POSTMODERN ARCHITECTURE

Presented by
MA Eaint Hmue Khin
IV Arch-3(TU Hmawbi)
 WHAT IS POSTMODERN ARCHITECTURE?
.an international architectural style
.emerged in the 1960s as a reaction to the monotony of modern architecture
.developed in the 1970s, re-emphasizing the architectural forms of ancient
times as aesthetic elements
. an eclectic movement that refers to the past
.by recreating design elements from different periods in a contemporary
climate
. to alleviate the strict rules of modernism
. characterized by symbolism and irony
. reintroduces arbitrary ornamentation into architecture
. vibrant and sculptural
. removes the architect from having a purely functional role
. aims to establish a dialogue between architectural ideas, styles, culture
and history
. was developed especially with the work of Scott Brown & Venturi, Philip Johnson, Charles Moore and
Michael Graves
. at the end of the 1990s, it was divided into different styles such as high-tech, neo-futurism and
deconstructivism
. often has curved forms, dysfunctional ornaments, asymmetry, vibrant colors, and symbolic features borrowed
from previous eras
. refer to local traditions, popular culture, modernism, high technology at the same time
 CHARACTERISTICS
Confusion and Contradiction
- combines new forms and features with contradictory elements of classicism
- a throwback to the past and ornament requires a collage of items borrowed from old styles
- colors and textures are irrelevant to the structure or function of the building

Arbitrary Decorations
- it processes elements of architectural history in new ways
- stylized Greek and Roman columns, pediments, metopes, pop art elements are frequently seen on the
facades of postmodern buildings

Curvilinear and Asymmetrical forms

- compositions are rarely symmetrical, balanced, and orderly
- usually curvilinear and fluid forms are used
Fragmentation
- divides large buildings into several different structures and forms
- different parts represent different functions
- using different styles and materials, a single building can look a small town or village.

Color
- important for postmodern buildings; unusual color palettes and combinations are featured
- colored glass, ceramic tiles and stones are used to add variety and personality to facades

Humor and Sculpture

- theatrical, absurd and sculptural forms come to the fore in the postmodern architectural style
 Philip Johnson (July 8,1906 - January 25,2005)

 a prominent American architect

 became well-known for his contributions to modernist and
postmodernist architecture
 raised during a time when modernist architecture arose and developed
 grew up to be a modernist architect himself
 not only did Johnson contribute to the modernist movement, he also
went on to design in the postmodernist style
 well known for his unique talent for blending different styles and
movements to create interesting new designs
 also a skilled writer and a curator for the museum of modern art.
 was born in Cleveland, Ohio, as the child of homer Hosea Johnson and
Louisa Osborn pope
 had two sisters, Jeannette and Theodate
 was born into a wealthy and highly educated family
 went on to study philosophy and the classics at harvard university from
1923 to 1930
 took multiple periods off to travel through Europe during these years
 these travels proved to be highly formative for him, shaping his vision
of design and contributing significantly to the development of his later
career
 spent time in Berlin and at the Bauhaus school of design, architecture
and applied arts in Dessau
 he learned about modern architecture and design principles here
 also met Mies van der Rohe who would become an important friend
and influence to Johnson, as well as an occasional work partner
 received his undergraduate degree from Harvard and started working at the museum of modern art in New
York as a curator and writer
 collaborated on projects with the founder of the MoMa , Alfred H
 Barr junior, as well as architectural historian Henry-Rusel Hitchcock
 together with Hitchcock, he cocurated an exhibition on modern architecture in 1932 and contributed to the
book the International style
 the International style is the name of the modern style of architecture that arose during the 1920s and
1930s in Europe and the United states
 the architecture field proved to be a great fit for Johnson. he even designed and built a house for himself in
1942, while he was still a student.
 from 1943 to the end of 1945, Johnson was called to serve in the army to fight Germany in World War II
 when Philip Johnson returned home from the war, his career as an architect officially began
 John Burgee was a partner of Philip Johnson from 1967 to 1991
 creating together the partnership firm Johnson/Burgee architects after 24 years
 Johnson’s career spanned over seventy years
 Johnson was still designing in his nineties
 he received a number of awards
 include the American institute of architects gold medal that was awarded to him in 1978 and the first
Pritzker architecture prize which he received in 1979

“All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles,
exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space.”
 POSTMODERN BUILDINGS

Elmer Holmes Bobst Library

- referred to as the Bobst
- the main library of New York university
- the name of the library derives from its benefactor, Elmer Holmes
Bobst, who donated more than eleven million to the project
- the Bobst library was designed by Johnson and Richard Foster in
1966
- was built in lower Manhattan between 1967 and 1973
- a good example of postmodern architecture
- Johnson and Foster favored a more eclectic approach that
incorporated historical references and a sense of playfulness
- the two features do not fit into the modernist aesthetic
- the exterior of the Bobst library is made of red sandstone
- giving the building a warm look
- the building looks quite stately
- the exterior walls consist of long windows, which add nice
bits of light to the interior.
- however, the light does not only derive from these windows
- the interior design, which features a twelve- story tower
with a large atrium at its base, is covered with a striking
glass roof
- thanks to this, the spaciousness of the hall is emphasized
and the building is always provided with a good amount of
natural light
- however, the openness of the atrium did not always benefit the safety of the building
- three students committed suicide here, even after the university installed barriers
- for this reason, a perforated aluminum screen was installed
- at the bottom of the atrium lies a beautiful geometric floor inspired by the floor of the Palladio
Church of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice
- the design is minimal, but has some features that make it look less strict than modernist
buildings
The AT&T Building
- often called a postmodern landmark
- the AT&T building was designed by Johnson in collaboration with john
burgee between 1978 and 1983
- also called 550 Madison avenue or the Sony building
- as Sony leased it in 1991 and subsequently bought it from AT&T in 2002
- Sony later sold it to the Chetrit group in 2013, but leased it again for
another three years.
- it has 37 floors and a pink granite exterior which makes the buildings stand
out from its surroundings in a unique way
- also has some classical features which are characteristic of postmodern
architecture like the building’s large entrance arch which is adjoined by
arcades
- the broken pediment on the roof that has a circular opening
- thanks to these features, the building is known as the world’s first
postmodern skyscraper.
-the design features numerous windows
-the entrance hall features an impressive central staircase
that’s lit by the abundance of daylight that comes through
the arch window
-for the interior, Johnson and Burgee used luxury materials,
which gave the AT&T office a stately feel
-the interior also featured references to classical architecture
like arcades
-the AT&T building featured a public atrium that has a
metal and glass roof
-according to burgee, the atrium was meant to have a
different character than the rest of the building
-however, Sony closed the atrium during the 1990s and put
up a large television screen showing its renovation
-in 2020, a new garden was constructed in the atrium
-which contains trees, shrubs, and plants, is open to visitors
-the atrium, which includes a waterfall and places to sit, is
meant to provide people with a place to relax
One Atlantic Center
-was Atlanta’s first major landmark of postmodernism and was designed by
Philip Johnson and John Burgee
-when one Atlantic center opened in 1987, IBM offices occupied about half the
building, and it became known as the IBM tower
-the architectural detailing of the exterior is Neo-Gothic, although it differs from
the multi-pinnacled, faceted glass Gothic of Johnson’s PPG Place
-vertical lines are alternated between major and minor continuous vertical ribs
and pinnacles
-building corners are molded, and its fifty-story elevation has a tripartite
composition
-a 1930 synthesis of Gothic and Art Deco, Johnson offers a visual dialogue
across the skyline, linking the pinnacled, pyramidal Gothic crown of IBM with
the stepped profile of city hall.
-one Atlantic center is full of the kind of contradictions that
Robert Venturi advocated on behalf of an enriched and
complex architecture
-at street level, the round-headed entry arch contradicts the
overall neo-gothic design
-this arch gives entry to a classically inspired lobby
-the marble-arched interior elevations are enriched with
Palladian/Venetian/Serlian surrounds and weighty, cylindrical,
marble Doric columns
-lobby windows, which do not extend to the floor, are
rectangular, grand in scale, and proportioned as six-over-six
casements (although they are inoperable)
Lipstick Building
-the lipstick building at 885 third avenue was designed by Philip Johnson and
John Burgee
-structural engineer Irwin Cantor, mechanical engineer Cosentini associates,
landscape architects Zion and Breen associates, and lighting consultant Claude
Engle were also involved in the building’s development
-it is 34 stories tall and measures 453 feet to its roof
-its unusual massing and the façade’s color led to its popular name, the lipstick
building
-one of several buildings in New York city that were nicknamed based on their
appearance
-885 third avenue has a nearly elliptical massing
-the massing contrasted with those of older buildings, which were typically
designed with rectangular forms
-the elliptical shape allows pedestrians on 53 rd and 54th street to cut across the
corners
-it permits additional light and air into the building
-Burgee said the design created “a memorable landmark along the blandness of third avenue”
-Johnson said the shape was “appropriate for quirky third avenue but not for the more serious park avenue
-critics compared the building’s massing to a tube of lipstick and to a luxury liner.
-at the base, the building is supported by 28 stainless steel and granite columns, each 28 feet high
-the columns protrude in front of the glass-walled lobby
-the tops of the columns contain steel bands
-behind the columns is an arcade that warps around a 300-degree section of the building’s perimeter
-the exterior of the building is a continuous wall of red imperial granite and stainless steel
-the ribbon windows are surrounded by gray frames
-there are red spandrel panels between floors, which are framed by strips of
stainless steel
-885 third avenue’s superstructure is made of reinforced concrete
-due to the building’s unusual shape and its location on the east side of third
avenue, winds from the north would cause an extremely large amount of
eastward pressure
-structural engineer Irwin Cantor decided to add the central core, which
absorbs most of the structural loads
-the central core contains the elevators and emergency staircases
-as a result of the building’s unconventional shape, the office space and
mechanical equipment had to be adjusted to fit the elliptical form of each
story.
Comerica Bank Tower
-is a 60-story postmodern skyscraper located at 1717 main street in the main
street district in downtown Dallas, Texas
-standing at a structural height of 787 feet, it is the third tallest skyscraper in the
city of Dallas
-also the sixth tallest building in Texas and the 61 st tallest building in the United
States
-was designed by Philip Johnson and john burgee, and was completed in 1987
-the structure has 1,500,000 square feet of office space.
-the tower uses a traditional three-sectioned skyscraper form with upper level
setbacks.
-a modern interpretation of the classic barrel vault is used throughout the
structure, giving the building an overall art deco style
-the setbacks carve a cross shape from the building’s top section
-but sheets of glass descending like a waterfall from the vaults continue the
illusion to street level.
-the first five floors contain a massive banking/stock
exchange hall with a vaulted ceiling and skylight
-the building contains a 3 levels underground parking
garage and is connected to the elm street garage, giving
tenants 1,530 parking spaces
-the east side of the building features a small plaza with a
grid of trees and benches facing the Titche Goettinger
building.
-the building has been criticized heavily for its poor urban
environment at street level
-the lack of retail, block-long walls of polished granite and
dark glass cause the tower to seem very formidable
 CONCLUSION

-it is very difficult to define postmodernism, and many architects and artists resist the classification
-postmodernist ideas could be found in a wide variety of creative fields that dissolved the boundaries between
them, including: literature, visual arts, graphic arts, industrial design, theater and dance
-in architecture, postmodernism is not so much a singular style but an amalgamation of many styles that
borrowed from history, reacted to urban context and embraced decorative traditions
-postmodernism was, as historian Mary Mcleod wrote, “a desire to make architecture a vehicle of cultural
expression.”
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