History of Contemporary Architecture

Code:

500502

Acronym:

500502

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
CNAEF	Architecture and Urbanism

Instance: 2023/2024 - A

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Arquitectura (A)
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master Degree in Architecture

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIARQ	160	MIARQ	3	-	9	-	243

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The Curricular Unit History of Contemporary Architecture has as its objective the critical knowledge of the architecture of the Contemporary Age, considered as that which belongs to the period that begins at the end of Baroque architecture and continues until today. The date of 1750, a possible beginning, is the year Denis Diderot published the "Prospect" of the Encyclopedia, a work that would begin its publication in the following year.

Learning outcomes and competences

The Curricular Unit History of Contemporary Architecture is divided into three components: Theoretical classes, a Practical work (PW) and a Field notebook (FN).

The Theoretical classes will deal with the diachronic exposition of the most relevant architectures of the period under study will address their conjunctural reasons, and their precedence and consequences in a longer period. Correspondences with Portuguese architecture will also be sought, highlighting its circumstances.

A work of contemporary Portuguese architecture, chosen by the students, will be the theme of the Practical work, developed throughout the academic year with tutorial support. The reasons behind the initial choice must be deepened, proposing, from the contemporary debate, new relationships that problematize their knowledge.

The Field notebook contains photographic images resulting from visits to a set of works carried out during the academic year. This notebook should also be the record/discovery of those formal and spatial relationships between different architectures revealed from the theoretical classes and the work that the students have chosen as the theme of their practical work.

The three components of this Curricular Unit intend to promote the students' critical capacity and the consequent formation and development of their thinking about architecture.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. General characterization of the period under study.
2. Neo-Palladianism and the landscape garden in England. Ruin and landscape.

4. Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-78). Étienne-Louis Boullée (1728-99). Archaeology and nature, reason and sentiment.
5. Claude-Nicolas Ledoux (1736-1806). Character and the "architecture parlante". Jean-Nicolas-Louis Durand (1760-1834). Eclecticism and project methodology.
6. The German architecture in the XVIII and XIX centuries. Friederich Weinbrenner and the expansion of Karlsruhe. The expansion of Porto under the Almadas' government.
7. The German architecture in the XVIII and XIX centuries. Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841). Schinkel's Berlin. 
8. Iron architecture. Architects and engineers. Utopic Socialism and the rationalisation of industrial city. Fourier, Owen, Godin, Haussmann e Cerdà.
9. The structural rationalism in France and the Arts and Crafts movement in England. 
10. "The forms of modern city housing" (presentation and comment of Carlos Martí Arís' text with the same tittle). 
11. Frank LLoyd Wright (1867-1959). The texts and works. Louis Sullivan and the tall buildings in Chicago. 
12. Adolf Loos (1870-1933). The texts and works. Otto Wagner and the viennese Secession.
13. Le Corbusier (1887-1965). The texts and works. Tony Garnier and Auguste Perret.
14. Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969). The texts and works. Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Peter Behrens. Hendrik Petrus Berlage.
15. Walter Gropius (1883-1969). The texts and works. Peter Behrens and the Deustscher Werkbund.
16. Architecture after second World War. Critical analysis and discussion of the principles of the modern movement. Italian neo-realism. From CIAM to Team 10. The New Brutalism and italian Neo-liberty. Alvar Aalto (1898-1976). Luis Barragán (1902-1988). Louis Kahn (1901-1974).
17. Complexity and contradiction, reason an analogy. Robert Venturi (1925-2018) and Aldo Rossi (1931-1987).
18. Evidence and logical construction in contemporary architecture. Álvaro Siza (1933-) and Giorgio Grasssi (1935-).
19. Eduardo Souto Moura (1952-). João Luís Carrilho da Graça (1952-). Peter Zumthor (1943-). Jacques Herzog (1950-) and Pierre de Meuron (1950-). Modern Movement and history of architecture.

Mandatory literature

Banham Reyner; Theory and design in the first machine age. ISBN: 0-85139-632-1
Benevolo Leonardo; Historia de la arquitectura moderna. ISBN: 84-252-1793-8
Bergdoll Barry; European architecture,1750-1890. ISBN: 978-0-19-284222-0
Peter Collins; Los ideales de la arquitectura moderna. ISBN: 84-252-0342-2
Colquhoun Alan; Arquitectura moderna. ISBN: 84-252-1988-4
Curtis William J. R.; Modern architecture since 1900. ISBN: 0-7148-2478-X
Frampton Kenneth; Historia critica de la arquitectura moderna. ISBN: 84-252-1628-1
Giedion Siegfried; Espacio, tiempo y arquitectura. ISBN: 84-237-0375-4
Henry-Russell Hitchcock; Architecture
Hunt John Dixon; The picturesque garden in europe. ISBN: 0-500-28508-X
Emil Kaufmann; De Ledoux a Le Corbusier. ISBN: 2-907757-40-7
Carlos Martí Arís; Las formas de la residência en la ciudad moderna. ISBN: 84-8301-383-5
Middleton Robin; Arquitectura moderna. ISBN: 84-03-33026-X
Pevsner Nikolaus; Os pioneiros do design moderno
Paolo Sica; História del Urbanismo. ISBN: 84-7088-296-1
Manfredo Tafuri; Arquitectura Contemporânea. ISBN: 84-03-33027-8
Watkin David; German architecture and the classical ideal
Zevi Bruno; História da arquitectura moderna

Complementary Bibliography

Almeida, Pedro Vieira, José Manuel Fernandes; A Aquitectura Moderna, Historia da Arte em Portugal, vol 14, Lisboa, Publicações Alfa, 1986
Becker Annette 273; Portugal. ISBN: 3-7913-1910-8
José Eduardo Horta Correia; Vila Real de Santo António
Fernandez Sérgio; Percurso
Bernardo Ferrão; Projecto de transformação urbana do Porto na época dos Almadas. ISBN: 972-9483-02-7
José Augusto França; Lisboa Pombalina e o Iluminismo
Gomes, Paulo Varela ; "Arquitectura, Os últimos vinte anos", História da Arte Portuguesa, Vol 3, Lisboa, Círculo de Leitores, 1995
Portas Nuno; A Evolução da Arquitectura Moderna em Portugal, Bruno Zevi, História da Arquitetura Moderna, Lisboa, Arcádia, 1973
Portas Nuno 340; Arquitectura portuguesa contemporânea
Tostões Ana; Os verdes anos na arquitectura portuguesa dos anos 50. ISBN: 972-9483-30-2

Comments from the literature

Complementary bibliography is dedicated to Portuguese architecture.

Teaching methods and learning activities

      1. Pratical work (PW)

The Practical work necessarily focuses on Portuguese architecture examples given the need to visit the works to be studied, wich is essential for their in-depth knowledge. The works belong to authors whose production is mostly concentrated in the 20th century; the previous period should  be approached retrospectively, based on the circumstances of each chosen architectural work.

To the workgroups formed at the beginning of the academic year will be presented a list of works to be studied. The sudents must choose one, that will de studied throughout the academic year. Starting from the material reality of architecture, the students must investigate the reasons and conditions in its genesis, as well as the relationships with texts and with other projects or works, by the same author or by others, contemporary or not, which will allow them to understand it in a broad cultural framework.

This work is carried out in groups until the first evaluation. The core theme will be subdivided into a set of sub-themes that will be developed individually. The workgroup will remain a space for discussion, exchange of ideas, and information that will naturally enrich the students' practical work. The second evaluation, as well as the final evaluation, will be nominal. The final grade of the Practical work (PW) will be based on the following criteria: C1) Ability to establish relationships and formulate problems; C2) Quality of writing, simplicity and clarity in the written exposure; C3) Adequacy of the chosen or purposely produced graphic material and its relationship with the written part of the work; C4) participation in classes.

The Practical work must summarize, in the most convenient and intelligible way, all the research carried out during the academic year. The format and binding, the graphic material to be presented, the relationship between images and text, etc., must be treated following the premises set out above. The final version of the individual work, corresponding to the third evaluation, must not exceed 3000 words.

2. Field notebook (FN)

The making of this Field notebook presupposes a careful selection and assembling of photographic images from 15 to 20 works of contemporary Portuguese architecture. The Field notebook is intended to encourage visits to architectural works studied in their site and a further reflection based on its memory and the photographic material collected. These images, combined with others resulting from the study of the chosen architectural work (photographs and project drawings, etc.) and the subjects covered in the Theoretical classes, should give rise to a montage/collage that establishes fertile correspondences with the themes and problems that arise in the progressive realization of the Practical work and with those addressed in the Theoretical classes. This montage/collage will necessarely include written notes by the students during the visits, excerpts from texts related to the study of the chosen work or from the Theoretical classes. A Theoretical course will be dedicated to this Curricular Unit component. The Field notebook should not surpass 50/60 pages.

3. Theoretical classes

Theoretical classes are weekly with a duration of 90 minutes. The Theoretical classes are evaluated through their focus on the Practical work and the Field notebook. The themes and problems addressed will help frame and enhance the research carried out in the Practical work and the Field notebook. These two components of the UC must relate to each other and report on how the content of Theoretical classes informed the Practical work, with all the doubts, contrapositions and perplexities that its construction and implementation throughout the academic year necessarily raises.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Trabalho de campo	40,00
Trabalho prático ou de projeto	60,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	98,00
Frequência das aulas	36,00
Trabalho de campo	20,00
Trabalho de investigação	40,00
Trabalho escrito	25,00
Trabalho laboratorial	24,00
Total:	243,00

Eligibility for exams

The students must attend a minimum of 75% of the tutorial classes.
The evaluation of the Practical work and the Field notebook is continuous; this means that each mark corresponds to all the work done till the beginning of the academic year. 
The practical work will have three marks throughout the academic year. The Field notebook will have two marks, the first at the middle of the academic year and the last at its end.

Calculation formula of final grade

To obtain a final positive classification, the students must  obtain in each component a positive mark (minimum 9,5). 

Calculation formula of the final grade (FG):

FG = PW x 0,6 + FN x 0,4       
                            
PW Practical work
FN Field Notebook

If it's impossible to calculate the final grade because the student could not finish or did not get a positive mark on one of the components, the other component's mark will be held for two years. The final grade will then be calculated using the formula presented before. After this period, the student must repeat the two components.  

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

The students who by law are not obliged to attend the classes must participate at least in five sessions of the tutorial classes dedicated to the Practical work in each semester.

Observations

According to the development of COVID-19 pandemic and depending on the dispositions that may be demanded by the Portuguese Health Authorities, changes may occur in the face-to-face classes regime.