theories

1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE ANDURBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2016) [5 MARKS]
NAME: MEERA NAZREEN ID: 0309630
LECTURER: MS IDA TUTORIAL TIME: 2-4
SYNOPSIS NO: 4 READER TITLE: CRITICAL REGIONALISM 3&4
AUTHOR: KENNETH FRAMPTON
Kenneth Frampton’s Towards a Critical Regionalism, is his way to address the declination of the
traditional culture and how the current world has shifted society to civilization. The third chapter ofthis
book, Critical Regionalism and World Culture is actually his third point out of the six points listed.
Frampton pointed outin this chapter that critical regionalism should adoptthe modern architecture for
its progressiveness.However, itshould also include the surrounding or the context. The contexthere
meaning the typography,the locallight, tectonic.In this chapter,too,he mentioned Tzonis and Lefaivre
said critical regionalism can be indirectly draw from the context. This means that we do not have to
adoptthe whole surrounding butwe can take bits ofthe elements from the context.The urban form has
become limited because ofthe training and practice of architecture in the today’s world. We uses the
iconic symbol ofmodern culture and the skyscrapers as what drives us in designing. This is perhaps
why he introduces the idea ofmediating the impactofuniversal civilization with elements derived from
the context, as mentioned before. His theory is that, this critical regionalism could capture back the
lostsense of‘place’ which is apparently degenerating. Arguably, the move towards the universal, has
provided architecture with its opportunity to produce and create a new built landscape through
redefining a ‘place’.
The fourth point from his book is The Resistance of the Place-Form. From this chapter, I think what
the author is trying to say is that a physical space ofa region and the place where the communication
between people are different. We as the future architects should remember that there is no limitation
of physical space and the characteristic of place cannot consist of an independent building. The
Megalopolis is taking over the city. It replaces the place bound urban form with technology. As in the
city façade is replaced with things that are remotely associated to the surrounding. This is where the
sense ofplacelessness is being generated. A space mightjustbe a space and people will be too busy
with their own things, their gadgets, etc, to even appreciate the ‘design’ of a space.
Based on my reading, I can conclude that these two points given is about creating a space where
people could communicate withoutboundaries. Also the architecture built or those which are going to
be build, should not be too far off the surrounding. Sure it could have its identity but it should not be
too ‘out of context’. It could be a landmark of its own with the surrounding elements included.
WORD COUNT: 334 DATE: 13TH JUNE 2016 MARK: GRADE:
ASSSESSED BY: