Must read essays and manifestos to be an amazing architect

“It is necessary to understand history, and he who understands history knows how to find continuity between that which was, that which is, and that which will be.”

-Le Corbusier

Ornament and Crime- Adolf Loos (1908)

This seminal text changed the trajectory of architecture. His main argument is that ornament is not just unnecessary but primitive, wasteful, and stalling societal progress. His utilitarian approach states that adding ornament to designs should be a criminal act as it does so much harm to society.

Firstly it wastes time, energy, and materials. In the act of creating the object but also in the fact it shortens it’s lifespan as tastes change, making it obsolete. Ornament increases labour and material costs meaning longer working hours and lower wages for workers, which further impedes economic progress.

Secondly, in that it obscures and violates the true form of the object, that beauty comes from the truth and honesty of the natural material and it’s ergonomic form. To progress as a society and utilise our time and resources effectively, it’s best to remove ornament and celebrate the raw natural beauty of functionality.

Manifesto I- De Stijl (1918)

Published at the end of World War One, the manifesto called for a shift from individualistic despotism to a collective consciousness by merging all the arts into unified collective. By using pure non-representational forms such as geometry and primary colours, they hoped to capture universal spiritual truths rather than individual expression. By removing the traditional dogmas that led to the war, their new consciousness aimed for a global unity.

The De Stijl journal propagated the Neoplasticism movement influencing key architects such as Mies van der Rohe, Eames, and Zaha Hadid.

Programme of the Staatliches Bauhaus in Weimar- Walter Gropius (1919)

The Bauhaus school was revolutionary as the forebearer of Modern architecture. The manifesto lays out their goals of creating a holistic approach to architecture where art, craft, and technology come together as one.

Working Theses- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1923)

“Create form out of the nature of the task with the means of our time.”
A short manifesto that states how architecture is a living object defined by the current culture.

Five Points Towards a New Architecture- Le Corbusier/Pierre Jeanneret (1926)

The manifesto lays out how to utilise the new construction method of reinforced concrete in five concise points. By elevating the building on load bearing columns, the walls are freed from engineering and can be adaptable. Incorporating ribbon windows for uniform light and rooftop gardens for green spaces the building can provide luxury in a new modern way.

Wood or Metal- Charlotte Perriand (1929)

A ode to metal and it’s revolutionary effects on design. Perriand championed the use of metal setting out how versatile and beautiful it can be. Furthermore, she believed it was essential to progress in the new modern age. Metal can create new unimagined structures, and can be mass produced and recycled, reducing both physical and labour waste. Her devotion to the material led to some of the most iconic furniture and architecture designs of modern times.

Magical Architecture- Frederick Kiesler (1947)

Recently published, Kiesler’s unfinished book project “Magical Architecture” investigated human homes from prehistoric times to now, connecting our building techniques to those of the natural world. He states “magic architecture [is] an architecture for everyone” taking inspiration from habitats designed by animals and humankind’s first dwellings. It’s a unique manifesto that provides an alternative narrative to the Vitruvian proposal.

Mould Manifesto against rationalism in architecture- Hundertwasser (1958)

Hundertwasser argues for a more anarchist way of building in which everyone is free to build their own space. Rallying against rationalism, he argues the modern apartments and the “straight lines” that make them are like rabbit cages crushing our souls and causing many of our ailments. He proposes architects work as a technical advisors to inhabitants rather than designers. In doing so their personhood can spread like mold over the existing architecture.

The Architect as World Planner- R. Buckminster Fuller (1961)

This is a critique of the current architectural system. When each of us focus on one single building we become blind to larger scale issues that we’re contributing to. If we collectively worked together to form a global plan we would be able to make “the total world’s resources serve 100% of humanity through competent design”.

Everything is Architecture- Hans Hollein (1968)

In the new information age architects must expand on what a building can be, “Today a museum or a school can be replaced by a TV set. Architects must cease to think only in terms of buildings.” He argues using nonmaterial means such as light, temperature, smell, or even drugs to create architecture. In the end architects will dabble in all fields in so that all of us become architects and everything becomes architecture.

Junkspace- Rem Koolhaas (2002)

Koolhaas introduces a new term “Junkspace” describing the leftover space created through modernisation and consumer capitalism. He argues that architecture has become corrupt focusing on convenience and consumption rather than civic integrity. This led to the endless air-conditioned spaces that are built around commercial logic that become generic junk as soon as you stop spending.