The architecture of the city from modernity to today

Abstract

The lecture covers the time of the 20th century and describes with theories, projects and implemented plannings the history of the modern city. The lectures emphasizes on the historical plannings and methods and presents each specific urban development within a broader context.

Objective

This course analyzes the history of urban architecture primarily in its existing three dimensional form as a complex human artefact. It also explores the inspirations that prompted the creation of this artefact: philosophical and religious concepts, social conditions, property relationships and the mechanisms that exploit the economics of real estate and the influence of building technology. Intellectual, literary or artistic modes of thought will also be assessed with regard to their impact on urban development. Urbanism has its own distinctive approach as a discipline, but it is also clearly responsive to the influence of related disciplines. Study is made of actual cities and urban expansion plans which are in the process of implementation, as well as unrealized projects and visions of the future. These projects sometimes illustrate ways of thinking that are equal to, or clearer than, actual urban situations.

Content

The lecture which will be hold only in one semester includes the developments of the 20th century 1. Antagonism in the US of the Jazz Age: Setback Skyscraper City and Broadacres of Frank Lloyd Wright Broadacres 2. Italy in the time of Fascism: ”sventramenti” and city foundations between zeal of tradition, assiduousness of modernization and obsession of representation 3. The architects of the "Führer" build the monuments of the "Tausendjährige Reich" and the ”engineers of luck” are building the ones of the Soviet Union 4. Coming to terms with the past and the Cold War: Reconstruction in the two German states 5. The myth of the truth: Agrarian colonization in the Spain of Franco, Neoempirism in Scandinavia and Urban design of the Neorealism in Italy 6. Myths of the Postwar era: Rationalistic classicism in France 7. Two postcolonial city foundations in the 20th century: Chandigarh and Brasilia 8. The international utopia of the city: Team X, Metabolism, Archigram and its realisation in Great Britain: the New Towns 9. The city as image: Learning from Las Vegas, Architettura Radicale and Generic City and the city as text: the situationists 10. Analysis, analogy and renewal: The adventure of the typological city 11. From the city of Postmodernism to sustainable city renovation

Resources