London has a long and interesting history, so it is no surprise that the city is packed full of both high-quality old, and modern, architecture.
London is a city known for its beautiful and historic buildings designed by some of the world’s most famous architects. Since the turn of the century, however, a new type of architecture, constructed using concrete, steel and glass, has become an increasingly important part of the ever-changing cityscape. This modern architecture is a highly visible aspect of the city and deserves attention as much as its longstanding architectural counterparts.
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Modern architecture can be defined as that which is not traditional. A house built in the modern architectural style boasts clean lines and a flat roof, little ornamentation and no pretense as to its materials and workmanship.

The glass and metal appeal of modern homes and commercial buildings came into popularity in the years following World War II. Originally, modern architecture was more a social movement rooted in political rhetoric; form and function were more statement than artistry. Amid the ruins of war torn Europe in the 1920s and 1930s, there came into being the Bauhaus, a school for artist that included architectural pursuits. The “school motto” was Start from Zero.
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Since its independence in 1965 the country of Singapore has used modern architecture to both define its identity and attract global business. Singapore, one of the Asia’s most vibrant cities, is home to some of the world’s best modern architecture. This, at least in part, is due to the government of Singapore actively promoting the construction of high quality modern buildings.

As the population of Singapore is drawn from many ethnic origins, and the island has been ruled by a succession of foreign powers, the country has struggled to find its identity since gaining independence in 1965. First the city’s banks and then the government have actively aimed to develop high-quality landmark buildings with the aim of not only defining a sense of national identity, but also to boosting business and tourism. For this reason the city is full of high quality architecture.
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Trellises have been a favorite landscape architectural element throughout the ages. Some serve as partial walls, screening off less desirable views, others to enframe a view. All of which support flowering plant material, usually varieties of vines. Trellises are formed into many shapes and sizes, different configurations to serve various needs: Overhead trellises create a ‘landscape room’ beneath while an arched trellis may serve as a ‘gateway’ into the garden itself. The focus of this article is upon the architectural-building material from which the trellis is constructed; it is not of wood, metal tubing or from expensive wrought iron.

When I was touring northern Italy and Spain I was struck by the timeless beauty of wrought-ironworks, fashioned out of the architecture of the buildings and into the garden trellises. It was not so much the ornate details that I found so interesting as I found the strength and durability of the material to be: it tested time, only growing more attractive. Later, back in the U.S.A. and practicing my profession as a Landscape Architect I found that wrought-iron was not often affordable except in only the most selective of projects (i.e. those with very, fat budgets). Read the rest of this entry »

Modern architecture, not to be confused with ‘contemporary architecture’, is a term given to a number of building styles with similar characteristics, primarily the simplification of form and the elimination of ornament. While the style was conceived early in the 20th century and heavily promoted by a few architects, architectural educators and exhibits, very few Modern buildings were built in the first half of the century. For three decades after the Second World War, however, it became the dominant architectural style for institutional and corporate building.

The exact characteristics and origins of Modern architecture are still open to interpretation and debate.

Some historians see the evolution of Modern architecture as a social matter, closely tied to the project of Modernity and hence to the Enlightenment, a result of social and political revolutions.
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