Seelow AM (2017)
Publication Language: German
Publication Type: Journal article, Original article
Publication year: 2017
Publisher: Arnoldsche Art Publishers
Edited Volumes: Nordic Design. Die Antwort aufs Bauhaus – Nordic Design. The Answer to the Bauhaus
City/Town: Stuttgart
Book Volume: 6
Pages Range: 1–6
Journal Issue: 1
ISBN: 978-3-89790-582-5
URI: http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0752/6/1/1
DOI: 10.3390/arts6010001
Open Access Link: http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0752/6/1/1
Since the so-called “type-debate” at the 1914 Werkbund Exhibition in Cologne—on individual versus standardized types—the discussion about turning Function into Form has been an important topic in Architectural Theory. The aim of this article is to trace the historic shifts in the relationship between Function and Form: First, how Functional Thinking was turned into an Art Form; this orginates in the Werkbund concept of artistic refinement of industrial production. Second, how Functional Analysis was applied to design and production processes, focused on certain aspects, such as economic management or floor plan design. Third, how Architectural Function was used as a social or political argument; this is of particular interest during the interwar years. A comparison of theses different aspects of the relationship between Function and Form reveals that it has undergone fundamental shifts—from Art to Science and Politics—that are tied to historic developments. It is interesting to note that this happens in a short period of time in the first half of the 20th Century. Looking at these historic shifts not only sheds new light on the creative process in Modern Architecture, this may also serve as a stepstone towards a new rethinking of Function and Form.
APA:
Seelow, A.M. (2017). Function and Form: Shifts in Modernist Architects’ Design Thinking. Arts, 6(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts6010001
MLA:
Seelow, Atli Magnus. "Function and Form: Shifts in Modernist Architects’ Design Thinking." Arts 6.1 (2017): 1–6.
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