This lecture focuses on early avant-garde developments, made possible with the emergence of new materials and the pioneers of Modernism, like the Bauhaus scholars, Le Corbusier, and Vladimir Shukhov.
The 19th century was a time of unprecedented technological progress in terms of construction. However, while buildings were constructed according to new designs and with the use of new materials, in most cases they remained rather traditional in a visual sense. It took the shock of the First World War for architects to offer the world an entirely new aesthetic, which brought out the opportunities and advantages of new materials and construction methods.
The lecture will focus on the precursors of modern architecture (Henri Labrouste, Joseph Paxton), the early work of Le Corbusier and the Bauhaus masters, and the architectural works of Vladimir Shukhov.
