Traditionalism (architecture)

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Town house in Stockholm , 1911–1923 ( Ragnar Östberg )
Helsinki Central Station , 1904–1919 ( Eliel Saarinen )
Helsinki Central Station
St. Hubert hunting lodge in Otterlo , 1915–1920 ( Berlage )
Central Station in Stuttgart , 1914–1927 ( Paul Bonatz )

The traditionalism in architecture is a current that has emerged in the early 20th century in central and northern Europe. In the Netherlands , the architectural style became known in connection with the Delft School (1925–1955). In Germany and Scandinavia , important buildings of traditionalism were built. The Stuttgart Central by Paul Bonatz is an example of so-called Stuttgart School . In Stuttgart, the traditionalist Kochhofsiedlung was built in 1933 as a counter-model to the Weißenhofsiedlung from 1927, which was built in the cubist style of the emerging modern architecture .

Architectural traditionalism is also widely used today, especially since postmodernism made the use of classical architectural language popular again.

In addition, there is the term traditional architecture , which primarily describes regional construction types.

Traditionalism in the 21st Century

In our time, traditionalism is proving to be significant in dealing with the historic city. In various historical city centers, use is made of a traditionalist design language, both in restoration and in new buildings. A typical example of this type of construction can be seen in the Belgian old town of Antwerp . Other Belgian cities such as Bruges , Ghent or Brussels also work with the same principle. The Belgians see their historic city centers as a total work of art . The added traditionalist architecture plays a serving role in increasing the luster of the historical architecture.

The Dutch government city of The Hague is ninety kilometers north of Antwerp . The basic idea behind the historic center of The Hague is not the image of a total work of art, but the "end of the historic city". It is obvious that these opposing views have led to different urban spaces, cityscapes and city silhouettes. The contrast between the historical centers of Antwerp and The Hague is so great that many feel the need to organize an exchange of views in order to discuss these and other city models. A symposium for architects and urban planners on the subject of “Dealing with the historic city in Europe” could be informative. Images of Antwerp and The Hague are included in the section "Historic City Today - Traditionalism or Generic City".

The rise of traditionalism in the Netherlands

From 1925 to 1955 this direction largely determined the architectural education at the Technical University of Delft under the direction of Prof. Marinus Jan Granpré Molière , who is seen as the founder of the Delftse School. After the predominance of the Delft School with its negative consequences (because of one-sidedness), traditionalism was frowned upon and despised by the new avant-garde for a long time.

Although Berlage is generally not counted among the traditionalists, his architectural style around 1900 (stock exchange and other buildings) can be seen as the beginning of traditionalism. A pupil and successor of Berlage was Alexander Kropholler, who developed into a leading traditionalist in the Netherlands. Kropholler was a talented architect, with an expressive, but also a formalistic and exaggerated design language can be demonstrated. It is interesting to note that Kropholler's sister Margaret Staal-Kropholler was a well-known architect within the Amsterdam Expressionist School .

Another personality of Dutch traditionalism is the architect Frits Peutz. While he was building several traditionalist churches in the 1930s, he was also working on the cubist-constructivist glass palace in Heerlen . After an exemplary restoration in 2003, this building gained further recognition.

Various architects have dealt creatively with Dutch traditionalism. It is an imaginative implementation of traditionalist forms and spatial concepts in modern times.

The best traditionalist buildings in Europe have not lost their convincing expressiveness to this day. They often contain a greater degree of authenticity than buildings from the preceding neo-styles of historicism and eclecticism .

Traditionalism and town planning

The importance of traditionalism in 20th century architecture is perhaps less in architecture than in urban planning. The architect and urban planner Berlage designed his urban plans with a traditionalist approach. The fact that he never became a radically modern architect has sometimes been resented. But Berlage developed and implemented an exemplary urban design that is still difficult to surpass today. His town planning works flawlessly, also in a social sense. Berlage not only designed the well-known Amsterdam South, but also districts in his place of residence, The Hague, and other cities. Certain Berlage districts in The Hague are currently threatened by an uncoordinated sprawl of replenishment. This destroys the city silhouettes developed by Berlage. The cause of this evil is the opinion of the city architect Maarten Schmitt, who wrote the following about Berlage: “The structural plan of Berlage is a totally outdated matter. It had practically no effect. The respect for Berlage is based more on nostalgia than on real meaning. ”The renowned German-speaking author Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani describes Berlage's urban planning work in his publication Die Stadt im 20. Jahrhundert with significantly greater respect.

Traditionalism and Expressionism

Another noteworthy aspect of traditionalism is the highly developed architectural expertise surrounding Berlage, which had a positive effect on and influenced the younger generation. This building culture formed the basis for various new architectural trends in the Netherlands, such as the Expressionism of the Amsterdam School . The architects Michel de Klerk and Piet Kramer came from Berlage, but also knew Antoni Gaudí and went further. The architects Gaudi, de Klerk, Kramer, Mendelsohn and other German architects were among the pioneers who founded international expressionism. Later well-known buildings in this direction can be seen in Ronchamp , Bilbao , Sydney , Berlin , etc.

Historic city today - traditionalism or "Generic City"

Amsterdam- Zuid (South), traditionalist urban plan by Berlage (1915), architecture by the architects of the expressionist Amsterdam School

For the traditionalists, the city silhouette is seen as an important urban planning element, with historical cities, villages and settlements serving as models. The city master builder used to be responsible for the overall composition; he put the houses, towers, squares, etc. together into a harmonious whole. This happened in an ongoing development process. For the traditionalists, the city or village silhouette determines the overall shape and urban identity. The term composition is now referred to as picture direction.

Another successful concept should be mentioned in historical urban development, the Gridiron plan with its free urban development infills. The picture direction plays a minor role in this concept. One of the most famous Gridiron plans is on Manhattan , where no consideration had to be given to a historic city.

The Hague - historical center with "Generic City"

The Dutch government center in The Hague is shown here as a model . It is worth mentioning because it is related to a current urban development of the 21st century. Because of its national importance, the government center is visited and photographed by many tourists. It is noticeable that it is often photographed the way the visitors would like to see it, i. H. without the newly built high-rise buildings in the background. Today's appearance is the result of the architecture of the well-known Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas , the so-called "Generic City". The Hague is already being presented as a typical example of the “Generic City” at various international architecture schools. The question of how the new center of The Hague (mixture of an important historical city with the "Generic City") behaves in relation to cities with a different concept such as Amsterdam , Paris , Munich or Bern , whose historical centers are "Generic City" is discussed. have remained free.

During the term of office from 1998 to 2009, the aforementioned city architect of The Hague was strongly influenced by the opinion of Rem Koolhaas. In his biography ( The Hague - Maarten Schmitt ) he writes about his architectural ideas. Taking Koolhaas' font “Generic City” to hand, Schmitt formulates his urban development credo as follows: “The end of the historic city seems to be perfectly tailored for a city like The Hague.” The city councilor responsible for urban development also called his inspirations in distant Dubai during study trips. The skyscraper with the sloping top reminds u. a. to well-known role models in the Middle East .

The American architect Richard Meier also made an important contribution to The Hague with the construction of the new townhouse in 1986. His design in the city center was designed in such a way that the nearby silhouette of the national government center was retained.

  • The Hague 1553

  • The Hague 2000

  • National Government Center (r), Mauritshuis Art Museum (l)

  • Small tower (l) is the seat of the Prime Minister

  • Hofvijver29042007.jpg

  • Entrance to the government center at Het Plein (The Square), north side

  • The Hague 2012, historical city and " Generic City "

  • Art Museum Mauritshuis (m) and "Generic City"

  • Het Plein, east side, by the government center and "Generic City"

  • Het Plein, south side

Antwerp - historical center with traditionalism

As mentioned above, Belgians see their historic city centers as a total work of art. They point to a relationship between the historic old town and paintings by Rubens or Rembrandt . When these paintings are restored, it is not done in the Mondrian style, but in an adapted traditionalist technique. Applied to architecture and urban planning, this means so much that the following interventions are undesirable in historic city centers: cubist style, XL architecture, damage to the silhouette, inappropriate choice of color and material. These interventions do not occur or only to a limited extent in Belgian city centers. The same approach can also be seen in the Dutch old town of Amsterdam , which has been included in the Unesco World Heritage list. Amsterdam is aware that the historical center requires a different approach to urban planning than, for example, the grid city of Manhattan .

  • Antwerp on the Scheldt

  • Town house on the Great Market

  • Antwerp today, historical city and traditionalism

  • Historic city and traditionalism

  • Antwerp approx. 1890–1900

Muttenz - integration of architectural styles from different epochs

Muttenz is an industrial city east of Basel with 18,000 inhabitants. The community center discussed here from 1970 is located on the church square in the historic village center. The project was controversial for a long time, both in homeland security and in architectural circles. Today it is called an architectural pioneering achievement. The architect Rolf Keller (in collaboration with Fritz Schwarz) recognized at that time that a historical architectural style often does not get along well with the cubist architectural style of modern architecture. In order to achieve a harmonious building ensemble, the requirements for the design were developed “on the basis of a precise study of the characteristics of Muttenz farmhouses” (Google Maps: Muttenz Kirchplatz). Another well-known project by Rolf Keller with other architects is the “ Seldwyla ” housing estate in Zumikon .

At the Sandberg housing estate in Biberach , Rolf Keller (1930–1993) had the artistic direction, whereby the handwriting of various architects is expressed. Regarding the urban design in Biberach, Keller said: “Analogous to the impressive old cities that look as if they were cast from a single mold, a harmoniously coordinated whole should be created here on the Sandberg using just a few materials (natural red tile roofs, white plaster, economical use of colors) . Such urban design specifications should ensure a concise urban space or - in summary - enable diversity in the unity. "

It is interesting to compare the architectural forms of Rolf Keller and Rob Krier . While Krier can speak of a historicizing traditionalism, the buildings by Rolf Keller give the impression of a modern or contemporary traditionalism.

  • Muttenz near Basel , fortified church St. Arbogast on the church square

  • Muttenz, community center on Kirchplatz, 1970 (Rolf Keller and Fritz Schwarz)

Examples in the Netherlands (20th and 21st centuries)

Examples in Germany and Switzerland

See also

literature

  • Rob Krier (Ed.): Town Spaces. Basel 2003.
  • Kai Krauskopf, Hans-Georg Lippert, Kerstin Zaschke (eds.): New tradition. European architecture under the sign of traditionalism and regionalism. Dresden 2012.
  • Arne Ehmann: Traditionalism around 1910. Dissertation, University of Hamburg, Hamburg 2006. Online Uni Hamburg (PDF; 9.5 MB)
  • Hans Ibelings : Unmodern Architecture. Contemporary Traditionalism in the Netherlands. (Dutch and English edition) Rotterdam 2004.
  • Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani : The City in the 20th Century. Berlin 2010.
  • Reform and tradition. (Modern architecture in Germany 1900 to 1950). Exhibition catalog Deutsches Architektur-Museum, Frankfurt am Main 1992, Hatje, Stuttgart 1992.
  • Rolf Keller: Building as environmental destruction - alarm images of a non-architecture of the present. Zurich 1973.