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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 283"
COURSE NAME: "Special Topics in Modern and Contemporary Art: Architecture"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2016
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Laura Foster
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Specialized courses offered periodically on specific aspects of the art of the modern and contemporary world. Courses are normally research-led topics on an area of current academic concern. May be taken more than once for credit with different topics.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Modern Architecture, 20th & 21st Centuries

This survey of modern architecture treats the culture of architecture in the 20th and 21st centuries, focusing on the architectural profession, the relationship between technology and design, and the social function of modern buildings. Students will engage with architects’ writings, in particular manifestoes written between 1908 and 1970, in order to understand the arguments driving modern architectural design, such as the rejection of the classical language of architecture. Several lectures will be dedicated to the Italian contribution to modern architecture, including site visits to important monuments in Rome. Readings and classroom lectures provide a critical examination of the intentions of modernism, both in the creation of physical spaces and of visual representations of those spaces.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

•an understanding of the major movements of architecture of the 20th-21st centuries, familiarity with major practitioners and major works

•the ability to read modern architecture in formal aspects of design and urban context

•a critical understanding of architectural statements (whether written or illustrated) and architectural programs, especially in their social and economic contexts.

TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Modern Architecture Since 1900, 3rd. ed.William CurtisPhaidonISBN-13: 978-0714833569     
Programs and Manifetoes on 20th-Century ArchitectureUlrich ConradsMIT Press ISBN-13: 978-0262530309      
Toward an ArchitectureLe CorbusierGetty Research InstituteISBN-13: 978-0892368228      
Learning From Las Vegas, Rev. EdRobert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Steven IzenourMIT PressISBN-13: 978-0262720069      
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Class Discussion and Assigned Reading PresentationsLecture attendance and active participation in discussions are essential. Students will be evaluated on their attention to lectures by questions asked and ideas discussed. In addition, students will be assigned specific readings or sections of a book to present for class discussion. These presentations will not require a write-up, but students should consider creating slide presentations and providing questions as means to engage other students in discussion. Students will be evaluated on organization and clarity of the presentation as well as comprehension of the texts.20%
Slide Quizzes (2)Part of learning art and architectural history is committing to memory a series of major works, including the name of the architect and the dates of construction. Students are provided each lecture with a list of the key monuments to be discussed that includes the name of the architect and the dates. Two short quizzes will be aimed at demonstrating familiarity with the works listed on lecture key monuments handouts. 10%
Midterm ExaminationThe midterm examination will be composed of •Slide identifications •Short answer questions: regarding architectural terminology and historical movements •Essay: topics that treat general themes discussed in the first half of the course. You will need to provide specific examples taken from works discussed in class. 20%
Term PaperYou will produce a term paper of 8-10 pages on a specific building, urban space, or architectural movement from the period discussed in class. A list of suggested topics will be provided, though students may suggest their own topics, to be approved by the professor.25%
Final ExaminationThe format for the final exam will be the same as the midterm, with slide identifications and short answer questions covering only material since the midterm. There will be two essays: one topic taken from the second half of the semester, and a final question drawing on themes discussed in the entire course, possibly in a comparative manner. 25%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Monday              Course Introduction and Overview
Jan 18                 Assigned Reading: William Curtis, Modern Architecture Since 1900, Ch. 1

Wednesday         The Urban Landscape of the Late 19th Century and Advent of the
Jan 20                 Skyscraper

                           Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 2

Monday              The Architecture of Nature: Art Deco and Art Nouveau in Continental
Jan 25                 Europe

                           Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 3

Wednesday         The Architecture of the Machine: Antonio Sant’Elia and Italian Futurism
Jan 27                 Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 6; Antonio Sant’Elia and Tommaso Marinetti

                            “Futurist Architecture,” in Conrads, Programs and Manifestoes, pp. 34-38

Monday              Avant-Garde Art Movements and New Architecture in Europe
Feb 1                  Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 9; De Stijl Manifesto in Conrads, Program
and Manifestoes, pp. 39-40

Wednesday         Modernism outside of Movements: Frank Lloyd Wright in the U.S.
Feb 3                   Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 7

Monday              Pure Architecture: Le Corbusier’s Revolution – Part one of Toward an
Feb 8                   Architecture

                           Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 10; Le Corbusier, Toward an Architecture

Wednesday         Le Corbusier, Toward a New Architecture, continued, and Le
Feb 10                Corbusier’s Villa Savoye
                           Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 16; Le Corbusier, Toward a New Architecture

Monday              Interiors and Exteriors: Bauhaus and German Expressionism
Feb 15                Slide Quiz #1
                           Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 11; Conrads, Programs and Manifestoes, pp.
46-53; 69-70; 87-88

Wednesday         Political Revolution and Constructivism in Russia
Feb 17                Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 12

Monday              Modernism outside the Manifesto: American Architecture in the
Feb 22                 1920s and ‘30s
                            Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 13
 

Wednesday         Fascism, Totalitarianism and the Ambiguity of Modernism
Feb 24                 Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 20

Monday              Site Visit: Luigi Moretti’s Casa GIL in Trastevere
Feb 29                 No assigned reading for today

Wednesday         Midterm Exam
Mar 2                      

Friday                 MAKEUP DAY FOR APRIL 25
Mar 4                  Site Visit: EUR District

                            No assigned reading for today

Monday              The International Style I
Mar 7                  Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 15; R. Buckminster Fuller on Universal
                           Architecture in Conrads, Programs and Manifestoes, pp. 128-136.

Wednesday         International Style II: The Protagonists
Mar 9                  Assigned Reading: Curtis, Chs. 18-19

Monday              European Architects in the U.S.
Mar 14                Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 22

Wednesday         Postwar Italy: The Art of Recuperation
Mar 16                Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 26

Monday              Institutional Identity and Modernism in the 1950s
Mar 21               Assigned Reading: Curtis, Chs. 28-29

Wednesday         Pop Art and the Discovery of Postmodernism: Confronting Learning
Mar 23                from Las Vegas
                           Assigned Readings: Curtis, Ch. 30; Venturi, Scott Brown and Izenour,
Learning from Las Vegas

March 28 - April 1 SPRING BREAK

Monday              The Pluralism of the 1970s
Apr 4                  Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 32

Wednesday         Academics and Architecture: Cultural Theory and Design
Apr 6                  Assigned Reading: Mary McLeod, “Architecture and Politics in the Reagan
                            Era: From Postmodernism to Deconstructivism,” and Dennis P. Doordan,
“Changing Agendas:
                            Architecture and Politics in Contemporary Italy,” in Assemblage (February 1989), pp. 22-77.
                            Articles available to download via
JSTOR

Monday              Global Capital and Global Architecture
Apr 11                 Assigned Reading: “Famous”: Special Issue on Architecture and Fame
                            Perspecta 37 (2005). Available for download via JSTOR

Wednesday         CLASS MOVED TO FRIDAY, APRIL 15
Apr 13                    

Friday                 Site visit to Zaha Hadid’s MAXXI and Renzo Piano’s Auditorium
Apr 15                Class meets on site at 11:00 a.m.

Monday              Environment and Conservation: Ecology and Architecture
Apr 18                Assigned Reading: Curtis, Ch. 34

Wednesday         Re-presenting the Past: Cultural Preservation and Contemporary
Apr 20                Architecture
                          
Assigned Reading: Curtis Ch. 33

Monday             NO CLASS- HOLIDAY
Apr 25

Wednesday         Site visit: Richard Meier’s Ara Pacis Museum and Piazza Augusto
Apr 27                Imperatore
                          
Class meets on site at 10:00 a.m.