Architectural futurism is an independent art form, united under the general name of the futuristic movement, which appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century and includes poetry, literature, painting, clothing and much more. Futurism implies a desire for the future - both for the direction as a whole and for architecture in particular, antihistorism, freshness, dynamics and hypertrophic lyricism are characteristic features. Futurism gained particular popularity in the architecture of the USSR, becoming a symbol of the construction of a new life.
Definition
The year the emergence of futurism in architecture can be considered the 1912th, since this year the Italian architect Antonio Sant Elia first depicted a futuristic vision of urban forms on paper. From 1912 to 1914 he created the famous series of sketches on this subject. Then he published his "Manifesto of Futurism Architecture." Prior to this, the style existed only in an abstract description of the cities of the future; through the efforts of Sant Elia, drawings of futuristic buildings suitable for real construction appeared. The founder of futurism in architecture is presented in the photo below.
By definition, the futuristic form of architecture is a mirror image of all the architectural canons that existed before the 20th century. Thus, this architecture, first of all, is antihistorical and fantasy - it either lacks clear symmetry, or, on the contrary, has hypertrophied symmetry, and instead of the usual decorations in the form of columns, windows and bas-reliefs - there are nothing like shapes, bold lines and maximum dynamics. The main materials are glass, metal and plain concrete - the form prevails over the content.
Examples from world architecture
Despite the fact that architectural futurism originated at the beginning of the twentieth century, it did not come to real construction right away - at the peak of popularity was the Art Deco style, which did not give up its positions until the outbreak of World War II. The most famous futuristic buildings were built in the period of the 50-70s, their construction was associated with the beginning of the era of fascination with space and extraterrestrial civilizations. These include, for example, the Jack Langston Library in California (year of construction - 1965), Thematic Building in Los Angeles (1961), the Geysel Library in San Diego (1970). Below is a photo of futurism in the architecture of the above buildings.
In the early 70s, futuristic buildings went beyond the United States and began to appear in different parts of the world - these include the Cathedral in Brasilia, the Ferro House in Zurich and the Opera House in Sydney.
Origin in the USSR
The futuristic trend in all branches of art reached its maximum popularity in the pre-revolutionary period of Russia, and then in the 20s and early 30s. Futurism seemed necessary in building a new state - people who welcomed the revolution wanted to destroy all foundations, sweep away the old traditions and start life from a new sheet. The Soviet Union could well become the owner of the very first futuristic buildings in the world, but, alas, Stalin who came to power liked other architectural styles, which later received the half-joking name of "Stalin's Rococo". And after the war, when it became clear that the main founder of futurism, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, was a supporter of Italian fascism, the direction was severely prohibited.
Examples in domestic architecture
The first buildings using futurism in the architecture of the USSR were built after the 60s, as in the USA, on the wave of delight from space flights. And although the Soviet Union was not the first in the construction of buildings of the future, very soon it became the richest in such architecture - almost all libraries, houses of culture, theaters and cinemas, airports and stadiums from the 60s to 80s were built in a futuristic style. The most striking examples of Soviet futurism in architecture are the building of the famous Moscow Art Theater in Moscow, built in 1973, the Druzhba building of the Kurpaty Yalta sanatorium, built in 1984, and the building that housed the Ministry of Roads of the Georgian SSR, established in 1975.
Famous Futurist Architects
One of the most productive futurist architects is Brazilian Oscar Niemeyer - a contemporary of the origin of style in the 20s and one of his main populists in the 60s. He owns the authorship of the aforementioned Cathedral in Brasilia, as well as Copan, a futuristic apartment building in Sao Paulo (1951), the Palace of the National Congress and the Palace of Government in Brasilia (both 1960), the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro ( 1996).
Another famous futurist is Dane Jorn Watson, author of the Sydney Opera House project . In addition to this world-famous building, Watson created the Water Tower in Svanek (1952) and the National Assembly in Kuwait (1982).
Moshe Safdi, a Canadian and American architect of Israeli descent, designed over fifty different futuristic buildings. His fantasies belong to the famous housing complex in Montreal Habitat 67 (1967), which became the basis for many similar buildings in different countries, the futuristic building of the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal (1991) and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore (2010).
Futurist architects in the USSR
First of all, domestic architects committed to futurism in architecture include Mikhail Posokhin, the author of the projects of the Kremlin Palace of Congresses (1961), the buildings of Northern Chertanov (1975) and the Olimpiysky Sports Complex (1977).
Other famous Soviet architects - Dmitry Burdin and Leonid Batalov - co-authored the creation of the world-famous Ostankino TV Tower (1967) and Moscow Airport Terminal (1964). In addition, Dmitry Burdin was the architect of the futuristic hotel complex Izmailovo (1980).
Modern Futurism in Architecture
With the modern growth and rapid development of states such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, China, Azerbaijan, the futuristic style has revived again, this time declaring entire cities. A striking example is the whole complex of buildings in the center of Riyadh - the capital of Saudi Arabia.
The Burj al-Arab Hotel (literally translated as "the Arab Tower"), built in the UAE capital of Dubai in 1999, also belongs to futurism in architecture. In addition, in Dubai, in the very center, there is a unique Wave Tower and a series of futuristic skyscrapers.
In 2007, the "Manifesto of the Neo-Futuristic State" was published, which gave impetus to the revival of this style. The speed and richness of life in the above countries turns them into real "cities of the future" with respect to the vast majority of the architectural traditions of the so-called "Old World", in front of the ultra-modern world, committed to futurism in architecture, like half a century ago.