The Restoration of the Machine: An Analysis of the Resilience and Revival of Modernist Architecture.
Disciplines
Architectural History and Criticism
Abstract (300 words maximum)
The Modernist movements of the early to mid 1900’s provided a radical architectural narrative that guided architecture that still exists today. Two major proselytizers of this movement are the firms Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM) and Richard Meier & Partners. At its height, the movement was the icon for all that was innovative and Avante-Garde. Those who subscribed to the principles of modern architecture pushed for the rejection of tradition and the expansion of unfettered expression in design. To expand on the two subjects, S.O.M., founded in 1936, was one of the earliest firms that sought to expand modernist language onto high rise buildings. Their passion for such design can be found in their work on large-scale office buildings today. One of their founding principles became a signature of their early buildings; Architecture that is both economic and pleasing. Richard Meier and Partners began in 1963, after Meier worked for S.O.M. for several years. Meier’s early success in the Modernist style earned him a spot as one the leading thinkers in modernist philosophy as well as one of the esteemed “New York Five”. What is unique about both of these firms in particular, is that both survived the Modernist “purge”. In this paper, I will analyze the two firms resilience to the fall of Modernism, the new architectural strategies they developed the help avoid rejection during the Post-Modern movement, and finally how well these new strategies operate in a contemporary scene. The ultimate goal is to better understand how and why these firms used to survive the death of modernism, and then to determine if they altered their design strategies to learn from the mistakes of the Modernist, or if they are doomed to repeat themselves.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CACM - Architecture
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Ehsan Sheikholharam Mashhadi
The Restoration of the Machine: An Analysis of the Resilience and Revival of Modernist Architecture.
The Modernist movements of the early to mid 1900’s provided a radical architectural narrative that guided architecture that still exists today. Two major proselytizers of this movement are the firms Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM) and Richard Meier & Partners. At its height, the movement was the icon for all that was innovative and Avante-Garde. Those who subscribed to the principles of modern architecture pushed for the rejection of tradition and the expansion of unfettered expression in design. To expand on the two subjects, S.O.M., founded in 1936, was one of the earliest firms that sought to expand modernist language onto high rise buildings. Their passion for such design can be found in their work on large-scale office buildings today. One of their founding principles became a signature of their early buildings; Architecture that is both economic and pleasing. Richard Meier and Partners began in 1963, after Meier worked for S.O.M. for several years. Meier’s early success in the Modernist style earned him a spot as one the leading thinkers in modernist philosophy as well as one of the esteemed “New York Five”. What is unique about both of these firms in particular, is that both survived the Modernist “purge”. In this paper, I will analyze the two firms resilience to the fall of Modernism, the new architectural strategies they developed the help avoid rejection during the Post-Modern movement, and finally how well these new strategies operate in a contemporary scene. The ultimate goal is to better understand how and why these firms used to survive the death of modernism, and then to determine if they altered their design strategies to learn from the mistakes of the Modernist, or if they are doomed to repeat themselves.