Architecture - Crisis and Modernity. From Walter Gropius to Ben Van Berkel

Abstract

The transition from the industrial society to the information society has brought profound changes, even for what concerns the architecture and the way of operating of the architects. Just think of the emergence of big events and themes of recent years, such as the abandoned areas, or to the new conception of the metropolitan landscape, or even the development of an ecological conscience, not to mention the technical potential linked to electronics also in the construction industry. The book illustrates the path that goes from Walter Gropius to Ben Van Berkel, stressing the moments of crisis and the catalysts of this process and focusing the efforts of architectural research and its protagonists to deal with these constant changes. This paper develops concepts of methodology and theoretical models in architectural culture, allowing to contextualize and to announce the issues around which articulate the "dynamic" model, understood as a support for the creative phase of the project, leded by the contemporary society of information systems. Although many previous events marked the field this time and cannot be forgotten, a study focused on the main theoretical models of design from 1920 is needed to describe the state of the art consists in that field. At the time of their creation, these methods and models of world architecture have provoked many reactions, positive and / or negative, but mostly exciting.