Architects’ People – Critical Theory Assignment

In this essay I will be discussing a selection of theoretical texts focusing on the theme of Utopos. In particular, how these theories relate to the role and effect of architecture on people and society. Programs and Manifestos on 20th Century Architecture including manifestoes from Korn, Meyer and Hundertwasser is the first text I will study and analyse. Secondly, I will explore Rowe and Koetter’s Collage City. These manifestoes focus on Utopos; based on the Greek word ou ‘not’? and topos ‘place’ translating to the ‘non-place’ or ‘impossible place’.

The term ‘utopia’, defined as ‘an imaginary place or state in which everything is perfect’ (Press, n. d. ), developed from Thomas More’s book Utopia in 1516. My preconception of architectural theory on the theme of Utopos could be considered limited, however I hope to develop my knowledge and depth of understanding of this topic through this essay and relevant texts. I believe utopia to be an ideal society which possesses highly desirable qualities for its inhabitants. This can be achieved through several means, however architecture can be seen as a great influence to the environment around us. It could be argued that architecture has the power to shape and influence utopian settings, however there have been several examples in which a utopic city has failed due to its architecture. This could be due to several factors, which I will learn more about throughout this essay. It will be interesting to explore and analyse differing views on Utopia and how they compare and contrast to one another. Firstly, I will be studying Arthur Korn’s manifesto on Utopian architecture, which offers a critical analysis of functionalism and utilitarianism.

Korn denotes architecture in several ways, highlighting the importance of the arts and humanities. ‘Architecture is symbol … Architecture is passionate loving’ (Korn, 1964/1971). Referred to as a ‘symbol’, architecture is seen as a whole mechanism, relating to biological forms and how these components come together to create a building which is organised and operational. ‘For what turns reality into a work of art is the fiery sign. ’ (Korn, 1964/1971): turning reality into a work of art is another way Korn defines architecture. Through his manifesto, Korn establishes a strong and complex argument about how utilitarianism in architecture, ‘the idea that form follows function or form and function should be one’ (Mao, 2016), is uninteresting and how the intricacy of art cannot be replicated by machines. Korn argues that a building can only be fully inhabited if there is an fundamental art form, bringing the organism (building) to life: ‘But the impersonal utilitarian building is only habitable if behind the satisfied need there stands the symbolic art form that feels the organism’ (Korn, 1964/1971). ‘Analytical building’ (Korn, 1964/1971) is a term used to describe the basis of the construction process, including material secrets, cellular organisation etc. Korn then proceeds to argue that it is the purpose of art to define this architecture as entirely original and new. Functionalism is regarded as monotonous: it lacks the depth of human understanding and the brain. It is argued that machines would never be able to replicate how the human body can design. Similarly, I will now explore Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s Mould Manifesto against rationalism in architecture, exploring how art is at the centre of all architecture. ‘Painting and sculpture are now free, for today anyone can produce any kind of work and afterwards exhibit it. ’ (Hundertwasser, 1964/1971). Hundertwasser states how art is free for everyone to create and utilise. Likewise concerning architecture: ‘Everyone should be able to build, and so long as this freedom to build does not exist, the planned architecture of today cannot be considered art at all’ (Hundertwasser, 1964/1971). Hundertwasser emphasises the importance and value of art by arguing whilst people are not free to build, the current planned architecture cannot be seen as art. This statement expresses Hundertwasser’s theory that art within architecture can develop and form from societies ability to be free and creative. It is argued that no restrictions should be put on the individual’s desire to build, and that if the building later collapses this can be seen as a learning curve and improved upon. This theory is reinforcing the idea that people’s lives can be shaped around whether they have personally created and built the space they are going to inhabit, so that it becomes fully inhabitable, suited to individual’s needs. ‘A stop must finally be put to the situation in which people move into their living quarters like hens and rabbits into their coops. ’ (Hundertwasser, 1964/1971).

Hundertwasser criticises utilitarian construction, stating this type of architecture is unfamiliar to its inhabitants in three different ways. ‘The architect has no relationship to the building’ (Hundertwasser, 1964/1971) highlights the misconnection between the designer and the user. The architect will not live in the building they have created and cannot predict what kind of person will live in it, therefore disregarding the vital connection between the design and user. Secondly, the bricklayer is the next to encounter and add to the building. However, the bricklayer is confined to a design dictated by the architect, so the input lacks personalisation and does not develop an attachment to the building as they will not live in it. This leads to the occupant: they have no relationship as they have not designed or built it. ‘But has merely moved in. His human needs, his human space are certain to be quite different. ’ (Hundertwasser, 1964/1971)Hundertwasser offers a similar view to Korn, criticising utilitarianism and how this mundane form of architecture does not benefit individuals or society. Instead they offer opinions on how art has the greatest influence on architecture, through creating purpose and personalisation to the building, creating more inhabitable spaces individuals can relate to. Alternatively, I will analyse the works of Hannes Meyer, who debates that ‘all art is composition … all life is function and is therefore unartistic. ’ (Meyer, 1964/1971) There is a large distinction between art and science in this manifesto, reinforced by Meyer’s statement; life is unartistic due to being functional. It could be perceived that architecture is part of life, therefore making it unartistic. Also, Meyer adds ‘building is a biological process, building is not an aesthetic process. ’ (Meyer, 1964/1971) The building is described as becoming a ‘machine for living’ and ‘a biological apparatus serving the needs of the body and the mind. ’ (Meyer, 1964/1971) This highlights how Meyer is arguing that functionalism (science) comes first, and then society and individuals adapt to their environments. Also, how their building is machine like, providing individuals with all necessary functions to live, by serving the needs of the body and the mind. Meyer opposes the idea that art is the basis and inspiration for architecture, continuing to argue how architecture is functional, ‘giving shape to the functions of life’. (Meyer, 1964/1971).

Meyer classifies twelve intentions, which are defined as the only motives when building a house. These twelve linear functions can be seen as constraining the design and construction process. This restrictive nature is what opposes the art theories: free and open to changes and how art will never have a limit. This regimented way of thinking has behavioural implications on the user and society. The building is seen to be in control, influencing the individual’s environment, and perhaps not facilitating certain undertakings due to the functionalist construction approach. Through studying the scientific manifestoes, there seems to be lacking a sense of relationship between architecture and the user. Each individual will interact with an environment in a different way; however, these functional spaces created, do not respond to specific needs and wants and design for a universal user.

However, it could be questioned, how does the functionalist approach accommodate individuals with disabilities, who are tall, visually impaired? Meyer concludes with ‘building is nothing but organisation: social, technical, economic, psychological organisation. ’ (Meyer, 1964/1971)I will now discuss Rowe and Koetter’s Collage City, an anti-utopian view, accepting the compromises of both context and history to accommodate and create interesting spatial implications. Firstly, I will talk about the chapter ‘Decline and Fall’ where Utopia is classified into two categories: Classical Utopia and Activist Utopia. The classical utopia, focused on morality and justice, details perfect cities, but as models to observe, not to follow. ‘Now whether this preference for the classical rules and by-products of tragic drama was good or bad is not an issue. But evidently, it represented only a temporary situation; and, in the end, the metaphysical aloofness of the classical utopia was not to be sustained. ’ (Koetter, 1979). This reinforces the idea that perfect cities are only a temporary situation and that it was too theoretically distant for it to be successful. On the other hand, activist utopia derived from the ideas of social reform. In order to analyse the city, they had to analyse society and the human; its basic component. Additionally, this theory was fuelled by Newton’s rational, stating if construction of the physical world could be explained by observation and experimentation, the ideal city of the mind could actually be realised, examining the ‘natural man’ as a paradigm of society. Rowe examines the transition from Classical Utopia to Activist Utopia, arguing the fatal shift between the two caused a multitude of problems and how we should go back to resolve this. Rowe argues how modernist city plans, Le Corbusier’s Plan Voisin in particular, are problematic. The spaces that were proposed were designed abstractly into different programmes; people lost sense of scale due to the huge dimensions of the buildings, creating an environment extremely hostile to pedestrians.

During this time, great technical progression was made, however constrained capability to imagine complex buildings and cities. Rowe and Koetter believes past examples help us to find inspiration and solutions but looking back to the past must not be overused. The primary source for solutions are from current circumstances. These problems we face today did not exist in the past, therefore there are no ready-made responses, meaning we should look to the past for inspiration, but also consider the current-day situation when designing for the future. Additionally, I will now consider the chapter ‘After The Millennium’, a further exploration into modernist architecture, after is stagnation through the 40’s and 50’s. During the late 1940’s the image of the modern city suffered due to the industrialisation and establishment of architecture. Modern architecture had not resulted in a better world; utopian fantasies were constricting. Could the architect now perceive themselves as a leader of new integration of culture? This is where townscape appeared, moving away from an aristocratic approach, which utopia consistently employed. Townscape was preferred for its process and offered economic credibility and scientific notational systems, merging with science fiction to create a ‘revival process’ of modernist architecture. However, science fiction suffered the same conditions that plagued the Ville Radieuse: disregard for context due to lack of planning and the assumption that the existing city will be made to go away. Rowe and Koetter then proceed to study utopia through the comparison of Disney World, the picturesque pretence, and the democratic utopias of Superstudio. Disney World is described as a pragmatic sub-basement: it facilitates both the upstairs afflatus and public euphoria, interdependent but separate. It could be argued that Disney World carries a false persona: the lavish and elaborate glass structures give people hope, however what cannot be seen by society is what lies below; the electrics, sewage and traffic. From this, Rowe and Koetter believe that ‘illusion and fact’ and ‘publicity and privacy’ may possibly be equal, however they should never be integrated. On the other hand, Superstudio sought to eradicate the formal structures of power and ‘envisions withering away of state’. (Koetter, 1979) They also wished to abolish the gross distinction between reality and fantasy, wanting society to see as one, but never together. Rowe and Koetter conclude by asking ‘why should we be obliged to prefer nostalgia for the future to that for the past?. . . Could not this ideal city… behave, quite explicitly, as both a theatre of prophecy and a theatre of memory?’ (Koetter, 1979) This ties into the title of the text; the collaging of a variety of urban elements could improve cities and that urban planning should never be imagined from a clean slate, but instead designed and developed from existing content, shaped by a multitude of considerations including historical context and cultures.

To conclude, I have studied various theories focusing on the theme of Utopos, including manifestoes from Korn, Hundertwasser, Meyer and Rowe & Koetter. I will now offer a critique of each text and develop an argument in favour of the ideas and theories that come closest to my own views on the topic. It is interesting to see how my conception of utopia and architecture has developed and changed through the study of various manifestoes and theories. I will now aim to appraise and critique these, offering my opinions and discovering which theory I can relate the most to. Korn and Hundertwasser share similar views on how art should be the underlying influence of architecture. In addition, they criticise functionalism and utilitarian construction, arguing this type of architecture lacks the depth of human understanding and is unfamiliar to inhabitants. Korn argues how the intricacy of art cannot be replicated by machines. Utopia is defined as ‘a place or state where everything is perfect’, lending well to Korn’s theory. In a utopic world, everything would be perfect for each individual. A place where buildings are purely functional in order to satisfy society, not individuals, I believe cannot be described as a utopia. This is because individual needs are not met, denying the possibility of it being ‘a perfect place’. Hundertwasser also argues that the user has no relationship to the building and that humans should be given the freedom to build and create art. This follows the idea that it cannot be described as a utopia if the inhabitants cannot relate and the buildings don’t respond to specific needs. However, it could be argued that giving people the freedom to build could leave them more confused about what they want, leaving them with something that is unfunctional to them as an individual.

Through analysing Korn and Hundertwasser, I also studied the opposing views of Meyer. He believes that architecture should evolve from functionalism and responding to certain human needs. However, when designing and considering these human needs, we may ask the question, which human has this been based upon? Over time, the individual has developed so much creating a diverse and different society. Does it make sense to develop and create the perfect place from functions that are ever changing and adapting, as society evolves and grows? I perceive Rowe and Koetter to have developed an anti-utopian approach, analysing several examples throughout history in order to re-orient the conceptions of utopia from a single vision to a more multi-valued view of a city form. I believe they aimed to reject the grand visions of utopia, including total planning and total design to instead propose a collage city; taking all the best qualities from cities from the past and combining them with the future. I agree with the ideas presented throughout this manifesto, and how they envisage the perfect place as somewhere which is functional, yet also responds to society and their needs. Through the collaging of city elements, Rowe and Koetter respond to the failure of previous utopias, by incorporating current-day situations when designing. This was a process that previous utopias had neglected, creating isolated models of society. Overall, I believe that the theories written by Korn and Rowe & Koetter, are those that come closest to my own views on Utopos. This is due to the clarity of the theories and what I believe could be successful ideas for utopia.

Bibliography

• Hundertwasser, 1964/1971. Programs and manifestoes on 20th-century architecture.
• In: U. Conrads, ed. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, pp. 157-160. Koetter, C. R. a. F. , 1979. Collage City. In: Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England: The MIT Press, pp. 10-49. Korn, A. , 1964/1971. Programme and Manifestoes on 20th Century Architecture.
• In: U. Conrads, ed. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. Mao, V. X. , 2016. Medium. [Online] Available at: https://medium. com/@xm335/utilitarianism-in-21st-century-modern-architecture-a90906e6a18c[Accessed 18 November 2019]. Meyer, H. , 1964/1971. Programs and manifestoes on 20th-century architecture.
• In: U. Conrads, ed. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, pp. 117-120. Press, O. U. , n. d. Oxford Learner's Dictionary. [Online] Available at: https://www. oxfordlearnersdictionaries. com/definition/english/utopia#utopia_inflg_1[Accessed 17 November 2019].