ARTH 556(S) Fact, Self, and the Roots of Architectural Modernism
(1) A building should express the facts of its program and materials-directly and without sentimentality. (2) A building should be a physical manifestation of the personality and ego of its creator. These demands-one of radical objectivity, and one of radical subjectivity-seem to be mutually exclusive, yet together they form the basis for modern architecture at the start of the twentieth century. The architectural lineage of Frank Furness, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright in particular is distinguished by the high degree of tension between the competing demands of factuality and selfhood. This seminar will explore the theoretical roots of this architecture and its philosophical sources in transcendentalism, German romanticism, and Unitarianism. Research topics will include theory and practice, planning and composition, architectural education, decorative arts, architectural autobiography, and so forth.
Format: seminar. Requirements: a 25-page research paper and seminar presentation; regular participation in seminar discussions.
Enrollment limit: 10. Preference will be given first to graduate students and then to senior majors.
Hour: M. LEWIS