Modernism vs Contemporary
Modernism is the single most important new style or philosophy of architecture and design of the 20th century, associated with an analytical approach to the function of buildings, a strictly rational use of (often new) materials, an openness to structural innovation and the elimination of ornament. After the begining of the world war, the whole world start to critic the basic need of a daily life. The ornamentation was being criticize by the people which is totally no function on fulfilling the basic need in our life during the world war and capitalism.
A lot of the society issues and question pop up generally. People start to question what what architecture could do in countering the issues. The lack of the living condition, low quality and value of product, the exaggerate of the design had made the modernism a step forward. A lot of philosophy and ideas come out which provide a lot of attempt in redefining the architecture around the world.
The architecture design started become simplicity and had a significantly clear cut on the form and space planing. The design was tried to back to elemental and simple in order to produce the maximum function of the architecture to fulfill the needs of the users.subtract the ornamentation and decoration and play with the geometry and basic shapes to create a new way of architecture.
Mies van der Rohe like many of his post-World War I contemporaries, sought to establish a new architectural style that could represent modern times just as Classical and Gothic did for their own eras. He created an influential twentieth-century architectural style, stated with extreme clarity and simplicity. His mature buildings made use of modern materials such as industrial steel and plate glass to define interior spaces. He strove toward an architecture with a minimal framework of structural order balanced against the implied freedom of free-flowing open space. He called his buildings "skin and bones" architecture. He sought a rational approach that would guide the creative process of architectural design, but he was always concerned with expressing the spirit of the modern era. He is often associated with his quotation of the aphorisms, "less is more" and "God is in the details".
Le Corbusier had played the role of the icon of the modernism in architecture. In his architecture, he chiefly built with steel and reinforced concrete and worked with elemental geometric forms. Le Corbusier's painting emphasized clear forms and structures, which corresponded to his architecture.
One of the most famous houses of the modern movement in architecture, the Villa Savoye is a masterpiece of LeCorbusier's purist design. It is perhaps the best example of LeCorbusier's goal to create a house which would be a "machine a habiter," a machine for living in. Located in a suburb near Paris, the house is as beautiful and functional as a machine.
The modernism gave a great impact to the architecture nowsaday. The movement which concern about the society had become a guideline for the young architect during designing. A design which takes the social issues into consideration become the mainstream of present architecture design. Nowsaday, we are facing a lot of the isuues. For example, homeless, terrorist attack, over population. Those issues is exactly related to our daily life, as an architect we should try our best to design a solution and not just keep on produce a bundle of commercial products without thinking of the demands. Architecture is a mass product which appear due to the demands. But, the different between a common product and architecture, architecture was designed finely to fulfill the needs or over it.
The roof garden design which was introduced by Le Corbusier in the Villa Savaoye was a great example that was still keep on using in present architecture design. The idea to make use of the environment elements is succcessfully being keeped by current architecture design in term of improve our living environment.
Contemporary architecture add on more feeling into the arcchitecture design. The architecture should be like a monument which reflect the situation nowsaday. The architecture design inspiration could be anythings even just a rock or flower. The design inspiration can be the approach of the space planing design, form and space configuration.
KlCC is a typically contemporary architecture which design is base on the islamic geometrical design to fully express Malaysia's identity and characteristic. We can actually observe the similar part between the floor plan and the islamic geometry shape.
However, the modernism architecture, The Seagram building having the characteristc of perfectly clear cut line. The simplicity of the building design become the most significant features either from outside or inside. The way to play with the simple geometry shape had let the building become a masterpiece modernism design.
