The document summarizes four reaction papers written by a student on architectural theory texts. The papers discuss 1) Georg Simmel's argument that modern urban life has altered human mental states, 2) Christian Norberg-Schulz's views on reconciling modernism and tradition in architecture, 3) Juhani Pallasmaa's perspective on architecture's role in shaping human memory and identity, and 4) Kenneth Frampton's proposal of "critical regionalism" in architecture. The student provides analysis and examples to support or critique arguments from the original texts.

1. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
ARC61303: THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER
NIK AHMAD MUNAWWAR NIK DIN
0325167

2. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (August 2017)
Name: Nik Ahmad Munawwar Nik Din ID No.: 0325167
Lecturer: Nicholas Ng Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: The Metropolis and Mental
Life
Synopsis No: 1
Author: Georg Simmel
In his essay, the Metropolis and Mental Life, Georg Simmel presents the argument on how the
aspects of urban lifestyle with its complexities and heavy reliance on money economics has altered the mental
state of urban dwellers, whereby in their constant struggle for individuality, man has been reduced to a purely
intellectual being that lacks qualitative societal values.
Simmel opens the essay with a retrospective look at the evolution of men in the 18th and 19th Century,
taking into context the rise of the metropolis. The author used these facts to establish the point that humans
have a natural tendency to maintain its individuality despite the changes in the surrounding. He argues that
the rapid changes in external and internal stimuli in the metropolis has created the “Metropolitan Individuality”
in which the emotional life of the individual is being constantly intensified to the point of desensitization. The
metropolitan man, the author argues, would come to a point where they would lose the ability to react to the
differences and changes in the societal context. This would then transform the metropolitan man into an
intellectual being that relies less on feelings and emotions, and more on calculations, logic and reason in
contrast to dwellers of small towns. Simmel argues that this phenomenon is caused by the close relationship
between psychological intellectualistic and the money economy in the metropolitan society.
The author puts forth the assumption that the metropolis lifestyle has reduced the qualitative values
of society into a set of values based quantitative parameters such as money and time. I would argue on the
validity of this idea, taken into consideration that the essay was written based on early 20th Century European
cities. It is true that the metropolis of today is still heavily reliant on money economics and human
intellectualism. However, it must be noted that these factors have also given rise to the broader understanding
of humanity and societal needs that it has now encouraged a great number of philanthropic activities in cities.
Take for example the establishment of Central Park in Manhattan, intended as a public realm for New Yorkers
with minimal monetary motive involved.
The idea of public parks in cities around the world is based heavily on humanistic principles and are
today important nodes in the metropolis for the social interactions of the metropolitan society. This in my
opinion proves the ingenuity of men in retaining individuality and their communal needs in the face of their
ever-changing social context.
Word Count: 413 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date Page No.

3. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (August 2017)
Name: Nik Ahmad Munawwar Nik Din ID No.: 0325167
Lecturer: Nicholas Ng Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: Intentions in Architecture Synopsis No: 2
Author: Christian Norberg-Schulz
In his book, Intentions in Architecture, Christian Norberg-Schulz discusses the issues concerning the
aesthetic dimension of architecture in the context of modernist and post-modernist movements. His main
concern is in the reconciliation of modernism’s strict adherence to the function (“task”) in deriving the form,
with the expectations of a certain visual order in architecture as this has been deeply rooted in the craft prior
to the advent of modernistic ideals.
Norberg-Schulz challenges the notion of form follows function in his arguments, citing the fact that
some design elements, or styles are inherent in a given time period or society that it in itself becomes a
relevant architectural component of the form, regardless of the function. The author implies that the modernist
movement, in its pursuit for modernistic ideals and rejection of history and tradition may have missed some
points in the relationship between the architectural style and the period, dismissing it as a rehashing of
previous forms. Instead, the author believes that in order to move forward, form-making should neither imitate
nor dismiss tradition completely, but should instead conserve the structural principles of tradition.
The text also argues that Modernism in itself is not a form of style, but rather a set of beliefs or a way
of thinking that has never been systematically ordered. Hence, it lacks a formal language as developed by
previous styles. The author sees this as a problem facing future architects and proposes the formation of
types to tackle the issue. In my opinion, this is paradoxical to the very idea of the modernist movement.
Modernism is rooted in the idea that there should not be a fixed type or style for any particular period
or function, but rather allows for the flexibility of spatial organization according to the requirements of the
programs and contextual elements of the time. The form then would adhere to the specifications set out by
the programmatic requirements. I believe that the very proposal of creating a formal language for modern
architecture goes against the intention for modernism to transcend styles and periods as it is more of an idea
and approach rather than a fixed typology. This elevates modern architecture to a level which allows it to be
applicable to future applications.
To conclude, I believe that the author has a valid concern on the direction of architectural styles and
the reconciliation of function-based design and aesthetic expectations in the post-modernist era. However, I
do not agree on the proposal that types must be formed in order to create a specific language for modern
architecture, as modernism principles were established by the pioneers to be relevant for eons to come.
Word Count: 440 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date Page No.

4. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (August 2017)
Name: Nik Ahmad Munawwar Nik Din ID No.: 0325167
Lecturer: Nicholas Ng Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: Space, Place Memory and
Imagination
Synopsis No: 3
Author: Juhani Pallasmaa
The first part of Juhani Pallasmaa’s essay, Space, Place, Memory and Imagination discusses the
temporal effects that architecture has on the individual. Pallasmaa puts forth the idea that architecture takes
on the role of both presenting a comprehendible perspective of time and also as a storage for memories
created within the space. The author’s primary argument is that architecture’s purpose transcends mere
aesthetics and has a deeper impact into the lives of humans by preserving history as well as facilitating the
reconciliation of the past and the future.
One of the main ideas presented in the essay is the relationship between architecture and memory.
Pallasmaa believes that architectural structures function as mnemonic devices in three ways; by giving us a
tangible representation of a specific course of time, by projecting memories to help with remembrance, and
also by inspiring humans to reminisce and imagine. The author also argues on the importance of memory
preservation as it is the basis for an individual’s identity. I highly agree with this argument as I personally
believe that our adult personality is very much influenced by our memories of growing up. The inception of
self-identification in my opinion begins from a very young age, and we tend to carry the identity with us
throughout adulthood. For example, despite having only spent the first 12 years of my life in Damansara
Heights, and the subsequent years elsewhere, including outside the country, I would still consider it as home
as it holds memories of many firsts in my life, all contained within lifelike snapshots of the neighborhood.
Pallasmaa also argues that architecture, being 3-dimensional, can invoke feelings as a representation
of memory, more effectively than a 2D representation such as a photograph could. This argument is further
strengthened by the fact that any alteration or deterioration of the architecture also contributes to the shaping
of the memory by providing an additional association with life events. Such dynamic nature of architecture
has the power to evoke emotion in addition to memories of a place or event. For instance, the house that I
grew up in has been demolished and replaced with a new structure of no resemblance to the old. This has
affected me emotionally as the old house seemed to represent my childhood and the experiences embedded
in it. The removal of a physical representation of that time period in my life had subconsciously created a void
and an innate desire to latch on any remaining representation of that particular time in my life.
Conclusively, we can agree that architecture plays a huge role in shaping the temporal perspective
of humans, beyond the mere aesthetic motives of built environment.
Word Count: 443 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date Page No.

5. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (August 2017)
Name: Nik Ahmad Munawwar Nik Din ID No.: 0325167
Lecturer: Nicholas Ng Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: Towards a Critical Regionalism Synopsis No: 4
Author: Kenneth Frampton
In his essay Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance, Kenneth
Frampton opens his writing with an extract from History and Truth by Paul Ricoeur which revolves around the
discussion of reconciling the values and methods of universal civilization with the regionality of the traditional
culture and civilization. Frampton echoes this argument by proposing that the adoption of modern architecture
is needed for its progressive values, but must be done critically by also considering regional aspects such as
local geography, climate, and architectonics. Frampton proposes six points to achieve architecture that both
embraces the values of modern architecture and at the same time resistant to the temptations of
universalization, which is detrimental to regional cultures around the world.
In the first point, Culture and Civilisation, Frampton discusses how modern cities are increasingly
losing its identity due to limitations in creating significant urban form. Frampton suggests that the limitations
are caused by two interrelated factors; the rapid rise in land value caused by speculation and the increased
adoption of automotive means into the city. The erosion of local identity has inadvertently given rise to
superficial masking, in which compensatory façades based on literal cultural references are created to
compensate and appeal to social expectations. If we take Kuala Lumpur as an example, we would notice the
erosion of local identity in the urban development of the city centre, with the increase in high rise structures
and highways that were built based on reactionary measures to accommodate the huge inflow of automobiles
in the urban areas. To create “identity”, buildings in Kuala Lumpur have adopted superficial means of skinning
the structure inspired by local tradition and even literal cultural motifs. In fact, we are approaching a point
where Kuala Lumpur’s skyline is almost indistinguishable from other Asian cities like Shanghai or Jakarta.
However, there is also a form of resistance, perhaps quite literally, to retain the regional characteristic
within the city itself if we look at places like Kampung Baru and Chow Kit. I believe that for Kuala Lumpur to
retain its identity as a Malaysian city, it needs to approach future developments critically, by adopting the
values of modern architecture whilst also being sensitive to the culture of the locals. In fact, the
multiculturalism of Kuala Lumpur presents us with a unique opportunity to create what is in itself a true
“Malaysian City”.
Conclusively, Frampton’s argument that universal civilisation has triumphed over local civilisation can
be exemplified especially by looking at Asian cities of the 21st Century, including Kuala Lumpur.
Word Count: 425 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date Page No.