Thesis Draft_2

TECH[NO]TOPIA: FOSTERING A NEW UTOPIAN RHETORIC FOR CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

by

Erin Hicks

A thesis submitted to the faculty of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

in partial fulfillment of the requirementsfor the degree of Master of Architecture

Charlotte

2013

Approved by:

______________________________ Professor Charles Davis, Ph.D. ______________________________ Professor Peter Wong ______________________________ Betsy West ______________________________ David Walters

©2013Erin Hicks

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ABSTRACT

ERIN HICKS. TECH[NO]TOPIA: FOSTERING A NEW UTOPIAN RHETORIC FOR CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

(Under the direction of CHARLES DAVIS, Ph.D., PETER WONG, and BETSY WEST)

The association between architecture and the Utopian discourse has been viewed

through many lenses throughout architectural theory. Though many have written about

specific Utopian communities, very few have investigated the Utopian intent and its

correspondence to contemporary society. Though often defined as a perfect oasis, Utopia,

derives from the Greek translation meaning “no place”, which begins the question, is

Utopia in fact attainable, or has this previous Utopian model disintegrated into dystopia,

or bad place?

The objective of this discourse is to begin defining a new Utopian rhetoric that

is applicable to contemporary society. This thesis has rooted itself in the belief that

technology is what defines todays society, creating a Tech[no]topia. Much like the

“workers paradise” model predominate during the Industrial Revolution, there was an

emphasis on the machine and production. This machine not only rooted itself within the

site, but in the lifestyle of the workers. In today’s society, technology has manifested

itself within all realms of our lifestyle. We are immersed in a world where the cloud is

an invisible fragment of complete connectivity. As society [we] are always connected to

technology and information and without relief [we] have now begun merging the physical

realm with the virtual realm. This experiment will intervene into a once Utopian model

during the Industrial Revolution, in Cliffside, North Carolina. Through the Tech[no]topia

rhetoric, this research will begin to challenge a new vitality for Cliffside Mills.

ii

DEDICATION

This thesis would not have been possible without the help and support of the loving

people around me. To that, I would like to thank my family, who have been a constant

support in my education, and have continued to push me and encourage me every step of

the way.

I would also like to thank my studio mates who have endured this journey with me.

Through all the sleepless nights, the tears, the struggles, the pep talks and the success we

have truly achieved greatness together.

iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my committee chair, Betsy West,

who has provided me great insight into many sources of information. She continually and

convincingly conveyed a spirit of adventure, curiosity and excitement when discussing

the world of Utopian discoveries. Without her guidance and persistent support, this

dissertation would not have been possible.

I would also like to thank Charles Davis, Ph.D. and Peter Wong, who have given me

great support throughout this process. Through their guidance, both have fostered my

knowledge of the Utopian discourse and challenged me to find my voice.

v

6 | Thesis

Discourse | 7

CONTENTS

09 Discourse Narrative

13 Literature Review Narrative

17 Literature Map

26 Case Study Analyses

45 Project Description

?? Bibliography

?? Appendices

Gasometer The Tanks3027

page 35

TECH [NO] TOPIA

Contributing DesignErin Hicks

Contributing Information for GasometersGasometers

Contributing Information for the Tanks at Tate ModernHerzog de Meuron

Contributing Information for Instant CityArchigram, Peter Cook,

Contributing Information for The Walking CityArchigram

Contributing Information for A City: Sector 1576NLebbeus Woods

8 | Thesis

Discourse | 9

his dissertation will not pretend to be a

comprehensive history of the Industrial

Revolution nor will it be a complete chronicle

for Modernism and/or Postmodernism. Instead,

it will begin to critically examine the Utopian

intentions of each movement, to gain a different

understanding for the Post-Industrial ruins that

are left disseminated throughout the urban

fabric. In continuation, this thesis will begin to

create a critique of scholarly debates concerning

the nature and structure for social reform in

modern Utopian architecture; primarily during

the modernist period; and will reflect on how

this research can pertain to contemporary

architecture. From the research collected, this

thesis will begin to define a new Utopian rhetoric

for contemporary society, building from the

information of previous utopias. This theory

will work with a comprehensive definition that

utopianism is a response to the machine, that once

fostered the workers paradise. By creating and

overlapping information about the critical and

transformative nature of utopianism, it can then

be determined if in fact this notion of Utopianism

remains applicable to the needs of contemporary

architecture. Much like the work of Paolo Portoghesi

and Leon Krier, among many others, this thesis

research will propose an architecture that returns

to its roots in practical needs. This architecture will

strive to re-mediate the decomposing urban fabric

that has suffered due to Industrialization and will

seek to revive a sense of community and growth

by re-investigating the modernists ideals of Utopia

and applying those same ideas into contemporary

design.

The Modern Period

It is evident that modernism became

a dominant influence in the early 20th Century

and has continued to inspire the generations

that would proceed. This movement, unlike some

seen in the past, wasn’t merely an opposition to

aesthetics, but instead was a new social agenda for

a new social reform, and would become a reaction

T

Discourse Narrative

10 | Thesis

to the Industrial city. For example, R.M. Hartwell,

a historian of the British Industrial Revolution,

caused great controversy in his article ‘History and

Ideology’. Through his perspective of the Industrial

Revolution and the economic growth, he believed

that the myth of “immiseration” was the “one

supreme myth which more than any other has

served to discredit the economic system to which

we owe our present day civilization”.1 Though

written in 1974, the content of this article remains

relevant today as it acknowledges that the ills of

modern society are attributed to Industrialization.

The Industrial Revolution, though

promoting prosperity and economic growth,

actually showed slow economic growth and

extreme poverty, due to severe living and working

conditions. However, much like the Industrial

Revolution, it too, would fail to bring industrial

mass-production into a universal language.

Though there are many figures in this

discourse that have remained skeptical of the

modernist movement, it would be appropriate

to examine the intentions which those architects

proposed. In Ziyi Feng and Li Jin Xing’s article, ‘A

Contemporary Interpretation of Marx’s Thoughts

on Modernity’, modernism manifested itself in

all aspects of social life proclaiming that it could

solve all problems concerning economy, politics,

culture, society and many other factors.2 It was 1. Hartwell, R.M.. "History and Ideology." Modern Age: A Quar-terly Review 8, no. No. 4 (1974): pp. 383.2. Feng, Ziyi, and Lijun Xing. "A Contemporary Interpretation of Marx's Thoughts on Modernity." Frontiers of Philosophy in China 1, no. No.2 (2006): pp. 255. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30209968 (accessed September 9, 2012).Hornstein, Shelley. Losing site: architecture, memory and place. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate, 2011.

at this time that social activism was becoming a

patron-less class and the philanthropist had been

long removed. It was assumed “that the classless

society was at hand, and that no challenging,

utopian inspiring classes would again appear, the

new “matter of factness seemed threatening... the

future society would be run by an intellectual elite

trained in the sociology of knowledge, capable of

both transforming and controlling history in the

interests of freedom, democracy and rationality.”3

It is here that an attempt to promote a patron saint

was formed by the creation of the CIAM (Congres

Internationaux d’Architecture Moderne) which

was founded in 1928. CIAM was considered to be an

avant-garde association, including architects such

as Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier and many other

well now “elitist” architects, which had intended

to serve the interest of society by progressing

modernism and industrialism of architecture

forward. Their role would then be defined as

Socialist, which emphasized their dedication to

this new radical social reform. The only problem,

as mentioned before, these architects were in

fact an Elitist group, therefore, they would never

have to suffer the conditions which the general

population would. Therefore, this disconnect

would leave them unable to satisfy the social

needs for the larger audience.

Charles Jencks said, “modernism failed

as mass housing and city building partly because

to communicate with its inhabitants,” therefore, it

did not make an effective link with the city and/or 3. Shklar, Judith . "The Political Theory of Utopia: From Melan-choly to Nostalgia." The MIT Press Vol. 94.No. 2 (1965): pp. 368.

Discourse | 11

history.”4 This could provide great insight to thesis

by deciphering the key components of what the

CIAM and the like were trying to achieve. Another

architectural theorist and historian that shared

similar views as Charles Jencks was Christian

Norberg Schulz. Though slightly more poetic,

Schulz’s theory would suggest that “modern

man becomes “worldless” and thus loses his own

identity, as well as the sense of community and

participation” therefore if this existence becomes

meaningless, mankind becomes homeless.”5 As

expressed by these authors, Modernism failed in

many ways. It did not create better living situations

or communities, it didn’t provide economic

growth and instead it had left many communities

that were reliant upon Industrialism abandoned.

Postmodern Critiques

The movement which would soon follow

Modernism was termed Postmodernism. As

Modernism rejected history in search of the new

spirit, Postmodernism returned to history in hopes

of restoring a historical dimension. As Manfred

Tafuri would say, “build the city on top of the city”

and therefore do not erase the physical history

which creates a richness.6 Some would critique

Postmodernism in that it failed to separate its ideals

from Modernism. This argument may very well be

true as Postmodernism served to remediate the

4. Jencks, Charles. pp. 375. Schulz, Christian. Architecture: meaning and place : select-ed essays. New York, N.Y.: Rizzoli International Publications, 1988. pp. 11.6. Manfred Tafuri, “Toward a Critique of Architectural Ideol-ogy.” in Architecture Theory Since 1968, ed. K. Michael Hays (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998), pp. 7-11.

social failures caused by modern architecture. As

For Tom Wolfe, he saw postmodernism as a failure

to break completely from Modernism. That as a

society, (we) are still seeking the same initial goals

as Modernist and as he says, “Postmodernism is

defined as a period of slackening, a period where

everything is de-legitimized”.7 Other theorist such

as Jean Francois Lyotard, Leon Krier, and Clement

Greenberg all contributed to the dialogue of

Postmodernism. For Jean Francois Lyotard

postmodernism created a liberation of humanity,

striving for progression and an increased amount

of power. And lastly Leon Krier, who believed that

each movement could influence each other by

gaining a more positive outcome. Kriers critique

of current urban planning and architecture, are

rather nostalgic, however, he begins to shed light

on how the “destroyed fabric of the historic city

could be repaired and a traditional set of well-

scaled spaces could be added to these cores.”8 In

this case, how can the intentions of modernity be

salvaged in contemporary architecture?

It is here that it is important to understand

what may have caused the rise for this utopian

ideology. “Socialism, reformism, feudalism,

anarchism, communism, the list of -isms can

develop at great lengths, but all are contributing

factors to the political radicalism associated with

Modernism in the 1920s and 1930s” and continued

through Post-modernism. 9

7. Jencks, Charles. The New Paradigm in Architecture: The Language of Post-modern Architecture. [7th ed. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002. pp. 51.8. Jencks, Charles. pp. 319. Bowm<http:/an, James. "The New Atlantis » Heroism,

12 | Thesis

The Politics of Utopianism

The notion of Utopia most certainly

predates modernism, however it is in the modernist

era that Utopia thrives. This is not to suggest that

“Utopianism” has been nor will ever be achieved.

Instead this is to propose a contemporary revival

of the modernist utopian ideals and how to apply

those ideals to contemporary society. There are

several ironies which surround the word Utopia.

Whether it be the fact that Thomas More, who

coined the term, was tried for treason and

beheaded or the ambivalence of its definition

meaning both no place and good place, or the fact

that Utopia suggested a social freedom however

still created parameters that shaped social factors.

It would be safe to assume that these experiments

with Utopianism, was in fact a critique or a response

to Modernism, in hopes to address the issues that

were initially created due to the social unrest in

society. Utopianism has often been related to

totalitarianism, which is not the intentions for

this thesis. Instead, it will be beneficial to begin

to understand that the impulses of modern

utopianism created a foundation for remediating

social issues. There is much to learn from these

early attempts of utopianism, as it wasn’t merely

the desire for spatial change, but related to the

economic and political conditions involved during

this time period.

Modernism, and the Utopian Impulse." The New Atlantis - A Journal of Technology & Society.Web. 23 September 2012. /www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/heroism-modern-ism-and-the-utopian-impulse>.

Timothy Benson, author of Expressionist

Utopias, said ““Utopia functioned within

Modernism as a continuous, constructive means

of self-critical renewal, an enactment of the

central tenet of the avant-garde: where creative

artistic endeavors can embody hope and prepare

the way for better conditions for humanity.”10 The

key word in that sentence was “hope”. It is not

unfathomable why a society would ambitiously

seek out for Utopia, when mankind was suffering

from nearly a millennium of destruction. In the

events of the Industrial Revolution, World War I,

the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War,

all created a social unrest and chaos. Utopianism

was an attempt to create the Ideal City. It may

be important to reiterate that this thesis is not

suggesting a return to the Island of Utopia, by

Thomas More, nor to the Contemporary City for

3 Million Inhabitants by Le Corbusier, instead it is

looking at the Utopian intentions and how these

ideas may revive a sense of community in the

contemporary industry.

An example of a failing Utopian ideal

would be the project, A Contemporary City for 3

Million Inhabitants, by Le Corbusier. Corbusier

proposed that this Utopian city will erect from a

flat site without a sense of context and scale, thus

if something is on the site he wished to acquire,

it would be demolished. The city would be

composed of two superhighways where all means

of transportation would intersect to the heart of

the city, all secondary roads would be on a street

10. Bowman, James.

Discourse | 13

grid. The center of the city would not be affiliated

with religion nor a feudal system, as a means of

rejecting history, instead, Corbusier proposed a

series of twenty four sixty-story skyscrapers that

would provide approximately 500,000 to 800,000

workers a place to gather and socially interact

around cultural amenities. Another failure for this

utopian idea was his return to an elitist mentality.

Corbusier in fact created a social hierarchy as he

proposed “intellectuals of the bureaucratic and

hierarchical new world” would indulge in living

in these luxurious high rise apartments, while

those of a smaller fortune would be shipped out

to satellite towns on the outskirts of the city.11

A key figure to look to would be architects

such Frank Lloyd Wright, who believed that “the

industrial city was the symbol of exploitation of

humankind. There, everyone, rich and poor, was

robbed of his true nature which could only be

satisfied in a harmonious relationship with the

countryside.”12 Wright was very much interest in

the well being and health of these occupants. His

beliefs were similar to those of marxism which

meant that he believed man can only achieve

self-fulfillment provided that he belonged to a

corporation a social community where he had a

definite social role and social circumstances. He

would suggest that each citizen would acquire an

acre of land, which they could build their home,

reaping the benefits of the industrial progress. In

11. Eaton, Ruth. Ideal Cities: Utopianism and the (Un)Built Environment. New York, N.Y.: Thames & Hudson, 2002. p. 201.12Eaton, Ruth. p. 209.

return, these citizens would work in an industry

that would stimulate their minds while learning

new traits and becoming a successful steward of

society. These places of work and industrialization

would be removed from the living community,

suggesting that life and work should remain

separate. Unlike traditional cities, Wright proposed

that there would be no urban centre to relinquish

an notion of social hierarchy therefore there

would be no feudal system, and the power would

remain equal among its residents. In place of these

churches or a palace, which used to be the heart of

a traditional city there would be a community and

cultural center where people were encouraged to

interact with one another, promoting a sense of

peace and harmony.

Though the idea of Utopia seems almost

biblical or fantastical, in its search for Eden on

Earth, there are many critiques that reject the

idea of Utopianism. Authors such as Colin Rowe

would define modern utopianism to be “a naive

and tragic aspiration on the part of modern

architecture.” 13 Colin Rowe, not only seemed

antagonistic towards the idea of Utopianism but

he also rejected Modernism. Spoken as a true

historian, Rowe made it clear in his readings that

he felt modernism failed, and their intentions

were destructive on the historical fabric. Another

skeptical visions about utopianism is the article,

Political Theory of Utopia by Judith Shklar. Shkar,

provides a brief review of classical utopia and

13 Ockman, Joan . "Form without Utopia: Contextu-alizing Colin Rowe." Journal of the Society Of Architectural Historians Vol. 57 No. .4 (1998): pp. 449.

14 | Thesis

begins to question, why, in today’s society are

there no attempts in creating a Utopia. Though

she remains skeptical, Shkar provides literary

works that showed little “activism” or hope for

that matter, as to the effects of Utopian Ideals,

which becomes evident in projects such as A

Contemporary City for 3 Million Inhabitants.

Research Possibilities

In Kevin Hetherington’s book, The

Badlands of Modernity: Heterotopia and Social

Ordering, he says “Many people were being

forced from the land and from their villages and

forced to become vagrant and migrants, known

in the discourse of the time as ‘masterless men’...

Old patterns of rights and duties as well as one’s

place in an established social hierarchy were no

longer certain.” 14 This quotes speaks loudly to the

objective of this thesis as it will strive to remediate

a sense of community in towns where modernism

and utopianism failed. As Henry-Russell Hitchcock

said, “our own generation has largely failed to cope

critically with the mass of buildings produced in

the booming period of our youth”# These buildings

which Hitchcock speaks of are the buildings that

would follow the Industrial Revolution. These

buildings seem to be perfunctory, as it is built

with little consideration and no reflection to what

would become of them when the industry moves

out. The question then becomes, what will happen

14 Hetherington, Kevin. The Badlands of Modernity Heterotopia and Social Ordering. London: Routledge, 1997. pp. 58

with these structures that have fallen silent in

the backdrop of this contemporary world? What

if these sites could once again prosper, based

on the research of utopian principles in modern

architecture? The concern that now rises of course

is the questions regarding Utopianism? In order to

be true to Utopianism, can existing forms from the

Post-Industrial age be remediated to create a new

purpose or is this an inverse of Utopianism as it

begins to create a fine line to becoming nostalgic?

There are those like Tafuri and Colin Rowe who

appreciate history and feel that building with

consideration to the existing conditions allows

for history to continue unscathed. Then there

are architects such as Corbusier, the epitome of

modernism, who rejects history.

Utopianism, modernism and post-

modernism has very much in common, they were

sought to be a machine for living. Therefore, these

buildings were in fact a machine for production,

that production created jobs for those operating

the machine, and that job produced a means

of living. Again, this goes back to the original

question asked moments before, what becomes

of these structures? A frequent method of dealing

with the failures of Modernism in the past have

been much like the Pruitt-Igoe Housing complex

in Saint Louis, Missouri, which was imploded after

becoming nuisance to society. Industries which

once thrived are being forced to close their doors

due to the economy, resembling that of the Great

Depression. Those who relied on that industry for

a source of income are being forced out of their

Discourse | 15

homes to leave their community, and the results

are these corpses throughout the urban fabric,

which become sites of vandalism, danger and

abandonment. While engaging on a psychological

level, architecture creates a built memory, a piece

of history that represents the thoughts, values

and beliefs which formed it. By demolishing these

buildings, it would be a cultural lobotomy.

As stated several times throughout this

dissertation, it will provide a critical examination

of the Utopian intentions throughout Modernism,

Post-Modernism and Contemporary architecture.

By doing this it will allow a different understanding

for the Post-Industrial ruins that remain prominent

to the city fabric.

After conducting this research, it will

allow for critique of scholarly debates concerning

the nature and structure for modern Utopian

architecture; during each time period; and

will reflect on how this research can pertain to

contemporary architecture.

16 | Thesis

rejection of history

ideologyhistory & memory

History

Memory

Ideal Cities: Utopianism and the (Un)Built Environment

Ruth Eaton

The Necessity For RuinsJ.B. Jackson

A Sense of Place, A Sense of TimeJ.B. Jackson

Beyond the Ruins: The Meanings of De-

IndustrializationJefferson Cowie

Joseph HeathcottBarry Bluestone

Corporate Wasteland: The Landscape and Memory of

DeindustrializationSteven High and David W. Lewis

The De Industrialization of America: Plant Closings,

Community Abandonment, and the Dismantling of Basic

IndustryBarry Bluestone

Losing SiteArchitecture, Memory and

PlaceRuth Eaton

The Power of Pro Bono

John CaryExpanding Architecture Design As Architecture

John Cary

Design Like You Give A DamnKate Stohr

Memory and ArchitectureEleni Bastea

Good Deeds, Good Design: Community Service Through

ArchitectureBryan Bell

The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City

Alan Ehrenhalt

Architecture: Meaning and Place

Christian Norberg-Schulz

Studio at Large: Architecture in Service of Global

Communities Sergio Palleroni

The Death and Life of Great American Cities

Jane Jacobs

ModernismRichard Weston

Ruins of ModernityJulia Hell & Andres Schonle

CIAM Discourse in UrbanismEric Mumford

Utopian AdventureVictoria Watson

Rural StudioSamuel Mockbee

The City of Collective MemoryM. Christine Boyer

Architectural Ruins

From a Cause to a StyleNathan Glazer

Erin Hicks | Modernism Again: Re-mediating the Good Intentions and Promises of Modernism | October 1, 2012

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De-Industrialization

Utopianism

The New Urbanism Movement

Post Critical Age

Neo-Utopianism???

Humanitarian Architecture

Ethics for ArchitectsThomas Fischer

Architecture: Meaning and Place

Christian Norberg-Schulz

“In general, man no longer forms part of a meaningful totality, and becomes a stranger to the world and himself.”

“human life was intimately related to things and places. In spite of hardship and social injustice, man generally had a sense of belonging and identity.” (11)

Modernism breeds a pessimistic generation - a generation where irony and protest substitute enthusiasm and engagement

In general, the loss of things and places makes up a loss of “world”. Modern man becomes “world-less” and thus loses his own identity, as well as the sense of community and participation. Existence is experienced as meaningless, and man becomes homeless.

“The point of departure for any discussion of deindustrialization must be respect for the despair and betrayal felt by workers in their factories, were padlocked, abandoned turned into artsy shopping spaces, or dynamited. Metaphors of defeat and subjection are more appropriate for the workers who banked on good paying industrial jobs for their livelihood and for the community”

“Thus modern Western history was established on an act of repression and separation; repressing archaic spectacles and mythical appearances and separating the time frame of the present from that of the past.” (21)

The City of Collective Memory

M. Christine Boyer

“reconstructed historical environments often betrays a respect for our past.”

“Contemporary American celebration suggests that the past is a remote, ill-defined period or environment when a kind of golden age prevailed, when society had an innocence and a simplicity that we have since lost; a period usually referred to as The Old Days, a time without significant events and a landscape without monuments”

Celebrating the past and seeking to make it part of daily life.

“But there has to be that interval of neglect, there has to be discontinuity; it is religiously and artistically essential.” “there must be rejection or death before there can be renewal and reform.

The Necessity for RuinsJ.B. Jackson

Modernity: emerged in the mid-nineteenth century, a transitional period of social unrest, armed revolutions and rapid industrialization and urbanization, all occurring as logical outcomes of Enlightenment Ideals.

CIAM Discourse in Urbanism

Eric Mumford

Beyond the Ruins: The Meanings of De-

IndustrializationJefferson Cowie

The DeIndustrialization of America

Barry Bluestone

Corporate Wasteland:Steven High and David W.

LewisDe-

Indu

stri

aliz

atio

n

Ideal Cities: Utopianism and the (Un)Built Environment

Ruth Eaton

The Death and Life of Great American Cities

Jane Jacobs

Ruins of ModernityJulia Hell & Andres Schonle

Expanding Architecture Design As Architecture

John Cary

From A Cause to a StyleNathan Glazer

“Images of ruins may represent the raw realities created by bombs, natural disasters, or factory closings, but the way we see and understand ruins is not raw or unmediated. Rather, looking at ruins, writing about them, and representing them are acts framed by a long tradition. This unique interdisciplinary collection traces discourses about and representations of ruins from a richly contextualized perspective. “

Modernism in architecture and urban design has failed the American city. This is the decisive conclusion that renowned public intellectual Nathan Glazer has drawn from two decades of writing and thinking about what this architectural movement will bequeath to future generations. In From a Cause to a Style, he proclaims his disappointment with modernism and its impact on the American city.

not just a radical revolution in style but a social ambition to enhance the conditions under which ordinary people lived, has fallen short on all counts

“Utopias are presented with varying degrees of explicitness. Their ambition is the greatest collective happiness and harmony achieved through efficient social restructuring and scientific progress. They are mostly urban and suggests humankind rational domination of the chaotic forces of nature. Economic and Social Order

“Changes in education and practice will follow these changes in demand and expectations. Currently architectural education mostly prepares student to meet the building needs of relatively wealthy individuals even though most of the growth in population and most of the need for architectural services exists among billions of impoverished people across the planet”

“Design can play a direct role in addressing critical social issues that we face. The process of creating the built environment can allow communities and individuals to improve and celebrate their lives. It can help solve their struggles by reshaping their existence. “(14)

The modernist planners used deductive reasoning to find principles by which to plan cities. Among these the most violent was urban renewal; the most prevalent was and is the separation of uses (i.e., residential, industrial, commercial). These policies, destroy communities and innovative economies by creating isolated, unnatural urban spaces.

Economic and political tool to improve the world through design

PlaceIdentity

Injustice

PlaceIdentity

Justice

Discourse | 17

Literature Review

his thesis will begin to examine the intentions

of each movement, to gain understanding

for the Post-Industrial ruins that are left

disseminated throughout the urban fabric. Much

like Paolo Portoghesi and Leon Krier, this thesis is

suggesting that architecture returns to its roots

in practical needs, therefore striving to remediate

the decomposing urban fabric that has suffered

from Industrialization and to revive a social

sense of community and growth. By observing

such writings it would allow for a critique of

each movement, giving validity to why or why

not the utopian rhetoric would be applicable

to contemporary society. This review will begin

by examining the history and ideology of the

Industrial Revolution to the history and intentions

of modernism followed by the movements which

seeked to undo the misfortunes of modernism

and to create a Utopian society.

In the article ‘History and Ideology’,

Ronald Max Hartwell provides an honest and yet

disgruntled account of the Industrial Revolution.

As a historian of the British Industrial Revolution,

he believed that it is “important to expose the

ideological content of historical controversy”.

(Hartwell, 380) R.M. Hartwell caused great

controversy through his perspective of the

Industrial Revolution and the economic growth,

as he believed that the myth of “immiseration”

was the “one supreme myth which more than any

other has served to discredit the economic system

to which we owe our present day civilization”.

(Hartwell, 380) Though written in 1974, the

content of this article remains relevant today as

it acknowledges that the ills of modern society

are attributed to Industrialization. The Industrial

Revolution, though promoting prosperity and

economic growth, actually showed slow economic

growth and extreme poverty, due to severe living

and working conditions. As Modernism emerged

in the mid-nineteenth century, as a reaction to

the Industrial Revolution, it too, created “social

unrest, rapid industrialization and urbanization”.

(Habermas) Hartwell allows a sense of skepticism

T

18 | Thesis

to both the Industrial Revolution and Modernism

and by doing so, seems to suggest another

movement that will endeavor a “fix”, for lack of a

better word.

In Ziyi Feng and Lijun Xing’s article, ‘A

Contemporary Interpretation of Marx’s Thoughts

on Modernity’, modernism manifested itself in

all aspects of social life proclaiming that it could

solve all problems concerning economy, politics,

culture, society and many other factors.(Feng,

255) This text alludes to how modernism was to

be a revolution. Modernism was seeking to be

a new and radical reform to social issues of all

matters. Though naive to say, it would seem to

suggest that architecture was ameans of creating

an Utopia. That architecture could in fact be a

solution to how the make world a slightly better

place. However in this time it would seem that

social activism was becoming a patron-less class

and the philanthropist had been removed, which

feels accurate to say, when considering the figure

who were leading this movement. In an attempt

to promote a “patron” the CIAM was founded in

1928. Considered to be an avant-garde association;

architects such as Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier

and many other well now “elitist” architects,

had intended to serve the interest of society

by progressing modernism and industrialism

of architecture forward. The only problem, as

mentioned before, these architects were in fact

an Elitist group, therefore, they would never

have to suffer the conditions which the general

population would. So one may be skeptical to

the great cause they were seeking, however, I do

realize that this may seem to be a rather cynical

approach to their discourse on urbanism, and with

that said, this source will require more attention to

dissect the many changes executed during their

48 year term. It would be clear that the idea is

there, but the rigor and execution would deem

less than mediocre.

As Modernism is often considered the

“architecture of good intentions”; these intentions

much like those of the Industrial Revolution

would be considered a failure. As Charles Jencks

said, “modernism failed as mass housing and city

building partly because it failed to communicate

with its inhabitants,” therefore, it did not make an

effective link with the city and/or history. (Jencks,

37) This source could provide great insight as

this thesis progresses, in that it will remain at the

forefront of the intentions proposed. Research

will show how the community is affected by such

environments and what could make them thrive

once again. Another architectural theorist and

historian that shared similar views as Charles

Jencks was Christian Norberg Schulz. Though

slightly more poetic, Schulz’s theory would

suggest that “modern man becomes “worldless”

and thus loses own identity, as well as the sense

of community and participation” therefore if

this existence becomes meaningless, mankind

becomes homeless.( Schulz, 11) As expressed

by these authors, Modernism failed in many

ways. It did not create better living situations or

communities, it didn’t provide economic growth

Discourse | 19

and instead it has left many communities that

were reliant upon Industrialism abandoned.

Though these sources provide the skepticism of

Modernism and its successes, it would important

to find a source that would counteract such

claims, without being presented as a textbook of

facts. Instead it would be helpful to find a source

from someone not of the elitist group who felt

that modernism was in fact creating a solution for

society.

The movement which would follow

Modernism was termed Postmodernism. As

Modernism rejected history in search of the new

spirit, Postmodernism returned to history in

hopes of restoring a historical dimension as well

as creating an awareness to those who would

be affected, but adding a new twist. (Hutcheon,

185) Though some would say that Postmodernism

failed to separate from Modernism; which may

very well be true, Postmodernism served to

remediate the social failures caused by modern

architecture. Theorist such as Jean Francois

Lyotard, Leon Krier, Clement Greenberg and Tom

Wolfe began defining what postmodernism was

and what it should become. For Jean Francois

Lyotard postmodernism is defined as “a grand

narrative such as liberation of humanity, progress,

increased power and so forth.” For Tom Wolfe,

he saw postmodernism as a failure to break

completely from Modernism. That as a society,

(we) are still seeking the same initial goals as

Modernism and as he says “Postmodernism is

defined as a period of slackening, a period where

everything is de-legitimized.” (Jencks, 51) Which

begs for more understanding to decipher whether

Wolfe believes that Postmodernism is slacking

because of lack of creativity and drive, or whether

it is because we aren’t striving for new goals in

architecture and (we) are recreating another

failing system? And lastly Leon Krier, believed that

each movement could influence each other by

gaining a more positive outcome. Kriers critique

of current urban planning and architecture, are

rather nostalgic, however, he begins to shed light

on how the “destroyed fabric of the historic city

could be repaired and how a traditional set of

well-scaled spaces could be added to these cores.”

(Jencks, 38)

As, Henry-Russell Hitchcock said, “our

own generation has largely failed to cope critically

with the mass of buildings produced in the

booming period of our youth.” (Hitchcock, 31) This

quote situates this thesis to accept the failings of

modernism as well as to continue being critical

of these “mass of buildings” and how to use these

structures once more. This quote also seems

to suggest that these once prospering places

of manufacturing, are now becoming corpses

throughout the urban fabric. This thesis is to help

better understand how the contemporary society

of today can help remediate these industrial ruins

that remain mystifying throughout the urban

fabric. The question then becomes, what will

happen with these structures that have fallen

silent in the backdrop of this contemporary world?

A frequent method of dealing with the failures of

20 | Thesis

Modernism, one might envision the implosion of

Pruitt Igoe, in St. Louis, where such social problems

and devastation became a spectacle seen by

everyone. These remnants remain a testament

of time; a past that once seemed promising, a

present that has been crippled, and a future that

could create new life.

The last sources that will provide a great

amount of information is Ideal Cities: Utopianism

and the (Un)Built Environments by Ruth Eaton and

the The Architecture of Fantasy: Utopian Building

and Planning in Modern Times by Ulrich Conrad

and Hans G. Sperlich. In the Ideal Cities, Ruth Eaton

provides an extensive narrative of the Western

societies attempts to create a Utopia and a perfect

city. Her research travels from the founding

father of Utopia, Thomas More to key players

such as Archizoom and Superstudio, who did not

humor the utopian methodology. This source

provides a lot of information that is present in an

unbiased collection of work much like a textbook

of information. The only thing that is missing is

an opinionated source. With more observation,

it will unravel the opinions of many writers from

the 14th Century to current day. In the book by

Ulrich Conrad and Hans G. Sperlich, it may easier

to criticize the usefulness of this text because it

was written in 1962, and it isn’t the “utopia today”,

however it does remain relevant, in its knowledge

of Utopian environments. This book provides an

interesting assortment of projects that allude

to the notion of Utopia. Projects that do not

necessarily scream UTOPIA has several feature

that are reminiscent to the idea at large. The most

useful information however will come from the

section called documents. In this section there are

written statements, letters and critical appraisals

of from many different fields all reflecting on

their ideas in the “Utopian Circular Letters” . These

writing consist of people such as Adolf Behne,

Walter Gropius, Bruno Taut, Kasimir Malevich and

many more.

This literature review was a chance to

tap into the many different components that

would lend itself to the idea of Utopia. It would

begin by looking at history and memory, and

how that spoke to Modernism who in fact tried to

dismiss history. Then it allowed the opportunity

to understand the components of Modernism

which was trying to remediate what history had

contributed, such as the Industrial Revolution.

Modernism sought to provide a solution for the

social issues that arose during Post Industrialism,

instead it made a contribution to the social unrest

that was spread through the world. Utopia isn’t a

new idea, however it was an idea that modernist

began to cling to when searching how to alleviate

the ills of modern society. It would seem that our

society is in quite the same predicament. Industries

continue to suffer in our economy, leaving peoples

living conditions below par at best, while others

are forced from their homes. Community lose faith

and hope as they turn from being a prosperous

area to resemble that of a slum and the identity is

lost forever. By conducting this literature review,

it allows substance behind endeavors that seek to

Discourse | 21

make contemporary society a more utopianistic

environment.

22 | Thesis

Discourse | 23

24 | Thesis

Reformalism

MarxismSocialism

ProgressivismMod

erni

sm

Post

Mod

erni

sm

The Three MagnetsEbenezer Howard1898

The Peaceful Path of Real ReformGarden Cities of TomorrowEbenezer Howard1898

Plan VoisonLe Corbusier1925

A Contemporary City for 3 MillionLe Corbusier1922 Broadacre City

Frank Lloyd Wright1932

Walking CityArchigram1964

Plug In CityArchigram1964

Instant CityArchigram1969

Exodus, The Voluntary PrisonersRem Koolhass1972

The Twelve Ideal CitiesSuperstudio1972

Continuous MonumentSuperstudio1969

No Stop CityAndrea BranziArchizoom1969

New BabylonConstant Nieuwenhuys1967

Une Cite IndustrielleTony Garnier1917

Constructions for a Modern MetropolisMario Chiattone1914

The New City Antonio Sant’Elia1914

Highrise CityLudwig Hilberseimer1924

Berlin Development ProjectLudwig Hilberseimer1928

Flying SettlementWenzel Hablik1907-1914

The Begum’s FortuneJules Verne1825-1902

News From NowhereJules VerneWilliam Morris1890

Pullman Company TownGeorge Pullman1890

Port SunlightAnonymous1905

The Inspectors HouseClaude-Nicholas Ledoux1804

PanopticonJeremy Bentham1787

Flying CitiesGeorgy Krutikov1928

PhalansteriesCharles Fourierearly 19th Century

Generic CityRem Koolhaas1994

2000 Ton CityTemporal Cochlea-CityNew York of BrainsSpaceship CItyCity of HemispheresBarnum Jar’s Magnificient and Fabulous CityContinous Production Conveyor Belt CityConical Terraced CityThe “Ville-Machine Habitee”City of OrderCity of the Spendid HouseCity of the Book

"..." TOPIA:

Fostering a NEW Utopian Rhetoric for Contemporary Society

Uto

pia

DYSto

pia

"...

”to

pia

Discourse | 25

Reformalism

MarxismSocialism

ProgressivismMod

erni

sm

Post

Mod

erni

sm

The Three MagnetsEbenezer Howard1898

The Peaceful Path of Real ReformGarden Cities of TomorrowEbenezer Howard1898

Plan VoisonLe Corbusier1925

A Contemporary City for 3 MillionLe Corbusier1922 Broadacre City

Frank Lloyd Wright1932

Walking CityArchigram1964

Plug In CityArchigram1964

Instant CityArchigram1969

Exodus, The Voluntary PrisonersRem Koolhass1972

The Twelve Ideal CitiesSuperstudio1972

Continuous MonumentSuperstudio1969

No Stop CityAndrea BranziArchizoom1969

New BabylonConstant Nieuwenhuys1967

Une Cite IndustrielleTony Garnier1917

Constructions for a Modern MetropolisMario Chiattone1914

The New City Antonio Sant’Elia1914

Highrise CityLudwig Hilberseimer1924

Berlin Development ProjectLudwig Hilberseimer1928

Flying SettlementWenzel Hablik1907-1914

The Begum’s FortuneJules Verne1825-1902

News From NowhereJules VerneWilliam Morris1890

Pullman Company TownGeorge Pullman1890

Port SunlightAnonymous1905

The Inspectors HouseClaude-Nicholas Ledoux1804

PanopticonJeremy Bentham1787

Flying CitiesGeorgy Krutikov1928

PhalansteriesCharles Fourierearly 19th Century

Generic CityRem Koolhaas1994

2000 Ton CityTemporal Cochlea-CityNew York of BrainsSpaceship CItyCity of HemispheresBarnum Jar’s Magnificient and Fabulous CityContinous Production Conveyor Belt CityConical Terraced CityThe “Ville-Machine Habitee”City of OrderCity of the Spendid HouseCity of the Book

"..." TOPIA:

Fostering a NEW Utopian Rhetoric

for Contemporary Society

Uto

pia

DYSto

pia

"...

”to

pia

Current Literature Visual Map

26 | Thesis

s t u d i e scaseGASOMETER | THE TANKS AT TATE | ARCHIGRAM | SUPERSTUDIO

The Tanks at Tate Herzog de Meuron

Instant City Archigram

GASOMETERVienna Austria

Walking City Archigram

A-City, Sector 1576N, Quad 2NR Lebbeus Woods

Discourse | 27

By Jean Nouvel, Coop Himmelb[l]ea, Manfred Wehdorn, Wilhelm Holzbauer

Gasworks SimmeringVienna, Austria

eter Kropotkin had written in 1912, “But

enough! I have before me so many figures,

all telling the same tale, that examples could be

multiplied at will. It is time to conclude, and, for

every unprejudiced mind, the conclusion is self-

evident. Industries of all kinds decentralize and

are scattered all over the globe; and everywhere

a variety, an integrated variety, of trade grows,

instead of specialization. (75)

The Gasometers of Vienna are located in

Simmering industrial zone. For nearly 90 years the

Gasometers of Vienna served as gas storage tanks

to supply gas to Vienna. After converting the cities

gas to natural gas between 1970 and 1978, it left

the gasometers rendered useless. Therefore the

gasometers closed their doors.

The Gasometers of Vienna, stands

a testament for the idea of Adaptive Reuse.

Instead of allowing this structure to decay in the

heart of Vienna, the city chose to preserve the

monument with a new multi-functional program.

Therefore opening its doors to the community

rather than becoming a monument to corporate

abandonment.

The significance of this case study is to

prove that though the industry has left the current

facility, that facility does not have to become

a relic left as a testament for its failure. What

happens to the community when the industry

leaves? Does the community become abandoned

as displaced workers are forced to leave? Is there

a new program that could be proposed to make

that context self sufficient? All questions which are

evoked from this case study.

P

Interior of Gasometer

Photo courtesy of http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/42-15405251/gasworks-simmering-in-vienna-austria?popup=1

28 | Thesis

In 1892, an international competition was held

for a new city gasworks in the city of Vienna.

An engineer by the name of Shimming won

the competition and four years later Theodor

Herrmann, a technical consultant for gas

engineering was hired to consult during the

production. Construction began October 27, 1896

and was completed July 17, 1899, later opening on

October 31, 1899. Standing as a testament to the

Industrial Revolution, the Gasometers remained in

service until 1986.

Each gasometer has a cylindrical plan and

constructed in brick. to read identically. The external

diameter is 64.9 meters (approximately 213 feet) and

has a foundation base of 1.7 meters (approximately

5.5 feet). The internal diameter that would house the

water tank is 62.9 meters (approximately 206 feet).

The dome shape roof spans 63.6 meters built using

an iron structure with a timber decking clad in zinc

sheets. 1

1. http://www.cse.polyu.edu.hk/~cecspoon/lwbt/Case_Studies/Gasometer_City/Gasometer_City.htm

aerial view Vienna Austria via google earth Gasworks, Simmering

Discourse | 29

In the image on the upper right displays the plan and section for the gasometers. As each tank creates

a means of housing, building B, designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au also offers a shopping mall within the

interior. In addition to the original tank, Himmelb(l)au created a structure that served much like a parasite

to the existing structure that houses program such as a concert hall, student hostels, and health facilities.

gasometer building a interior rendering Jean Nouvel

gasometer building c gasometer building d

Jean Nouvel's design for Gasometer

Building A including apartments

that lined the parameter of the

structure, and opened to an interior

courtyard. It was intended to be a

reflection of old verses new.

Manfred Wehdorn's design for

Gasometer Building C includes

apartments that lined the

parameter of the structure, and

opened to an interior courtyard.

The apartments inside have access

to green terraces that fill the space.

Wilhelm Holzbauer's design for

Gasometer Building D occupies

the center of the existing building

with lift and stairs, The interior

is composed of three compact

sections that are divided by

indoor gardens and penetrates the

perimeter of the existing building,

creating a connection to the

exterior.

Photos courtesy of http://www.wiener-gasometer.at

30 | Thesis

Discourse | 31

The Tanks

Herzog & de MeuronLondon England

© Tate Archive 2003

photos courtesy of http://www.tate.org.uk

he Tanks at Tate Modern was designed by

Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron and

stood as icon in the London Olympics of 2012.

Located on the south bank of the River Thames

this project was a part of the International Design

Competition which launched in 1994 and opened

in January of 2000. The Tanks at Tate Modern

is project that utilizes the redevelopment of

three industrial chambers which were rendered

"useless" since 1981's decommissioning of the

former Bankside Power Station's Oil Tanks. 1

The Bankside Power Station was

constructed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who also

designed Battersea Power Station and Liverpool

Cathedral. Familiar with these massive structures,

1. http://www.designboom.com/architecture/the-tanks-at-tate-modern-by-herzog-de-meuron/

T

32 | Thesisphotos courtesy of http://www.tate.org.uk

© Tate Archive 2003

Turbine Hall

Turbine Hall

the building is 660 feet long, constructed with steel frame and

brick cladding, which a chimney that stands at 325 feet high. Built

in phases, to continue expanding this sector created electricity

while the two other phases were constructed until 1952. The final

phase consisted of a building divided into three sections: the

main turbine hall, the switching room and the boiler room.

Each tank is approximately seven meters high with a diameter

of 30 meters. This brutalist form was built to hold the fuel that

would power turbines that create electricity for the majority of

the capital from 1952 until 1981. Constructed with massive thick

walls, these labyrinth like structures serves as a fort protecting

the community in the likelihood of an explosion. Needless to say

the architecture for this form was much like the architecture of

any industry, which function rather than form. Each raw like wall

was carefully constructed based on the practical applications for

the industry.

Tanks at Tate Modern Before and After

sung hwan kimthe tanks commission, 2012 installation view

© sung hwan kimphoto credit: tate photography

Discourse | 33

photos courtesy of http://www.tate.org.uk

Jacques Herzog, when commenting about the

aesthetics said that it would be easy to make

these structures in "romantic Piranesian ruins but

it would be a trap - it becomes kitsch." 2 Instead

each tank remained brutalist, in that the structure

remained simple with a single door, in hopes that

the scale would overwhelm the occupant. These

walls then become almost mute, as they fall to the

background while the art and performance spaces

demand the attention.

Much of this internal structure remained

intact and unscathed which only emphasizes its

2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/jul/01/tanks-tate-modern-review

charm. However, though many admire the new

addition, I wonder if that competes with nostalgic

structure that leeches itself to the more modern

structure, or possibly vice versa. Then again, is

the remaining of this building a look back; almost

nostalgic, to correct the failures of industry that

once stood?

34 | Thesis

Discourse | 35

Instant CityArchigram

etween 1961 and 1974 Archigram and its

theories were spreading throughout the

architecture world like wildfire. Nine issues of

Archigram magazine, three television programs,

many conferences, lectures, sketches made their

theories grow with excitement. In their work they

were constantly unveiling the a window into the

world of to tomorrow , in hypothetical situations

that embraced a futuristic image through collage.

Through their collages they were able to

give life and vitality to the surrounding building

that otherwise remained unnoticed by the

general public. Their ambitions were to adapt new

scenes of what the silent buildings could become

through radical changes. Archigrams did not only

look at these structures as permenant entities

but instead an object that could be customized

and manipulated. Architecture was not about

monumentality or to be preserved as musuems

but instead adapted to the users needs at that

given time.

Archigram’s approached can be summed

in their quote “ when you are looking for a solution

to what you have been told is an architectural

problem - remember, the solution may not be

a conventional building.” A building that is a

snapshot to what the world was investigate at

that given time which may not be acceptable for

the changing period. Thus a building would need

to adapt to constantly change in order to stay

relevant with the changing world. “Archigrams

output was excitement over what this new world

was going to look like.” 1

Archigram has similarities to the voices of

early modernism as both were trying to create a

1. Cook, Peter. "Boys at Heart." In Archigram. New York: Prince-ton Architectural Press, 1999. 2-3

B

36 | Thesis Photos courtesy of Archigram Archival Project

new spirit for architecture. As modernism sought

to reject history to find a new social agenda due

to current global situation, ie wars, depression,

etc. Archigram strived to find a new voice in an

age following such destructions where nothing

was being built. Both were searching a for a new

vitality to community and ultimately a better life.

In a statement Archigram said, “Cities

should generate, reflect and activate life; their

structure organized to precipitate life and

movement.” 2 In an age were technology is

constantly evolving making the last minutes

gadget nearly obsolete, Archigram was at the

forefront of technological progression in 1966. The

work of Archigram evokes ideas about technology

and its role in society. Their ideas towards

technology were before their time, as the were

2. Cook, Peter. "Editorial from Archigram 3." Archigram. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1999. 16.

Discourse | 37

Peter Cook David Greene MIke Webb Ron Herron Warren Chalk Dennis Crompton

Photos courtesy of Archigram Archival Project

Research Centre for Experimental Practice at the University of Westminster

seeking for technology to readily available to their clients, as well as being able to alter their environment

often. Therefore life would be a real virtuality as opposed to a virtual reality.

38 | Thesis

Discourse | 39

A Walking CityArchigram

s mentioned before Archigram was known more

for their evocative and provocative ideas of how

to revitalize a community through their optimistic

spirit. As most of their work was being produced

during a time social uphevel, such as the Vietnam War,

their work was an attempt to remove themselves from

the past. Therefore they could implement a new social

change to not only architecture but the surrounding

context. As technology was becoming more advanced

- these new machines of living could foster new

possibilities to how contemporary communities

networked themselves to sustain.

Photos courtesy of Archigram Archival Project

A Walking City was envisioned in 1968. With

NASA on the cusp of a moon landing near in sight it is

not difficult to see how technology was in fact a driving

force behind their work. So much of Archigrams work

suggests the temporary nature of their structures. Due

to technology rapidly advancing Archigrams projects

do not possess a permanent site but instead focuses

on the objects that are intending to be temporary. For

A

40 | Thesis Images courtesy of Archigram Archival Project

Research Centre for Experimental Practice at the University of Westminster

example in Walk City, the structure serves as a hub

on legs that allows one to be much like a nomad.

As Peter Blake says, "the structures are conceived

to plug into utilities and information networks

at different locations to support the needs and

desires of people who work and play, travel and

stay put, simultaneously." 1 With technology today,

it would seem plausible to say that this innovative

idea of network could in fact change views within

architecture.

1University of Westminter. "Archigram Archival Project." Archi-gram Archival Project. http://archigram.westminster.ac.uk (accessed December 9, 2012)

Discourse | 41Photos courtesy of Lebbeus Woods Website

http://lebbeuswoods.net/

A-City: Sector 1576NLebbeus Woods

Centricity, 1987

Centricity, 1987

Centricity, 1987

Lebbeus Woods said, "In these places

I'm drawing, the high-technology as invisible,

because it's already so miniaturized, and so

compact, and so industrialized, that it's not a

major physical artifact," said Woods. "And the

city is indeed low-technology in the sense that

people are participating in the making of it."1

This images evoke a sense of technology that is

brutal in nature. The landscape because almost

neutral, which could suggest that the site and

place does not matter. It is also rendered without

people, which could suggest that people play

a minute level in the world of technology. Also,

there is a wispy nature to the cables which creates

a continuous movement, which one could project

how technology is seen versus hidden, which

1. Frearson, Amy . “Lebbeus Woods: Early Drawings.” Dezeen - architecture and design magazine. N.p., 8 Nov. 1012. Web. 7 Apr. 2013. <http://www.dezeen.com/2012/11/08/leb-beus-woods-early-drawings/>.

42 | Thesis Photos courtesy of Lebbeus Woods Website

http://lebbeuswoods.net/

A-City: Sector 1576 Nin current society would begin to question, is

technology hardware versus software? Is it visible

or this mystical creature that looms?

The power of Lebbeus Woods work is that

he is highly influential through his conceptual

designs. His ideas have pushed the limits and have

create new forms of existence. His renderings of

each place, are suggestive of machine aesthetics

that cut through existing structures, and piercing

into the ground condition with keen detail. Though

selected as an Utopian example, it would be easy

to counteract his work as Dystopian, which would

serve as a product for the failed Utopias.

Discourse | 43

44 | Thesis

t o p i a[ N O ]techFOSTERING A NEW UTOPIAN RHETORIC FOR CONTEMPORARY

SOCIETY

Discourse | 45

CONTENTS

45 Project Description

49 Context | Location |Site

53 Comprehensive Visual Map

57 What Define Contemporary Society

26 Methodology

?? Proposed Design Solutions

?? Bibliography

?? Appendices

Historical Information

Current Site Conditions

4946

page 49

TECH [NO] TOPIA

Contributing DesignErin Hicks

Contributing Information for Cliffside MillsCliffside Historical Society & Remember Cliffside

Contributing Information for Facebook Data CenterFacebook

46 | Thesis

Discourse | 47

Project Description

T he objective of this discourse is to begin

defining a new Utopian rhetoric for

contemporary society. Again, this thesis has

rooted itself in the belief that technology is what

defines society today, therefore becoming known

as Tech[no]topia. Much like the “workers paradise”

model, which stemmed from the Industrial

Revolution; there was an emphasis on the machine

and production. This machine not only rooted

itself within the site, but provided a lifestyle for

the workers. In today’s society, technology has

manifested itself within all realms of our lifestyle.

Immersed in a world where the cloud is no longer

a visible mass of water particles, now “the cloud”

is an invisible fragment of complete connectivity.

Through this cloud society is always connected

to technology and information, without relief

from constant connection, we have now begun

merging the physical reality with a virtual realm.

This experiment will intervene into a

particular fragment that once exuded the Utopian

model during the Industrial Revolution; a factory

town, located in Cliffside, North Carolina. This

research will also challenge the site to foster a new

solution for the abandonment of the industrial

ruins that scatter throughout the landscape.

Cliffside Mill was once a thriving city,where the

industry constructed the site and surrounding

community and since it’s closure the site and

surrounding context has suffered and became

pillaged of the vitality it once exuded. These

fragments remain as a testament to the loss

of a previous Utopia and the temporal nature

of such Utopias. With reference to the theories

by Archigram, Lebbeus Woods and those alike,

will help foster the Tech[no]topia ideals to be

implemented to the forgotten Utopia.

48 | Thesis

Discourse | 49

Context | Location | Site

C liffside Mills, is located in a small area of

Rutherford County, known as Cliffside, North

Carolina. The site chosen for the construction of

the mill is nestled in the horseshoe bend of the

Second Broad River. From this river, provided

an opportunity for water power, to facilitate the

textile mills production.

Raleigh Rutherford Haynes, a successful

mill owner, saw potential in the landscape of

Cliffside, and in 1899, began laying the foundation

for the Cliffside Mill. By March 1900, the brick for

the mill began steadily constructed R.R. Haynes,

enterprise. It would not be long until the town of

Cliffside began to take shape. Power was drawn

from the Second Broad River, streets began to cut

through the virgin landscape, houses were being

established for the workers of the textile mill. As

each warehouse began to function and workers

flocked to the area, R.R. Haynes was concerned

with the welfare of his employees, providing

them schoolhouses for continuing education and

schools for the local children, churches, doctors

offices, as well as leisure activities such as theaters,

gymnasiums and department stores. Throughout

1910 -1920 the town was rapidly growing and

by 1920, the town had become a prosperous

Cliffside Mill, 1908

Cliffside Mill, Postcard

50 | Thesis

community, living the “American dream”, where

the workers owned their land and homes, with

beautiful gardens, and just like other communities

that spawned from the to Industrial Revolution,

the community thrived to live a healthy lifestyle

in harmony with the machine. By 1942, the

population had exceeded 4,000 people in the

community and was continuing to expand.

Offices

Department Store

Car Garage Memorial Building

Aerial Town Centre

Town Plan, 1942

Photos courtesy of Entasis Design

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By 1960, Cliffside Mills, began taking a

turn that would ultimately lead to the mills demise.

The sound of the rushing water over the

dam, cannot fill the void and silence of Cliffside

Mills today. Slowly throughout the years, each

independent business of the mill began closing

their doors. The company bank was closed. The

department stores were closed and the houses

that were once for the workers were demolished.

It can be seen in the two dramatically different

images above, the image on the left from 1940,

and the image on the right, from 1990. Comparing

these two images, shows the removal of many

buildings on the site as well as the housing in the

distance.

The image on the lower left shows how

many houses were provided by the mill to the

workers in the community, with the houses in blue

and the mill infrastructure in red.

Cliffside Mill, 1990Cliffside Mill, 1940

Cliffside Mill, 1942, Site Plan

52 | Thesis

The image provided my Google Earth, shows the

immediate conditions for the Cliffside Mill site. The

map on the left draws attention to the remaining

structures that are in the nearby community,

which consist of a few residences, but are primarily

small businesses such as Dollar General, several

churches and a hometown pharmacy.

Cliffside Mill, 2013, Site Plan

Google Earth, Aerial 2013

Discourse | 53

54 | Thesis

Utopian Fragments

Cliffside Mill Panorama

Main Building

Coal Stack

Photos courtesy of Erin Hicks

Discourse | 55

Cliffside Mill Panorama

In David Pinder’s journal, “In defense

of Utopian Urbanism: Imagining Cities After

the End of Utopia”, he says “Should the concept

of the Utopia not be erased like the names of

those luminaries that once adorned street signs

in socialist cities to be replaced by sins from a

supposedly more respectable past? After all, was

it not the Utopian impulse that originally helped

to lay the foundations for such social experiments

and their authoritarian efforts to remould societies

according to a projected ideal?”1 Not unlike the

intention sought after by Cliffside Mill, the factory

town has long been a subject for Utopian dreams

promising a better future. These products of the

1. Pinder, David. “In Defense of Utopian Urbanism: Imagining Cities After the End of Utopia.” Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography Volume 84, no. 3-4 (2004): 229-241.

Industrial Revolution have long been the focus for

social fears, and a dystopian model. It has created a

reoccurring theme leaving the land barren, rearing

itself against mankind. Where new technologies

seek to enslave people and manipulate their

lives. For places such as Cliffside Mills, this new

technology and new machine, that once helped

the community to thrive, was removed. Thus when

the technology was removed, due to outsourcing

and modern technology, the community was

removed. The population for Cliffside in 1942, was

over 4,000 people, but as the mill would meet

its demise, the population dropped below 600

people, leaving Cliffside a ghost town. The current

site has been pillaged and salvaged of valuable

materials, leaving fossils of structures scattered

throughout the site.

Abandoned Train Trestle

56 | Thesis

Addressing Each Fragment

The Water Power Plant, is situated along

the Second Broad River, and still operates today,

providing power generated from the dam and

water turbines to facilitate Duke Energy, located

one mile south of the site. Though much of the

adjoining building has been de-constructed, this

building is the only one that still services the site.

Once the largest structure on the site, this

images shows the Main Textile Building, where

their were floors upon floors of textile machinery.

Though much of the building has been torn down,

this fragment remains like a statue, upon a hill , as

a testament to the Utopian dream.

Each of these fragments played an

important role to the once success of Cliffside Mill.

This thesis chose to intervene with the ruins left

on the site.

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Comprehensive Visual Map

58 | Thesis

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60 | Thesis

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What Defines Contemporary Society

Throughout the course of this thesis,

it became important to continuously track

any Utopian models, found during research.

Organizing each utopia in chronological order

allowed for an assessment to when these ideals

began to thrive and when these ideas were not at

the forefront of the intellectual debate.

The first Utopia, that began the

comprehensive visual map was the Sforzinda

in 1465, with countless others tampering

throughout the centuries. It wasn’t until the 1900’s

that the Utopian proposals began to flourish

and continued to heavily throughout 1975. From

this chart it is safe to assume that each of these

Utopian models, were in response to something

happening in that current moment. For example,

in the1900’s, Utopia was the Modernists response

to the Industrial Revolution. Due to Machine Age

and the Industrial Age, mass production became

more efficient due to new technology. However

the living and working conditions suffered,

as their were no regulations and codes that

enforced the well being and health of the workers.

Advocates such as Charles Fourier, rejected the

Industrial Revolution, while others such as Robert

Owens, sought to mend the faults of the Industrial

Revolution, by creating working communities,

that provided a healthier lifestyle, creating shorter

work hours, reasonable pay, renovated housing

and continuing education opportunities.

These ideas continued to carry through

in the work of Ebenezer Howard’s Garden Cities

of Tomorrow and Frank Lloyd Wrights Broadacre

Cities.

Braodacre Cities Frank Lloyd Wright

62 | Thesis

Another example in the midst of the

1960’s, are the pioneers of Archigram. Archigram

sought to create a new generation of architecture

by critiquing the work of the Modernists. Their

radical approaches were a response to postwar

consumerism as well as advances in technology.

Peter Cook, of Archigram said “ what happens if the

whole urban environment can be programmed

and structured for change?” It is clear in their

work they are interested in evoking ideas about

architecture and how it could be influenced by

current society. In a time where the Vietnam War

was televised, and technology was becoming

easily accessible, Archigram remained on the cusps

of media and technology advances, which allowed

them to be visionaries for future architecture.

In projects such as, A Walking City,

Archigram begins exploring ideas about mobility

suggesting a reinvention in architecture allowing

buildings to become machines and organism. It is

an exploration that shows how society could be

located and moved to many places over the world.

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After exploring many projects with

varying abstractions of Utopia, it became

interesting to think what would be the Utopian

rhetoric for contemporary society? As hinted

before, many Utopian models were a response to

current events, whether it be the a response to the

Industrial Age, war, science, Utopia’s were reacting

to the developing world. Through this thesis

it was important to recognize what would be

defining contemporary society. Much like those

ideas in the Machine Age, contemporary society

is still reacting to the modern developments in

technology. For this thesis it was important to

define what Utopia meant in todays society. This

thesis rooted itself in the belief that Utopia, was

similar to modernism, as it was responding to this

new machine. This machine continued to produce

a lifestyle that evolved around the function of

technology. While at Cliffside Mill in 1910, Utopia

revolved around the machinery for production,

however, today this machine for production has

become “the cloud.”

Images courtesy of Facebook

64 | Thesis Image courtesy of NRAO/AUI

Image courtesy of NRAO/AUI

Image courtesy of NRAO/AUI

Very Large Array, National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Contemporary Society has become

characterized by the increase of human interconnection

throughout the global world. For this thesis, I have

begun to define technology by this over arching word,

“the cloud”. This cloud no longer refers to the nebulous

water particles that swarm in the air, but the signals

and transference that keeps the world connected at

all times. Cloud computing, is essentially the virtual

servers that makes the internet readily accessible for

information gathering and connection. Infrastructure,

much like the Very Large Array, in Socorro, New

Mexico , seen in the images below, show the epitome

of how technology has become the salvation for

todays society. These satellites beckon towards to sky,

receiving and exchanging signals, and without these

machines, this phenomenon would go unnoticed.

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