of architecture. For the Robie house
Wright designed the house, the interiors, the windows, lighting, rugs, furniture and
textiles as all his other Prairie houses.
The projecting cantilevered roof eaves, continuous bands of art-glass windows, and
the use of Roman brick emphasize the horizontality, which is much associationed
with Wright’s designs. The horizontal line reminded him of the American prairie and
was a line of repose and shelter, appropriate for a house. For further horizontality
emphasis, the horizontal bricks joints were filled with a cream-colored mortar and
the small vertical joints were filled with brick-colored mortar. From a distance, these
continuous lines of horizontal color minimize the appearance of individual bricks.
The design of the art glass windows shows Wright's favorite 30 and 60-degree
angles. Robie's generous budget allowed Wright to design a house with a largely
steel structure, which accounts for the minimal deflection of the eaves. The lintels,
sills and other exterior trimwork are of limestone.
Wright’s openness of plan allows users of the building to move freely from the
interior space to the exterior space. The third floor is the “place in command of
beautiful views.” as Wright called it. Wright designed carpets, textiles and furniture
among which the most striking piece of furniture designed by Wright for the Robie
House is a sofa with extended armrests, echoing the cantilevers of the exterior roof
of the building, which effectively create side tables on each side of the sofa Connors,
J. (1984) elaboratively explained.

52
 Figure (59): Wright’s Robie house, close to the University of Chicago campus, built in 1909
59:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Robie_House.jpg, accessed 2014 January 22

Taliesin West was Wright’s winter desert home and school located in Arizona, built in
1936 but resided from 1937 until his death in 1959. It is precently the main campus
of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. Taliesin West is a place of
residence, business studio and learning place. As water is scarcely found in desert a
deep well was digged to provide sufficient water for the building, figure (60).
Wright’s employment to Brutalism style is evidenced in Taliesin West as the building
is as well a prophecy to contemporary sustainable architecture design concepts
presently prevailing worldwide. The structure's walls are made of local desert rocks,
stacked within wood forms, filled with concrete. Wright always favored using the
materials readily available rather than those that must be transported to the site.
The flat surfaces of the rocks were placed outward facing and large boulders filled
the interior space so concrete could be conserved. Natural light also played a major
part in the design. In the drafting room, Wright used translucent canvas to act as a
roof. Projecting hangover roofs act as shading devices preventing unwanted sun rays
from penetrating but allowing for horizontal light to pass through the room. Wright
believed that natural light adds viability to the work environment what made him
and his apprentices keeping the inside of the building in touch with the natural
surroundings Wright, F. (1943) explained. It was in this building that his most famous
buildings as Guggenheim Museum in New York City were designed, figure (61).

53
Figure (60): Taliesin West Wright’s residence, business studio and learning place, built in 1936
60:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TaliesinWest03_gobeirne.jpg, accessed 2014 January 22

Figure (61): The Garden Room’s lighting via translucent canvas

61:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TaliesinWest06_gobeirne.jpg, accessed 2014 January 22

Wright’s Fallingwater or Kaufmann Residence was built in Pennsylvania in 1936; the

home was built for businessman Edgar Kaufmann partly over a waterfall on Bear Run
in the Mill Run. It is regarded as Wright's most beautiful work, figure (62). The
building of the house was a result of Wright's comment to Kaufmann’s son Edgar in
which he was quoted saying “Edgar, this house is not worthy of your parents”.
Wright was commisioned to design the house, communicated nine month later by
Kaufmann to
surprisingly answer saying;“I have been working on the plans, but had not actually
drawn anything”, a statement prooving that architectural design starts with data
collection, stuyding and analysis before proceeding to synthesis and eventually

54
design drawings. On Kaufmann’s way driving to his office in Taliesin West Wright was
able to draw the plans in two hours! McCarter, R. (2001) described.

Figure (62): Wright’s Falling water or Kaufmann Residence, built in Pennsylvania in 1936

62:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wrightfallingwater.jpg, accessed 2014 January 22

Going through great buildings built by great architects tremendous values will be
uncoverd, such as the ability Wright had to convince his client Mr Kaufmann in the
following statement; Wright intended to build the house above the falls, rather than
below them to afford a view of the waterfalls as he had expected. Kaufmann was
initially very upset that Wright had designed the house on top the falls. He had
wanted the house to be located directly facing the falls. He had told Wright that was
his favorite aspect of the Bear Run property. Wright calmly convinced his client and
eventually the house was built as Wright decided. Kaufmann liked the idea, and
critics as well as visitors agreed with the building location Wright had chosen. The
client asked for more spacious rooms in a limited site total area. Wright's solution to
the problem of space came when he decided on a cantilevered structure extended
up to eight meters. The structural design for Falling water was undertaken by Wright

55
in association with his staff engineers. Final working drawings were issued by Wright
as excution was supervised by his permanent on-site representative. The house
hosts more than 150,000 visitors each year. Japanese architecture was strongly
reflected in the design of Falling water, particularly in the importance of
interpenetrating exterior and interior spaces and the strong emphasis placed on
harmony between man and nature. Falling water house sitting area interior view
with furnitures designed by Wright, figure (63).

Figure (63): Falling water house sitting area interior view with furnitures designed by Wright

63:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fallingwater_sitting_area.jpg, accessed 2014 January 22

The house connection to the site being built on top of an active waterfall which flows
beneath the house are an emphasy to “Organic architecture style” Wright was
famous for. The house is characterized by one of the most significant design
principles, contrast shown in horizontal vertical elements, smooth and course
surfaces and most importantly bringing a very much urban house to a very rual area
as the Bear Run. Some critics associated Kaufmann Residence’s perforation
decorated blocks to the southern American Mayan architecture.
Johnson Wax Headquarters is the administration building owned by Johnson
president of Johnson Company built in Wisconsin in 1936, figure (64). It is 14 stories
Research Tower built in the Art Deco style popular in the 1930s. Externally the
Research Tower is characterized by curvilinear corner forms obtained by curved red

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bricks seen in the interior and exterior. Hertzberg, M. (2010) continues describing
the building; the traditional Wright style mortar between the bricks courses
emphasizing the horizontality of the building. The vertical interchange of reddish hue
of the bricks and mortar, the white stone trim with the rectangular glass surfaces
create an unprecedent Art Deco style, since style is concerned with the external
appearance of buildings Conway, H. et al (1994) affirmed. Internally the tower's floor
slabs spread out like tree branches, providing for the vertically seperation of
departments. Elevator and stairway channels are located at the core of the building.
Annexe to the Research Tower is the "Great Workroom", series of the thin, white
mushroom or tree-shaped reinforced concrete columns 23 cm in diameter at the
bottom and 550 cm in diameter at the top, rise to spread out towards the top to
form a wide round platform that Wright termed, the "lily pad" all mushroom
columns together form a celling.

Figure (64): Johnson Wax Headquarters of Johnson Company built in Wisconsin in 1936
64:http://www.peterbeers.net/interests/flw_rt/Wisconsin/johnson_wax/johnson_wax.htm
http://www.peterbeers.net/interests/flw_rt/Wisconsin/johnson_wax/johnson_wax.htm, accessed 2014 January 22

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The spaces in between the circular "lily pad" are set with skylights made of Pyrex
glass tubing. At the corners, where the walls usually meet the ceiling, the glass tubes
continue up, over and connect to the skylights creating a clerestory effect and letting
in a pleasant soft light. Rubber gaskets were placed between the tubes to properly
seal the glass tubing of the clerestories and roof to prevent leakage. No internal
walls in the entire space of the Great Workroom to assume that the “Open Plan”
which Le Corbusier was famous for was Wright's idea, figure (65).

Figure (65): Johnson Wax Headquarters’ Great room and the Open Plan idea
65:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johnsonwax600.jpg, accessed 2014 January 22

All of the furniture in the Johnson Wax Headquarters was designed by Wright
including Wright's chair was originally with only three legs, to encourage better
posture as one would have to keep both feet on the ground at all times to keep it
stable so as to sit on it comfortably. Its round forms echo the curving lines used in
the building, figure (66).

Figure (66): Wright's chair for Johnson Wax Headquarters president

66:http://www.steinerag.com/flw/Artifact%20Pages/Chairs.htm, accessed 2014 January 22

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Solomon R.Guggenheim Museum built at the eastern side of Manhatan, New York in
1959, named after its founder Solomon R.Guggenheim Wright's last major work
,figure (67).

Figure (67): Solomon R.Guggenheim Museum built in New York in 1959

67:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NYC_-_Guggenheim_Museum.jpg, accessed 2014 January 22

The distinctive building shows a vivid contrast between the conical form
tapering towards the top most cylindrical form to create an upward tapering atrium
at 28 m hight that allowas natural light to penetrate the translucent atrium to reach
all exhibition galaries. The building’s curved surfaces that stand on an elongated
ribon podium appear in sharp contrast to the typical rectangular Manhattan
buildings that surround it, Calnek, A. et al (2006) continue describing.
Internally, its unique viewing gallery forms a helical spiral ramp climbing gently along
the outer edges of the building from ground level towards the atrium skylight at the
top. The museum collection is shared with other museums in Bilbao, Spain, and
elsewhere for the purpose of promotion, encouragement, education and the
enlightenment of the public in art.
Some critics concluded that the building overshadows the artworks displayed inside
as it is difficult to properly hang paintings in the shallow, windowless, concave
exhibition niches that surround the central spiral, figure (68).
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 Figure (68): The helical spiral ramp tapering towards the top most cylindrical form to create an
upward tapering atrium
68:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_R._Guggenheim_Museum, accessed 2014 January 22

Art works displayed on a busy day inside concave exhibition niches surrounding the
central spiral, figure (69).
An adjacent cylinderical building block stands on the podium carries an upward
tapering dwarf cube bigger than the cylinder where an eye shape staircase is
provided. One side of the staircase starts from the center of atrim to show how two
dimentional shapes and three dimentional forms are geniuosly interrelated in
Wright's works.

Figure (69): Art works displayed on a busy day inside concave exhibition niches surrounding the
central spiral

69:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Guggenheim_flw_show.jpg, accessed 2014 January 22

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 CHAPTER THREE
The architecture of the post four great
architects
CHAPTER THREE:
1-3 The architecture of the post four great architects
Untill after the first middle of the second mellinium or the nineteenth century, there
were no famous architectural works as those of the four great architects. Different
architectural works for various architects and renowned pioneers belonging to
different movements and countries and architectural schools of diversified thoughts
resulted in various architectural styles reflecting this difference, therefore, various
movements, schools and styles emerged.
1-3-1 Late modernism architecture
Late-modernism style was the most dominant style between 1960 and 1970 has
with so many other styles emerged during international style; a style according to
Frampton (1997) has widely spread in the sixties and will still continue to be
produced.
Jencks, C. (1988) had an unprecedented effort in classifying styles. His classifications
were based on both the architectural designer's statement or his conceptual
scenario and/or the architect's already built architectural design. Out of the two
most famous architectural movements, Jencks classified late modern architecture
and postmodern architecture into so many styles. The most famous Critics'
impressions about these already built architectural designs were also considered in
Jencks classifications,
Late-Modern Architecture is a term introduced by Charles Jencks in 1977 to
distinguish buildings by architects extending the tradition of modernism despite the
advent and dominance of post-modernism. Jencks argued that Late-Modern
architects took the ideas and forms of the modern movement “to an extreme,
exaggerating the structure and technological image of the building”. The word “late”
has connotations of decline and decadence, Jencks described Late-Modernism as “an
elaborated or mannered modernism” or in other words Late-Modernism describes
works that do not imitate works of modern pioneers.
According to Jencks (1980) late-modernism style is opposite to almost all what post
modernism has brought to architecture. Late-modernism style is characterized by so
many profiles among which are disdaining all historical imagery and employing only

61
their immediate forebears, concentrating on the perennial abstractions of buildings
regarding space, geometry, and light, approaching buildings as a series of technical
problems to be solved by teamwork, and as they are produced out of innovative
invention of highly skilled design they hope to be obvious or recherché.
The two terms; Movement and School are no more in use as they are mostly
associated with modern architecture towards the end of International Style
Movement and the beginning of Late modernism architecture. The term architecture
used by Jencks has replaced the term Movement last used with the International
Style.
The most renowned classifications of Late-Modern Architecture exemplified in this
book are; High-tech style, Sculpturalism style and Extreme articulation style.
According to Jencks, C. (1986) buildings of Late-Modern Architecture were singly
coded, as against post-modern buildings which were doubly coded, he ment to say
that such buildings are half modern and half something else.

1-3-1-1 High-tech style

- Worldwide High-tech style
- Centre Georges Pompidou or Pompidou Centre
Centre Georges Pompidou or Pompidou Centre designed by Italian architect Renzo
Piano, British architect Richard Rogers, Italian architect Gianfranco Franchini,
assisted by Ove Arup and Partners. The project was awarded to this team in an open
architectural design competition, whose results were announced in 1971. It was the
first time in France international architects were allowed to participate. World
renowned architects Oscar Niemeyer, Jean Prouvé and Philip Johnson made up the
jury which would select on design out of the 681 entries.
The Center which was built in Paris in 1977 was named after Georges Pompidou, the
President of France from 1969 to 1974 who had built it.
The Center houses a vast public library, a largest museum for modern art in Europe,
and a centre for music and acoustic research. It brings together in one place the
different forms of expression of the French art and culture. In 1968, President
Charles de Gaulle announced a new site for the library. A year later in 1969, the new

62
president Georges Pompidou adopted the site and decided it to be the location of
the Pompidou Centre.
In Pompidou Centre as in all High-tech buildings shiny, beautiful and easily
formulated galvanized stain less steel building materials are intensively employed.
The easily formulated building materials are small, slender; extend to long distances
and easy to assemble. The employment of technology is highly evidenced in this
building making it looks more of an industrial building than of a familiar building that
houses art for the public, figure (70).

Figure (70): Georges Pompidou Center for Art and Culture, designed by Richard Rogers and Renzo
Piano, built in Paris, 1977

70:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pompidou_center.jpg, accessed 2014 January 26

According to Jencks (1980), the Center exposed skeleton of brightly coloured tubes
for mechanical systems made both Brutalism style, which emerged as early as the
International Style period, and Hi- tech style, which was also known in as early as the
building of the Crystal Palace, to reach their highest level of innovation and
creativity.
The building block extends 166 m length and 42 m width as the hight reachs 42 m.
Criss cross metallic tubes and elements appear before its glazed cladded facades
surrnding the building from all sides. The scalator located at the external western
side raising visitors to the museum. The marvelous ventilation tubes are more of
reminders of people to sailing ships than of buildings; they are as well reminders of
people to the symbolism Le Corbusier employed in Ronchamp. Almost everything in
the building visiable to sight as structural support, services tubes and escape routes,
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all that together eventually gives a mixture of colours and joy, the building in totality
open exposing everything inside all its six stories.
1-3-1-2 Sculpturalism style
- Worldwide Sculpturalism style
- The Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House was built out of an architectural design competition of 233
designs from 32 countries, many of them from the most famous architects of the
time. The competition was won by Jorn Utzon In 1957. The Finish juror Eero Saarinen
who was leading the adjucation described the building as "genius".
Utzon, J. et al (1995) wrote about how the Sydney Opera House beccame reality, the
site was chosen to be at the sea shore compatible with the availability of sailing
boats. The Organic architecture concept is successfully employed as the building
shell roofs resamble boats sails filled up with air to help them sailng as air blows.
Other critics also say; the building roofs look like shells laid by the sea shore.
Complicated roofs in which computer software was employed to get it designed.
The Sydney Opera House is built in a Sculpturalism style, with a series of large
precast concrete shells, each composed of sections of a sphere of 75.2 metres
radius, forming the roofs of the structure, set on a monumental podium. The
building is 183 m long and 120 m wide at its widest point. It is supported on 588
concrete piers sunk as much as 25 m below sea level (about 8 stories). Although the
roof structures of the Sydney Opera House are commonly referred to as shells, they
are in fact not shells in a strictly structural sense, but are instead precast concrete
panels supported by precast concrete ribs. The shells are covered in cream coloured
tiles. From a distance, the shells appear a uniform white. Apart from the tile of the
shells and the glass curtain walls of the foyer spaces, the building's exterior is largely
clad with aggregate panels composed of pink granite. A part from concrete,
significant interior surface treatments also include white plywood.
The scale of the shells was chosen to reflect the internal height requirements, with
low entrance spaces, rising over the seating areas and up to the high stage towers.
The smaller venues, as the Drama Theatre, are located within the podium, beneath
the Concert Hall at the upper level. Due to complications accompanied the

64
construction process in 1957 it continued until 1973 making the building to be
completed in 16 years, surprisingly enough the designer never thought of all the
materials employed in constructing the building. As the Ove Arup structural
engineers facing difficulties in constructing some forms, alterations were intented by
them making Jorn Utzon to quit in 1966 leaving others to continue with the building
to come up with the design ideas initiated by Utzon. The shells even though vary in
sizes, but all are of equal curvature and the higest reaches 60 m, figure (71).

Figure (71): The Sydney Opera House, built between 1957 and 1973 by Jorn Utzon, Sydney, Australia

71:http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/File:Sydney_Opera_House_Sails.jpg, accessed 2014 January 26

1-3-1-3 Extreme articulation style

- Regional Extreme articulation style
- The National Assembly of The Republic of the Sudan
A cording to Ibrahim, A. (1910), the former Parliament or now The National Assembly
of The Republic of the Sudan, built in 1973 is an excellent example of Late
modernism style more precisely the Extreme articulation style as Shirzad (1997)
went further to explain, even though it was built at a time the style was diminishing
all over the world. The building was a donation from the Romanian Government to
the Government of the Republic of the Sudan. There is compatibility in both the
common scale of the whole building and the human scale. The extremely attractive
details of the prefabricated reinforced concrete elements are marvelously shown up
in form of magnificent slender vertical shading devices and slender vertical spouts at
65
the south-west façade of The National Assembly. Vertical emphasis through these
elements was as well a vivid profile of the building. Rhythmatic repetition of the
geometric decorative details, different roof levels, and the debating skeleton and
shell are the main features of this building. The National Assembly, therefore, is an
iconic remarkable landmark. This style, in the absence of other styles during the
British colonialism, draws our attention to the fact that the immediate post
independence period has not only evidenced style diversification but has also been
following up the international trends of styles, figure (72).

Figure (72): The National Congress, Um durman-Khartoum, The Republic of the Sudan, built in 1973
(Photographed by the author in 2014)

1-3-2 Post-Modern Architecture

Jencks (1977) in his book the Language of Post-Modern Architecture emphasized
what he was searching for in an answer to the meaning of the term post modernism.
In his previous book what is post-modern architecture, Jencks (1986) prophesied the
emergence of post modernism and the death of modern architecture led by late-
modernism style. Postmodernism style (1972-1990) was immediately employed in
the Sudan when building the former Parliament or now The National Assembly the
same time so many countries worldwide, especially western countries where it
emerged, employed it.
As pluralism was then believed in and was advocated by critics such as Venturi
(1977), thereafter, styles diversification prevailed. Luckily enough for styles

66
diversification, architects tend to think of more creative and innovative designs,
designs in which creativity and innovation become a necessity. Post modernism style
is the architecture that is sensual, humorous, surprising, coded as a 'readable text',
abandoning functionalism and rationalism, familiar, historical - take easily
recognizable bits of buildings, which are often classical from a whole variety of
places and areas, and reuse them again - , vernacular, ambiguous, iconic, eclectical,
symmetry, glossy, to mention main features.
Venturi’s (1972) Learning from Las Vegas although not actual manifestos of post
modernism architecture do well to express many of the aims embodied in
Postmodernism. Learning from Las Vegas highlights an aim that ornamental and
decorative elements “accommodate existing needs for variety and communication”.
Here Venturi stresses the importance of the building communicating a meaning to
the public, which necessitates non-functional elements of the building. The
Postmodernists in general strive to achieve this communication through their
buildings. This communication is not intended to a direct narrating of the meaning.
Venturi goes on to explain that it is rather intended to be a communication that
could be interpreted in many ways. Each interpretation is more or less true for its
moment because work of such quality will have many dimensions and layers of
meaning. This pluralism of meaning is intended to mirror the similar nature of
contemporary society. The pluralism in meaning was also echoed in the postmodern
architects striving for variety in their buildings.
The residential, religious, health, educational, commercial, industrial, transportation,
cultural, leisure-recreation-or entertainment, governmental-public and other
miscellaneous buildings are considered according to De Chiara (1990) and Cerver
(2000) as the main architectural building types.

1-3-2-1 Worldwide Post-Modern Architecture

- Vanna Venturi House
One of the first most renowned works of the postmodern architecture is Vanna
Venturi House, designed by architect Robert Venturi for his mother Vanna Venturi,
and constructed in 1964. The house is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The
house is comprised of five rooms internally and a monumental asymmetrical front

67
facade externally where longitudinal ribon windows at the left side are substitued by
one wide window with another small one at the right side. Non-structural arch above
the main entrance, windows that seem to be as holes in the walls and a dwarf
chimney on top of the attic where the master bedroom is positioned are all
unfamiliar design profiles. Such profiles do not reflect the known functions of a
house, though Venturi ment to recall various historical architectural profiles
employing the arch, the windows suggested by Viollet-le-duc during neo-classical
period architecture, the Greek Pediment that represent the main facade punctured
by windows of different sizes, the dark box-like opening positioned at the middle of
the nain facade represent the pure cube form and lastly the main entrance to the
building is at the right side of the box-like opening, figure (73).

Figure (73): Vanna Venturi House, designed by architect Robert Venturi for his mother Vanna Venturi,
constructed in 1964, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

72:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/VVenturi_House_Highsmith.jpeg, accessed 2014 January 26

Venturi’s slogan says “Less is Bore” opposing Philip Johnson‘s slogan that says “Less
is More”, as Mies was calling for simplicity in design Venturi in the contrary was
calling for complexity. Architects who worked in line with Post Modernism ideas,
their works were characterized by profiles inspired by ancient architecture; the most
famous amongst these architects was Philip Johnson.

- The American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) - Sony Building

The AT&T as many critics have seen is the first Postmodernist statement, According
to them, for more precision, it marked the beginning of Postmodernist style.
Postmodernism literally means after the modernist movement. While modern refers

68
to something related to the present. The emergence of this building is coinciding
with the commencement of the boom of corporations in the 1980s. It was the most
prominent and most publicized, but because Johnson and Burgee were the nation's
most favored corporate architects at the time and because AT &T was not a minor
company, the design took on even greater significance and clout.
Schulze (1994) noted that AT&T had invited twenty five architects in 1975 to
compete for a major new building. “According to Burgee, he and Philip were the only
ones who didn't answer,” Schulze wrote, adding that before long, however, they
were on a short list of three and eventually won the important commission, figure
(74).

Figure (74): The American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) Corporation built in 1984, USA, New York -
Sony Building

73:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sony_Building_by_David_Shankbone_crop.jpg, accessed 2014 January 26

The stylish technology Johnson and Burgee adopted exemplifies the main objective
of postmodernism. As both Schulze (1994) and French (1998) confirmed the
rejection of facades glazing dominantly employed at that time. They on the other
hand show the employment of pre modern cladding materials. Pink granite covers

69
almost all the facades. Glass was minimally employed in the small openings.
The design of Johnson and Burgee for the building's base was quite remarkable in
concept and poor in execution Karl Galinsky argued. That is why it is not rich in
technological advancement. Zoning laws requiring not only a plaza but ground-level
shops that would have been arrayed close enough to the entrance to deprive it of
the grandeur Philip wanted for it led him and John to the inventive idea of raising the
whole structure sixty feet off the ground and supporting it on massive columns. The
lobby would be smaller but kept at grade, and the shops would be moved to a glazed
galleria at the rear of the tower. The open area, whose great piers reminded Philip of
an Egyptian hypostyle hall, would be given over to benches and cafe seating, thus
providing the public amenities expected of a plaza. The entrance was conceived as a
mammoth, a high round arch flanked on each side by three shorter rectangular
openings that create the effect of an arcade. The arcade was interrupted by the
entrance, thereby only offering partial protection for pedestrians from the main
road.
The tower's base had two high open gallerias with public setting. The east and west
sides of these spaces each had three large openings with flat tops as opposed to the
building entrance's arched opening, which raises several floors higher. The north and
south facades of the base had similar openings, with three oculi.
These galleries were originally criticized for being a bit too drafty, as a result of their
considerable height. Their intent, of course, was to provide some public open space
in a very congested area with relatively narrow sidewalks. At the considerable high
lobby entrance the Spirit of Communications statue a large sculpture is vividly seen
by passersby. The designers gave the whole project: an unmistakable symbol of a
solidly conservative corporation. They also devoted a great deal of their design
efforts in many major projects to fenestration experimentation. They stressed the
tower's verticality by recessing the narrow windows and their spandrels and omitting
corner windows to let the handsome and finely detailed pink granite facade convey a
powerful sense of monumentality. While the fenestration pattern is too decorated,
the overall effect of the shaft portion of the tower is quite attractive. The building’s
famous top is simple and very bold especially its curved cutout. Giganticism can

70
often have wonderful shock value; this building is an exemplar of such fact.
The design concepts and philosophies are so much dependant on the socio-cultural
aspect on which post modern style focuses. The building’s influence on people’s
socio-cultural lives is, therefore, emphasized in each stylish detail from the base
reaching to the modernized pediment. The building abides by the policy plans and
regulations that are utilized by the City of Manhattan and the Community
Development Department's Planning Division. The building is 197 m tall, 37 or story
competing in hight with the other grand New York skyscrapers, the Empire State and
Chrysler buildings, which flourished before the Miesian box took over.
With its eye-catching, front roof pediment, shown at the Plaza district, the high
quality of its designs and rich materials, its proximity intensified vertiginous impact
on pedestrians and the character and color the tower is adding to the neighborhood
it has been built under stringent planning regulations the New York City is famous
for. The present Sony Building, formally the AT&T, is clad in unpolished, pink granite
defined the Financial District's peculiar skyline necessary for familiar pedestrian
experience.
1-3-2-2 Regional Post-Modern Architecture
The regional level referred to in this writing is the geographical area that shares a
great deal of socio-cultural and environmental factors with any place. The Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia is the place refered to here. Banister Fletcher's (1975) factors upon
which he showed how certain architectural design styles are analyzed and thereafter
arrived at are summarized as the socio-cultural and environmental factors.

- The Arab Organizations Headquarters Building

Kuwait is for sure lies within the geographical zone of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it
is even a neighbouring country. The Arab organizations Headquarters Building built
in 1994 in Shuwaik, Kuwait is influenced by the Arabian simple bright colour cubic
adobe buildings with their high level small windows. It is the home of four major
Arab organizations: the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development, OAPEC
(Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries), the Inter-Arab Investment
Guarantee Corporation and the Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company.

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It is, therefore, an office headquarters for four organizations in a ten-storey building
designed around a central atrium. An Egyptian style Mashrabiya projecting out of the
wall shows one of the various eclected elements revived at the main facade of The
Arab Organizations Headquarters Building, figure (75).

Figure (75): An Egyptian style Mashrabiya projecting out of a room external wall
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It is, therefore, an office headquarters for four organizations in a ten-storey building

designed around a central atrium. An Egyptian style Mashrabiya projecting out of the
wall shows one of the various eclected elements revived at the main facade of The
Arab Organizations Headquarters Building.
The advance technology employed in this building is a reflection of its design
concepts and philosophy, which were based on the socio-cultural and environmental
aspects of the design. It is due to this fact that much effort was exerted in the
interior than the stylish exterior.
The 12,000 square meter site building is functioning as an auditorium, conference
halls and offices. It costed 100 million dollars. The building, acclaimed as both an
aesthetic and technical masterpiece, is comprised of ten floors and two basements
that provide a total area of 54,000 square meters. The ground and first floor are
multi-use spaces shared by the four organizations. The upper floors are designed for
use as office space and surround an air-conditioned naturally lit atrium. The central
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atrium is enclosed by a majestic eight story Mashrabiyas. A vast suspended glass wall
spanning 5 floors is one of the main elevation features.
Over 7,000 construction documents were produced to execute the building. Most of
that was dedicated to the interior treatments. The building elevations are clad with
light gray granite and are dotted with deep set slanted windows and gray tinted
reflecting glass.
The design concepts and philosophy of this building, which were based on the socio-
cultural and environmental aspects, are so significant in sharing the Arabs their
common interests. The stylish design profiles of The Arab Organizations
Headquarters Building designed and executed by the Pan Arab Consulting Engineers,
Kuwait addresses its environment and questions design norms. It serves as a
modern, highly functional office building and a national landmark of Kuwait with its
innovative architecture. In keeping with Arab architectural custom, the orientation of
the building is entirely inward. In a generally hot and hostile environment, high
exterior walls surrounding an inner courtyard, or hoche, offer privacy and protection
from the sun's intense rays without forfeiting a feeling of airy openness.
Modern technology has been adapted to the culture of the countries it represents.
From the cool tranquility of the Moroccan water wall to the intricate woodwork of
the majestic Egyptian Mashrabiyas, the building represents a celebration of
traditional Arabic artisan skills. Professional craftsmen from Morocco, Syria, and
Egypt were brought in to produce intricate details for this project. It stands as
attribute to the quality of Arab design. The adobe buildings high level small windows,
which are used all over the main facade, are used by the Arabs for minimizing both
the sunrays penetration to the inside of their buildings and the escape of cold from
within their buildings. An upright sword appears on the main façade acts as an icon
of bravery shared by all Arabs. It is considered as one of the most acclaimed
buildings in the Middle East, it draws thousands of visitors from across the globe.
The building meets the planning regulations of Shuwaikh, which is an industrial area
within the Al-Asimah (The capital) governorate in the country of Kuwait. The majority
of Kuwait's port's and several offices reside in this area. The Al Asimah governate of
Kuwait consists of Kuwait City and the surrounding thirteen suburbs of which

73
Shuwaikh is the most significant both commercially and politically. In Al Asimah
governate you'll find downtown Kuwait City, where the business centers are located,
such as the Kuwaiti stock market, which is the headquarters for many of Kuwait's
major banks and corporations. With the availability of office buildings in Shuwaikh as
a sign of sovereignty The Arab Organizations Headquarters Building is best located.
All the Arabs fell that the building represents characteristics commonly shared by all
of them. This feeling makes them to have that sense of common ownership to the
building despite the far distance it is to some of them especially Morocco to which
most of the artistic works refers. The solvency symbolism of having effects in
people’s socio-cultural lives is explicitly evidenced to delegations, visitors, and most
importantly to passersby.
Surrounding the building is an ornamental stone garden. Each stone in the garden is
carved with the name of a famous Arab poet, scientist, writer, philosopher or artist.
The socio-cultural and environmental Arab architectural customs of the cool
tranquility of the Moroccan water wall, the several green plants and the wooden
Samarkand Tree sculpture created by a Kuwaiti artist stand next to the Moroccan
water walls, the intricate woodwork of the majestic Egyptian Mashrabiyas, the
Tunisian stone work elaborative hand-carving of the two entrance wooden doors,
the Syrian décor of the Damascene room, which serves as the VIP lounge are all
some of what is socio-culturally common to all Arabs, figure (76).

Figure (76): The Arab Organizations Headquarters Building built in 1994 in Shuwaikh, Kuwait
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- The Sudanese football sport association
The Sudanese football sport association is the best example of postmodern
architecture in the Sudan. In its front curved wall similar in its curvature to the
behavior of a trundling football while rolling left and right between feet of players.
This simple expression makes it easier for passers-by especially pedestrians to
perceive the football behaviour which familiar to them. This obvious wall trundling is
also similar to the behavior of the players themselves as chasing the ball. The Formal
symbolism can also be concieved from the form of giant hemisphere mounted on
top of the high wall, which looks from the outside as half cylinder spire. Huge walls
inspired by the Vernacular architecture of the northern region of the Sudan as the
features of eclectic architecture have been vividly shown in this building. The
elements and decorations of Vernacular architecture of Northern Sudan which are
intensively and explicitly employed in this building are shown on the parapet and the
tapered high semi-cylindrical wall (on which the huge hemisphere is mounted). The
small windows are abundantly scattered at the entrance facade to emphasize the
level of clarity in which Vernacular architecture is quoted. The glazed three parts are
shown on the main facade to complete the notion of postmodern style which was
clearly defined. Unlike many architectural buildings in the Sudan, this building
acquires its Sudanese identity through the features of postmodern architecture,
figure (77).

Figure (77): The Sudanese football sport association, Khartoum, Sudan, 1997

Photographed by the author in 2014

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1-3-2-3 Local Post-Modern Architecture
- The National Commercial Bank
The National Commercial Bank (NCB), designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore
Owings and Merrill (SOM), is of a Post Modern style. The rich akin Arabs culture was
obviously called in this stylish building as Khan (1985) affirmed figure (78), (79).

Figure (78): The National Commercial Bank, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, built in 1984

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Figure (79): The National Commercial Bank

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76
According to Jencks (1988) Gordon Bunshaft essentialized history to a sublime
degree, so that it takes on an abstract universal power akin to another force of
nature, not culture. It was the first bank established in Saudi Arabia and was formed
in 1953. It is also the largest bank in the Kingdom and the Middle East.
The architectural design concepts and philosophy in this building are based on both
the technological advancement and the planning regulations employed in this
building. The building is a marble colossus of a triangular base prismatic form, which
is considered as one of its few kinds all over the world.
Skidmore Owings and Merrill’s office provided full architectural and interior design
services for the 233476.8 square meters headquarters building. To suit and comply
with the planning regulation the designer thought carefully to come out with this
successful building design. Set in a three-acre plaza on the edge of the Red Sea, the
project's geometry consists of a triangular twenty seven-story office tower
juxtaposed with a six-story, and 400-car circular garage, figure (80).

Figure (80): The six-storey high car park of circular ground plan
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77
As Santelli (1989) explained the configuration of the site and local climatic conditions
generated the overall form of the complex. Clad in 5'(12.5 cm) x 9'(22.5 cm) panels
of honed Roman travertine, the Bank's exterior finish was chosen to respond to local
context and climate. Both elegant and serene, the travertine reinforces the
architectural vocabulary of the buildings. The verticality of the bank tower is
interrupted by three dramatic triangular courtyards chiseled into the building's
facade. Two of these courtyards, seven stories each, face south toward the old
portion of the city and the Red Sea. The third, nine-story courtyard faces northwest
toward the sea. Office windows open directly onto these courtyards with an inward
orientation typical of Islamic traditional design.
The technological advancement with regard to internal services and finishes even
though not of much concern to the stylish profiles of the building, but to some
extend has to do the customary Arabs internal activities. The significant given,
therefore, to the internal services and finishes forms part of the architectural design
concepts and philosophy of this building. This high-rise structure was designed to
group several banking activities which were previously disseminated between four
different buildings in Jeddah. Internal usable floor space was to reach some 56300
square meter and provide sufficiently spacious offices for the bank's 2000 employees
as well as to host functions such as; a large banking hall on the ground floor for day-
to-day operations, vaults forsafes and security zones in the basement, regional
management offices, General management offices, International division with
lounges, and Luxury offices for directors. The twenty seven-story triangular tower is
placed next to a six-storey high car park of circular ground plan.
Lifts and services are grouped in a separate rectangular tower abutting one side of
the equilateral triangle and linked at its base to the car park. The triangular plan of
the main structure is repeated on all floor levels. Vertically, the levels are divided
into increments of seven, nine and seven floors, each of these with office space on
two sides and a glazed wall facing inward onto an open loggia. This loggia, or garden
in the air, allows for the glazed walls to be well shaded and provides views over the
city. A triangular court extends vertically through the building providing both
ventilation and relief of heat build-up. The stacked courtyards, combined with the
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windowless exterior ward off direct sunlight, but allow diffuse daylight into the
building. The tower is capped by the executive floor extending over the entire area
of the triangle. Externally, it is expressed as an arcade shielding a glazed wall set back
from it. The banking hall at the main plaza level also spans over the full triangle, it
has a mezzanine level supported on three columns and is covered by a conical
skylight.
Interior spaces include a variety of exquisite polished marbles, granites, and more
than one hundred types of rich upholstery fabrics, with upper executive floors and
walls finished in Black Absolute South African marble. Dining facilities include a
luxurious executive dining floor with flexible partitions and a colorful employee
cafeteria. Inspired by traditional Islamic decorative patterns, the floor of the main
public lobby features green and white polished marble panels give form to the
strong geometric image, which is carried through and redefined in an exterior
courtyard , figure (81).

Figure (81): A floor plan of The National Commercial Bank

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Khosla (1989) takes the building to be of a symbolic form very much relevant to the
society to which it belongs. The enclosed nature of the building with the activities
mostly performed in the inside, known to be an Arab custom, symbolically shielded
by the massiveness of the building. Regarding its internal services NCB recorded
appreciable changes in the quality of customer service, product offerings and
financial performance indicators. In cooperation with Saudi Telecom Company, the
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Bank pioneered Mobile Banking in Saudi Arabia by introducing AlAhli SMS Service, a
service which provides customers with easy and secure contact with their NCB
accounts via mobile phones.
The National Commercial Bank is the largest privately owned bank in Saudi Arabia. It
operates 261 branches throughout the kingdom of which 243 of them were
dedicated exclusively to Islamic banking services serving 1.3 million clients. It also
conforming to the Saudi government's nationalization program, 86.1% of NCB's
employees are Saudi nationals. NCB was the first bank to introduce mutual funds to
the Saudi market in 1979 and NCB's Saudi Trading Equity Fund was rated as the top
performing equity fund across the globe in June 2006 by Standard and Poor's Fund
Services. NCB has been recognized for both its Islamic and conventional commercial
services winning awards from Euro money, Banker Middle East and Saudi e-business.

- Al Faisaliyah Center or Al Faisaliah Center

The complex is a commercial skyscraper located in the business district of Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia. It is the third tallest building in Saudi Arabia after the Kingdom Centre
and Abraj Al Bait. Immediately below it an outside viewing deck; at ground level,
there is a shopping center. The Al Faisaliyah Center is about 267 meters high and
consists of 44 floors. The luxurious revolving restaurant that resembles a golden ball
is is said to be based on that of a ballpoint pen, Allah in the holy quran orders
mankind via the prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) to use it for learning. The
ballpoint pen, therefore, has a graet value to Muslims in general and Saudi Arabia,
the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, is the beacon of Muslims. There is a clear view of
Saudi Arabia's other skyscraper, the Kingdom Centre, from the Al Faisaliyah Center
and the two buildings create a dark skyline in the evening. The tower was designed
by UK based architects Norman Foster and Partners and engineers Buro Happold. It
is part of an Al Faisaliyah Complex, which consists of a five star hotel, the tower, and
two other buildings. The tower feature several restaurants like 11a and the Globe
and also has a lounge at the top floor.The tower is aligned in a direct axis with the
Kingdom Centre, halfway between Olaya Street and King Fahd Road.
The eastern half of the base is enclosed as part of the lobby, and the western half is
open. The 4 corner beams are connected at 4 levels by exposed A-bracing. On the

80
upper levels there are galleries around the bracing structure. On top of the building
(below the spirical 3-level restaurant) there is an outdoor observation platform. The
height figures are measured from ground level, and include an 8.3 meter platform
(Podium) below the main entrance. The central elevator and stairway core of the
building is octagonal, Figure (82).

Figure (82): Al Faisaliyah Center or Al Faisaliah Center, built in 2000, Riyadh

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- Al Mamlaka Tower or the Kingdom Centre

The Kingdom Centre is owned by a group of companies including Kingdom Holding
Co. headed by Al-Waleed bin Talal, a prince of the Saudi royal family, and is the
headquarters of his holding company, the Kingdom Holding Company. This building
is the second tallest skyscraper in the country and the third tallest building in the
whole world after the Shanghai World Financial Center similar to it in its trapezoid
aperture at the peak while The Kingdom Centre’s has circular aperture previously
thought of in the Shanghai World Financial Center. This skyscraper is 99 floors
reaching up to about 302 m in the skyline of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It contains a three-
level shopping shopping mall, the four Seasons Hotel Riyadh and an apartments. The
shopping center has a separate floor for women only to shop where men are not
allowed to enter. There is a 56 m skybridge at the top most part of the skyscraper.

81
The Kingdom Centre, desighned by Ellerbe Becket in collaboration with Omrania and
Associates, is the winner of the 2002 Emporis Skyscraper Award, selected as the
"best new skyscraper of the year for design and functionality". The main lobby is a
soaring elliptical space with ribbed vaulting, elevated walkways, a fountain, and rows
of palm trees. The ellipse motif taken from the tower's footprint appears also in the
light fixtures, ceiling panels, entrance canopy, wastebaskets, and furniture. Almost
the entire facade is reflective blue glass, but the opening is lined with aluminum to
highlight the unique shape. The inverted arch at the top most part of the tower was
described by the developer as a "necklace" for the city of Riyadh, meaning to say it
beuatifies the city as much as the necklace beautifies a woman. This similarity also
shows the significance of women in the Arabs culture while some Critics refered to
as the “bottle opener”, due to the top most circular aperture same as the name
given to the Shanghai World Financial Center, figure (83).

Figure (83): Shanghai World Financial Center, built in Pudong, 2008

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Landscaped courtyards filled with palm trees welcome visitors on the north and
south sides of the tower. The tower is aligned in a direct axis with Al Faisaliyah
Center, Riyadh's other major skyscraper, figure (84).

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 Figure (84): Al Faisaliyah tower is aligned in a direct axis with the Kingdom Centre
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The building has an entrance on each of its four sides, each one serving a different
usage for the hotel, shopping, ballroom, and apartments and offices. The public
observation deck has a steeply arched floor, and features diagonal cross-beams
along the windows.
The hotel's ballroom is the largest in Riyadh, and the largest in the entire Four
Seasons hotel chain! The spaces to the left and right of the hole contain an
enormous latticework of diagonal steel beams. On the restaurant level there is a
conference room with a skylight looking up at this area, figure (85).

Figure (85): The Kingdom Centre, built in 2002, Riyadh

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- Abraj Al-Bait Towers
Also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower is a building complex built in
Mecca in 2012, Saudi Arabia designed by Dar Al-Handasah engineering firm, figure
(86).

Figure (86): Abraj Al-Bait Towers, built in Mecca, 2011

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These towers are a part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project that strives to
modernize the holy city in catering to the pilgrims. The complex was built by the
Saudi Binladin Group, Saudi Arabia's largest construction company.The complex
holds several world records, the tallest clock tower in the world, the world's largest
clock face and the building with the world's largest floor area. The complex's hotel
tower became the second tallest building in the world in 2012, surpassing Taiwan's
Taipei 101 and surpassed only by Dubai's Burj Khalifa. Taipei 101, built in 2004,
Taiwan preceded by Petronas Twin Towers and surpassed by Burj Khalifa designed
by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill with Adrian Smith as chief architect, built in 2010,
Dubai. The Taipei 101 building was awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) Platinum certification, the highest award in the (LEED) rating

84
system becaming the tallest and largest green building in the world. Taipei 101 was
designed by C.Y. Lee and partners, figure (87) & (88).

Figure (87): Taipei 101, built in 2004, Taiwan

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Figure (88): Burj Khalifa built in Dubai, 2010

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85
The building complex is few meters away from the world's largest mosque and
Islam's most sacred site, the Masjid al Haram. The developer and contractor of the
complex is the Saudi Binladin Group, the Kingdom's largest construction company.
The complex was built after the demolition of the Ajyad Fortress, the 18th century
Ottoman citadel which stood atop a hill overlooking the Grand Mosque. The fort was
destructed in 2002 by the Saudi government sparking Turkish and international
outcry, figure (89).

Figure (89): Ajyad Fortress atop the Bulbul hill

87:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ajyad_Fortress.jpg, accessed 2014 February 03

The tallest tower in the complex stands as the tallest building in Saudi Arabia, with a
height of 601 metres. Currently it is the second tallest building in the world. The
structure has surpassed Dubai International Airport in having the largest floor area of
any structure in the world with 1,500,000 m2 of floorspace.
The site of the complex is located across the street to the south from an entrance to
the Masjid al Haram mosque, which houses the Kaaba. To accommodate worshipers
visiting the Kaaba, the Abraj Al-Bait Towers has a large prayer room capable of
holding more than 10,000 people. The tallest tower in the complex also contains a
five-star hotel, operated by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, to help provide lodging for
the millions of pilgrims that travel to Mecca annually to perform Hajj.
Al-Kaaba Al-Musharrafah overlooked from Abraj Al-Bait Towers located across the
street to the south from an entrance to the Masjid al Haram mosque, figure (90).

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Figure (90): Al-Kaaba Al-Musharrafah overlooked from Abraj Al-Bait Towers located across the street
to the south from an entrance to the Masjid al Haram mosque

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In addition, the Abraj Al-Bait Towers has a 20 story shopping mall and a parking
garage capable of holding over one thousand vehicles. Residential towers house
permanent residents while two heliports and a conference center are to
accommodate business travelers. In total, up to 100,000 people could be housed
inside the towers. The project uses clock faces for each side of the hotel tower. Just
above the clock alongside huge Arabic script reading: “God is the Greatest” on the
north and south faces and on the west and east the Koran. Four golden domes on
pillars on all the corners are also present. 21,000 white and green colored lights, the
same as the Saudi Flag, fitted at the top of the clock, will flash to signal Islam's five-
time daily prayers, and will be visible as far as 30 km away. The Saudi coat of arms is
displayed at the center of each clock behind the dials. The minute hand is 22 m long,
while the hour hand is 17 m long.
The highest residential floor stands at 450 metres, just below the spires. The clock
faces are 43 m × 43 m, the largest in the world. The roof of the clocks is 530 metres

87
above the ground, making them the world's most elevated architectural clocks. A 71
metre tall spire has been added on top of the clock giving it a total height of 601
metres, which makes it the second tallest building in the world, surpassed only by
Dubai's Burj Khalifa. The tower also includes an Islamic Museum and a Lunar
Observation Center which will also be used to sight the moon during the Holy
Months. An observatory deck is at the base of the clock. Elevators take visitors up to
an observation balcony just beneath the clock faces. The clock tower is topped by a
93 m spire with 23 m high golden crescent at the top. The spire has the black
observation pod at the bottom which contains a lunar gallery, a control tower and
the main observation deck. The crescent is made of fiberglass-backed mosaic gold,
and it weighs up to 35 tons. The Crescent was divided into 10 parts to be moved to
Mecca. The crescent was partly assembled on the base of the clock-face to reduce it
to 5 parts. Those five parts were then lifted and installed above the spire from 20
June to 6 July 2011.
The minaret and its base have massive loudspeakers that will emit prayer calls to a
distance of seven km while nearly 21,000 lamps will illuminate the surrounding area
to a distance of 30 km to help seeing it from far distance. During occasions like
Muslim Eids and new Hijri years, a 16-beam light will illuminate an area of a diameter
of around 10 km while 21,000 lamps will beam white and green lights to a distance
of 30 km. The light beams are intended to allow deaf persons or Muslims in far areas
to know prayer timings in the western parts of Mecca and nearby cities.

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 PART TWO
Contemporary architecture
CHAPTER FOUR
Blobitecture
2-Contemporary architecture
Contemporary architecture is the architecture that is produced at the present time.
This architecture contains the architecture that is produced at the recent decades,
from the eighties until the present time. Some exemplars of such architecture are;

CHAPTER FOUR:
2-4 Blobitecture
This termis coined out of two words, blob and architecture, it's also said that the
word was derived from the term blobism or blobismus. Curl, J. S. (2006), all these
three terms could be used to describe a contemporary architecture movement
whose buildings are defined as organic and Amoeba-shaped. Even though the term
Blobitecture was ambiguous in the mid ninties, but it appeared in the column of
writer William Safire of New York Times Magazine carring the title “On language” in
which he describe this phenomenon as Defenestration. As the issue was ment for
derogatory comments, it was validated by people and remained in use for the
describtion of buildings of curved and circular forms.
The term “Blob architecture” was first used by the architect Greg Lynn in the year
1995 in his Digital design exeriments by using Graphical meatball software, followed
by many architects and furniture designers who also employed their"blobby"
software to new and unfamiliar forms according to Lynn, G. (1998).
Despite its seeming organicism, Blobitecture could not have made success without
this program and other computer-aided design programs. Architects derived forms
by manipulating the algorithms of the computer modeling platform. There are also
computer-aided designs which were employed for such development such as the
Free form surfaces and digitizing of sculpted forms by means similar to Computed
tomography Waters (2003) affirmed.
Exemplars of such are the works of Archigram, who are a group of architects who
worked in the sixties, to which Peter Cook belonged. These architects were
interested in Inflatable architecture as well as theier interst in forms which could be
generated from plastic. A member of the Archigram groub, architect Ron Herron
came out with Blob-like architecture in his sixties projects, such as the Walking Cities
Cook (1999) explained, figure (91).

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 Figure (91): Ron Herron's Walking Cities project of the sixties
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Michael Webb's Sin Centre and the so many other projects are nothing but what are
termed as Experimental architecture, which were famous at the air of psychedelia of
the seventies. Another exemplar of the Blob-like architecture is the Frederick
Kiesler's Endless House, although it is symmetrical in plan and designed before
computers; his design for the Shrine of the Book (construction begun, 1965) which
has the characteristic droplet form of fluid also anticipates forms that interest
architects today.
If Blobitecture is viewed from the formalaspect and not the technological aspect, it
then belived to be began with Antoni Gaudi's organic designs in Barcelona and the
works of expressionists such as Bruno Taut and Hermann Finsterlin.
2-4-1 Worldwide Blobitecture Architecture
2-4-1-1 Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
As few critics belive that Blob architecture came out of computer software; others
related it to curved or Odd-looking buildings such as Frank Gehry's Guggenheim
Museum Bilbao, along the Nervión River, built in 1999, figure (92).

Figure (92): The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, along the Nervión River, built in 1997
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nervion, accessed 2014 February 03
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2-4-1-2 The EMP Museum
The Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame known
as the The EMP Museum, built in 2000 in Seattle.
These works were not considered as Blob architecture perhaps because they were
designed from physical models but infact they were designed with aid of Computer
Aided Design (CAD) software. Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive
Application,CATIA, the most advance CAD software,that depends on CATIA V5 also
termed Digital Project, developed by Gehry Technologies has been tremendously
used in the execution of various design projects, figure (93).

Figure (93): Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame
91:http://www.history.com/topics/us-states/washington/pictures/washington/experience-music-project-seattle-washington,
accessed 2014 February 8

2-4-1-3 The water pavilion

The building that was executed employing Blobitecture is the water pavilion
designed by Lars Spuybroek (NOX) and Kas Oosterhuis in the Netherlands, in 1997, in
which all designs Computer Drawings Softwares were intensively used.The building
also has an electronic interactive interior where sound and light can be transformed
by the visitor, figure (94).

Figure (94): The water pavilion built in the Netherlands, 1997

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2-4-1-4 The Kunsthaus building
Another Blobitecture exemplar is the Kunsthaus building designed by Peter Cook and
Colin Foundier, the building was built at 2003 in Graz, Austria, figure (95).

Figure (95): The Kunsthaus building built at 2003 in Graz, Austria

93:http://www.arcspace.com/exhibitions/unsorted/museums-in-the-21st-century/, accessed 2014 February 08

2-1-1-5 The Selfridges department store

The Selfridges department store is a blobitecture Future Systems' design at 2003.
The building was intended to evoke the female sillouette and a famous chainmail
dress designed by Paco Rabanne in the 1960s. Its landmark qualities were expected
to rejuvenate the Birmingham city centre Curl, J. S. (2006) explained, figure (96).

Figure (96): The Selfridges department store designed by Future Systems, built in Birmingham in 2003

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As Flatman, B. (2008) described, the building’s polished aluminum discs which seem
to float on the surface change their appearance according to time of day and
weather conditions. The three-dimensionally curved skin of the building covers the
entire volume. The walls are a cost-effective solution of sprayed-concrete facade,
insulated on the outside and then finished with a coat of coloured synthetic sealant
on top of them, via an adjustable connection, the aluminum discs are fixed. This
connection detail consists of a holding plate, affixed centrally, and a domed cover
plate. First every tenth disc was fixed in horizontal bands, and then the remainder
positioned accordingly in between. There is a slight different spacing between the
discs even out the variations in the curvature of the shell. All discs are 660 mm in
diameter, the 15,000 identical discs were produced in series- pressed, spun, and
finally polished to a mirror finish and naturally anodized More than 15,000 aluminum
circles placed on the building's curvy exterior creates a glimmering fish-scale effect.

2-4-1-6 The octopus-like business building

A newly-completed business building in the shape of an octopus near a crossroad in
Wangjing region of Beijing has attracted much attention. It looks so cyber and
bizarre as a piece of modern art. The building resembles the famous Selfridges
department store in Birmingham, figure (97).

Figure (97): The octopus-like business building near a crossroad in Wangjing region, Beijing

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2-4-1-7 Roy Mason’s Xanadu House
Based on Jennings, L. et al (1983) writings, Roy Mason’s Xanadu Houses built in
America, Sedona, Arizona in the seventies out of polyurethane insulation foam are as
well exemplars of blobitecture, figure (98).

Figure (98): Xanadu Houses designed by Roy Mason One of the

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February 13

2-4-1-8 The Allianz Arena

The Allianz Arena built at the southern side of Munich city in Germany at 2005
designed by the architects Herzog and De Meuron is another exemplar of
blobitecture, figure (99).

Figure (99): The Allianz Arena, Germany, Munich, at 2005 designed by the architects Herzog and De
Meuron

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2-4-1-9 The Philological Library

The last presented Blobitecture building is the Philological Library is designed by

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Norman Foster and built in Free University of Berlin at 2005. The library is of brain-
shaped design, figure (100) & (101).

Figure (100): The Philological Library built in Free University of Berlin at 2005
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Figure (101): A longitudinal section of the Philological Library

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2-4-2 Regional Blobitecture architecture

Reginally, Blobitecture architecture is not employed even though Burj Al-Arab of
United Arab Emirates and the Burj Alfateh or Corinthia Hotel categorized as
Blobitecture architecture exemplars.
2-4-2-1 Burj Al-Arab
Burj Al-Arab disputeably referred to as the world’s only seven Star hotels, was built
in 1999, Dubai. It was designed by architect Tom Wright of WS Atkins PLC. The
building reached a hight of 321 m with 60 floors containing 202 rooms. The shape of
the structure was designed to imitate the sail of a local.Its two wings spread in a T-

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shape forming a vast mast, which according to some critics made the structure look
like a huge Christian cross. The hotel rests on an artificial island to form concrete
piles foundation, the builders drove 230 piles into the sand, and each is forty meters
long, figure (102).

Figure (102): Burj Al-Arab of Dubai, 1999

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2014 February 13

2-4-2-2 Corinthia Hotel

The Burj Alfateh or Corinthia Hotel also called the Egg building built in Khartoum,
Sudan in 2003. It is one of the Corinthia Hotels International series. The hotel that
reaches a hight of 18 floors contains 240 rooms was designed by an Italian firm,
figure (103).

Figure (103): The Burj Alfateh or Corinthia Hotel - the Egg building, built in Khartoum, 2003
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CHAPTER FIVE
Critical Regionalism
2-5 Critical Regionalism
This architecture movement uses the buildings geographical context and tried its
best to resist placelessness and lack of meaning of modern architecture by the
employment of power that formularizes as well as considers the place and the
meaning of architecture. The most famous advocates of that are Alexander Tzonis,
Liane Lefaivre and last but not least and the most famous among them is the critic
Kenneth Frampton. The advocacy of this movement was since 1983. According to
Frampton Jorn Utzon’s Bagsvaerd Church built in Denmark at 1976 and Alvar Alto’s
Saynatsalo Town Hall in Finland at 1952 are good exemplars of this movement.
Frampton, K. (1983) proposes that, critical regionalism should adopt modern
architecture, critically, for its universal progressive qualities but at the same time
value should be placed on the geographical context of the building. Emphasis,
Frampton says, should be on topography, climate, and light; on tectonic form rather
than on scenography (painting) and should be on the sense of touch rather than
visual sense. Frampton draws on phenomenology for his argument. Phenomenology
is both a philosophical design current in contemporary architecture and a specific
field of academic research, based on the experience of building materials and their
sensory properties.
Both vernacular architecture geographical context values and modern architecture
universal progressive qualities are vividly evidenced in Jorn Utzon’s Bagsvaerd
Church and Alvar Alto’s Saynatsalo Town Hall and all the other exemplars.

2-5-1 Worldwide Critical Regionalism

2-5-1-1 Bagsvaerd Church
Bagsvaerd Church extensive skylights which, in Utzon's words, result from the
inspiration that I derived from the drifting clouds above the sea and the shore
forming a wondrous space in which the light fell through the ceiling - the clouds -
down on to the floor represented by the shore and the sea. The rectilinear, modular
structure of the building and its integrated courtyards, as well as the connecting
corridors, are said to be inspired by the design of Buddhist temples in China. The
vaulted ceiling is made of reinforced concrete shells, only 12 centimetres thick and

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spanning 17 metres. The curved cylindrical shells rest on flanges supported by rows
of double columns which act as flying buttresses.

2-5-1-2 The Alvar Alto’s Saynatsalo Town Hall

The design of the Alvar Alto’s Saynatsalo Town Hall was influenced by both Finnish
vernacular architecture and the humanist Italian renaissance, figure (104).

Figure (104): Jorn Utzon’s Bagsvaerd Church built in Denmark at 1976

102:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bagsv2.JPG, accessed 2014 February 16

Traditional building materials such as brick are used. Brick is, by nature, cellular. The
bricks were even laid slightly off-line to create a dynamic and enlivened surface
condition. The massive brick envelope is punctuated by periods of vertical striation in
the form of timber columns which evoke Saynatsalo's setting in a heavily forested
area.
The butterfly truss gives call to medieval and traditional styles. It was the Italian
Renaissance from which Aalto drew inspiration for the courtyard arrangement as
Tzonis, A. et al (1981) affirmed, figure (105).

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 Figure (105): Alvar Alto’s Saynatsalo Town Hall in Finland at 1952

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2-5-1-3 The NMB Bank

Another exemplar of critical regionalism is the NMB Bank of which the Dutch gable
pitched roofs are set at slight angle to each bricks, is the 17th century Amsterdam’s
vernacular architecture. The wall slopes deflect sound upwards and thus cut down
the noise of adjacent motorways, figure (106).

Figure (106): Anton Alberts’ and others NMB Bank, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 1987
Jencks, C. (1988) ), Architecture today, Academy Editions, London

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2-5-1-4 Antonio Public Library
Critical regionalism which is strongly influenced by vernacular architecture tries
moreevidently to find a link of any kind to vernacular architecture and does not in
any way neglegt trying to introduce aspects of modern architecture universal
progressive qualities as Foster, H. (1983) explained. This notion is vividly evidenced
in San Antonio Public Library, Texas, designed by the Mexican architect Ricardo
Legorreta, 1995, figure (107).

Figure (107): San Antonio Public Library, Texas, Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta, 1995

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2-5-2 Regional Critical Regionalism

Critical Regionalism being the most available contemporary architecture worldwide
and regionally, exemplars to it will not be necessarily will only be restricted to the
local context more precisely those of Saudi Arabia will be enough for that.
2-5-3 Local Critical Regionalism
Saudi Arabia has a unique architectural heritage that has developed over the
centuries. Historically, building designs and materials in Saudi Arabia were dictated
by the climate, geography and resources available as King, J. (1998) explained. For
example, builders in the central areas preferred adobe for its malleability, availability

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and insulating qualities. In western Saudi Arabia, stone and red brick were common,
while Jeddah’s builders used coral from the Red Sea.
Contemporary Saudi architects are increasingly looking to these traditional building
designs and Islamic concepts for inspiration. This combination of tradition with the
ultra modern strengthens the link between a cherished past and an innovative
future.
King Saud University and the King Khalid International Airport are two striking
examples of just how well traditional (Islamic) design and modern structure can be
combined.
2-5-3-1 Prince Salman Central library
Prince Salman Central library at King Saud University is influenced by the Arabian
simple bright colour cubic adobe buildings with their high level small windows. This
vernacular architecture aspect coupled with modern architecture motifs reflected in
the glazy wide screen-like sky light are profiles of critical regionalism style, figure
(108).

Figure (108): Prince Salman Central library at King Saud University

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2-5-3-2 The King Khalid International Airport

The King Khalid International Airport located 35 kilometers (about 21.75 miles) north

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of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, designed by the architectural firm of HOK (formerly
Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum) is another exemplar of critical regionalism style
of Saudi Arabia. King Khaled International Airport, which is founded in 1983, covers
an area of 137 square miles, serving the domestic and international transport needs
of Riyadh city in Saudi Arabia. The airport features two parallel runways, a mosque, a
royal gallery, shopping center and a separate air cargo complex. More than half a
million square feet of desert plant landscaping surround the airport. The spectacular
roof design was inspired by the indigenous palm tree and the natural light, which is
tremendously accommodated in the interiors are evidences of how the airport falls
into the critical regionalism style category, figure (109) & (110).

Figure (109): An exterior view of King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1982
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Figure (110): An interior view of King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1982

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2-5-3-3 The ARC Office Building
The most interesting of all Saudi critical regionalism style is the The ARC Office
Building, Jeddah, fgure (111).

Figure (111): The ARC Office Building, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Abiat Architects, Egypt
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The ARC occupies a prime location site of about 5250 square meters of area in
a newly developed neighborhood of Jeddah. It is an office building composed of a
basement, ground, first, and second floor with a total area of 11000 square meters.
The net rentable area of 5800 square meters is composed of 20 basic flexible office
space units that can be joined according to the market requirements. Each unit has a
separate entrance opening directly to the outside and extends from the basement to
the second floor having its own private parking spaces and roof terrace overlooking
the nearby Red Sea coast, thus perfectly applying the concept of an “independent
office villa”. Morphologically, the result is a fan shaped mass sculpted by a
3dimentional folding plane. The building resembles glass boxes screened by operable
aluminum tight meshes. Environmentally, the aluminum lattices wrapping the office
boxes are fully adjustable and dividable into numerous sun breakers panels that can
fold and slide each independently reaching a complete perpendicular position to the
building’s façades. In that way, both opposing goals of protecting the building’s
occupants from the severe western sun, as well as of allowing them to enjoy the
adjacent Red Sea view are successfully reconciled and achievable according to those
occupants’ will.
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Culturally, the folding plane wrapping the office boxes is clad in local beige stone and
continuously metamorphoses from floors to walls and roofs, symbolizing the
geographical and traditional values inherent in the buildings context and deeply
shared by its different tenants no matter their apparent diversity may seem. The
operable sun breaking system is an abstract modern recall of the traditional system
of the mashrabiahs. In this remarkable design critical regionalism stlyle is best
evidenced as Saudi vernacular architecture values meet with modern architecture
profiles.

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CHAPTER SIX
Deconstructivism
2-6 Deconstructivism
The French Philosopher Jacqes Derrida has commenced the idea of Deconstructivism
in the year 1980. In Deconstructivism or sometimes referred to as Post structuralism,
architects depended on the structural treatment of surfaces and the adoption of
shapes that don’t have linear lines and form that don’t have linear edges to produce
buildings characterized by massive volumes and distorted architectural design
elements Hays, K. M. (1998) explained. Those who often referred to
Deconstructivism as post-structuralism belive that, this kind of architecture has the
ability to go beyond current modalities of structural definition. In Deconstructivism
structures are not required to reflect specific social or universal ideas, such as the
necessity of fastness in the excution of required works or universality of form, and
they do not reflect a belief that form follows function.
The boredom and dullness of many repetitive and monotonous building forms had
lead to the emergence of intellectual revolution searching for whatever new in
architecture. It is only architecture gumptious intellectuals have the ability to extract
pearls from the oceans of ancient architecture that composes a great deal of rich and
precious ideas. Deconstructivism, which was clearly known due to its rapid spread in
the eightieth, could never be understood without linking it to the twentieth of the
19th modernism, precisely when going back to analyze the Monument to the Third
International, which was designed in 1919 by Vladimir Tatlin. The Sculpturalism
design form was an interpretation to what affected the society such as economical
disability, which was symbolized by the tumbling and imbalanced form that was
considered as a continuation of the Russian Bolshevism ideas.
According to Mallgrave, H. F. (2005) the architects of the eightieth referred back in
their works to the structural and mechanical concept of Constructivism which was
inspired by Vladimir Tatlin’s Monument to the Third International. Many works
evolved from Tatlin’s edifice then followed with cheap and simple structure
construction elements either firmly tied or not.
This new architectural movement is a continuation of Post Modernism ideas. A
ccording to Rickey, G. (1995) Post Modernism architects called for perfection in
architectural works, whereas Deconstructivism architects called for disturbed

105
Perfection, which become the formal imperatives for Deconstructivism of which
buildings are partially scattered and expressed to come out with vivid architectonic
reflecting the random social directions (Similar to what Tatlin’s edifice reflected).
Deconstructivism is as well an expression to the impossible careworn attempt to
create an uncountable feelings that characterize the present global village
(Globalization).
Starting in the late 1980’s, Post-modernism shifted to “Post-post-modernism,” also
referred to as Deconstructivism. While Post-modernism is a resurrection of the past,
Deconstructivist architects on the other hand attempted to deconstruct architecture
by “exploding “ the Building, its elements, or the design idea from within to without,
resulting in a style that is non-systematic an unorthodox.
Deconstructivism is characterized by disjointed angles, an unbalanced appearance,
and a feeling that the whole structure would tip over due to the un-syncopated
nature of its whole composition.
The first official confession of Deconstructivist Architecture was via the exhibition
that was organized in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1988 in New York. In
that exhibition projects of seven architects were displayed. These famous architects
were;
1- Frank Gehry
2- Peter Eisenman
3- Bernand Tchumi
4- Daniel Libeskind
5- Rem Koolhaas
6- Zaha Hadid
7- Coop Himmelblau
Since then Deconstructivist Architecture school of thought, offices and products
started prevailing all over the world. Analysing and exploding both architectural
forms and functions to their components is what was produced by Deconstructivist
Architecture. These components included society or city mega structures were what
occupied not only architects but also extended to French Philosopher Jacqes Derrida
whose writings and essays were the base for the theoretical aspect of

106
Deconstructivist Architecture. It is from his writings that architects such as Bernand
Tchumi and Peter Eisenman benifited from. The collaboration of Bernand Tchumi,
Peter Eisenman and Jacqes Derrida resulted in the destictive design of Parc De La
Villette Park in Paris, built in 1987, Paris. It was in this Park that the first best Science
Museum of all Europe was built. It is a design assumed to be the first step in
Deconstructivist Architecture characterized by some Follies, figure (112) & (113).

Figure (112): Follies of Parc De La Villette built in 1987, Paris

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February 17

Figure (113): Follies of Parc De La Villette built in 1987, Paris

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February 17

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2-6-1 Worldwide Deconstructivism architecture
2-6-1-1 Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry is a Canadian-American based in Los Angeles. His works are
considered as the most important works of contemporary architecture and he is
classified as the most important architect of our age. He is considered a modern
architectural icon and celebrity, or a major Starchitect.
As a truck driver in Los Angeles Gehry graduated from the University of Southern
California's School of Architecture at the top of his class with a Bachelor of
Architecture degree. He studied city planning at the Harvard Graduate School of
Design.
Gehry is associated with the Los Angeles School of architecture. The existence of this
school remains controversial due to the lack of a unifying philosophy or theory
Chollet, L. B. (2001) attested. This school includes some Gehry’s contemporaries such
as Eric Owen Moss and Thom Mayne of Morphosis. Gehry has been called the
apostle of chain-link fencing and corrugated metal siding.
Gehry’s style at times seems unfinished or even crude as according to some critics
his buildings waste structural resources by creating functionless forms, do not seem
to belong in their surroundings and are apparently designed without accounting for
the local climate. Gehry has gained a reputation for taking the budgets of his clients
seriously, in an industry where complex and innovative designs like Gehry's typically
go over budget. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao despite its architectural innovation
has far less cost compared to Sydney Opera House. First, Gehry employs a tactic
called the “organization of the artist” in which he will be able to prevent political and
business interfention in the design. Second, he made sure he had a detailed and
realistic cost estimate before proceeding. Third, he used CATIA (computer-aided
three-dimensional interactive application) and close collaboration with the individual
building trades to control costs during construction, his other firm Gehry
Technologies developed Digital Project.
Gehry is very much inspired by fish. Not only do they appear in his buildings, he
created a line of jewelry, household items, and sculptures based on this motif.

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- Gehry residence
His private residence built in 1977 in Santa Monica, California, changed his career
from the status of "paper architecture" a notion associated with almost all renowned
architects to considerable projects commission in later years. It was originally an
extension, designed by Gehry built around an existing pink bungalow that was
originally built in 1920. It makes use of unconventional materials, such as chain link
fences and corrugated steel sheets. The chain link fence is a type of woven fence
usually made from galvanized steel or coated steel wires. It is sometimes considered
one of the earliest deconstructivist buildings, although Gehry himself denies that it
was deconstructivism.
Gehry wanted to explore what could happen if building materials such as metal,
plywood, mesh or chain link fencing, and wood framing are to be employed
together. In 1978, he wraped the outside of the house with a new exterior while still
leaves the old exterior visible by using mesh or chain link fencing. He did not touch
the rear and south facades. Then, in 1991, he needed to extend the house due to
growing family. Many of Gehry's neighbors were unhappy at the unusual looking
building being built in their neighbourhood Dal Co, F. et al (1998) Eexplained, figure
(114), (115) & (116).

Figure (114): Gehry’s residence, built in Santa Monica, California, 1977

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Figure (115): A plan of Gehry’s residence

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 Figure (116): An isometric perspective of Gehry’s residence
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- The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Bessides his private residence in Santa Monica, California, one more building out the
various buildings he designed, The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao will be studied. The
museum was built in 1997, Bilbao, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River,
which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The Guggenheim is one of
several museums belonging to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation to which
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Solomon R.Guggenheim Museum built in 1959, New York
belongs. The museum features permanent and visiting exhibits of works by Spanish
and international artists, traditional paintings and sculptures are a minority
compared to installations and electronic forms. Cai Guo-Qiang’s Head On work of the
99 wolves’ scultural replicas are the best exemplar of visiting exhibits at the
museum, figure (117).

Figure (117): Head On exhibit of the 99 wolves’ sculptural replicas at Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

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110
Besides incorporating peculiar exhibits there are as well striking outdoor scultpturs
exhibits such as the giant metal spider sculpture made from ribbed bronze work of
the French-American artist Louise Josephine Bourgeois. This 9 m hight giant female
spider sculpture is called Maman in French which translates as Mother in English,
figure (118).

Figure (118): The outdoor sculpture exhibit, the giant female spider called Maman or mother

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The sac like structure underneath contains 26 marble eggs. The run-away science-
fiction film 9 m hight giant female spider together with the the 99 wolves’ scultural
replicas have a surreal look that makes people to interpret them differently.This
interpretation is one the many objectives museums in generally present. These
exhibits with others as the American artist Jeff Koon’s Tulip and Puppy exhibits
available in the museum are received with mixed reactions of amazement and
amusement. The stainless steel with mirror finish surfaces Tulip is an amazing
colourful external sculpture, figure (119).

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The Puppy is a wonderful horticultural floral puppy a 12.4 m tall exhibit. It is a
stainless steel work with an internal irrigation system with the entrance of The
Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in the background, figure (120).
The curves on the exterior of the building were intended to appear random; the
architect said that "the randomness of the curves are designed to catch the light

Figure (119): The external exhibit of the Tulip

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Figure (120): The external exhibit of Jeff Koons’s Puppy

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Gehry, F. (1999) explained. The atrium, which Gehry nicknamed The Flower because
of its shape, serves as the organizing center of the museum, figure (121).

Figure (121): The atrium or The Flower the organizing center of the museum
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The museum claded in glass, titanium, and limestone is successfully integrated into
the urban context. It is most impressive when viewed from the Nervion River. It is
also considered as one of the most distinguisable works of contemporary
architecture. Philip Johnson described it as the greatest building of our time having
an area of 32,500 m2 containing 19 galleries the largest measures 30 m wide by 130
m long, figure (122) &(123).

Figure (122): An external view of the museum where cladding in glass, titanium, and limestone is
vividly shown
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 Figure (123): The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao built in 1997

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2-6-1-2 Peter Eisenman

He is an American architect whose architectural works are often referred to as
formalist, deconstructive, late avant-garde, late or high modernist. Eisenman's
writings on formal analyses are in line with renowned writers as Andrea Palladio, Le
Corbusier and James Stirling and others. Besides being a teacher, an editor, a
curator, and writer and a practioner he was also an early advocate of computer
aided design. Eisenman received a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Cornell, a
Master of Architecture Degree from Columbia University and Ph.D. degrees from the
University of Cambridge Eisenman the architect tells much about himself in
Eisenman, P. (2004). He taught architecture in so many institutions, but currently he
teaches theory seminars and advanced design studios at the Yale School of
Architecture.
Eisenman was a member of the New York Five known as the Whites, as opposed to
the Grays, Charles Moore and others. The most famous in the five architects group
are Eisenman, Richard Meier, and Michael Graves. Eisenman's works are based on
architectural form derived from his academic and theoretical standpoint that
resulted in structures that are badly built and hostile to users.

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The Wexner Center was the first major public deconstructivist building that required
extensive and expensive modifications due to necessary design weaknesses such as
incompetent material specifications, and spaces exposed to direct sunlight resulting
in more fine art exhibition than architecture.
- Wexner Center for the Arts
The Center was built in Columbus, Ohio state in 1989, named in honor of Leslie
Wexner, who was a major donor to the Center. The Wexner Center for the Arts is a
multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of
contemporary art in the whole of Ohio State University. Through exhibitions,
screenings, performances, artist residencies, and educational programs, the Wexner
Center acts as a forum where established and emerging artists can test ideas and
where diverse audiences can participate in cultural get togethers that boasts the
understanding of contemorary art. In its programs, the Center balances a
commitment to traditions with a commitment to rocket accelaration of
modernization. It as well affirms the university’s three major missions of education,
research, and community service.
The Wexner Center is both a laboratory and public gallery, but not a museum, as it
does not contain artifacts even though it assumed possession of 3,000 art works
formally belonged to the University Gallery of Fine Arts. The collection serves a
secondary role in the Center's programs in the visual, media and performing arts.
The Center is made available to University students and scholars for study and
occasionally drawn upon for exhibitions at the center or elsewhere, figure (124).
The Wexner Center was the first major public building to be designed by Eisenman,
previously known primarily as a teacher and theorist. The design includes a large,
white metal grid meant to suggest scaffolding, to give the building a sense of
incompleteness to comply with the deconstructivism tastes Eisenman adopts, figure
(125).
There is a staircase taking to the upstairs screenings and talk’s large room entrance.
Two odd positioned coloumns appear, one suspends as people take the staircase
upstairs and the other is positioned at the loeft reducing the width of the staircase,
these two staircases together making it uncomfortable and unbearable for some to

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 Figure (124): Wexner Center for the Arts built in Columbus, Ohio state in 1989
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Figure (125): Scaffolding like walkway in the Center ment to give a sense of incompleteness
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walk upstairs, but if at all the activities there diserve it then such obstacle could
easily be overtaken, figure (126).

Figure (126): Staircase taking to the upstairs screenings and talk’s large room
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Visitors to the sprawling Andy Warhol exhibition at the Wexner Center sit on star-
shaped seats to watch video interviews produced by the artist, who died in 1987,
figure (127).

Figure (127): Star-shaped seats for watching video interviews produced by the artists
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- City of Culture of Galicia
The complex comprises of cultural buildings located in Galicia, Spain. The buildings
which intended to contribute towards meeting the challenges of the information and
knowledge society look like rolling hills with high degree contours.
The buildings from far so much look like series of mountains a fact that Eisenman has
successfully brought into reality by making it possible for visitors of the building to
climb the roofs of the different buildings which themselves are covered with stone
tiles Eisenman, P. (2004) explained, figure (128).

Figure (128): The buildings from far so much look like series of mountains
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Eisenman’s unique and exceptional design and planning concepts are in harmony
with the site. The building site was equipped with devices that make the political
implications and ecological extension of the construction works understandable for
the general public guest for urban transparency. From afar, four of the six buildings
that compose the City of Culture of Galicia rise up out of the earth with buckling
stone-clad forms, figure (129).
Its unique buildings, interconnected by streets and plazas equipped with state-of-
the-art technology make up a space of excellence for reflection, debate and actions
orientated towards Galicia's future and internationalization. Its spaces shall host
services and activities devoted to the preservation of heritage and memory, the
study, research, experimentation, production and dissemination in the field of
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 Figure (129): Four of the six stone-clad buildings form from a far
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literature and thinking, music, drama, dance, film, the visual arts, audiovisual
creation and communication.
A granite and quartzite stone slope at the back of the library leads visitors around to
the glazed north face. People could climb up, on top of the roofs especially the
steepy Megabiblioteca or the grand library’s roof, to have a full view of the whole
city in search for public guest for urban transparency, figure (130).

Figure (130): People could climb up on top of the roofs especially the steepy Megabiblioteca or the
grand library’s roof, to have a full view of the whole city
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Jagged mullions along the south elevation of the archive building frame gray-tinted
glass while a white aluminum channels break the surface. At the southwest corner
are the John Hejduk Towers, a folly originally projected for a site somewhere else,
but unrealized, and so erected here at Eisenman’s suggestion, figure (131).

Figure (131): The south elevation of the archive building

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Visitors park at the east end of the complex, and enter on the red granite and
asphalt paths that cleave the archive and the library. The rose and tan quartzite
stone surfacing the slippery slope roof which is supported by steel scaffolding above
a secondary roof of concrete with waterproofing and insulation, figure (132).

Figure (132): The east end of the complex where the rose and tan quartzite stone surfacing the
slippery slope roof is approached
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The complex thousands different windows look unfamiliar what makes each one of
them has its own construction details and requirements. Each of its thousands
windows appering in the external facades have different custom shapes. Windows
glazed parts and how they were recessed in some parts too much to the inside
complying with the mountainous topographical relief of the surrounding site, figure
(133).

Figure (133): An unfamiliar looking window

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One major component of the complex, the Library of Galicia, preserve and
disseminate Galicia's bibliographical heritage including all printed, sound, audiovisual
and IT production. It shall promote and disseminate Galician culture, enabling access
to Galicia's bibliographical heritage, either in person or virtually, figure (134) & (135).
The interior of the library receives daylight from the north window wall; open stacks
are designed for individual reading areas. Walkways inside the building as well
reflect the nature of the mountainous topographical relief of the surrounding site.
120 m2 square columns support the roof and contain drains, figure (136).
The Archive of Galicia, situated in the building adjacent to the Library, receives keeps
and renders available to citizens all public or private documents in any type of paper,
video, photographs, audio format that should be preserved due to their value.
Museum of Galicia with a surface area of 6,600 m2 for exhibitions, on three stories, it
is to host temporary exhibitions of great relevance, deploy a range of training and

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 Figure (134): City of Culture of Galicia Archive and Library
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Figure (135): City of Culture of Galicia Archive and Library plan

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 Figure (136): The interior of the library
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informative events that will make it an active, continuously updated center. The
plaster-finished round concrete columns in the archive form a secondary support
system for the internal spaces.
Music and Performing Arts Centre hosts World-class music, drama and audiovisual
performances. It is expected to promote the projection to the world for Galician
output in these fields as well as international exchange and cooperation.
Its main auditorium, with a multi-purpose stage and a seating capacity for 1,300 is to
be complemented with other lesser spaces, where small-scale projects may be
hosted and adapted to interdisciplinary experimentation and creation, as well as for
training and professional exchange activities.
The International Art Centre is situated on the northern side next to the Museum of
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Galicia is a center for modern art and the artistic and cultural relations between Latin
America and Europe.
The Central Services building hosts the management and logistics of the City of
Culture of Galicia, as well as the Xunta's Integrated Center for Data Processing: the
digital core of Galician Administration. Covering an area of 7,500 m2, the building is
structured on five floors that will host offices, a staff canteen, two smaller and one
larger 500 m2 multi-purpose rooms, capable of hosting a variety of events.
Inspired by the historic city of Compostela, the complex surroundings are expected
to articulate by streets, colonnades, gardens and plazas, transcending the mere
concept of a cultural center to become a city with a life of its own, where visitors
may not only enjoy the programming scheduled for each building, but also go
shopping, eating out or just simply strolling. Five pedestrian streets link all the
buildings to a main central plaza, surrounded by 25 hectares of parkland with
walkways for strolling and leisure. The built-up area includes parking space for
around one thousand cars, a main road with access from downtown Santiago and a
highway, enabling access from all over Galicia.
The Hejduk towers also deserve a special mention. They were designed in 1992 by
the architect John Hejduk to be built as a part of the Botanical gardens in Belvis, a
project that never materialized. When Hejduk passed away, Peter Eisenman
suggested erecting the Hejduk towers at the City of Culture as a memorial to their
designer, a friend of his and a colleague in The New York Five, the group that best
represents the spirit of neo-rationalism in architecture.

2-6-1-3 Bernand Tschumi

Bernand Tschumi who is an architect, writer, and an educator is son of the well
known architect Jean Tschumi. He works and lives in New York and Paris. Tschumi
studied in Paris and Switzerland, where he received his degree in architecture in
1969. Tschumi taught architecture in Britain and America where he became Dean of
the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia
University. Tschumi has argued that it is not always necessary to have a relationship
between architectural form and the events that take place within it, an advocacy
contarary to what has been belived in regarding this matter. He also argued

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unquestioned cultural narratives when combined film and literary theory with
architecture as he was teaching design studios and seminars based on that approach.
This approach according to Tschumi, B (1994) unfolded along two lines in his
architectural practice: first, by exposing the conventionally defined connections
between architectural sequences and the spaces, programs, and movement which
produce and reiterate these sequences; and second, by inventing new associations
between space and the events that 'take place' within it through processes of
defamiliarization, de-structuring, superimposition, and cross programming. Tschumi,
B (1994) wrote distinguishing between the forming of knowledge and the knowledge
of form.

- Parc de la Villette
Parc de la Villette which was built in 1987 in Paris became his first major public work
made possible an implementation of the design research and theory he wrote about
in The Manhattan Transcripts and The Screenplays. He consulted the
deconstructionist philosopher Jacques Derrida in the preparation of his design
proposal. According to Tschumi, the intention of the vast expanse of the park was to
create space for activity and interaction, allowing visitors to walk about the site with
a sense of freedom and opportunity for exploration and discovery.
The design of the park is organized into a series of points, lines, and surfaces. These
categories of spatial relation and formulation are used in Tschumi’s design to act as
means of deconstructing the traditional views of how a park is conventionally meant
to exist. The park houses museums, concert halls, live performance stages, and
theatres, as well as playgrounds for children, restaurants and thirty-five architectural
follies a mong these buildings the City of Science and Industry museum is the largest
science museum not only in Paris but also in Europe, figure (137).
A folly in architecture is a building constructed primarily for decoration as Barlow, N.
et al (2009) defined. Architecturally, the follies are meant to act as points of
reference that help visitors gain a sense of direction and navigate throughout the
space. While the follies are meant to exist in a deconstructive space without
historical relation, many have found connections between the steel structures and
the previous buildings that were part of the old industrial fabric of the area. The

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 Figure (137): A restaurant in Parc de la Villette
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follies help in organization and direction of park visitors. To some, the park has little
concern with the human scale of park functions, without historical precedent as the
traditional parks and its vast open space seem to challenge the expectation that
visitors may have of an urban park, figure (138).

Figure (138): Follies in Parc de la Villette

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Since construction commenced buildings have been designed in phases, a mongst
such buildings is the music museum and concert hall designed by renowned architect
Christian de Portzamparc, inaugurated in 1995, figure (139).

Figure (139): Music museum and concert hall by architect Christian de Portzamparc, in 1995
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The 2,400 seats symphony concert hall for orchestral works, jazz, and world music
designed by Jean Nouvel almost finished, figure (140).

Figure (140): The 2,400 seats symphony concert hall within the Paris Parc de la Villette
137:http://www.philharmoniedeparis.fr/en/, accessed 2014 March 18

- School of Architecture of (FIU) Florida International University

The Paul Cejas School of Architecture Building designed by Bernard Tschumi in
2001is named in honor of the former Ambassador to Belgium and South Florida civic
leader who was one of our most important advocates in the establishment of the
School of Architecture of Florida International University, Miami. It is one of the FIU
university 26 schools and colleges and is a school within the College of Architecture
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and the Arts. The school was founded in the 1980s.
The school building’s yellow, orange and red ceramic tile exterior makes it to be the
most identifiable building on campus. The 30,600 m2 facility features a multi-level
technologically advanced studio with space for 375 students. Students enjoy the
exterior courtyard space and an ultra-modern auditorium with an advanced audio-
visual system Tschumi, B (2005) attested, figure (141).

Figure (141): The Paul Cejas School of Architecture Building twisted slightly to contrast with the
rectilinear formalism
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In studios students learn a wide variety of disciplines acquiring all the basic skills
while exploring a range of new possibilities in research methodology, theory and
criticism necessary for careers in contemporary practice. The Studio interactivity is a
climate conducive to intellectual and aesthetic growth. It provides many
opportunities for each student including visiting artist seminars, workshops and
study abroad programs. The Art and Art History Department is fully accredited by the
National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Tschumi approached the design bearing in mind the location and peculiarity of
Florida International University. It is located in the largest and fastest-growing
metropolis in the southeastern United States, a city that combines glamour with
commerce and is situated at the epicenter of a zone of influence that extends into
the Caribbean and South America. Bernard Tschumi Architects approached the

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design for a new building for the School of Architecture to expand young School and
as a forum for exchange between vibrant cultures in a growing city.
In looking at strategies for what had been described as a commuter school, Bernard
Tschumi focused on the design of communal space as a way to activate the student
body and promote discussions and interactions that extend beyond the classrooms
and studios. The concept looked at ways to define the relationship between the
public space and the more conventional parts of the program. The final scheme
consists of two sober wings made of a simple structural pre-cast concrete arranged
around a central courtyard filled with colorful generators. These consist of a court of
palm trees and two discrete structures that are connected to the rest of the school
by walkways at different levels, figure (142).

Figure (142): Florida International University’s School of Architecture court of palm trees
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According to Tschumi, B. et al (2003) the veneered structures clad in bright

variegated tiles and twisted slightly to contrast with the rectilinear formalism of each
wing, contain the public programs of the building: a reading room, gallery, lecture
hall, and a multi-use terrace, figure (143).
The generators help to promote interaction and define unexpected in-between
spaces at several levels between each wing. The idea behind the multi-leveled
individual student’s cubicles gallaries is based on the concept in which the above
ones overlooking the one beneath and all opportuned to receive daylight as well as
fostering interaction among the students, figure (144).
The courtyard is not closed, but opens on the axis to allow the school to integrate

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 Figure (143): The veneered structures clad in bright variegated tiles colored in red and yellow
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Figure (144): Individual student’s cubicles; the above overlooking the one beneath and all opportuned
to receive daylight
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with the tropical landscape, to promote interest from passers-by, and to give a public
face to a building that suggests the exchange of cultures that takes place within it.
The 36,000 m2 building arranges all the requested programmatic activities around
the 900 cm x 900 cm courtyard, which becomes a central forum for planned and
unplanned activities and adds cost-efficient usable space to the plan arrangement.
Above this, walkways connect the wings with the generators in a way that helps
shade the courtyard during the morning and late afternoon, responding to the hot
local climate with a practical and ecologically sensible solution. Whatever the
attendance level on a given day, the constant movement of students on the shaded
steps, periphery, and the unprogrammed space above the lecture hall lends the
court a sense of liveliness and dynamism. In a digital age when computers make the
physical studio less of a necessity, these active areas become critical to the
educational agenda of the institution and foster a sense of pride and shared
ownership within the student body.
The complex building was made of five distinct entities, each with its own enclosure,
two of them featuring an irregular geometry. Most ductwork, conduits, sprinklers,
and even acoustical baffles had to remain exposed for reasons of cost. Although the
main expense was the building’s enclosure, by combining structure and envelope in
a single material, pre-cast concrete, the firm was not only able to meet the cost
parameters, but succeeded in taking advantage of pre-cast technology in an original
way.
Florida International University’s School of Architecture wanted a signature project
but they lacked the funds to create 36,000 m2 of architectural gold. Tschumi’s
solution was to create an exaggerated formal figure through fabricating an
exaggerated context which creates a high degree of contrast with the adjacent
structures and that is not just via the front yellowish colour as the reddish striking
rear façade indicates, figure (145).
There are five buildings that are part of the complex. Three of the structures are
simplified tilt wall concrete structures. The tilt wall structures create a rigid datum
that begins to form a background for the brightly colored red and yellow generators
and the vertically slanted windows accommodate indirect daylight, figure (146).

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 Figure (145): The reddish striking rear facade
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Figure (146): Vertically slanted windows accommodates indirect daylight

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2-6-1-4 Daniel Libeskind
He is an architect, artist, set designer professor and theorist who mostly designed
museums and galleries around the world. Libeskind started as a musician performing
on Polish television in the fifties. He briefly worked as an apprentice to architect
Richard Meier. He was later on hired to work at Peter Eisenman's New York Institute
for Architecture and Urban Studies, but he quit almost immediately. An institute
concerned with research, education, and development in architecture and urbanism.
It was joined by young architects seeking alternatives to traditional forms of
education and practice. History and theory of architecture and an intensive design
tutorial were taught by the Institute’s instructors who are considred the most
renowned architects and critics of the time living in or visiting America. Some of such
renowned architects and critics who taught in the institution are Peter Eisenman,
Rem Koolhaas, Aldo Rossi, Charles Gwarthmey, Frank Gehry, Diana Agrest, Mario
Gandelsonas, Rafael Moneo, Robert Stern, Bernard Tschumi, Michael Graves,
Richard Meier, Kenneth Frampton, Manfredo Tafuri and Anthony Vidler, among
others.
This private Institute helped shape much of the autonomous theoretical discourse
that dominated architectural culture in the last 30 years of the 20th century; it as
well concentrates more on applied theory and research utilizing new technology,
cross-disciplines, materials and methods. Such private organizations, even though
had a agreat influence on the sphere of architecture in general it contributed little to
debate, criticism, multidisciplinary experimentation, progressive education,
improvisation and applied theory compared to public architecture education
institution like Columbia University, Cooper Union, and Pratt Institute which have
better success at creating greater intellectual friction and stimulation and to a great
degree hampered by the requirements of professional accreditation.
Libeskind taught at numerous universities across the world, including the University
of Kentucky, Yale University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Currently and since
2007, Libeskind is a visiting professor at the Leuphana University, Lueneburg,
Germany.
Libeskind completed his first building at the age of 52 in 1998 after which critics had

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dismissed his designs as "unbuildable or unduly assertive." The first design
competition that Libeskind won was in 1987 for housing in West Berlin, but soon
thereafter the Berlin Wall fell and the project was canceled.
- The Jewish Museum Berlin
The Jewish Museum Berlin, completed in 1999, was Libeskind's first major
international success and was one of the first buildings designed after reunification.
The museum exhibits the social, political and cultural history of Jews in Berlin from
the 4th century to the present. Two millennia of the controversial German Jewish
history are on display in the permanent exhibition as well as in various changing
exhibitions around the world! One of the largest Jewish Museums in Europe the
Jewish Museum Berlin is in form of two buildings, one of which is a new addition
specifically built for the museum by architect Daniel Libeskind. The museum opened
to the public in 2001 desplaying German-Jewish history documented in the
collections, the library and the archive, and in the computers as as well reflected in
the museum's program of events. To us Muslims normal laypersons and elites alike,
the study of such Jewish propaganda should be benefeciary in looking for tacktics
necessary for defending our graet religion. Such studies could also help us to look for
ways to desplay the rich Islamic heritage by either organizing exhibitions or building
museums and gallaries in the non Muslim world enhances the spread Islamic values.
The original Jewish Museum in Berlin was founded in 1933, but was closed soon
thereafter, in 1938, by the Nazi regime Dorner, E (2006) asserted. In 1975 an
"Association for a Jewish Museum" organized an exhibition on Jewish history (1978).
Continues discussions about the necessity of constructing a new museum dedicated
to Jewish history in Berlin persisted resulting in the building of the new The Jewish
Museum Berlin.
In 1988, the Berlin government announced an anonymous competition for the new
museum’s design. A year later, Daniel Libeskind's design was chosen by the
committee. While other entrants proposed cool, neutral spaces, Libeskind offered a
radical, zigzag design.
The empty museum attracted over 350,000 people before completion in 1999 before
later on filled with exhihibition materials and then opened in 2001. People have

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been visiting it for three years before a singles material was displyed in it, showing
that the design itself was successful as an exhibit.
The twisted zig-zag 15,000 m2 museum is accessible only via an underground
passage from the other Berlin Museum's baroque wing. Its shape is reminiscent of a
warped Star of David. A 20 m tall Void, an empty space, slices linearly through the
entire building. An irregular matrix of windows cuts in all directions across the
building's facade. A thin layer of zinc coats the building's exterior, which will oxidize
and turn bluish as it weathers, figure (147).

Figure (147): The twisted zigzag Jewish museum and the older Berlin Museum's baroque wing to the
right

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According to Dorner, E (2006) a second underground tunnel connects the Museum

to The Garden of Exile. Atop each of its 49 tall earth filled pillars olive trees grow out
of reach. The pillars are 7 by 7 at sides of the The Garden of Exile’s tilted foundation.
While the columns are vertical, the ground in between has a slope. The Garden’s
square form is the only completely regular form in the building. Libeskind’s wicked
claim ment to say; the Museum’s crocked shape represents Nazis’s Holocaust the
Jews suffered making them to go through a state of destruction in which millions of
them were murdered before and during the Second World War.
The Garden of Exile and Emigration or Garden of Eden as called by Libeskind is

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another representative of the loss the Jews experienced for a very long time to
escape to every where they could around the world. The Nazis’s Holocaust effect left
in the Jews according to Libeskind is vividly shown as people walk disoriented and
confused in between the 47 similar tall tangled forest trees-like columns, figure
(148).

Figure (148): The Garden of Exile and Emigration or Garden of Eden

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Libeskind admits a powerful faith in the ability of people to learn both from history
and from architecture. A view taken upwards by Libeskind shows a Christian cross
shape represents the controversy behind the crossifiction of Jesus, which according
to Christians was a Jewish deed, figure (149) & (150).

Figure (149): The criss crossing corridors representing the loss of the Jews
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 Figure (150): A Christian cross shape represents the controversy behind the crossifiction of Jesus

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The final underground tunnel leads from the Museum to the Holocaust Tower or the
Holocaustturm as called, a 24 m tall empty silo. The bare concrete Tower is neither
heated nor cooled, and its only light comes from a small slit in its roof
another indication of the unstabe situation the Jews have been suffering for a long
time, figure (151).

151: The Holocaust Tower or the Holocaustturm

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The museum consists of three spaces. According to Libeskind all the three
underground tunnels, or axes, intersect and may represent the connection between
the three realities of Jewish life in Germany, as symbolized by each of the three
spaces: Continuity with German history, Emigration from Germany, and the
Holocaust.
- The Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum built in 2006 in Denver’sCivic Center, Colorado. The
museum contains comprehensive collection of the American Indian art Willensky, E.
et al (2010) asserted. The collections are more than 68,000 works from across the
world. The expansion of The Denver Art Museum was designed by Libeskind called
the Frederic C. Hamilton building is clad in titanium and glass, figure (152).

Figure (152): The Denver Art Museum called the Frederic C. Hamilton building was built in 2006 in
Denver’s Civic Center, Colorado
149: http://catchcarri.com/the-denver-art-museum-brings-paris-to-the-mile-high-city-this-fall/, accessed 2014 March 19

Georgia O’Keeffe Exhibit was brought to the Denver Art Museum to exemplify the
tied relationship between architecture and Visual Art. Beside outdoor Georgia
Libeskind’s design was started as a simple and humble freehand sketch called
according to critics the perceptive shape design idea developed to become the
controversial Jewish Museum Berlin as the Ground floor plan of The Denver Art
Museum and the so many other aspects show , figure (153) & (154).
O’Keeffe Exhibit or sculpture there are the 'Scottish Angus Cow and Calf' by Dan
Ostermiller, the 'Big Sweep' by Coosje van Bruggen and Claes Oldenburg, a giant

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Figure (153): Libeskind’s simple and humble freehand sketch inteprets his intellectual and perceptive
shape design idea

150: http://www.inexhibit.com/case-studies/daniel-libeskind-jewish-museum-berlin/, accessed 2014 March 19

Figure (154): Ground floor plan of The Denver Art Museum

151: http://www.archdaily.com/80309/denver-art-museum-daniel-libeskind/ground-floor-plan-221/, accessed 2014 March 19

bronze spider by French-born American sculptor Louise Bourgeois is placed in the

Museum’s main entrance and other sculptures called Deconstructivism Follies were
also found according to Calnek, A. et al (2006). The giant bronze spider has been
exhibited in The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, figure (155), (156), (157) & (158).

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 Figure (155): The 'Big Sweep' exhibit by Coosje van Bruggen and Claes Oldenburg
152: http://fedorasandfeathers.com/mile-high-soundscapes/, accessed 2014March 19

Figure (156): A giant bronze spider by French-born American sculptor Louise Bourgeois is placed in
front of the entrance
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140
 Figure (157): The museum’s main entrance

154: http://www.sourcesanddesign.com/archives/0711/0711_design_for_all.html, accessed 2014 March 19

Figure (158): Another Georgia O’Keeffe’s Exhibit or Follies

155: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver_Art_Museum, accessed 2014 March 19

The project was recognised by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as a

successful Building Information Modeling (BIM) project. Traditional building design

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was dependand only on two-dimensional drawings (2-D plans, elevations, sections,
etc.). Building information modeling (BIM) extends this beyond 3-D, to the three
primary spatial dimensions (width, height and depth - X, Y and Z) with time as the
fourth dimension 4-D and cost as the fifth 5-D. BIM therefore covers more than just
geometry. It extends to spatial relationships, light analysis, geographic information,
and quantities and properties of building components as the manufacturers' details.
The four story atrium that aids visitors’ navigation and the interesting skylights via
which people could appreciate the external views of the museum are evidences of
how successful is the spatial relationships in the museum, figure (159) & (160).

Figure (159): The four story atrium aids visitors’ navigation

156: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pov_steve/281564013/, accessed 2014 March 19

Figure (160): The interesting skylights via which people could appreciate the external views of the
museum

157: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pov_steve/281592833/sizes/m/in/photostream/, accessed 2014 March 19

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The Denver Art Museum holds Modern and Contemporary Art collection along with
the Architecture and Design and Oceanic Art collections. The complex geometrical
design of the Frederic C. Hamilton building consists of titanium shingles that cover
the 20 sloping planes or surfaces of the structure. The angles run in all directions,
one of the angles extends 30 m over the road running below. Of all the 20 planes,
comprised of 9,000 titanium panels, no one is parallel or perpendicular to another.
With its various panels the building reflects the soft and strong light of the Colorado
sunshine the same thing the Italian architect Gio Ponti made in designing near by
North Building by placing more than a million reflective glass tiles on the building’s
exterior.
The building’s so many extended angular planes are reminiscent of the surrounding
landscape. Similar to the peaked roof of the Denver International Airport, the largest
airport in the United States, symbolizing the snowcapped Rocky Mountains, the
Denver Art Museum’s Frederic C. Hamilton building was designed to imitate the
unique, sharp angles the nearby Rockies hold as well as the geometric crystals found
at the base of the mountains close to Denver. Architect Daniel Libeskind said, “I was
inspired by the light and geology of the Rockies, but most of all by the wide-open
faces of the people of Denver” Curl, J. S. (2006) explained, figure (161).

Figure (161): Denver International Airport with its peaked roof

158: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Denver_International_Airport.jpg, accessed 2014 March 19

143
Visitors are brought in to seeing the artwork within an entirely new, exciting
environment as the artists’ work is displayed and hung in over 20 different ways on
the dramatic, sloping, obliquely shaped galleries, figure (162).

Figure (162): The artists’ work is displayed and hung in over 20 different ways on the dramatic,
sloping, obliquely shaped galleries

159: http://ikono.org/2012/08/denver-art-museum-turns-gallery-over-to-its-audience/, accessed 2014 March 22

People of Denver commented about the museum saying that they have always
been in normal looking buildings every single day, but the museum is just a kind of
an experience by which walking into its rooms doesn’t look like walking into rooms
they would normally be in. The museum draws people to the wonderful city of
Denver by its radical and spectacular form that captures the attention of people not
only around the country but also around the world as the Frederic C. Hamilton
building is certainly a standout among the city scape of Denver in many ways.
The museum has nine departments: architecture, design & graphics; Asian art;
modern and contemporary; native arts (American Indian, Oceanic, and African); New
World (pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial); painting and sculpture (European and
American); photography; Western art; and textile art Dorner, E (2006) asserted.
Modern & Contemporary Gallery, allows visitors to rest and partake of multimedia
opportunities (music, video, audio presentations) to better appreciate the art, figure
(163).
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 Figure (163): Modern & Contemporary Gallery, allows visitors to rest and partake of multimedia
opportunities
160: http://www.sourcesanddesign.com/archives/0711/0711_design_for_all.html, accessed 2014 March 22

An Early design concept in a watercolor sketch by Daniel Libeskind shows the

necessaty architects associate to sketching beliving that later design developments
solely depends on early design concepts, figure (164).

Figure (164): Early design concept shown in a watercolor sketch by Daniel Libeskind

161 http://www.arcspace.com/features/daniel-libeskind/frederic-c-hamilton-building/, accessed 2014 March 22

145
Another conceptual design stage is the structural model necessary for the
explanation of the much the museum depended on the employment of structural
steel to gain its unique structrural stability and peculiar formal style, figure (165).

Figure (165): A conceptual design stage structural model

162: http://www.arcspace.com/features/daniel-libeskind/frederic-c-hamilton-building/, accessed 2014 March 22

2-6-1-5 Rem Koolhaas

Architect Remment Lucas known as Rem Koolhaas is a Dutch. He is an architectural
theorist, an urbanist and a Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the
Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. Koolhaas studied at the
Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and at Cornell University
in New York.
Koolhaas being a talented architect he was said to have inherited some abilities from
his father who was a novelist, critic, and screenwriter as well as from his grandfather
who was a modernist architect. Koolhaas is the founding partner of OMA, the Office
for Metropolitan Architecture in which he was joined later after establishment in
1975 by Zaha Hadid one of his students, later beccome a renowned architect.
Koolhaas wrote a book titled Delirious New York in 1978, while he was a visiting
scholar at the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in New York, directed by
Peter Eisenman according to Koolhaas, R. (1994).
According to Koolhaas old architectural principles as composition, scale, proportion,

146
detail and so on no longer apply when a building acquires Bigness. Bigness reffering
to in Koolhaas’ design theories is a characteristic which buildings of contemporary
architecture aquire resulting in their peculiar forms.
As a professor at Harvard University Koolhaas wrote three books; Project on the City
(2001) followed by The Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping (2002) and The
Great Leap Forward (2002). All three books involved Koolhaas's students analysing of
what others would regard as "non-cities", sprawling and congested cities such as
Lagos in Nigeria, West Africa, which the authors argue are highly functional despite a
lack of infrastructure. The authors also examine the influence of shopping habits and
the recent rapid growth of cities in China Koolhaas, R. (1993) asserted.
- Seattle Central Library
The unique and striking glass and steel 11 stories (56 m) high library in Seattle,
Washington was built in 2004. The 34,000 m² total area (site and 11 floors) library
contains 1.45 million books and other materials. The library includes an underground
public parking for 143 vehicles, and more than 400 computers open to the public.
The architects decided after a comprehensive research that despite the arrival of the
21st century and the "digital age," people still respond to books printed on paper.
The architects also worked to make the library inviting to the public, rather than
stuffy or old fashioned and boring, which they discovered was the popular
perception of libraries as a whole, figure (166).

Figure (166): Seattle Central Library built in 2004 from the North-East facade

163: http://www.arup.com/Projects/Seattle_Central_Library/SeattleLibrary_exterior.aspx, accessed 2014 March 22

147
The major section of the building is the "Books Spiral" which was designed to display
some of the library's collection without distributing them in different floors or
sections. The architects' design philosophy is the spiraling up of some of the library's
collection through four stories on a continuous series of shelves to allow users to go
through the entire collection without using stairs or traveling to a different part of
the building. The main idea, therefore, was to fulfil how the building's required
functions should look like, rather than imposing a structure and making the functions
conform to that even though the library has an unusual shape from the outside. The
design philosophy in general is a sumary to the architect's own interpretation to the
building’s most distinct, unique and peculiar functional or formal concepts.
Meanwhile architectural design concepts could be critscs interpretation to the
The library houses main collection of books, government publications, periodicals,
audio visual materials and technology, kids’ public assembly or Children's Library and
foreign-language. In the 1st floor there are two entrances from the east leading to
the first floor or the atrium, the auditorium and staff floor and only one entrance
from the west, figure (167) & (168).

Figure (167): The 1ST floor or the atrium, the auditorium and staff floor
164: http://www.stephmodo.com/2012/02/central-library-other-seattle-favorites.html, accessed 2014 March 22
148
 Figure (168): The 1ST floor or the atrium floor there are two entrances from the east and only one
entrance from the west
165: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i32AYv9m6fM/UHSgKFrn7BI/AAAAAAAAAXI/jQNaga0uX6s/s1600/livingroom.jpg, accessed
2014 March 25

The 2nd floor contains the kids’ public assembly or Children's Library and foreign-
language resources, figure (169).

Figure (169): The 2nd floor, the kids’ public assembly or the Children's Library and foreign-language
resources

166: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_nblZY4PqsI/UHSgJeaK29I/AAAAAAAAAXA/5KZCmMteEi8/s1600/fourthavenueentrance.jpg,
accessed 2014 March 25

The 3rd floor is dedicated to the staff services. In the 4TH floor the cantilevered
overhang on the outside provides in the interior with an interesting downward view.
The red painted floors have proven to be impractical since heavy traffic wears the
paint, figure (170).
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 Figure (170): The western side of the Living Room at the 4TH floor

167: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/washington/seattle/library/0060.jpg, accessed 2014 March 25

The 5rd floor called the mixing chamber contains computers, reference at the south
and the staff space at the north, figure (171).

Figure (171): The 5th floor, the mixing chamber contains computers, reference at the south and the
staff space at the north

168: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1IbXxGDOdDw/UHSgKiF36gI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/u2WkdW35V_4/s1600/mixingchamber.jpg,
accessed 2014 March 25

The Reading Room a four-story ramp goes from the 6th floor to the 9th floor, figure
(172). The Reading Room a four-story ramp allows people to browse through books
in a continuos sequence. The Reading room’s fourth floor, on the 10th top floor, has
views of the surrounding mountains towars the west, figure (173).

150
 Figure (172): The Reading Rom a four-story ramp goes from the 6th floor to the 9th floor
169: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q63nDNVVXYQ/UHSgH701cyI/AAAAAAAAAWw/6D3diLdX0LE/s1600/bookspiral.jpg, accessed
2014 March 25

Figure (173): The 10th top floor, has views of the surrounding mountains towards the west

170: https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottnorsworthy/6157166465/, accessed 2014 March 22

The headquarters is positioned at the top most 11th floor. The building provides a
sense of a world organized within a machine-like building covered with diamond
shaped-windows and skylights.

151
The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Washington awarded the
Library its Platinum Award for innovation and engineering in its "structural solutions"
as the innovative diagonal grid structure that provides resistance to lateral forces
Koolhaas, R. (1994) explained.
One of the two Seattle Central Library’s main entrances is the eastern entrance
facing west shown from outside towards the north as the same entrance is as well
shown from iside towards the external and internal south, figure (174), (175) &
(176).

Figure (174): the eastern entrance facing west shown from outside towards the north
171: http://www.arcspace.com/CropUp/-/media/244790/seattle_public_library_5.jpg, accessed 2014 March 25

Figure (175): The eastern entrance facing west shown from inside towards the south
172: http://www.archdaily.com/11651/seattle-central-library-oma-lmn/2002142894_seattle-central-library-fdoherrera-013/,
accessed 2014 March 25
152
Figure (176): Seattle Central Library’s main entrance one of the two eastern entrances; the one
towards the south from inside
173: http://www.monkeypuzzleblog.com/2010_06_01_archive.html, accessed 2014 March 25

A section looking towards the North is showing all the floors, figure, (177).

Figure (177): A section looking towards the North

174: http://architype.org/project/seattle-central-library/ , accessed 2014 March 25

153
- China Central Television Headquarters
China Central Television Headquarters of China or the CCTV Headquarters built in
2012 is a 234 m hight. Koolhaas in collaberation with Ole Scheeren of OMA were the
architects in charge of the building. The Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)
won the contract after winning an international design competition of which juries
or adjudicators included architect Arata Isozaki and critic Charles Jencks, figure,
(178).

Figure (178): China Central Television Headquarters of China or the CCTV Headquarters built in 2012
175: http://latestwebstuff.com/top-6-unique-structures-in-the-world/2981.html, accessed 2014 March 26

It is never a traditional tower, but interconnected six horizontal and vertical boxes, of
which two inward tilted or leaning towers are connected by a huge v-shaped girder
on top and another huge v-shaped girder at the base acting as an a podium, forming
an unfamiliar unique structure with an open center sharply contrasted to other
buildings. The construction of the building is considered to be a complex structural
challenge provided by Ove Arup. The building’s grids of diagonals form the stability
system of the building and reflect the distribution of forces that the structure
experiences under different load conditions.
The building was intended to form a landscape of public entertainment, outdoor
filming areas, and production studios as an extension of the central green axis of the
Beijing Central Business District (CBD) in other words administration, news,
broadcasting, and program production offices and studios are all contained inside.

154
China Central Television Headquarters is the tallest building in Beijing; its
observation deck sits at an impressive 238 metres, 44 stories skyscraper with the tip
of its antenna reaching 405 metres. The observation deck offers incredible
panoramic views of the city. There are three over glass portals on the 37th floor
beneath the overhang from where people look down to the plaza, figure, (179) &
(180).

Figure (179): There are three over glass portals on the 37th floor beneath the overhang
176: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cctv_2009.jpg, accessed 2014 March 26

Figure (180): On the 37th floor from where people look down to the plaza

177: http://archinect.com/news/gallery/48667408/11/oma-designed-cctv-headquarters-in-beijing-completed, accessed 2014

March 26
155
CCTV Headquarters’ light gray curtain glass perfectly blends with the misty skyline of
Beijing. The building is nicknamed the "big boxer shorts" by a Beijing taxi driver, due
to its form, the name that later on becomes more famous that Zhichuang meaning
Knowledge Window or Future Window a names given to the building interpretaing its
window-like apperance. The building’s unconventional form seems to change as
people move around it, so its appearance changes dramatically.
There are three adjacent buildings to the complex, towards the North, the Television
Cultural Center (TVCC) building, towards the North Eastern side there is the Service
Building, and towards the Eastern side there is the Media Park, the landscape plan or
site plan vividly shows that, figure, (181) & (182).

Figure (181): The TVCC building at the North as the three adjacent buildings to the complex appear

178: http://archinect.com/news/article/48667408/oma-designed-cctv-headquarters-in-beijing-completed, accessed 2014

March 26

China Central Television Headquarters‘horizontal and vertical zoning show the eight
main components, the public lobby, tower lobby, canteen, marketing, gymnasium,
studio, open studio and broadcasting, figure, (183).
On the 37th floor people look down to the plaza via the three over glass portals,
whereas on the 38th floor people could as well have incredible panoramic views of
the city from the observation deck.
156
 Figure (182): The landscape plan or site plan
179: http://archinect.com/news/article/48667408/oma-designed-cctv-headquarters-in-beijing-completed, accessed 2014
March 26

Figure (183): China Central Television Headquarters ‘horizontal and vertical zoning
180: http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/portfolio/2012/11/China-Central-Television-OMA-slideshow2.asp?slide=6,
accessed 2014 March 26

157
2-6-1-6 Zaha Hadid
The Iraqi British architect Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid received the Pritzker
Architecture Prize in 2004 to become the first woman to have that houner. Hadid
received a degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut before
moving to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London,
where she met Rem Koolhaas, and Bernard Tschumi. She worked for the Office for
Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), in Rotterdam, the Netherlands with her former
professors, Koolhaas and to become a partner in 1977 as Betsky, A. (1990) explained.
By meeting the renowned Irish structural engineer Peter Rice of Ove Arup &
Partners who gave her support and encouragement early on at a time when her
work seemed difficult. Rice’s rigorous mathematical and philosophical logic made his
first job to be the roof of the Sydney Opera House with Ove Arup & Partners and
thereafter he became part of the winning team of Pompidou Centre in paris
partnering Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano In 1971. Hadid established her own
London based practice in 1980, she also taught at the Architectural Association
during the 1980s.
Hadid is presently a Professor at the University of Applied Arts Vienna in Austria, but
perviously taught architecture at various prestigious universities around the world,
including Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she was the Kenzo Tange
Professorship and the Sullivan Chair at the School of Architecture, University of
Illinois, Chicago. She was guest professor at the University of Fine Arts of Hamburg,
Germany the Knowlton School of Architecture at Ohio State University, the Masters
Studio at Columbia University, and the Eero Saarinen Visiting Professor of
Architectural Design at the Yale School of Architecture.
- BMW Central Building
The BMW Central Building built in 2005 in Leipzig, Germany out of a winning design
by Hadid who competed with 25 international architects. It was built to bring
together three disconnected production buildings mounting up to 25,000 m2. Three
departments are housed in these three buildings; the fabrication of raw auto bodies
or the body in white (25,000 m2), the paint shop (25,000 m2) and finally the assembly
hall (99,900 m2), figure, (184), (185) & (186).

158
 Figure (184): The BMW Central Building built in 2005 in Leipzig, Germany brings together three
disconnected buildings
181: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_Central_Building, accessed 2014 March 29

Figure (185): Three departments are housed in these three buildings; the fabrication of raw auto
bodies or the body in white, the paint shop and finally the assembly hall

182: http://terraincritical.wordpress.com/2010/07/10/parallel-lines-formal-expression-as-publicity-in-the-architecture-of-
hadid%E2%80%99s-central-building-for-bmw-leipzig/, accessed 2014 March 29
159
 Figure (186): The BMW Central Building
183: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BMW_Leipzig.JPG, accessed 2014 March 29

The design philosophy’s main concept is functional as the offices, meeting rooms,
and public relations facilities are all built around elevated conveyors, creating an
interesting relationship between the employees, the cars, and the public, figure,
(187).

Figure (187): The offices, meeting rooms, and public relations facilities are all built around elevated
conveyors, creating an interesting relationship between the employees, the cars, and the public
184: https://twitter.com/travellerbazaar, accessed 2014 March 29

160
Patrik Schumacher, a partner in Hadid’s practice, elaborates on the building’s design
philosophy:
“We employed only homogenous, continuous materials such as concrete and welded
steel; we strove to eliminate as many columns as possible; and we minimized the
number of corners…The eye is drawn along continuous concrete walls; seamless,
welded steel handrails; even the conveyor belts overhead. These lines flow in
parallel, they bifurcate, they travel up and down through the section… All of the
structure was oriented to trace the lines of movement through the building, to
emphasize these linear trajectories. You will notice many instances where the steel
roof beams are curved to follow the flows. These are not the most efficient ways to
span these distances, but as the structure is such a major component of the visual
field, we felt it necessary that it work beyond its role as support to become an
orienting device within the space”, figure, (188).

Figure (188): All of the structure was oriented to trace the lines of movement through the building, to
emphasize these linear trajectories
185: http://www.arquitecturablanca.com/en/obrashome/bmw-central-building-leipzig_47.html, accessed 2014 March 29

The factory’s production line is routed through the Central Building serving not only
as the signifier of a more or less explicit message envisioned by the management
concluded that quality is the achievement of all employee.
161
All the walls, floors, and office levels are load-bearing made of cast-in-situ concrete,
while the roof structure is made of structural steel beams and space frame roofs. The
facade is clad in corrugated metal, channel glass, and glass curtain walls.
- Phaeno Science Center
The Phaeno Science Center is an interactive science center in Wolfsburg, Germany,
built in 2005 after architect Hadid won a design competition in collaboration with
structural engineers, Adams Kara Taylor. The building is under the custody of
mimistery of Culture, Sports and Education composed of the following main
departments or programs; Science Center, restaurant, cafe, shop, auditorium,
underground car park, figure, (189).

Figure (189): The Phaeno Science Center, Wolfsburg, Germany, built in 2005

186: http://www.businessinsider.com/zaha-hadids-best-buildings-2012-11?op=1, accessed 2014 March 29

The structure propped up on sleek cone-shaped columns, which sensual forms draw
strength from the energetic cityscape that surrounds it, figure, (190).
Wolfsburg, the city to which the building belongs, has been preparing for this
moment for more than half a century when was founded as a factory town given a
named in Germany translated int English as "strength through joy”. The city's
Volkswagen factory is the largest in Europe, still loom above the city.
The finish architect Alvar Aalto designed the city's marvelous culture center, with its
flowing lines, central roof terrace and naturally lighted interiors, as well as a
162
 Figure (190): The sleek cone-shaped columns on which the structure propped up
187: http://freshome.com/2012/09/21/10-inspirational-and-architectural-lessons-from-zaha-hadid/, accessed 2014 April 429

Lutheran church. The jagged external forms and expressionist interiors of Hans
Scharoun's theater complex make it an architectural jewel. Hadid's design, therefore,
flows directly out of Wolfsburg's history.
The Science Center which houses physics, biology and chemistry exhibit is the
endpoint of a chain of important cultural buildings. It is the first of its kind in
Germany, appears as a mysterious object, giving rise to curiosity and discovery
evidenced in its Interactive exhibits, figure, (191). A Visitor is faced with a degree of
complexity and strangeness, which is ruled however by a very specific system of
structural organization as the prolonged void positioned at the only top most floor,
figure, (192).
She has also undertaken some high-profile interior works. She worked with the
clothing brand Lacoste, to create a new, high fashion, and advanced boot designed.
She designed the Moon System Sofa for leading Italian furniture manufacturer B&B
Italia. In 2008, Hadid dabbled in cars. She designed the Z-car, which is a hydrogen-
powered, zero-emission city car for two people with a three-wheel base, figure,
(193).
163
 Figure (191): Interactive exhibits
188: http://www.flickriver.com/photos/asli_aydin/4568038534/, accessed 2014 March 29

Figure (192): The prolonged void positioned at the only top most floor
189: http://www.arthitectural.com/zaha-hadid-architects-phaeno-science-center-wolfsburg/988_rb_1105_290-1/, accessed
2014 March 29

164
Figure (193): The Z-car a hydrogen-powered, zero-emission city car for two people with a three-wheel
base

190: http://www.businessinsider.com/zaha-hadids-best-buildings-2012-11?op=1, accessed 2014 April 4

As her counterparts, the constructivism architects, Hadid contributed in planning

beside her immense architectural built and non built works, distinct interior designs,
marvelous industrial designs, bridges and so many other designs as well.
2-6-1-7 Coop Himmelblau
The cooperative architectural design firm Coop Himmelblau is basically in Vienna,
Austria, but as most other firms extends to the United States and Mexico. German
language is spoken in Austria; the term coop in German is equal to the English term
co-op an aberviation to cooperation meaning working with some one. The
cooperation refered to here is between the founders of the firm Wolf Prix, Helmut
Swiczinsky and Michael Holzer. The term Himmel means sky or heaven in German,
and blau means blue, but the term bau witout (l) means building, therefore, the term
could either be Coop Himmelb(l)au with the (l) meaning Blue Heaven Cooperative or
Coop Himmelbau with the (l) meaning Sky Building Cooperative Noever, P. (2008)
explained.
According to Johnson, P. (1988) when Coop Himmelb(l)au presented their works in
the 1988 exhibition together with the previous six renowned architects mentioned in
this book and so many others whose works refered to as Deconstructivist
Architecture at the Museum of Modern Art their works range from commercial
buildings to residential projects.
Coop Himmelb(l)au complex forms come out of complex process in which they mix
different mediums such as conventional models, 3D modeling, sketches and
drawings in order to come out with unexpected designs. The philosophy of the firm

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can be sumarised with their 1980s manifesto "Architecture must burn":
'We want architecture that has more to offer. Architecture that bleeds, exhausts,
that turns and even breaks, as far as I am concerned. Architecture that glows, that
stabs, that tears and rips when stretched. Architecture must be precipitous, fiery,
smooth, hard, angular, brutal, round, tender, colourful, obscene, randy, dreamy, en-
nearing, distancing, wet, dry and heart-stopping, dead or alive, if it is cold, then cold
as a block of ice. If it is hot, then as hot as a tongue of flame. Architecture must
burn!’ as Prix, W. et al (2006) clarified.

- Akron Art Museum

The Akron Art Museum is dedicated to the display of its collection of art produced
since 1850 marking the commencement of modern architecture. The museum also
hosts visiting shows from national and international collections. According to
Tannenbaum, B. et al (2001) the Akron Art Institute, was the previous name given to
the present Akron Art Museum, Akron, Ohio. Since 1922 The Akron Art Institute was
located in two borrowed rooms in the basement of the Akron’s public library until
moved in 2007 to its new building Akron Art Museum nieghbouring the 1899 post
office by its left from the main main. Coop Himmelblau sought to stitch the old and
new together in an intimate and dynamic way, figure, (194).

Figure (194): The Akron Art Museum built in 2007, Akron, Ohio
191: http://zippercityphotography.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html, accessed 2014 April 4

166
The first floor includes 13 rooms; 5 of them feature Western art created between
1850 and 1950 most precisely the 1899 Italian Renaissance revival style buildings.
The other 8 rooms feature art since 1950. These galleries reflect the eclectic style of
late twentieth-century art. Major temporary exhibitions as well as exhibitions of
emerging artists, community-based art projects are all housed on the second floor.
Coop Himmelb(l)au won the design of Akron Art Museum out of an international
competition due to its adaptive use of historic buildings. Akron Art Museum
becomes their first project in the America.
A three story Shards of twisted, folded glass planes lobby called the Crystal serves as
a public entry and a focal visual space connecting the museum’s artistic, educational,
administrative, and public departments. Vertical and horizontal circulation topped
off with shards of twisted, folded glass planes, figure, (195) & (196).

Figure (195): A lobby called the Crystal serves as a public entry and a focal visual space connecting the
museum’s artistic, educational, administrative, and public departments
192: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=191301, accessed 2014 April 4

Figure (196): Vertical and horizontal circulation topped off with shards of twisted, folded glass planes
193: http://architecturerevived.blogspot.com/2008/08/its-difficult-to-tell-how-akron-art.html, accessed 2014 April 7

167
The metal clad Gallery Box accommodates the museum’s collection and temporary
exhibitions. The Roof Cloud a 100 m long cantilevered steel and aluminum canopy
hovers over all three elements in other words the armature extends over the old and
the new buildings, creating a striking landmark for Akron’s City. Beneath the roofs of
the cloud, a prominent profile of Coop Himmelb(l)au’s designs rarely seen works are
displayed, figure, (197).

Figure (197): The Roof Cloud a 100 m long cantilevered steel and aluminum canopy hovers over all
three elements
194: http://architecturerevived.blogspot.com/2008/08/its-difficult-to-tell-how-akron-art.html, accessed 2014 April 7

Coop Himmelb(l)au’s design includes gallery space, an auditorium and a cafe with
the 1899 museum building containing contrasting, surprising and fanciful visual
elements. It's like a work of art housing works of art. The Knight Building as the Akron
Art Museum is called actually engages the old building. It makes the old building
more alive than it has been in years.
It is doubtful whether the Akron Art Museum relates to its context as the
cantalevered cloud roof gestures toward the street and the pyramid glass leans
toward the historic 1899 Italian Renaissance post office brick buildings, but this
building is a good example of sensationalistic architecture that fails to find a home
for itself, figure (198) & (199).

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 Figure (198): The cantilevered cloud roof gestures toward the street- a front view
195: http://architecturerevived.blogspot.com/2008/08/its-difficult-to-tell-how-akron-art.html, accessed 2014 April 7

Figure (199): The cantilevered cloud roof gestures toward the street- A side view
196: http://architecturerevived.blogspot.com/2008/08/its-difficult-to-tell-how-akron-art.html, accessed 2014 April 7

Provision of daylight to the interior via leaning glass panels roof surface towards the
post office buildings, figure (200).
Akron Art Museum design philosophy according to Coop Himmelb(l)au’s founder,
and principal architect for the project, Wolf Prix:
“The design embraces the past, rather than replacing or destroying it……It uses

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architecture to create a public space within the city and a private space within our
own souls-reinventing both the city and ourselves at the same time. With such a
project, there is a great opportunity to make a living contribution to a city.”

Figure (200): Provision of daylight to the interior via leaning glass panels’ roof surface
197: http://architecturerevived.blogspot.com/2008/08/its-difficult-to-tell-how-akron-art.html, accessed 2014 April 7

- Busan Cinema Center

The Busan Cinema Center, which serves, among other things, as the site of the Busan
International Film Festival (BIFF) is designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au, represents a new
combination of culture, entertainment, technology, and architecture with a public
space. The Centers 5 compositional programs are as follows; the Urban Valley, the
Red Carpet Zone, the Walk of Fame, the Memorial Court, and the BIFF Canal Park.
The buildings house theaters, cinemas, a conference center, offices, production
studios, and restaurants, whose spatial boundaries flow into one another in a
mixture of protected interior spaces and outdoor spaces, the largest of which also
functions as an outdoor cinema with seating for 4,000 people.
The two large roofs are enabled with computer programmed LED outdoor ceiling
surfaces. These LED saturated outdoor roof elements that act as a virtual sky connect
building-objects and plaza-zones into a continuous, multifunctional public urban

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space.
Media, technology, entertainment and leisure are merged in an open-architecture of
changeable and tailored event experiences. The result is a responsive and changing
space of flows acting as an urban catalyst for cultural exchange and transformation.
While the movie theaters are located in a mountain like building, the Center’s public
space is shared between an outdoor cinema and a huge public space which is called
the Red Carpet Area which is the reception area. Each of the two areas is overarched
by a huge roof, one of them measuring 60 x 120 m. The Red Carpet Area leads to a
ramp towars the double cone where guests of honour reach the reception hall,
figure (201).

Figure (201): The centre’s public space is shared between an outdoor cinema and a huge reception
area
198: http://www.facebook.com/busancinema, accessed 2014 April 7

Wolf Prix argued that it is only during the Renaissance and the Baroque era the roof
is transformed into a cupola, thereby achieving a particular significance. It was Oscar
Niemeyer and Le Corbusier who defined the roof not anymore as a mere element
of protection, but as a frame for the most diverse concepts. According to Niemeyer
the roof is no longer following the floor plan, but is framing the view on the
surroundings and nature. Based on Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier’s ideas Coop
Himmelb(l)au developed the roofs of the Busan Cinema Center. The construction as
a column-free roof covering a space comes closest to the idea of a “flying” roof,
which is further differentiated by its three-dimensionally articulated ceiling and
therefore not only a horizontal projection screen.
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Light installations on the roof, coordinated with a wide variety of events organized
by the BIFF or the City of Busan, can be programmed by artists and light designers to
present fully animated graphics.
The Busan Cinema Center design philosophy according to Coop Himmelb(l)au’s
founder,and principal architect for the project, Wolf Prix:
“Once we build architecture like aircraft wings we will no longer need
columns………While the movie theatres are located in a mountain-like building, the
centre’s public space is shared between an outdoor cinema and a huge reception
area...…..architectural design is no longer about lively discussion and criticism of
topics in contemporary architecture.”
The basic design concept of The Busan Cinema Center included in the design
philosophy stated above is a circulation concept interpreated in the overlapping of
open and closed spaces and public and private areas.
The larger roof includes a column free cantilever of 85 m over a multifunctional
Memorial Court event plaza. The urban zones of the complex are formed by
individual and recognizable building objects placed below the outdoor roofs. The
building objects contain theater, indoor and outdoor cinemas, convention halls,
office spaces, creative studios and dining areas in a mixture of sheltered and linked
indoor and outdoor public spaces. The design of these spaces supports flexible,
hybrid functionality that can be used both during the annual festival period and day-
to-day use without interruption.
The urban zones defined by functional surfaces in plan are further articulated in a
sectional dialogue between stone-clad ground forms of the Cinema Mountain and
BIFF Hill, and the metal and LED clad sky elements of the roofs. The materiality of the
building objects differentiates the spaces and articulates the architectural concept.
Through their shape, placement and materiality, the various parts create a dynamic
and informal tension between the ground and the roof.
- The outdoor cinema undre the Main Roof:
The concept envisions an urban plaza of overlapping zones including an Urban
Valley, a Red Carpet Zone, a Walk of Fame and the BIFF Canal Park. The dynamic LED
lighting surface covering the undulating ceilings of the outdoor roof canopies gives

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the Busan Cinema Center its symbolic and representative iconographic feature.
Artistic lighting programs tailored to events of the BIFF or the Municipality of Busan
can be created by visual artists and displayed across the ceiling in full motion
graphics, creating a lively urban situation at night, but also visible during the day.
Imbedded in the architecture the lighting surfaces serve as a communication
platform for the content of the Busan Cinema Center. Light as art, which is at the
very nature of cinema, creates a unique and memorable atmosphere for the public
urban plaza and architecture of the BCC or Busan Cinema Center.
- The Double Cone containing the Café and Roof Restaurant
The Double Cone is the symbolic landmark entrance element to the Busan Cinema
Center and serves as the connective element between the Cinema Mountain and the
BIFF Hill. Designed as a steel web drum on top of a series of radial concrete fin walls,
the Double Cone is also the only vertical structural support for the large cantilevered
roof acting as a large, singular column.
During day to day use, the ground level of the Double Cone contains a public cafe
with outdoor seating, and the upper level links to a world class restaurant, bar and
lounge within the roof volume with views overlooking the APEC park and river
beyond.
During the festival the Double Cone marks the Red Carpet Zone and VIP entrance to
the Busan Cinema Center, and can be used as a pre-event space for VIP’s on the
ground level, or as a pre-staging area for transfer to the Red Carpet procession to the
outdoor cinema stage, or to the upper levels of the Cinema Mountain or BIFF Hill
foyers via the red carpet spiralling ramp and bridges suspended from the roof.

- The Cinema Mountain:

The Cinema Mountain is a multifunctional building containing both a 1,000 seat
multifunctional theater with fly tower and full backstage support, and a three-screen
multiplex comprised of a 400-seat and two 200-seats Cinema.
Separate entrances and foyers are provided for theater and cinema respectively,
however the foyers and circulation are designed so that they can be combined
depending on operational preferences.
Complete structural separation between the theater and the cinemas ensures
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optimal noise isolation for the theater space, which is designed as a first-class,
flexible hall with seating on two levels and optimal sight lines and adjustable
acoustics. A flexible proscenium type stage with side stages and fly tower
accommodates movable acoustical towers used to close down the stage volume for
concerts and operatic theater, but can be easily moved for theater, musicals and
other staged events. The stage includes a fore-stage lift that can provide additional
seating, an orchestra pit or stage extension as preferred. Horizontally tracking
curtains along the walls of the audience chamber can be hidden or deployed to
adjust the acoustics of the space.

- Urban Valley containing the Outdoor Cinema

The urban plaza is formed by building and plaza elements sheltered. The Urban
Valley combines a flexible flat ground surface and large stepped tribunes of the BIFF
Hill as seating for a 4,000 seat Outdoor Cinema. The Valley is sheltered by a large
sculpted outdoor roof with an LED ceiling surface and is oriented towards a flexible
stage and screen area on the outside of the Eastern façade of the Cinema Mountain.
Accommodation for purpose built projection screens, stages, loudspeaker and
lighting arrays are provided allowing for exterior performances to share the interior
theater’s backstage facilities, figure (202).

{{

Figure (202): An outdoor cinema with seating for 4,000 people beneath LED saturated outdoor roof
elements
199: (http://yereempark.blogspot.com/, accessed 2014 April 7

174
- The BIFF Hill
The BIFF Hill is a ground surface formation creating the tribune seating space of the
outdoor cinema and accommodating the concourse, the convention hall, the BIFF-
center, the BIFF offices and the visual media center. Given the flexible organization
of the ground plan, it can be easily adapted to the different requirements during
festival and day to day usage.
- The Red Carpet Zone
During the BIFF festival, or for other special events, the Red Carpet Zone is created
by a special drop-off and media event processional entrance at the Double Cone
entrance element. A red carpet can be extended from the Double Cone event space
and photo position to the south through the park and along a pier. VIP’s can enter
from limousines along the street edge, or arrive by boat from the pier. Various
options are provided for the red carpet circulation from the Double Cone to the
different event and performance spaces depending on the scenario preferred,
including a vibrant spiralling ramp from the staging level of the event space to the
VIP restaurant lounge of the upper roof or to the BIFF Hill and Cinema Mountain on
upper levels of the foyers. During non event periods the Red Carpet Zone acts as
thesymbolic entryway into the Busan Cinema Center complex, figure (203).

Figure (203): The Red Carpet Area or the reception area leading to the Double Cone
200: http://www.architectour.net/opere/opera.php?id_opera=6432&language=0, accessed 2014 April 7

175
- Memorial Court and Walk of Fame
The Walk of Fame contains the Memorial Court as a public plaza. The proposal is to
imbed sources in the ground surface projecting holographic images of the stars,
directors, producers and the like who have been made a part of the Walk of Fame.
Their avatars inhabit the memorial court as permanent residents; however their
programs can be changed to show variable aspects of information over time or in
relation to specific BIFF events.
During non event times the Memorial Court is used as a grand entryway to the
Cinema Mountain and contains an outdoor dining area of the Double Cone Cafe
overlooking the park and water beyond.
Due to the column free sheltered roof above, the public plaza of the Memorial Court
is a multi functional event space that can be utilized for BIFF or Busan City events
without interrupting the day to day activities of the Busan Cinema Center, or
simultaneously with other events in the additional spaces.

- The BIFF Canal Park

The BIFF Canal Park is proposed as an extension of the open network of public
programs into the planned riverside park, and as a linking element between the river
and the cinema complex. A new pedestrian footbridge is proposed to connect the
Busan Cinema Center site with the park across the Boulevard to the South
connecting the Double Cone with the APEC Park. An additional outdoor event bowl is
proposed surrounded by canals that can provide public and private boat access to
the project site. Space for a future extension of the Busan Cinema Center project is
proposed as an island among the canals, further integrating the cultural functions of
the Busan Cinema Center project with the surrounding public space and landscape
environment.
This open urban center, which is framed by the opaque functional areas on the plaza,
is spanned by two large roofs fitted with computer controlled LEDs. The larger of the
two roofs projects a column free, 85m cantilever over the Memorial Court, figure
(204).
A multifunctional events center in the form of a double cone serves as a symbolic
structure for the entrance. Designed as a steel lattice shell sitting on spanned
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 Figure (204): The larger of the two roofs projects a column-free, 85m cantilever over the Memorial
Court
201: http://www.hastaladesign.com/?tag=cantilevers, accessed 2014 April 7

concrete slabs, it represents the only vertical supporting structure for the large
projecting roof, figure (205).

Figure (205): A double cone represents the only vertical supporting structure for the large projecting
roof
202: http://www.hastaladesign.com/?tag=cantilevers, accessed 2014 April 7

177
A north western entrance to the Cinema Mountain, a cafe at ground floor level with
a staircase leading to a restaurant above, a funnel-like structure, a staircase leading
to a restaurant above and separate entrances and foyers are provided for theater
and cinema. All of the mentioned building surrounding cpmponents and significant
elements are shown in the following figures, (206), (207), (208) & (209).

Figure (206): A north western entrance to the Cinema Mountain

203: http://www.hastaladesign.com/?tag=cantilevers, accessed 2014 April 7

Figure (207): A cafe at ground floor level and a staircase leading to a restaurant above

204: http://www.hastaladesign.com/?tag=cantilevers, accessed 2014 April 7

178
 Figure (208): A funnel-like structure, a staircase leading to a restaurant above

205: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vRSgmuL09L8/T4zNrbusVvI/AAAAAAAAANE/7OQo_lx1UtU/s1600/P1000986+s.jpg, accessed

2014 April 7

Figure (209): Separate entrances and foyers are provided for theater and cinema

206: http://www.hastaladesign.com/?tag=cantilevers, accessed 2014 April 7

As sensationalism being a philosophyical term means feeling is the only criterion for
what is good, Coop Himmelblau’s two buildings mentioned earlier; Akorn Museum
Center and Busan Cinema Center are good examplse of sensationalistic architecture
that fails to find a home for itself even in the most advance and up to date
contemporary architecture.
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2-6-2 Worldwide Deconstructivism architecture
2-6-2-1 Zaha Hadid
- Mediapolis
According to Seitinger, S. (2004) the one-north masterplan project in Singapore for
innovation and R&D (Research and Development) Mediapolis was Hadid’s most
creative planning project designed in 2001. As Singapore was preparing to scale up
its media infrastructure it made plans to turn itself into a Trusted Global Media
Capital a 450 acres (200 hectares) plot of land has been earmarked for the
development of an innovation and R&D (Research and Development) hub. The one-
north, which will be an industry demand-driven project, is envisioned to be a self-
contained and vibrant digital media cluster, figure, (210).
That hub houses a media ecosystem comprising soundstages with green screen
capabilities; digital production and broadcast facilities; interactive digital media
(IDM) and R&D (Research and Development) activities; Computer-generated Imagery
and visual effects; post-production, games and animation; industry-response digital
media schools, business parks, work lofts and incubators; intellectual property (IP)
creation and digital rights management.
The Biopolis and Fusionopolis projects are also located within this district but are

Figure (210): The one-north project masterplan, Singapore, 2001

207: http://www.h88.com.sg/article/Private+Property+District+Guide+-+District+5/, accessed 2014 April 7
180
located further north inland. The Biopolis is Singapore’s stab at an international R&D
(Research and Development) centre with tenants that typically focus on biomedical,
pharmaceutical, biotechnological, neuroscience, immunology research and
development. The Fusionopolis has a tenant mix of high tech research and media
development companies.
The developers, Jurong Town Corporation (JTC), offer a good retail mix for shopping.
The project is close to the National University of Singapore, schools, science parks, a
hospital, and residential areas. A number of International Schools catering towards
expats such as United World College of South East Asia, The Japanese School,
Waseda Shibuya Senior High School and Tanglin Trust School are in the
neighborhood. Condominiums in this district usually fall in the mid tier range.
- Sheikh Zayed Bridge
Hadid designed Sheikh Zayed Bridge completed 2010, United Arab Emirates, Abu
Dhabi. The bridge connects mainland Dubai to the island of Abu Dhabi, soaring above
the Maqta channel and serving as a gateway to the UAE’s capital city. The location of
the new (Bridge) Gateway Crossing is critical in the development of the highway
system. Conceived in an open setting, the bridge has the prospect of becoming a
destination in itself and potential catalyst in the future urban growth of Abu Dhabi,
figure, (211).

Figure (211): Sheikh Zayed Bridge connects mainland Dubai to the island of Abu Dhabi completed
2010, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi
208: http://www.skyscraperlife.com/infrastructure/70740-sheikh-zayed-bridge-zaha-hadid-architects.html, accessed 2014
April 7

A collection, or strands of structures, gathered on one shore, are lifted and

‘propelled’ over the length of the channel. A sinusoidal waveform provides the
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structural silhouette shape across the channel. The mainland is the launch pad for
the bridge structure emerging from the ground and approach road. The Road decks
are cantilevered on each side of the spine structure. Steel arches rise and spring
from mass concrete piers asymmetrically, in length, between the road decks to mark
the mainland and the navigation channels. The spine splits and splays from one
shore along the central void position, diverging under the road decks to the outside
of the roadways at the other end of the bridge. The main bridge arch structure rises
to a height of 60 m above water level with the road crowning to a height of 20
metres above mean water level. Sheikh Zayed Bridge has marvelous scenery at night,
figure, (212).

Figure (212): Sheikh Zayed Bridge at night

209: http://www.startle.com/destination/abu-dhab, accessed 2014 April 7

2-6-4 Local Deconstructivism architecture

2-6-4-1 Zaha Hadid
The King Abudullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), designed by
Zaha Hadid is an on going progect in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This state of the art
diamond crystals jewelary-like campus will house R&D (research and development)
facilities on energy and environmental exploration and analysis striving to be earth-
friendly. As a Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building it aims
for LEED Platinum, figure, (213).

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 Figure (213): The state of the art diamond crystals jewelry-like (KAPSARC)
210: http://inhabitat.com/zaha-hadids-petroleum-research-center-ironically-aims-for-leed-platinum/, accessed 2014 April 7

KAPSARC’s main building is a crystalline structure composed of modular six-sided

cells with many connections between them, as well as a series of shaded outdoor
spaces, gardens, and underground tunnels, figure, (214).

Figure (214): Th roof crystalline modular six-sided cells with many connections in between them

211: http://inhabitat.com/zaha-hadids-petroleum-research-center-ironically-aims-for-leed-platinum/king-abdullah-petroleum-
studies-and-research-center-4/, accessed 2014 April 7

Nearby, a modern library and conference center will aid in the center’s quest to
become a preeminent energy research center. The KAPSARC complex will also
feature a residential complex and recreational facilities for in-kingdom and
expatriate researchers and their families.
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CHAPTER SEVEN
Sustainable architecture
2-7 Sustainable architecture
2-7-1 Worldwide Sustainable architecture
Sustainable architecture is an environmental conscious technique in the production
of architecture and the employment of materials fulfilling this consciousness due to
recent pressing and challenging economic and political issues as Gipe, P. (2004)
defined. The term can be used to describe an energy and ecologically conscious
approach to the design of the built environment. Eco-friendly building or green
building are other terms used to describe energy efficiency over the entire life cycle
of a building. Energy efficiency, therefore, becomes the most important goal of
sustainable architecture. Architects use many different techniques to reduce the
energy needs of buildings and increase their ability to capture or generate their own
energy. Architects employ different design techniques to opt for energy efficiency,
some of such techniques are;
2-7-1-1 Buildings zoning (Placement) with regard to urban planning
Some zones could either be of less environmental non-physical energy efficiency
things as effective air flow or lacking physical energy efficiency things as green areas
(lawns and hedges), natural air coolers (water pools) and artificial air coolers
(fountains). Deciduous trees are often planted in front of windows to block excessive
sun in summer with their leaves but allow light through in winter when their leaves
fall off. Buildings zoning could increase the energy consumption required for
transportation and lead to unnecessary auto emissions. To help in the reduction of
energy consumption Uburban sprawl should be accessible for those traveling by
foot, bicycle, or public transit, as proposed in the Principles of Intelligent Urbanism.
2-7-1-2 The employment of sustainable building materials
The various types of such building materials include;
- Natural building materials
Sustainable building materials such as sheep wool, panels made from paper flakes,
baked earth, rammed earth, clay, seegrass, cork, expanded clay grains, coconut,
wood fibre plates, calcium sand stone, locally obtained stone and rock, and bamboo
if used as building materials could attain the notion of sustainable architecture.

184
Sustainable architecture often incorporates the use of recycled or second hand
materials, such as recycled plastic.
- Reusable building materials
Some sustainable architects attempt to retrofit old structures to serve new needs in
order to avoid unnecessary development. When older buildings are demolished,
good wood, stone, bricks structural steel elements and roofing materials could be
reclaimed, renewed, and used in the construction of new buildings. Many other
parts are reused as well, such as doors, windows, mantels, and hardware, thus
reducing the consumption of new goods.
- Recyclable building materials
When new materials are employed, green designers look for materials that are
rapidly replenished, such as bamboo, which can be harvested for commercial use
after only 6 years of growth, sorghum or wheat straw, both of which are waste
materials that can be pressed into panels, or cork oak, in which only the outer bark is
removed for use, thus preserving the tree. When possible, building materials may be
gleaned from the site itself; for example, if a new structure is being constructed in a
wooded area, wood from the trees which were cut to make room for the building
would be re-used as part of the building itself.
- Good design for the insulation of buildings
The most important and cost effective element of an efficient heating, ventilating,
and air conditioning (HVAC) system is a well insulated building. A more efficient
building requires less heat generating or dissipating power, but may require more
ventilation capacity to expel polluted indoor air. Significant amounts of energy are
flushed out of buildings in the water, air and compost streams. Off the shelf, on-site
energy recycling technologies can effectively recapture energy from waste hot water
and stale air and transfer that energy into incoming fresh cold water or fresh air.
Recapture of energy for uses other than gardening from compost leaving buildings
requires centralized anaerobic digesters. HVAC systems are powered by motors.
Copper, versus other metal conductors, helps to improve the electrical energy
efficiencies of motors, thereby enhancing the sustainability of electrical building
components. Site and building orientation have some major effects on a building's

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HVAC efficiency Goulding J.et al (1986) explains.
Passive solar building design allows buildings to harness the energy of the sun
efficiently without the use of any active solar mechanisms such as photovoltaic cells
or solar hot water panels. Typically passive solar building designs incorporate
materials with high thermal mass that retain heat effectively and strong insulation
that works to prevent heat escape. Low energy designs also requires the use of solar
shading, by means of awnings, blinds or shutters, to relieve the solar heat gain in
summer and to reduce the need for artificial cooling. In addition, low energy
buildings typically have a very low surface area to volume ratio to minimize heat loss.
This means that sprawling multi-winged building designs, often thought to look more
organic, are often avoided in favor of more centralized structures. Traditional cold
climate buildings provide a good historical model for centralized heat efficiency in a
small scale building.
Windows are placed to maximize the input of heat-creating light while minimizing
the loss of heat through glass, a poor insulator. In the northern hemisphere this
usually involves installing a large number of south-facing windows to collect direct
sun and severely restricting the number of north-facing windows. Certain window
types, such as double or triple glazed insulated windows with gas filled spaces and
low emissivity (low-E) coatings; provide much better insulation than single-pane
glass windows. Preventing excess solar gain by means of solar shading devices in the
summer months is important to reduce cooling needs. Louvers or light shelves are
installed to allow the sunlight in during the winter (when the sun is lower in the sky)
and keep it out in the summer (when the sun is high in the sky). Coniferous or
evergreen plants are often planted to the north of buildings to shield against cold
north winds.
In colder climates, heating systems are a primary focus for sustainable architecture
because they are typically one of the largest single energy drains in buildings. In
warmer climates where cooling is a primary concern, passive solar designs can also
be very effective. Masonry building materials with high thermal mass are very
valuable for retaining the cool temperatures of night throughout the day. In addition
builders often opt for sprawling single story structures in order to maximize surface

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area and heat loss. Buildings are often designed to capture and channel existing
winds, particularly the especially cool winds coming from nearby bodies of water.
Many of these valuable strategies are employed in some way by the traditional
architecture of warm regions. In climates with four seasons, an integrated energy
system will increase in efficiency: when the building is well insulated, when it is sited
to work with the forces of nature, when heat is recaptured (to be used immediately
or stored), when the heat plant relying on fossil fuels or electricity is greater than
100% efficient, and when renewable energy is utilized.
2-7-1-3 The generation of renewable energy
- The employment of solar panels
Active solar devices such as photovoltaic solar panels help to provide sustainable
electricity for any use Schittich, C. (2003) attested. Electrical output of a solar panel
is dependent on orientation, efficiency, latitude, and climate as solar gain varies
even at the same latitude. Typical efficiencies for commercially available PV panels
range from 4% to 28%. The low efficiency of certain photovoltaic panels can
significantly affect the payback period of their installation.
Roofs are often angled toward the sun to allow photovoltaic panels to collect at
maximum efficiency. In the northern hemisphere, a true-south facing orientation
maximizes yield for solar panels. If true-south is not possible, solar panels can
produce adequate energy if aligned within 30° of south. However, at higher
latitudes, winter energy yield will be significantly reduced for non-south orientation.
To maximize efficiency in winter, the collector can be angled above horizontal
Latitude +15°. To maximize efficiency in summer, the angle should be Latitude -15°.
However, for an annual maximum production, the angle of the panel above
horizontal should be equal to its latitude.
- The employment of wind turbines
Wind turbines begin operating when winds reach 8 mph, achieve energy production
capacity at speeds of 32-37 mph, and shut off to avoid damage at speeds exceeding
55 mph. According to Smil, V. (2003) the energy potential of a wind turbine is
proportional to the square of the length of its blades and to the cube of the speed at
which its blades spin. Though wind turbines are available that can supplement power

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for a single building, because of these factors, the efficiency of the wind turbine
depends much upon the wind conditions at the building site. For these reasons, for
wind turbines to be at all efficient, they must be installed at locations that are known
to receive a constant amount of wind with average wind speeds of more than 15
mph, rather than locations that receive wind sporadically. A small wind turbine can
be installed on a roof. Installation issues then include the strength of the roof,
vibration, and the turbulence caused by the roof ledge. Small-scale rooftop wind
turbines have been known to be able to generate power from 10% to up to 25% of
the electricity required of a regular domestic household dwelling. Turbines for
residential scale use are usually between 2 m to 8 m in diameter and produce
electricity at a rate of 900 watts to 10,000 watts at their tested wind speed.

- The employment of solar water heating

Solar water heaters, also called solar domestic hot water systems, can be a cost-
effective way to generate hot water for a home. They can be used in any climate,
and the fuel they use, sunshine, is free.
There are two types of solar water systems; active and passive. An active solar
collector system can produce about 80 to 100 gallons of hot water per day. A passive
system will have a lower capacity.
There are also two types of circulation, direct circulation systems and indirect
circulation systems. Direct circulation systems loop the domestic water through the
panels. They should not be used in climates with temperatures below freezing.
Indirect circulation loops glycol or some other fluid through the solar panels and uses
a heat exchanger to heat up the domestic water.
The two most common types of collector panels are Flat-Plate and Evacuated-tube.
The two work similarly except that evacuated tubes do not convectively lose heat,
which greatly improves their efficiency (5%-25% more efficient). With these higher
efficiencies, Evacuated-tube solar collectors can also produce higher-temperature
space heating, and even higher temperatures for absorption cooling systems.
Electric-resistance water heaters that are common in homes today have an electrical
demand around 4500 kW·h/year. With the use of solar collectors, the energy use is

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cut in half. The up-front cost of installing solar collectors is high, but with the annual
energy savings, payback periods are relatively short Scheer, H. (2002) explains.
- The employment of heat pumps
Air-source heat pumps (ASHP) can be thought of as reversible air conditioners. Like
an air conditioner, an ASHP can take heat from a relatively cool space (e.g. a house at
70°F) and dump it into a hot place (e.g. outside at 85°F). However, unlike an air
conditioner, the condenser and evaporator of an ASHP can switch roles and absorb
heat from the cool outside air and dump it into a warm house.
Air-source heat pumps are inexpensive relative to other heat pump systems.
However, the efficiency of air-source heat pumps decline when the outdoor
temperature is very cold or very hot; therefore, they are only really applicable in
temperate climates.
For areas not located in temperate climates, ground-source (or geothermal) heat
pumps provide an efficient alternative. The difference between the two heat pumps
is that the ground-source has one of its heat exchangers placed underground—
usually in a horizontal or vertical arrangement. Ground-source takes advantage of
the relatively constant, mild temperatures underground, which means their
efficiencies can be much greater than that of an air-source heat pump. The in-ground
heat exchanger generally needs a considerable amount of area. Designers have
placed them in an open area next to the building or underneath a parking lot. Energy
Star ground-source heat pumps can be 40% to 60% more efficient than their air-
source counterparts. They are also quieter and can also be applied to other functions
like domestic hot water heating according to Chiasson, A. (1999).
In terms of initial cost, the ground-source heat pump system costs about twice as
much as a standard air-source heat pump to be installed. However, the up-front
costs can be more than offset by the decrease in energy costs. The reduction in
energy costs is especially apparent in areas with typically hot summers and cold
winters.
Other types of heat pumps are water-source and air-earth. If the building is located
near a body of water, the pond or lake could be used as a heat source or sink. Air-
earth heat pumps circulate the building's air through underground ducts. With

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higher fan power requirements and inefficient heat transfer, Air-earth heat pumps
are generally not practical for major construction.
2-7-1-4 The BPSA’s green headquarters
In 2002 BP coined the tagline 'beyond petroleum', establishing four key words to
demonstrate its brand values – innovation, progressive, performance and green – a
significant departure from traditional petroleum-based industry values, and one that
the company immediately took to heart to minimize not only the environmental
impact of its global activities but to begin to house its staff in eco-friendly, energy-
conserving environments. The BPSA’s green headquarters is an exceptional exemplar
for sustainable architecture, figures (215).

Figure (215): The BPSA's green headquarters in Cape Town, South Africa, built in 2005
212: http://www.thepropertymag.co.za/default.asp, accessed 2014 May 3

The compatibility with the planning regulations was based on the eco-friendly
philosophy aspect the site satisfies. When beyond petroleum Southern Africa (BPSA)
sought new accommodation in line with the new eco-friendly philosophy, it tasked
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Alex Robertson of Alex Robertson Associates Architects not only to assist with the
selection of a site for the new office complex, but also to develop the brief and act as
the development consultant, space planner and interior designer once the project
broke ground. For many years the Revel Fox-designed beyond petroleum tower
block in Thibault Square was both the company's Africa Headquarters as well as a
Well-known Cape Town landmark.
In a nutshell, the brief Alex developed called for a low-rise campus type sustainable
building set in a green environment with inspirational open-plan office space.
Twenty-seven original sites were considered before the Portswood site in the
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront was chosen coincidently right next to beyond
petroleum's old tank farm in the harbour. 'You could say beyond petroleum's come
home,' notes Alex.
The advanced technology employed in this building was achieved as
environmental consultant, Arup (Pty) Ltd's South African arm being a global group of
designers, engineers, planners and business consultants was tasked to compile the
Resource Efficient Design (RED) brief, which targeted, among other criterions, the
use of recycled materials as well as those which minimize pollution.
With the theme of Green Architecture at its heart, the three-storey R115-million
building opened in 2005, and within weeks won the South African Property Owners
Association (SAPOA) 2005 Award in the category of innovative office developments.
The stylish technological advancement was achieved in the following terms that so
much reflected in the building’s architectural design concepts. The building consists
of three wings in a T-formation. Ventilation stacks at the building's outer edges allow
not only airflow but also for the double-glazed windows to be deeply-recessed,
reducing solar heat in summer while enabling sun penetration in winter. In addition,
light shelves in the recesses provide extra shade from the heat while at the same
time allowing light to be bounced deep into the interior.
Cognizant of the fact that the top of the building would be visible not only from the
elevated heights of nearby Signal Hill but from residential buildings and streets in the
Green Point vicinity opposite the Victoria and Alfred, the roof is treated as a fifth
elevation. Lines of glass pyramids run across the centre of each wing, providing

191
natural light for both the human inhabitants below as well as for a forest of African
mahogany trees planted on the ground floor.
Photovoltaic cells and thermal solar panels developed by beyond petroleum's solar
division also cross the roof in eye-pleasing, angular lines and provide ten per cent of
the building's electricity when the sun shines. Annual energy consumption is thus set
to be 115kWh/m² as opposed to the average 350kWh/m² which any other building
this size would use. This is aided by movement-sensitive, low-energy lighting
throughout the interior which turns off as soon as staff leaves their work stations or
vacate meeting rooms, ensuring that empty parts of the building are not lit
unnecessarily.
The architectural design concepts and philosophy is based on the eco-friendly
philosophy aspect the building advocates. The building’s significant departure from
traditional petroleum-based industry values, the company immediately took in
minimizing not only the environmental impact of its global activities but also it
housed its staff in eco-friendly, energy-conserving environments.
The glass pyramid as a sustainable building was set in a green environment to
emphasize its architectural design concepts. These staff eco-friendly, energy-
conserving environments the designers successfully achieved were, beyond no
doubt, inspired by the conservation the Egyptians ancient pyramids provided for the
pharaohs.
The socio-cultural impact the building has on people is both psychological and
physiological. The psychological impact is on the passersby whom to them the
building considerably minimizing energy consumption whereas the physiological
impact is shown on the staff who stay for long in the building. The building boasts a
1.3-million liters underground water tank that stores run-off from the roof area and
is used to provide water for irrigation and ablution. An average building of the same
size would use around 15 000kl/annum of municipal water, whereas the beyond
petroleum building uses just 3 600kl/annum of municipal water.
Accommodating 600 staff members, the workplace environment in the building falls
under a beyond petroleum philosophy referred to as 'Blue Chalk' in which the open-
plan offices have been designed to allow for highly flexible modules or clusters of

192
workstations, which are uniform throughout the company for every employee, bar
the chairman and the business unit leader the only employees with private office
space behind four walls.
'Open plan isn't new,' explains Alex. Burolandschaft or office landscaping as the term
was coined was introduced by the Germans in the 1950s. But what everyone has
here is exactly the same ergonomically-designed workstation made up of a desk, a
flat-panel computer screen, a credenza and a drawer unit. Split over three levels of
open plan space, the main staircase leads down to the internal 'street' on the ground
floor, figures (216).

Figure (216): Split over three levels of open plan space, the main staircase leads down to the internal
'street' on the ground floor
213: http://www.thepropertymag.co.za/default.asp, accessed 2014 May 3

The reception area features tulip chairs from a hand-woven karakul rug, figures
(217). If staff needs additional filing then that's provided elsewhere on the floor in
centralized cabinets. Multi-functional stations which print, copy and fax alleviate the
need for these in individual workspaces. In effect, the Blue Chalk strategy focuses on

193
a shift in ownership from an employee owning his or her own workspace to the
concept of instead owning the entire work environment. Therefore, the low degree

Figure (217): The reception area features tulip chairs from a hand-woven karakul rug
214: http://www.thepropertymag.co.za/default.asp, accessed 2014 May 3

of personal workspace is countered with communal breakaway spaces known as

pause areas or informal collaborative meeting spaces and the cafeteria as well as
access to outdoor gardens and balconies. With lounge-type furniture and café-style
seating these pause areas offer employees everything from a break away from their
desk areas for a cup of coffee or tea on tap, to informal meetings or a chance to
catch up on the latest cricket scores, which south Africans are fund of, via
strategically placed TV screens. Many of the pause areas also lead out onto open
balconies – some of which are designated smoking areas.
Viewed quite skeptically at first by a number of beyond petroleum employees
accustomed to the highly private spaces of their old office tower a bit of a rabbit
warren in its time!, the Blue Chalk strategy has proved highly successful in
encouraging communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation, which has
been positive for overall performance.
194
The results have even been published in a report conducted in the United Kingdom
by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and the British
Council for Offices (BCO). The report notes, from a survey conducted by Sun
Microsystems, that through the Blue Chalk strategy 'statistically significant benefits
were achieved in four areas: thirteen per cent greater performance, fifteen per cent
greater communication, eighteen per cent greater collaboration and ten per cent
increased creativity .
Alongside the establishment of beyond petroleum's new values system behind the
'beyond petroleum' concept, was the company's global Green Office Initiative.
'Ultimately this is to get staff into an entirely paperless environment,' explains Alex.
'And beyond petroleum is pretty far down the track in achieving this.'
The Green Office Initiative solvency symbolism was complemented locally by a
document known as 'The Waterfront Directory – a new way of working' compiled by
a workplace change team. The directory establishes both the principle of working
towards a paperless office, as well as instilling a recycling ethic in every aspect of the
work day: recycling bins for paper, glass, metal, plastic and organic or wet materials
in central areas take the place of waste-paper bins at individual workstations.
The RED brief stipulated that along with the use of recycled, durable, low-
maintenance materials with ‘high growth’ content, materials used throughout the
building had to have a high local content and in particular were to be sourced
wherever possible from the Western Cape. Carpets for example are made from
hundred per cent recycled materials, and even new artwork has been commissioned
locally, among the most impressive pieces being the six meter-high aloe wall-hanging
at the entrance. Designed by Adri Schultz, the wall-hanging was made from waste
cotton fabric woven by a women's group living in the Cape township of Khayelitsha.
Beautiful Rosegum wooden floors throughout the central street of the building and
on the stairs come from sustainable forests in Zimbabwe.
However, along with its eco-friendly award-winning design, perhaps the best news
about the building is what it cost to build. 'Other than the photovoltaic cells, which
are very expensive, what we set out to do is to ensure that the rest of the building
should not cost more than an average A-grade office building' explains Alex:’ We put

195
our money into other places: we didn't use glass balustrades on our staircases! We
used as little imported material as possible because in this building local is lekker.
But above all else we wanted to create a very nice environment for staff, because
that's really what it's all about.'
Buildings in this style are found in the region. For creativity and innovation, so many
architects look forward to design projects adopting this style.

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CHAPTER EIGHT
Novelty architecture
2-8 Novelty architecture
2-8-1 Worldwide Novelty architecture
2-8-1-1 The Longaberger Company headquarters
The Longaberger Company headquarters built in 1997, Newark, Ohio, is a type of
architecture in which buildings and other structures are given unfamiliar forms as a
novelty, such as advertising, notoriety as a landmark, or simple eccentricity of the
owner or architect, figures (218).

Figure (218): The Longaberger Company headquarters in 1997, Newark, Ohio

215: http://inhabitat.com/longabergers-giant-basket-headquarters-is-made-with-locally-sourced-wood-in-ohio/a-james-d-
decamp-httpwww-columbusvirtualtour-com-614-367-6366/, accessed 2014 May 3

Many examples of novelty architecture take the form of buildings that resemble the
products sold inside to attract passers-by or drive-by customers. Exemplars of
Novelty architecture are giant animals, fruits, and vegetables, or replicas of famous
buildings. And others are merely unfamiliar forms or buildings made of unusual
building materials.
This giant basket office in Ohio was constructed with locally sourced wood. A scaled-
up replica of Longaberger's medium market basket, this headquarters for the
company features cherry wood harvested from the Longaberger Golf Club in
Hanover and processed in the firm's own mill.
According to Zurcher, N. (2008) the world’s largest basket, Longaberger’s award-
winning seven story headquarters was completed in 1997 and has been featured in
news outlets throughout the country. It is 160 times larger than its model and boasts
two heated handles that prevent ice from forming. Whilst this is perhaps not so

197
energy efficient, almost all of the wood used in the construction was harvested in
Hanover and then dried, milled, sawed and shaped in one mill.
Providing space for 500 employees, the giant basket is organized around a large
atrium that floods the interior with natural light. This and 84 windows ensure that
very little electricity needs to be used during the day.

2-8-1-2 Ark Hotel

Ark Hotel (Unique Dome Shaped Hotel) in China. The Ark project was designed by
Russian firm Remistudio with the assistance of the International Union of Architects
program Architecture for Disasters Relief. The dome-shaped hotel is constructed
with wooden arches, steel cables and a self-cleaning plastic layer instead of glass,
figures (219).

Figure (219): Ark hotel designed by Alexander Remizov

216: http://pinlovely.com/ark-hotel-china/, accessed 2014 May 3

Exemplars of Novelty architecture have not been traced at the regional and the local
level in a way that a certain style is employed as what is found could more or less be
merely fashion and not style. Fashion is defined as the manner of doing or making
something. Hurlburt (1977) considered style as a particular distinctive mode or form
of construction or execution in any work or art. He goes on emphasizing the
distinction between style and fashion stating that;
”A careful distinction is needed between the style arrived at by designers working
toward a common objective and the merely fashionable solutions that grow out of
imitation”.
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CHAPTER NINE
Warped architecture
2-9 Warped architecture
2-9-1 Worldwide Warped architecture
2-9-1-1 Music instruments building
While simple geometric homes and buildings are often the most contemporary and
modern, these warped architectural structures are offering much more abstract and
visually compelling designs that people could have appreciated.
Distorted images and warped shapes are often associated with things that have not
been properly built or structured, but these visually askew designs are showcasing
that intentionally lopsided and twisted buildings can have a wonderfully
mesmerizing exterior impact. By incorporating structural designs that feature
warped exterior appearances, bent frames, twirling shapes and even abstract alien
references, these architectural structures as Victor Enrich’s Music instruments
building, are able to showcase that art can truly take any form, figures (220).

Figure (220): Victor Enrich’s Music instruments building

217: http://www.visualnews.com/2012/08/04/victor-enrich-architecture/, accessed 2014 May 3

From fertile-figured rooms to slithering slope stations, these warped architectural

structures are showcasing that intentional distortion and lopsided features can make
for a beautifully engaging piece of artwork.
Victor Enrich, the Barcelona born artist has taken images of sky scrapers from the
world’s cities and digitally reworked them with 3D rendering techniques. In doing so

199
he creates buildings that pour out onto the street, bend horizontal, extrude their
features in wild directions and even expand into trumpet like forms. The impossible
buildings look like the imaginative mind of Frank Gehry run wild.
Enrich’s highly realistic renderings are thanks to over a decade of work in the field of
professional 3D architectural visualization. Now he applies those hard earned talents
toward warping the minds of his viewers, creating buildings which often make little
sense in the real world. His works attempt to give us a new and different view of
“reality,” challenging us to question the current norms and look at the world with
new eyes.
Exemplars of Warped architecture have not as well been traced at the regional and
the local level in a way that a certain style is said to be employed as this style with so
many other recent styles, are just employed in Europe, USA and other countries at a
stage, which could still be a trial and error stage not yet accepted as well as not yet
matured enough to be tried regionally and lcally.

200
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 ‫البيبلوغرافيا العربية‬
‫‪ -1‬سالم ‪،‬عبد الرحيم ‪ ،)1991(،‬دراسات في الشكل والتطور المعماري‪ ،‬إربد‪.‬‬
‫‪ -2‬شيرزاد ‪،‬شيرين إحسان‪ ، )1991( ،‬األسلوب العالمي في العمارة بين المحافظة والتجديد‪ ،‬دار الشؤون الثقافية العامة‪ ،‬آفاق‬
‫عربية‪ ،‬بغداد‪.‬‬

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 THE AUTHOR
The author is a BSc-1996 and MSc-1998 graduate, Department of Architecture, College of
Environmental Design, ABU, Nigeria. A design base thesis titled “Aesthetics achievement in the
elevations of buildings through the design of shading devices” written for the BSc followed by
another design base thesis titled “Zaria vocational training centre-promoting the use of
indigenous building materials” made the researcher to have a close look at the aesthetics of
building forms and the role education play in architecture. These theses were written under the
supervision of the German Professor Schwerdtfeger, F. trained in Le Corbusier’s office, who
made the candidate admire writing about architectural design in styles.
In taking the post of a lecturer in 1998 in the department of architecture of the University of
Juba and as having teaching experiences in various architecture departments and programs,
theory of architecture becomes the most favorite field of teaching. The author has attempted
writing notebooks, which are planned to be sooner books publications in the theory of design
and other courses in architecture as Construction, Services, Science, history of Islamic
architecture and programs for graduates of architecture on how to go about their projets . For
almost ten years the candidate had the experience of writing so many essays in daily news
paper of Al-Khartoum and AL-Sudani about issues pertaining to indigenous and modern
architecture, architecture education in the Sudan and the built environment.
The Sudanese Institute of Architects (SIA) has chosen the author as a jury member or an
adjudicator for Khartoum International Primary School (KIPS) in 2006. The author was a former
Head of Department and a Deputy Dean of the College of Engineering and architecture of the
University of Juba. He was also a Dean for the College of Architecture for the Future University.
He taught in architecture programs in the University of Sudan, University of Technological
Studies, University of Khartoum, and so many others. He is presently a teaching staff and the
Head of the Department of Visual Communication at Qassim University, College of Architecture
and Planning.

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