Modernist Theories and dogmas

FUTURISM

Futurism was an artistic movement conceived by the Italian Filippo Marinetti. It was announced in 1909 to the world with a manifesto published on the front page of the newspaper le Figaro; but it was not the only one.Indeed between then and the beginning of the First World War, many other manifestos were published. However the first one was the most important and it announced the main principles of the futurism: the glorification of action and violence, courage , audacity and revolt(Nash, p.29, 30).

“We will glorify war – the world’s only hygiene – militarism, patriotism, the destructive gestures of the anarchists, the beautiful ideas that kill, contempt for woman”(One of the principles of futurism written by Marinetti, cited on Nash)

Painters like Boccioni, Carrà and russolo were the first to become futurists; in their painting they depict movements and dynamic sensations, a world in continuous transformation, a society that never stops and but constantly changes(Nash, p. 35).

The most celebrated futurist architect was Antonio Sant’ Elia who is best known for his “Città Nuova exhibition”. He proposed with his drawing designs for apartment blocks, power stations and hydroelectric plants all characterized by no ornamentation, external elevator, multiple levels and verticality.

LE CORBUSIER

With the Domino house Le Corbusier wanted to find a system of construction that faced the problem of reconstruction after the war. He conceived a framework that carried the floor and staircases, but that at the same time is completely independent from the floorplans of the house.The foundations are just simply concrete blocks, the floor and the ceiling are made of concrete slabs. The free plan arrangement gives total freedom to divide the spaces in many possible ways. The structure was very practical, but a commercial failure(Boesiger, Girsberger, p.24.

Le Corbusier essay “Vers une Architecture” established the five points of architecture(Moffet, Fazio, Wodehouse,p. 511):
The pilotis to elevate the floor from the ground
The roof garden to be use for domestic purposes such as gardening and relaxation
Free plan
Horizontal windows which assure even illumination
The façade can be freely designed

References:
M.Moffet, M.Fazio, L.Wodehouse, A world History of Architecture, , Laurence king publishing, 2003, London
J. Nash, Cubism, Futurism and Constructivism, Themes and Hudson, 1974, London