Over the years a plethora of architectural styles have come and gone and have passed through the years as with styles in fashion and art. As with all forms of art- a reaction to the present and past economic, social, political, and communal events- architectural styles have also had their genesis due to the events taking place at that time. The Roots of Globalisation
Another phenomenon that has had an exemplary effect on the latest fads and styles is Globalization. The development of economies that leads to interdependencies among other countries due to trade and exchange is the mark of a globalised country or a country that is stepping into its globalised era. The act of globalisation began as early as during the time of trade through the silk route.
New technologies played a key role in the Silk Road trade. The use of coins and globalization has a wide range of complicated and divisive implications. Such as significant technological advancements, the availability of exotic goods in various countries, etc. Although leading to some drawbacks, globalization has benefited communities throughout the world. It not only meant the availability of multiple commodities to people who did not have access to them before, but it also meant an exchange of knowledge, streams of thought, lifestyle, and technology. Society in general was becoming more homogenous and there was an overall increase in awareness of other communities in different parts of the world.
The Homogeneity of globalization
Globalization eventually led to an increase in homogeneity in different societies of the world which meant not only uniformity in engineering and technologies but also in socio- cultural thought processes and acceptance of styles that became more global. The modernist movement was just that.
The modernist movement which began during the modern Industrial Revolution was characterized by its international style of uniformity in architecture, irrespective of the location. This was made possible due to the worldwide availability of steel, glass, and concrete materials, resulting in several famous structures such as the Villa Savoy by Le Corbusier, which was built in the year 1929. Characteristics of such buildings included cantilevered members and extensive use of plan glass surfaces. Another key element was the lack of ornamentation which was removed to bring focus to the modern, rectangular, and boxy forms that came together to create the building.
Following World War II, architects from non-Western countries, who had to contend with special geographical and climatic constraints, started to argue that High Modernism was not a universal doctrine that could be applied to all eras and locations. The issue of climate, the sensibilities of each culture, and the overall desire to bring back what was lost during the modernism era- a connection with one’s roots. The repeated elements that were visible in the structures of the modernist era gave the architectural style a loss of identity and disconnect with the surrounding context which resulted not only in a certain bleakness in the style but also had a toll on the functionality of the structures in the way they responded to the microclimate of the place.
The Rise of Regional Modernism
A new subset of global modernism emerged, which was distinguished as an architectural approach or style that addresses the immediate needs of a situation without seeking to produce a particular architectural image that fits into the norms of modernism. Architects such as Liane Lefevre and Alexander Tzonis were some of the main faces of this style. The use of local materials characterized it and reflected the image of the surrounding context, while still incorporating modern techniques and technologies. This amalgamation of the new and old, the east and west, or the act of designing for the new age while keeping the regional characteristics intact were the trademarks of this style. T It was thus named ‘Regional Modernism’ or later as ‘Critical Regionalism’.
The term was used by Sri Lankan architect Minnette de Silva to describe her work in the 1950s.
Minnette De Silva
Even though de Silva was a modernist at heart, he recognized its limitations in an Asian context. She recognized an opportunity to update traditional aspects of Sri Lankan architecture while also resurrecting a dwindling arts and crafts industry, rather than totally defying history to include a new language into her construction.
In 1950, she said, “We must learn to preserve the best of our traditional forms while also absorbing what we need from the modern West.” This was implemented in the Karunaratne House by employing craftspeople to fire clay tiles in the shape of ancient designs, weave Dumbara mats that she used as paneling for interior doors, and commission renowned local artist George Keyt to paint a mural that she hung along the length of the living room wall. Few of her structures still stand today. Her first effort, the Karunaratne House, is essentially abandoned. Her own studio at Kandy’s St George’s has long since collapsed. The pursuit of newer, brighter, and more opulent architecture in Sri Lanka has washed down modest townhouses and villas like de Silva’s.
References:
Regional modernism (no date) ArmArch. Available at: https://www.armarch.net/en/encyclopedia/tab-regional-modernism (Accessed: November 2024).
Herring, S. (2009) Regional modernism: A reintroduction, MFS Modern Fiction Studies. Available at: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/261277/pdf (Accessed: November 2024).
(No date) What is globalization? Available at: https://www.piie.com/microsites/globalization/what-is-globalization (Accessed: November 2024).
Globalization (no date) Education. Available at: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/globalization/ (Accessed: November 2024).
Pinto, S. (2021) Minnette de Silva (1918-1998), The Architectural Review. Available at: https://www.architectural-review.com/essays/minnette-de-silva-1918-1998 (Accessed: November 2024).
Karunaratne House (no date) Architectuul. Available at: https://architectuul.com/architecture/karunaratne-house (Accessed: November 2024).
