Modern Architectural Language (Translation Series of Foreign Architectural Theories)

Author: (Italian) Bruno Zevi, translated by Xi Yunping and others
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Bruno Zevi writes in this book, "These records, like other acts of rebellion, have the same purpose—disrupting the status quo. If they stir up controversy, their purpose is achieved. We have not been talking endlessly about architecture; what we must finally begin is to explain architecture." Bruno Zevi, called by Frank Lloyd Wright "the most perceptive architectural critic of our time," presents his book Modern Architectural Language, which every person interested in house design, purchase, observation, or living should read carefully. In the first part, Zevi proposes seven principles, known as the "counter-principle," aiming to develop a new architectural language based on the foundations laid by figures like Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, and Frank Lloyd Wright. Breaking away from the classical decorative style and emphasizing the abstract principles of order, proportion, and symmetry, he introduces an alternative transmission system characterized by the free expression of meaning and function; an emphasis on variation and inconsistency; dynamic multidimensional vision; independent interaction of elements; the organic integration of architecture and engineering; the design of living spaces for practicality; and the coordination of every building with its surrounding environment. The second part traces the dialogue between architectural and historical writings, pointing out that the modern language of architecture is not the language of modern architecture but the authentic transmission system of all innovative architecture. The study of architectural literature from ancient to baroque styles in the 20th century reveals that each historical contribution has two opposing functions: a counter-reaction that promotes restoration and a positive function that enriches the modern language of architecture. Thus, we find striking similarities—notably between Borromini's St. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome and Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral in the Guggenheim Museum in New York—between Le Corbusier and Greek urban planning, Louis Kahn and Roman architecture in the Hadrian era, the Arts and Crafts Movement and medieval vocabulary, and most notably between Borromini's St. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome and Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral in the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Bruno Zevi, a professor of architectural history at the University of Rome, has written many books, including Architecture of Space, which has been translated into 11 languages and has become a basic textbook for architectural courses in many countries. Modern Architectural Language was translated from two Italian originals, which formed the basis of two Walker-Armes lectures delivered at the University of Washington in January and February 1977.