This architectural history course surveys the modern buildings and literature of the first half of the twentieth century, focusing primarily on Europe but extending also to non-western countries. It begins with a look at the crisis of modernity that plagued most of the western civilization in the late 19th century. It then focuses on major movements of both the avant-garde and other responses to modernity from 1900-1945. The course includes discussions of formal tendencies, theoretical issues, biographical sketches, new technology, political motivations, social & cultural influences that led to the development of modern architectures. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship of buildings to the more general cultural, intellectual, and historical circumstances in which they were created. Special attention will be devoted throughout the course to the important manifestoes, theoretical and critical writings that so determined the project of modern architecture.
