Assignment 1 – ARCH 3053, Gabe Lever-Brine
“How did the development of new technologies and materials affect 19thC modernism?”
In the 19th century, architecture arrived at a pivotal junction bringing together revivals from Greek and Gothic styles and modernising them with the latest technologies and materials that were becoming mainstream during that time. That and the careful application of Classical standards following the 18th century Industrial Revolution set the foundations to the iconic era of 19th century Modernism. With materials such as glass and cast iron emerging through the middle years of the century and steel becoming widely produced in the later years paved the way for prominent architects like Joseph Paxton and Gustave Eiffel to explore ideas that were not possible before this time. While new solid materials were emerging throughout the century, other technology was being created to allow for these structures to be made possible; electricity and the invention of the modern elevator provided a vast number of ways architects explored new building possibilities and reach new heights. Greek Revival and Gothic Revival architecture was most prominent in the early 19th century in Northern Europe. People of that time regarded architecture as very much a class based and cultural characteristic and were very cautious to approach new and innovative ideas. However, with the introduction of new materials due to the industrial revolution, it became harder and harder to comply with the outdated classical standards, prompting a shift in architectural attitude altogether. The introduction of new materials and technologies began in the late 18th century during the industrial revolution. During this time, companies began finding ways of producing materials such as cast iron in large quantities for a relatively low price. Though it wasn't until the early to mid 19th century where the mass production of materials such as cast iron, glass then later steel too full swing. As one of the worlds most ancient artificial materials, glass had always been vaguely familiar in multiple disciplines on a very small scale as it was hard to produce and very expensive. It wasn't until the mid 19th century that the glass industry boomed, suddenly becoming mass produced as the prices dropped and creation became easy. The result, the sudden visual change in the way entire cities looked. From dark interiors hidden behind the shadows of solid stone walls came a beautiful, glimmering new look, creating a glass conscious language of transparency. It was glass that would couple so poetically well with other newly mass produced materials like cast iron that would change the path of architecture forever. Cast iron construction was a defining material in the age of modernism. New and relatively affordable methods of producing cast iron appeared first in Briton in the 18th century it was being produced in large enough quantities to be regularly used in larger projects. Becoming fully mass produced …show more content…
Steel contains better components to iron in almost every way; it is denser, giving it a more structurally sound characteristic, it is ductile and so has the ability to stretch as opposed to cast iron which is brittle and likely to fracture under tremendous load. Despite being ductile it has a higher stiffness ratio than to cast iron. The only disadvantage steel has to iron is that it is susceptible to corrosion and will rust if left untreated for a prolonged period of time. The strength of steel is a common characteristic seen during the 1890s in the earliest skyscrapers in New …show more content…
Completed in 1889 in Paris, the Eiffel Tower utilises the most widely used and readily available material of the Modernist era; Iron. Standing just over 300 meters it held the title of the tallest building in the world for a staggering 41 years until the Chrysler Building was built in 1930. The controversy surrounding it was due to its thin, tall design, where the public considered it unsafe. Engineer Alexander Gustave Eiffel responded by insisting the building was safe as wind consideration was of utmost priority, confirming that the iron lattice tower was as strong and durable enough to comply with the current safety regulations. The Eiffel Tower also utilised the elevator technology by Otis, integrating two elevator shafts into the shell of the North and South legs and another further up to the observation
“How did the development of new technologies and materials affect 19thC modernism?”
In the 19th century, architecture arrived at a pivotal junction bringing together revivals from Greek and Gothic styles and modernising them with the latest technologies and materials that were becoming mainstream during that time. That and the careful application of Classical standards following the 18th century Industrial Revolution set the foundations to the iconic era of 19th century Modernism. With materials such as glass and cast iron emerging through the middle years of the century and steel becoming widely produced in the later years paved the way for prominent architects like Joseph Paxton and Gustave Eiffel to explore ideas that were not possible before this time. While new solid materials were emerging throughout the century, other technology was being created to allow for these structures to be made possible; electricity and the invention of the modern elevator provided a vast number of ways architects explored new building possibilities and reach new heights. Greek Revival and Gothic Revival architecture was most prominent in the early 19th century in Northern Europe. People of that time regarded architecture as very much a class based and cultural characteristic and were very cautious to approach new and innovative ideas. However, with the introduction of new materials due to the industrial revolution, it became harder and harder to comply with the outdated classical standards, prompting a shift in architectural attitude altogether. The introduction of new materials and technologies began in the late 18th century during the industrial revolution. During this time, companies began finding ways of producing materials such as cast iron in large quantities for a relatively low price. Though it wasn't until the early to mid 19th century where the mass production of materials such as cast iron, glass then later steel too full swing. As one of the worlds most ancient artificial materials, glass had always been vaguely familiar in multiple disciplines on a very small scale as it was hard to produce and very expensive. It wasn't until the mid 19th century that the glass industry boomed, suddenly becoming mass produced as the prices dropped and creation became easy. The result, the sudden visual change in the way entire cities looked. From dark interiors hidden behind the shadows of solid stone walls came a beautiful, glimmering new look, creating a glass conscious language of transparency. It was glass that would couple so poetically well with other newly mass produced materials like cast iron that would change the path of architecture forever. Cast iron construction was a defining material in the age of modernism. New and relatively affordable methods of producing cast iron appeared first in Briton in the 18th century it was being produced in large enough quantities to be regularly used in larger projects. Becoming fully mass produced …show more content…
Steel contains better components to iron in almost every way; it is denser, giving it a more structurally sound characteristic, it is ductile and so has the ability to stretch as opposed to cast iron which is brittle and likely to fracture under tremendous load. Despite being ductile it has a higher stiffness ratio than to cast iron. The only disadvantage steel has to iron is that it is susceptible to corrosion and will rust if left untreated for a prolonged period of time. The strength of steel is a common characteristic seen during the 1890s in the earliest skyscrapers in New …show more content…
Completed in 1889 in Paris, the Eiffel Tower utilises the most widely used and readily available material of the Modernist era; Iron. Standing just over 300 meters it held the title of the tallest building in the world for a staggering 41 years until the Chrysler Building was built in 1930. The controversy surrounding it was due to its thin, tall design, where the public considered it unsafe. Engineer Alexander Gustave Eiffel responded by insisting the building was safe as wind consideration was of utmost priority, confirming that the iron lattice tower was as strong and durable enough to comply with the current safety regulations. The Eiffel Tower also utilised the elevator technology by Otis, integrating two elevator shafts into the shell of the North and South legs and another further up to the observation