鍏充簬鈥淢odernArchitecture鈥濈殑

　　Modernarchitecture,nottobeconfusedwith'contemporaryarchitecture',isatermgiventoanumberofbuildingstyleswithsimilarcharacteristics,primarilythesimplificationofformandtheeliminationofornament.Whilethestylewasconceivedearlyinthe20thcenturyandheavilypromotedbyafewarchitects,architecturaleducatorsandexhibits,veryfewModernbuildingswerebuiltinthefirsthalfofthecentury.ForthreedecadesaftertheSecondWorldWar,however,itbecamethedominantarchitecturalstyleforinstitutionalandcorporatebuilding.

　　1.Origins

　　SomehistoriansseetheevolutionofModernarchitectureasasocialmatter,closelytiedtotheprojectofModernityandhencetotheEnlightenment,aresultofsocialandpoliticalrevolutions.

　　OthersseeModernarchitectureasprimarilydrivenbytechnologicalandengineeringdevelopments,anditistruethattheavailabilityofnewbuildingmaterialssuchasiron,steel,concreteandglassdrovetheinventionofnewbuildingtechniquesaspartoftheIndustrialRevolution.In1796,ShrewsburymillownerCharlesBagefirstusedhis鈥榝ireproof鈥design,whichreliedoncastironandbrickwithflagstonefloors.Suchconstructiongreatlystrengthenedthestructureofmills,whichenabledthemtoaccommodatemuchbiggermachines.Duetopoorknowledgeofiron'spropertiesasaconstructionmaterial,anumberofearlymillscollapsed.Itwasnotuntiltheearly1830sthatEatonHodgkinsonintroducedthesectionbeam,leadingtowidespreaduseofironconstruction,thiskindofaustereindustrialarchitectureutterlytransformedthelandscapeofnorthernBritain,leadingtothedescription,"Darksatanicmills"ofplaceslikeManchesterandpartsofWestYorkshire.TheCrystalPalacebyJosephPaxtonattheGreatExhibitionof1851wasanearlyexampleofironandglassconstruction;possiblythebestexampleisthedevelopmentofthetallsteelskyscraperinChicagoaround1890byWilliamLeBaronJenneyandLouisSullivan.Earlystructurestoemployconcreteasthechiefmeansofarchitecturalexpression(ratherthanforpurelyutilitarianstructure)includeFrankLloydWright'sUnityTemple,builtin1906nearChicago,andRudolfSteiner'sSecondGoetheanum,builtfrom1926nearBasel,Switzerland.

　　OtherhistoriansregardModernismasamatteroftaste,areactionagainsteclecticismandthelavishstylisticexcessesofVictorianEraandEdwardianArtNouveau.

　　Whateverthecause,around1900anumberofarchitectsaroundtheworldbegandevelopingnewarchitecturalsolutionstointegratetraditionalprecedents(Gothic,forinstance)withnewtechnologicalpossibilities.TheworkofLouisSullivanandFrankLloydWrightinChicago,VictorHortainBrussels,AntoniGaudiinBarcelona,OttoWagnerinViennaandCharlesRennieMackintoshinGlasgow,amongmanyothers,canbeseenasacommonstrugglebetweenoldandnew.

　　2.ModernismasDominantStyle

　　Bythe1920sthemostimportantfiguresinModernarchitecturehadestablishedtheirreputations.ThebigthreearecommonlyrecognizedasLeCorbusierinFrance,andLudwigMiesvanderRoheandWalterGropiusinGermany.MiesvanderRoheandGropiuswerebothdirectorsoftheBauhaus,oneofanumberofEuropeanschoolsandassociationsconcernedwithreconcilingcrafttraditionandindustrialtechnology.

　　FrankLloydWright'