Reflections on Semper, Ruskin, and Viollet-le-Duc

During the late 19^th Century, many things were starting to change. Industrial Revolution was starting to emerge, modernizing everything from people to technology to architecture. There were three gentlemen, Gottfried Semper, John Ruskin, and Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, trying to figure out the best way to define “new style” for architecture. Each of them had different theories, outlook, and approaches on trying to create and restore architecture in their own modernized way.

So what exactly is modernism? According to Dictionary.com ¹, modernism is “a 20th-century architectural style characterized by undecorated rectilinear forms and the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete.” Semper and Viollet-le-Duc would agree with this definition; however, Ruskin would despise this definition.

Although he follows the same Gothic architecture movement as Viollet-le-Duc; however, he has completely different view on it. Architecture, to Ruskin, was something that needed to be natural without using glass, steel, and reinforced concrete. He seemed to despise new architecture so much that he would say, “We want no new style of architecture... It does not matter one marble splinter whether we have an old or new architecture... The forms of architecture already known are good enough for us, and far better than any of us... A man who has the gift, will take up any style that is going... and will work in that, and be great in that...”². Which means, he would rather mimic the architecture invented before his time period than trying to come up with something new. He strongly believed that looking backwards to history was more natural than trying to come up with unacceptable inventions like using the new materials and abstracting, or destroying as Ruskin may define it, the old architectural forms. His reasoning was due to mostly religion. He also despised machines and the thought of restoring historical buildings. His idea of architecture was something sculptural and artistic, so he thought that if machines were used, then the architecture period that he favored would die out. Also, if the buildings were to be restored or even touched, then it would be destroyed, and it should be preserved.

For Semper, he believed that the spaces and forms were to follow the idea of sociopolitical context. This idea was the result of his involvement with the 1849 revolution. He was more into Greek architecture than Gothic architecture. Which later allowed him to discover the four elements of architecture: hearth, substructure, roof, and enclosure.³ Hearth being the main area or central element. Substructure, or platform, being the part of the structure that will hold the hearth up from the ground. Roof being the piece that protects the fire from the rain. Also Enclosure being the part that would keep the wind and cold out. With these elements of process, he later discovered an equation to use the four elements. These elements were the precedent ideas for the curtain walls, which was his invention for modern architecture. With the elements as his base, he was able to transform them into something more intelligent and was able to use these transformations to restore his Opera House.

Semper, “Opera House”

Website: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVD6hJ78Z6kNk6q_eYKz9qRwl59irNPgPEWjfNAkz84Jcj7ki8Ztdbm_UbnRFMMrAY7e5BJXIQLb1_7BxCMUKYN2jrwKe9ZOJzP7mcSQxpCRXBLEapXJIzRDvd6aTNnuQho-kfjK1uzhI/s1600/Semper+Opera

Being so much more active as a Gothic architect follower than Ruskin, Viollet-le-Duc did many things completely different than Ruskin and Semper. Viollet-le-Duc would rather use technology and new materials to create something that he called architecture. One of his project at a market place, he exposed iron proudly and so boldly that he gets criticized; however, he does not mind any of the criticism because that was his theory and idea of modern Gothic architecture. He believed that using new material was being natural. He studied the structure from looking at autonomy structure of organisms like human and animals.

Viollet-le-Duc. A market place. (Pevsner)

For Viollet-le-Duc, when restoring historical buildings, he quoted that, “To restore a building is not just to preserve it, to repair it, and to remodel it, it is to re-instate it in a complete state such as it may never have been in at any given moment.” (Pevsner). So when he restored the Carcassonne, he made it so different from its original using different slanted cones, texiles, and colors.

 

Viollet-le-Duc. Carcassonne

Website:  http://www.destination360.com/europe/france/images/s/cite-de-carcassonne.jpg



The three gentlemen, Semper, Ruskin, and Viollet-le-Duc, all had complete different mindset on what modern architecture would and should be. Ruskin was more on the keep the historical side, Semper was more about using his four elements, and Viollet-le-Duc was all about using the new technology and materials to experiment. Those differences were the result of today's modern architecture.

1http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/modernism

2Pevsner, Nikolaus. “Ruskin and Viollet-le-Duc: Englishness and Frenchness in the Appreciation of Gothic Architecture.” Thames and Hudson London.

3Semper & Ruskin Powerpoint from Class Lecture August 30.