Arkitektúr og skipulag - 01.04.1992, Qupperneq 78

ENGLISH SUMM ARY
This issue of Arkitektúr og skipulag (Architec-
ture and Planning) focuses on Postmodernism
and the role of architecture in daily life and in
the environment. Editor Gestur Olafsson sug-
gests that people and the press ought to take
more interest in architecture, and ask them-
selves why certain architectural and planning
decisions are made.
Page 10 Some Points on Modernism in
Architecture
Arf historian Guðbjörg Kristjánsdóttir traces
the roots of Modernism in the 19th century, the
influence of iron engineering, and the advent
of concrete. Cubism in art had a crucial
influence. Modernism rejected all tradition
and decorative flourishes, as summed up in
the catchphrase: "Less is more." Modernism
was based on idealistic notions of the socio-
logical aims which architecture could achieve.
Modernism reached its peak in the "Interna-
tional" style of the 1920's and 30's. But even
the arch-prophet of Modernism, Le Corbusier,
himself turned away from the severely logical
in his chapel at Ronchamp (1950-55). Post-
modernism coexisted with Late Modernism
which continued along the strictly functionalist
road, while in the 1970's a new movement
appeared, Neomodernism, which no longer
builds upon humanistic tradition, but concen-
trates exclusively on the aesthetic aspects of
design.
Page 17 Modernism and Postmodern-
ism
Architect Hannes Kr. Davi'ðsson summarizes
fhe development of Modernism from its begin-
nings in mass-production and the Industrial
Revolution, via the rejection of these values
and the beginning of the Arts and Craft move-
ment in England, to its influence on German
design, and the foundation of the Bauhaus
college, which covered all branches of the arts
and crafts, and not just the architicture for
which it is best known. As time passed, func-
tionalism lost touch with its origins and be-
came just another style. In due course, Post-
modernism came along, as "another selling
trick in our market-crazed society." Random
references to older styles of architecture create
no links wifh tradition, while seeking to define
the natureof good architecture in the past, plus
an honestapproach to our own time, can lead
to creative and good design.
Page 22 Changes and Otherness in
Architecture
Architect Guðjón Bjarnason looks at Postmod-
ernism in a deconstructionalist light. Postmod-
ernism reflects the post-industrial world, where
idealism has become redundant. Architecture
has moved away from its practical function, to
turn buildings into decorative objects. Post-
modernism is based on freedom to do any-
thing, which ought to lead to creative variety,
but does not necessarily do so.
The author aims to place Postmodernism in an
lcelandic context, and asks how lcelandic
architecture can draw the best from the free,
but random and rootless, spirit of postmoder-
nism. "Otherness" could provide the neces-
sary stimulus. Iceland has a rich tradition of
mythology, folklore and mystcism, which can
provide inspiration.
Page 31 Kringlan Piazza
Landscape architect Þróinn Hauksson writes
about the piazza outside the Kringlan shop-
ping mall in Reykjavík, designed by him and
Reynir Vilhjálmsson. The piazza is on two
levels, the upper reflecting the design of the
| hexagonal City Theatre, while the lower re-
flects the rectangular lines of the shopping
| malls. It will be possible to have tables outside
the restaurants in the shopping mall in good
weather. The amphitheatre design of the slope
between upper and lower piazzas gives fhe
possibility of street theatre, concerts, etc.
Page 36 The Traffic System of the
Capital Area and a New Domestic Air-
port at Alftanes
Þórbergur Olafsson, shipwright, argues for
the construction of a new domestic airport for
the Reykjavík area on the Alftanes headland
’ south of the city. This would make it possible
to use the existing city-centre airport for build-
ing land. A bridge across Skerjafjörður would
provide direct access. The new airport would
be built on reclaimed land, just above sea
level. The existing airport, whose approach
routes are obstructed by many hills and fall
buildings, does not meet international require-
ments.
Page 39 The Anonymous Artist
Gestur Ölafsson, architectand editor, laments
the fact that architects do not "sign" their
works. In the public eye, the architect of a new
building is anonymous, and is rarely even
mentioned in the press. He suggests that if
architects "signed" their works, perhapswitha
small plaque by the entrance, it might lead
architects to feel more responsibility for what
they do And the public might gain some idea
ofwhich architectsdesign good buildings, and
who design bad ones.
Page 40 What is Postmodernism?
Art philosopher Gunnar J. Arnason asks
whether Postmodernism is a radical answer to
Modernism, or simply old wine in new bottles. |
Is Modernism just a superficial trend, or does j
it reflect changing realities in politics and
economics? The author links Postmodernism
with the 1960s' and 7Os' failing belief in
progress and growth, reflected in recession,
exhaustion of natural resources, etc. Charles j
Jenks dates the symbolic end of Modernism on j
15 July 1972, when the "model" buildings at j
Pruitt-lgoe were demolished as unfit for habita- j
tion. The external characteristic of Postmoder- j
nism is a form of pastiche of older forms of j
architecture. But in city planning, e.g . Post-
modernism means a total change in view
point, a grass-roots approach rather than a
lofty overview, environmental design rather
than "planning" as such. Social objectives are
no longer relevant: the aesthetic alone rules.
Modernism rejected all links with the past, and j
did not attempt to blend in with existing j
structures, while Postmodernism looks to the j
past, often in an ironical manner rather than in j
slavish imitation. Modernism likened build- j
ings to machines, whose aim was efficiency,
while Postmodernism aims to be open and
alive. The "Soft City" is not a collection of
maps, facts and figures, but a living inter-
change between people and their environ-
ment.
Page 45 Starting Over
Philosopher Gunnar Harðarson considers the
lcelandic attitude to buildings and architec-
ture. He feels that lcelanders have no ground
rules by which to judge what they think of
modern architecture, although buildings, un-
like other forms of art, cannot be shut away
and forgotten, and play a part in everybody's
life. Icelanders have traditionally had a "bull-
dozer complex," i.e. a tendency to send in the
bulldozersto tear down everything old, in their
rush to build in the latest way. Icelanders tend
to think of natural beauty as the only real
beauty, and to connect their old buildings with
the poverty and oppression of former times.
Modernism has been regarded a a moral
imperative, when in fact it is simply one kind
of taste. Postmodernism is both Modernism
and its opposite; it aims to create architecture
which is aesthetically pleasing, and grounded
in tradition, and employs modern cosntruc-
tional methods. The idea of rebuilding the
Reykjavík City Centre, and the idea of build-
ing up an entirely new city centre, are both
essentially Modernist. The Postmodernist way,
however, would be to rebuild with reference to
what is already there. Motifs and references
should be sought in lcelandic tradition: at-
tempts have been made to base architectural
design on natural forms, and on the gabled
farmhouse (a symbolic structure for lcelan-
ders), but Postmodernism in lceland should
make its references to lceland's older forms of
architecture, such as the timber houses with
corrugated-iron siding, the old Functionalist
concrete houses, etc. Here in lceland, there
has been a tendency to build first and ask
questions later, but there is a need to consider
and discuss the principles and values of archi-
tecture.
Page 52 Postmodernism - Ideology.
The Death of the Author
Architect Skúli H. Norðdahl argues that
Modernism/Functionalism was not, as Guðjón
Bjarnason claims, simply a style, but a set of
guidelines and a methodology. Although the
Postmodernists claim that ideology is dead,
their ideas are in themselves an ideology. The
freedom and chaos of Postmodernism lead
logically to the death of the author, but should
architects aim at self-destruction? The past 20
years have been a time of change and con-
frontation, which have thrown into doubt the
foundations of Modernism. The architect has
drawn closer to being a salesman, and stylistic
features have been reduced to mere trade-
marks. If is difficult to define the variant styles
known as Postmodernism, Neomodernism,
Pluralism, Metaphysical classic, Allegorical
classic, etc. Chaos in architecture reflects a
time of change and unpheaval. This can lead
to a new creative contribution to human exis-
tence. If not, "freedom" may lead to monopoly
and unfreedom.
Page 57 Modernism: A Brief Historical
Analysis. ArchitectTrausti Valssonconsiders
the enormous influence of the command-
ment "Form follows function," which contra-
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