Technology and Architecture

Technology is the cultural expression of the modern man, succeeding far beyond being just a method, transcending into the realm of architecture in itself.¹ Architecture and technology are closely interwoven and complimentary as each becomes the expression of the other.² This realisation is present in Mies’ work as he abstains from decorative elements, focusing upon precision and clarity of the functional form which delineates its aesthetic appeal.

Mies provides an expression of our technological age through a structural concept in the simplest forms, highlighting that architecture must be true to its time and nature. In Mies’ Lake Shore Drive (1951), the structural frame has been fused together with the glazing and glass infill which is defined by the dimensions of the mullions and columns. This modulated façade where architecture and technology are merged depicts the visual interpretation of a new architectural identity which embodies a culture suited to its time. One which acknowledges and articulates both form and construction, individual articulation and the demands of the epoch.³ A subtle richness is present in the integration of the steel structure with fenestrations of alternating opacity, simultaneously displaying transparency and materiality.⁴ The penetrations of the mullions reflect the interior structure of the building, and as a result provide rationale to its aesthetic appeal.

An extension of Mies’ theory is the Metabolist movement which focused upon modern technology to create organic architecture, flexible to the day and age. Minimizing materials and detailing, the Metabolists developed a concept of form and function which maximised efficiency through individual modules which attached to a larger adaptable super structure. ⁵ Metabolists relied heavily upon advanced transformable technologies which utilised prefabricated components and the mechanical replacement of outdated parts. ⁶ They sought to address issues of housing large populations while preserving the personal autonomy of the individual in a modern world. The disadvantage of this complete confidence in the possibilities of modern technology however has lead to a degree of artificiality where utility has become synonymous with profitability.⁷

Footnotes

1. Kenneth Frampton, Modern Architecture (London: Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2007), 231
2. Mies van der Rohe, “Architecture and Technology” (Speech presented at Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, April 17, 1950)
3. Detlef Mertins, The Presence of Mies (United States: Princeton Architectural Press, 1994), 71
4. Frampton, Modern Architecture, 234
5. Frampton, Modern Architecture, 282
6. Zhongjie Lin, “Kenzo Tange and the Metabolist Movement: Urban Utopias of Modern Japan” (United States: Routledge, 2010) 2
7. Frampton, Modern Architecture, 287

Image Credits

1. Lake Shore Drive, Hagen Stier. 2010, photograph. Available: Archdaily, http://www.archdaily.com/59487/ad-classics-860-880-lake-shore-drive-mies-van-der-rohe/mainpic/ (accessed September 19, 2013).

2. Nakagin Capsule Tower, Corbis. 2007, photograph. Available: Architectural Record, http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/070430kurokawa.asp (accessed September 19, 2013).