Pg 398 Bene Volo Before The War example essay topic

295 words
The war of 1914-1918 seriously changed the direction of architecture and architectural thought in various ways. There were three factors that had changed to effect this. "The material conseqeunces of the war, the psychological and moral consequences and the artistic experiments and theories which came of age during the war years". PG 398 BENE VOLO Before the war there had been serious problems about the accommodation of civilians due to the dramatic rise in population however with the destruction and devastation of countless buildings the condition got worse and there was urgent need for re-development and re-housing. Architectural clientele became more involved with town planning rather than with individual housing.

The problems were felt all over Europe but more so in the defeated countries Austria and Germany where old politics had also been overturned. This political change brought with it an attitude for cultural change and progress. After the economic depression that these countries experienced after the war, the old classes mixed with each other and together they kicked the old habits of social hierarchy in order to achieve innovation and advancement. These were the main countries thought to be the protagonists of the Modern Movement. "The full consciousness of my responsibility in advancing ideas based on my own reflections only came home to me as a result of the war, in which these theoretical premises first took definite shape.

After that violent interruption, which kept me and my fellow architects, from work for four years, every thinking man felt the necessity for an intellectual change of front. Each in his own particular sphere of activity aspired to help in bridging the disastrous gulf between reality and idealism". Walter Gropius PG 398 BEN.