UNIT 02- MODERN MOVEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL STYLE

UNIT BRIEF
THE MODERN MOVEMENT AND THE INTERNATIONAL STYLE ARE SIGNIFICANT ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENTS THAT EMERGED IN THE EARLY 20TH
CENTURY. BOTH STYLES SHARE COMMON ROOTS BUT ALSO HAVE DISTINCT CHARACTERISTICS.

ORIGINS AND PHILOSOPHY:

THE MODERN MOVEMENT EMERGED IN RESPONSE TO THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND THE RAPID URBANIZATION OF THE LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH
CENTURIES. ARCHITECTS SOUGHT TO BREAK AWAY FROM HISTORICAL STYLES AND TRADITIONS, AIMING FOR A NEW APPROACH THAT REFLECTED MODERN
SOCIETY.
THE MOVEMENT EMPHASIZED FUNCTIONALISM, WHERE THE DESIGN OF A BUILDING SHOULD BE BASED ON ITS INTENDED FUNCTION. IT ALSO EMBRACED NEW
MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES, SUCH AS STEEL, GLASS, AND REINFORCED CONCRETE.

KEY FEATURES:
SIMPLICITY AND MINIMALISM: CLEAN LINES, MINIMAL ORNAMENTATION, AND A FOCUS ON THE ESSENCE OF THE DESIGN.
FUNCTION OVER FORM: BUILDINGS WERE DESIGNED TO SERVE THEIR PURPOSE EFFECTIVELY, WITH AESTHETICS BEING A SECONDARY CONSIDERATION.
EMPHASIS ON MATERIALS: THE STRUCTURE AND MATERIALS WERE OFTEN EXPOSED, CELEBRATING THE POSSIBILITIES OF MODERN CONSTRUCTION.

FAMOUS ARCHITECTS:
LE CORBUSIER: KNOWN FOR HIS CONCEPT OF BUILDINGS AS "MACHINES FOR LIVING," EMPHASIZING FUNCTIONAL SPACES.
WALTER GROPIUS: FOUNDER OF THE BAUHAUS SCHOOL, WHICH PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN PROMOTING MODERNIST PRINCIPLES.
LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE: FAMOUS FOR HIS "LESS IS MORE" PHILOSOPHY AND HIS USE OF GLASS AND STEEL.
 LE CORBUSIER
BIRTH AND DEATH: BORN IN SWITZERLAND AT LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS ON OCTOBER 6, 1887. DIED 27 AUG 1965
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: LE CORBUSIER WAS AN INFLUENTIAL ARCHITECT AND CITY PLANNER WHOSE DESIGNS COMBINED
FUNCTIONALISM WITH BOLD SCULPTURAL EXPRESSIONISM.

KEY WORKS
01. UNITÉ D’HABITATION, 1945

THE UNITÉ D’HABITATION DE MARSEILLE, THE FOUNDING WORK OF ARCHITECTURAL

BRUTALISM, IS THE MAJOR TEST OF A NEW MODE OF HOUSING BASED ON THE BALANCE
BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE COLLECTIVE.

THE BUILDING TAKES THE FORM OF A HOUSING BAR 135 METRES LONG, 24 METRES WIDE,
56 METRES HIGH AND MOUNTED ON STILTS. THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY APARTMENTS,
DIVIDED INTO TWENTY-THREE DIFFERENT TYPES, CAN ACCOMMODATE A POPULATION OF
BETWEEN 1,500 AND 1,700 OCCUPANTS HAVING AT THEIR DISPOSAL ON THE SEVENTH AND
EIGHTH FLOORS A SHOPPING STREET AND A HOTEL-RESTAURANT, TOGETHER WITH A
KINDERGARTEN AND SPORTS FACILITIES ON THE ROOF TERRACE.

THE CONSTRUCTIVE PRINCIPLE ADOPTED, THE SO-CALLED “BOTTLE RACK”, CONSISTS IN BUILDING APARTMENTS INSIDE AN INDEPENDENT FRAME
OF POSTS AND REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAMS. THE APARTMENTS ARE MADE UP OF STANDARD ELEMENTS ASSEMBLED ON THE SITE. ALL THE
APARTMENTS ARE DUAL-ASPECT, EXCEPT THOSE ON THE SOUTH SIDE. A SUN-BREAK LOGGIA PROVIDES AN OPEN-AIR FACILITY AT THE SAME TIME
AS LIMITING EXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT. PROTECTED BY DOUBLE GLAZING, THE APARTMENT INTERIORS ARE SUBJECT TO THE TWO BASIC RULES OF
NAVAL AND MONASTIC ARCHITECTURE: RATIONALISM AND SIMPLICITY. THE LIVING ROOM, OPEN ON TWO LEVELS, IS THE NUCLEUS OF THE FAMILY
“HOME”; UPSTAIRS THE PARENTS’ ROOM OCCUPIES THE MEZZANINE
THE KITCHEN IS EQUIPPED LIKE A LABORATORY: ELECTRIC COOKER,
REFRIGERATOR, RUBBISH CHUTE AND STORAGE RACKS.

THE ENTIRE APARTMENT IS FITTED WITH RACKS REPLACING TRADITIONAL

STORAGE.

THE VENTILATION OF THE KITCHEN, BATHROOM AND TOILETS IS MECHANICALLY

OPERATED, WHILE THE ENTIRE APARTMENT IS SUPPLIED WITH CLEAN AIR BY AN AIR
CONDITIONING SYSTEM.

THESE FACILITIES WERE NOT FOUND IN THE LOW-COST COLLECTIVE HOUSING

UNITS OF THE TIME, AND THE STANDARD SURFACE AREAS OF THE UNITÉ
D’HABITATION ARE GREATER THAN THESE BY BETWEEN 40% AND 50%.

THE SEVENTEEN-STOREYS BELOW THE TERRACE ARE CONNECTED BY EIGHT

INTERIOR STREETS WHICH, GIVEN THE OVERLAP OF THE TWO-STOREY
APARTMENTS, EACH SERVE THREE FLOORS.

EACH STREET IS ACCESSED BY A BATTERY OF FOUR ELEVATORS

COMPLEMENTED BY A SERVICE ELEVATOR AND THREE EMERGENCY
STAIRCASES.
THE ENTIRE BUILDING AND ITS EQUIPMENT ARE DESIGNED IN TERMS OF THE
MODULOR, THE UNIVERSAL MEASURING UNIT CONCEIVED BY LE CORBUSIER.
 02.CURUTCHET HOUSE

1. CORBUSIER'S FIVE POINTS OF ARCHITECTURE: THE HOUSE EXEMPLIFIES LE CORBUSIER'S FAMOUS FIVE POINTS OF
ARCHITECTURE:
PILOTIS: THE BUILDING IS RAISED ON STILTS (PILOTIS), WHICH ALLOWS FOR AN OPEN SPACE BENEATH THE HOUSE AND
ELEVATES THE STRUCTURE ABOVE THE GROUND.
FLAT ROOF TERRACE: THE ROOF IS DESIGNED AS A FUNCTIONAL TERRACE, PROVIDING OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE.
FREE PLAN: THE INTERIOR LAYOUT IS FLEXIBLE, WITH NON-LOAD-BEARING WALLS, ALLOWING FOR A MORE OPEN AND
ADAPTABLE FLOOR PLAN.
HORIZONTAL WINDOWS: THE HOUSE FEATURES LONG, HORIZONTAL WINDOWS THAT ALLOW FOR AMPLE NATURAL LIGHT AND
PANORAMIC VIEWS.
FREE FACADE: THE FAÇADE IS INDEPENDENT OF THE STRUCTURAL FRAMEWORK, ALLOWING FOR A MORE FLEXIBLE AND
ARTISTIC DESIGN.
2. INTEGRATION WITH NATURE: THE HOUSE IS NOTABLE FOR HOW IT INTEGRATES WITH ITS NATURAL SURROUNDINGS. A LARGE TREE
THAT EXISTED ON THE SITE WAS INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGN, WITH THE STRUCTURE BUILT AROUND IT.
3. COMBINATION OF FUNCTIONS: THE BUILDING COMBINES A RESIDENTIAL SPACE WITH A PROFESSIONAL SPACE FOR DR.
CURUTCHET’S MEDICAL PRACTICE, REFLECTING THE CLIENT'S DUAL REQUIREMENTS.
4. MODERNIST DESIGN: THE CURUTCHET HOUSE IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE, FEATURING CLEAN LINES,
MINIMALIST DESIGN, AND AN EMPHASIS ON FUNCTIONALITY.
5. CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE: IN 2016, THE CURUTCHET HOUSE WAS DESIGNATED AS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE AS PART OF
A GROUP OF 17 BUILDINGS BY LE CORBUSIER, RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE MODERN MOVEMENT IN
ARCHITECTURE.
LAYOUT AND STRUCTURE:
GROUND FLOOR: INCLUDES THE MEDICAL OFFICE, ENTRANCE, AND A RAMP LEADING TO THE FIRST FLOOR.
FIRST FLOOR: CONTAINS THE LIVING ROOM, KITCHEN, AND ACCESS TO THE TERRACE.
SECOND FLOOR: FEATURES BEDROOMS AND PRIVATE LIVING SPACES.
TERRACE: USED AS AN OUTDOOR SPACE, ALIGNING WITH LE CORBUSIER'S IDEA OF THE ROOFTOP AS A "FIFTH FACADE."
 RENOWED ARCHITECTS OF THIS PERIOD

FRANK LIOYD WRIGHT

BIRTH AND DEATH: BORN ON MARCH 8TH JUNE 1867, IN RICHLAND CENTER , AND DIED ON APRIL 9TH,1959 , IN PARIS, FRANCE.
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: PRAIRIE STYLE

KEY WORKS
FALLING WATER
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT (1867–1959) WAS ONE OF THE MOST RENOWNED AND INFLUENTIAL AMERICAN ARCHITECTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
KNOWN FOR HIS PHILOSOPHY OF ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE, WRIGHT SOUGHT TO CREATE BUILDINGS THAT WERE IN HARMONY WITH THEIR
SURROUNDINGS, EMPHASIZING DESIGN PRINCIPLES THAT INTEGRATED NATURE, MATERIALS, AND HUMAN LIFE. HIS INNOVATIVE DESIGNS,
WHICH INCLUDE PRIVATE HOMES, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, AND PUBLIC STRUCTURES, CHANGED THE FACE OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE
AND INFLUENCED GENERATIONS OF ARCHITECTS WORLDWIDE.

PURPOSE: WRIGHT'S PRIMARY GOAL IN DESIGNING FALLINGWATER WAS TO CREATE A DEEP CONNECTION BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND ITS
NATURAL SURROUNDINGS. RATHER THAN MERELY PLACING THE HOUSE NEAR THE WATERFALL, WRIGHT BUILT THE STRUCTURE DIRECTLY OVER
IT, INCORPORATING THE WATER'S MOVEMENT AND SOUND INTO THE LIVING EXPERIENCE. THIS DESIGN EMBODIES WRIGHT'S ARCHITECTURAL
PHILOSOPHY OF ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE, WHICH SOUGHT TO HARMONIZE HUMAN HABITATION WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.

INFLUENCE: FALLINGWATER EXEMPLIFIES WRIGHT’S PRINCIPLE OF ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE, THE IDEA THAT A BUILDING SHOULD BE IN
HARMONY WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS. BY INTEGRATING THE HOUSE WITH THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE, SPECIFICALLY INCORPORATING A
WATERFALL AS A CENTRAL ELEMENT, WRIGHT REVOLUTIONIZED HOW ARCHITECTURE COULD MERGE WITH NATURE.

PRESERVATION: THE PRESERVATION OF FALLINGWATER, ONE OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S MOST CELEBRATED ARCHITECTURAL
MASTERPIECES, IS A SIGNIFICANT ENDEAVOR THAT ENSURES THE BUILDING REMAINS A VITAL PART OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY AND PUBLIC
EDUCATION. LOCATED IN MILL RUN, PENNSYLVANIA, FALLINGWATER IS RENOWNED FOR ITS INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND INTEGRATION WITH THE
NATURAL LANDSCAPE.
01. FALLING WATER

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY AND CONCEPT

ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE: WRIGHT’S DESIGN FOR
FALLINGWATER IS A QUINTESSENTIAL EXAMPLE OF HIS
PHILOSOPHY OF ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE, WHICH AIMS TO
CREATE A HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT AND THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE. THE HOUSE
IS DESIGNED TO BLEND SEAMLESSLY WITH ITS
SURROUNDINGS, RATHER THAN DOMINATE THEM.
INTEGRATION WITH NATURE: THE HOUSE IS BUILT OVER A
WATERFALL ON BEAR RUN, WITH ITS CANTILEVERED
TERRACES EXTENDING OUT OVER THE RUSHING WATER.
WRIGHT USED LOCAL STONE AND NATURAL MATERIALS TO
HELP THE STRUCTURE MERGE WITH THE ROCKY
LANDSCAPE, MAKING IT APPEAR AS THOUGH IT NATURALLY
EMERGED FROM THE SITE.
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES PLAN SECTIONS
1. CANTILEVERED DESIGN: ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING
FEATURES OF FALLINGWATER IS ITS CANTILEVERED
TERRACES. WRIGHT EMPLOYED REINFORCED CONCRETE
TO EXTEND THESE TERRACES OUTWARD, CREATING
DRAMATIC OVERHANGS THAT APPEAR TO FLOAT ABOVE
THE WATERFALL. THIS DESIGN ELEMENT NOT ONLY
ENHANCES THE VIEW BUT ALSO REFLECTS WRIGHT'S
MASTERY OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING.
2. NATURAL MATERIALS: WRIGHT USED LOCAL SANDSTONE
FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, WHICH WAS QUARRIED FROM
THE SITE. T UTILIZED AN OPEN FLOOR PLAN TO MAINTAIN A
CONTINUOUS FLOW BETWEEN SPACES. THIS DESIGN
AERIAL VIEW- CONCEPTUAL SKETCH
APPROACH ALLOWS FOR
 02. HOLLYHOCK HOUSE
THE HOLLYHOCK HOUSE IS A NOTABLE ARCHITECTURAL WORK BY FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, DESIGNED IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.
LOCATED IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, IT IS ONE OF WRIGHT’S MOST IMPORTANT RESIDENTIAL DESIGNS AND A SIGNIFICANT
EXAMPLE OF HIS UNIQUE APPROACH TO ARCHITECTURE.
DESIGN AND CONCEPT
COMPLETED: 1921
CLIENT: ALINE BARNSDALL, A WEALTHY PATRON AND PHILANTHROPIST WHO COMMISSIONED THE HOUSE AS PART OF A LARGER
CULTURAL COMPLEX.
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: THE HOLLYHOCK HOUSE IS CONSIDERED AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF WRIGHT’S AMERICAN SYSTEM-BUILT
HOMES AND IS INFLUENCED BY HIS INTEREST IN AZTEC AND MAYAN ARCHITECTURE, AS WELL AS THE ARTS AND CRAFTS
MOVEMENT.
KEY DESIGN FEATURES:
1. ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE: WRIGHT’S PHILOSOPHY OF ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE IS EVIDENT IN THE HOLLYHOCK HOUSE. THE
DESIGN INTEGRATES THE BUILDING WITH ITS NATURAL SURROUNDINGS, CREATING A HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
STRUCTURE AND THE LANDSCAPE.
2. HOLLYHOCK MOTIF: THE HOUSE IS NAMED AFTER THE HOLLYHOCK FLOWER, WHICH WAS A FAVORITE OF ALINE BARNSDALL. THE
FLOWER’S SHAPE IS REFLECTED IN THE ORNAMENTAL PATTERNS AND DETAILS THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE, INCLUDING IN THE
CONCRETE BLOCKS AND DECORATIVE ELEMENTS.
3. CONCRETE BLOCKS: THE HOLLYHOCK HOUSE IS NOTABLE FOR ITS USE OF TEXTURED CONCRETE BLOCKS, WHICH WERE DESIGNED
BY WRIGHT AND PRODUCED ON-SITE. THESE BLOCKS FEATURE GEOMETRIC PATTERNS INSPIRED BY THE HOLLYHOCK FLOWER,
CONTRIBUTING TO THE BUILDING’S DISTINCTIVE APPEARANCE.
4. FLAT ROOFS AND OVERHANGS: THE HOUSE FEATURES FLAT ROOFS WITH WIDE OVERHANGS, A HALLMARK OF WRIGHT’S PRAIRIE
STYLE ARCHITECTURE. THIS DESIGN HELPS TO INTEGRATE THE BUILDING WITH THE LANDSCAPE AND PROVIDES SHELTER FROM THE
SUN.
5. OPEN FLOOR PLAN: WRIGHT’S USE OF AN OPEN FLOOR PLAN CREATES FLUID SPACES THAT FLOW INTO ONE ANOTHER,
REFLECTING HIS BELIEF IN FUNCTIONAL, INTERCONNECTED LIVING SPACES. THE LAYOUT ENHANCES NATURAL LIGHT AND
PROVIDES A SENSE OF OPENNESS.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
BARNSDALL PARK: THE HOLLYHOCK HOUSE WAS PART OF A LARGER VISION FOR BARNSDALL PARK, WHICH BARNSDALL INTENDED TO DEVELOP AS A CULTURAL AND
RECREATIONAL CENTER FOR THE PUBLIC. ALTHOUGH THE FULL VISION WAS NEVER REALIZED, THE HOLLYHOCK HOUSE REMAINS A KEY PART OF THE PARK'S LEGACY.
CULTURAL IMPACT: THE HOLLYHOCK HOUSE WAS ONE OF WRIGHT’S EARLY EXPLORATIONS OF COMBINING TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS WITH MODERN
DESIGN PRINCIPLES. IT REFLECTS HIS INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO ARCHITECTURE AND HIS INTEREST IN INTEGRATING CULTURAL AND NATURAL ELEMENTS INTO HIS
DESIGNS.
RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: THE HOLLYHOCK HOUSE IS RECOGNIZED AS A SIGNIFICANT EXAMPLE OF WRIGHT’S WORK AND IS LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER
OF HISTORIC PLACES. IT IS ALSO A DESIGNATED LOS ANGELES HISTORIC-CULTURAL MONUMENT.
RESTORATION: OVER THE YEARS, THE HOLLYHOCK HOUSE HAS UNDERGONE SEVERAL RESTORATION PROJECTS TO PRESERVE ITS ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY. THE
CITY OF LOS ANGELES, WHICH NOW MANAGES THE PROPERTY, HAS INVESTED IN RESTORING THE HOUSE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS TO MAINTAIN ITS HISTORICAL AND
CULTURAL VALUE.
PUBLIC ACCESS: THE HOLLYHOCK HOUSE IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR TOURS, ALLOWING VISITORS TO EXPERIENCE WRIGHT’S DESIGN FIRSTHAND AND LEARN
ABOUT ITS HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE.