The influence of retro thought and industrial revolution at the end of the 19th century

(1) Retro thought

The retro thought in architectural creation refers to the period from the 1860s to the end of the 19th century Classical revival popular in Europe and America. Romanticism and Eclecticism.

Classical Revival refers to the classical architectural form that was popular in Europe and the United States from the 1860s to the end of the 19th century. Countries also have slightly different priorities when it comes to reviving classical forms. For example, France is dominated by Roman Revival style, while Britain and Germany are dominated by Greek style. The Pantheon in Paris, France is a representative work of the Roman Revival; the Palais Theater in Berlin, Germany is a representative work of Greek Revival architecture; the White House of the United States Capitol is an example of the Roman Revival based on the shape of the Pantheon in Paris.

Romanticism was an architectural trend active in Europe from the second half of the 18th century to the first half of the 19th century. It requires promoting individual freedom, advocating nature, and using medieval natural forms to oppose industrial products and compete with classical art. Specifically expressed in architecture, it imitates the medieval castle or Gothic style. Late Romantic architecture often appears in the Gothic style, so it is also called the Gothic Revival. Its famous masterpiece is the British Parliament Building.

Eclecticism is another creative trend that was popular in Europe and the United States from the first half of the 19th century to the early 20th century. In order to make up for the architectural limitations of classicism and romanticism, it arbitrarily imitates various styles in history, or freely combines various styles, so it is also called "imitationism". Eclectic architecture has no fixed style and pays attention to proportion balance and pure formal beauty, so its influence is profound and long-lasting. The Paris Opera House is a representative work of eclecticism, and its art form has a great influence in Europe and other countries.

(2) New materials, new technologies and new types of construction

The emergence of new building materials, structural technologies, facilities and construction methods has opened up broad prospects for the development of modern architecture. future. New technologies such as pig iron technology, frame technology, glass, and elevators provide the possibility to break through traditional building heights and spans. There is considerable freedom in the design of building planes and spaces, thus affecting changes in architectural form. At the same time, with the development of industrial production and changes in lifestyle, many new building types have emerged, such as train stations, department stores, markets, libraries, expositions, etc.

The "Crystal Palace" exhibition hall in London, built in 1851, opened up a new era of architectural form. Designed by Paxton the Gardener. Its glass iron frame structure and single stepped cuboid shape fully embody the mechanical instinct of industrial production. It adopts prefabricated construction and was completed in only 9 months. The "Crystal Palace" is hailed as the first modern building.

The World's Fair of 1889 further promoted the emergence of new forms of architecture. The expo is centered on the Eiffel Tower and the Machinery Hall. Designed by Eiffel, the tower is an elevated iron structure with a height of 328m. The giant structure and new equipment show the development prospects of modern architecture. The Machinery Hall is an unprecedented long-span structure, setting a new record for world architecture. It is 420m long and has a span of 115m. The four walls are made of large glass. The structural method uses the principle of three-hinged arches for the first time.

5. The Early Stage of the New Architecture Movement - Various Schools and Representative Works

Parallel to the popular retro trend in European and American architectural forms is the movement to explore new architecture influenced by the industrial age. Those that had greater influence in the innovation movement were the Arts and Crafts Movement, Art Nouveau, the Chicago School, the Deutsche Werkbund, etc.

(1) Arts and Crafts Movement

Time: 1850s.

Location: United Kingdom.

Representative figures: Ruskin, Morris.

Characteristics: Passionate about the effects of handicrafts and the beauty of natural materials, opposed to rough manufacturing by machines, and advocated the use of "pastoral" residences to break away from classical architectural forms.

Representative work: Morris's residence "Red House" built in Kent by architect Webb from 1859 to 1860. It uses local red bricks without whitewashing, aiming to express the beauty of the material itself. It is an attempt to combine functions, materials and artistic shapes.

(2) Art Nouveau Movement

Time: Beginning in the 1880s.

Location: Brussels, Belgium.

Features: Opposing historical styles, imitating the flourishing growth of nature and the curves of vegetation branches and stems as a new decorative technique. It is advocated to use a variety of materials together, such as red bricks, wood, pig iron, concrete, etc.

And mainly used for interior decoration.

Representative works: 1893, Residence No. 12, Rue Turin, Brussels; 1906, Weimar Art School in Germany designed by Vander Felder.

The Art Nouveau movement is called De Stijl in Germany, and its main stronghold is Munich. Its representatives are the famous architects Behrens and Oberev. The representative work is Oberev's Ludwig Exhibition Hall.

In addition, although the Spanish architect Gaudi has no historical connection with the Art Nouveau movement, he has similarities in methods. His characteristic is that he has greatly exerted the plastic art of architecture. His famous work is the Mira Apartment in Barcelona, ??Spain.

(3) Chicago School in the United States

Time: 1870s, its heyday was from 1883 to 1893.

Representative figures: Jenny, Sullivan.

Features: They are the founders of modern American architecture. They highlight the main role of function in architectural design, clarify the master-slave relationship between function and form, explore the application of new technologies in high-rise buildings, and create High-rise metal frame structure and box foundation. It reflects the characteristics of new technologies in architectural art, and the simple facade is in line with the spirit of industrialization. Its famous representative, Sullivan, once said that "form follows function", which paved the way for functionalist architectural design ideas. The facade composition has the famous grid-shaped "Chicago Window".

Representative works: the Chicago Department Store Building designed by Sullivan from 1899 to 1904, the First Laet Building in Chicago designed by Gianni in 1879, and the Magette designed by Horabert and Roach. building. The Magette Building was a typical high-rise office building in Chicago in the 1890s. It had a simple facade, neatly arranged "Chicago windows" and freely divided interior spaces.

(4) Wright’s Prairie House

Wright is a famous American modern architect. He opened his own business in 1894 and independently developed modern architecture in the United States. Based on the free layout of local buildings in the western United States, the idyllic "prairie-style house" was created in the early 20th century. Its characteristic is that the shape is beautiful with horizontal and vertical volume changes, and the layout is combined with nature, so that the building and the environment are integrated. The plane is often shaped like a cross, with the fireplace as the center. The interior space is both divided and connected. For the purpose of shading, a low and gentle roof with far-reaching eaves is installed. Typical examples include the Roberts House in 1907 and the Robie House in 1908.

(5) Deutsche Werkbund

In 1907, entrepreneurs, artists, technicians, etc. formed the national "Deutsche Werkbund" with the purpose of improving the quality of industrial products and In order to reach the international level, he advocated that architecture must be integrated with industry. Among them, the most prestigious one is Peter Behrens. The Turbine Workshop of the General Electric Company in Berlin (1909), which he designed, is characterized by a steel structure and large glass windows. It is known as the first truly "modern building".

In 1911, the Fagus Factory designed by Gropius and Meyer was also simple, light, and transparent with modern architectural features. In 1914, the Deutsche Werkbunde held an exhibition in Cologne. During this period, the exhibition office building designed by Gropius attracted widespread attention. Its techniques of exposing structural components, emphasizing the contrast of material textures, and communicating internal and external spaces were adopted by later modern architecture.