Behind the Veils of Modern Tropical Architecture’, Docomomo International, No 63, 2020 / 2, Pp
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Pedro Guedes 2020, ‘Behind the Veils of Modern Tropical Architecture’, docomomo international, no 63, 2020 / 2, pp. 7-17. ABSTRACT: While orthodoxy was consolidating its hold on modern architecture in the 1930s, fresh new ideas from the periphery began to widen and question its limiting vocabulary. This study looks at projects emerging before the end of that decade that paralleled the much publicized work of Le Corbusier and Brazilian innovators in developing ideas for taming the sun in warm climates. The story focuses on a forgotten speech given in Rangoon which enthused about a soon to be forgotten but effective method of solar control and triggered a yearning for architecture widening its scope to engage with attributes of national identity. CONTENTS: Behind the Veils of Modern Tropical Architecture 1 Journal cover & front matter 13 NOTE: The author was invited to deliver a shortened version of this paper to audiences at Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Universidade de São Paulo (FAU/USP) and at the School of Architecture at the University of Queensland – Video recordings of these presentations are lodged as separate items in this depository. ESS AYS Behind the Veils of Modern Tropical Architecture BY PEDRO GUEDES While orthodoxy was consolidating its hold on modern architecture in the 1930s, fresh new ideas from the periphery began to widen and question its limiting vocabulary. This study looks at projects emerging before the end of that decade that paralleled the much publicized work of Le Corbusier and Brazilian innovators in developing ideas for taming the sun in warm climates. The story focuses on a forgotten speech given in Rangoon which enthused about a soon to be forgotten but effective method of solar control and triggered a yearning for architecture widening its scope to engage with attributes of national identity. At the Rangoon Rotary Club - January 1930 N TheRangoon audience included the Burmese elite, British N 0 In early January 1930, Basil Ward ( 1902-1976) addressed the expatriates, colonial officialsand members of immigrant N I Rotary Club of Rangoon on the subject of "Architecture in communities. His lecture had an immediate effect: (V) Ba Pe, a leading political figure in colonial Burma,gave a -0 Burma". A New Zealander, recently appointed Managing 0 rousing speech in the Burma Legislative Council proposing E Partner with ThomasOliphant 1 Foster ( 1881-1942 ), the U 0 a design for the new City Hall by a Burmese architect that E Burmese Government's Consulting Architect, he was new combined Art minimalism with classical Burmese orna "0 0 to this Asian boom town. mentation. Along with examples from elsewhere, Ba Pe drew on His journey had been circuitous; the young architect Ward'slecture, Deco(. .) to highlight Burmese architecture'scompati worked his passage to England as a stoker in 1924 with bility with modern, architecture, and won theU argument. 3 Amyas ConnellPavilion ( 1901-1980 de /'Esprit) in Nouveau search of wider hori- zons. From London they visited Paris in 1925, where Le civic Corbusier's firedtheir enthusiasm for the freshness of the Modern Movement. The CityHall project to which he referred, had been Inspired, they set their sights on the highest prizes avail designed by Arthur G. Bray in classically inspired,4 typically "' able in Britain to young architects embarking on their colonial style. It was interrupted by wwr, revived in 1925 Ill careers. They were both successful, with Amyas Connell andAll was the offices,well onwith its theway exception to completion of those facingby 1930: north, have taking the Rome Scholarship and Basil Ward the Jarvis trav verandahs on both sides(. .)No concessions whatsoever appear elingBurma, studentship. to have been made to the native style of architecture, for this is the The RotaryClub speech, reported in extenso in The New 2 Classical style(. .. )Tbe columnar style(. .. )bas proved itself on was an exhortation for a new architecture with this occasion to be quite capable of being adapted for the archi quotations from Bruno Taut (1880-1938) and Le Corbusier. tecture of a tropical climate.5 Basil Ward made a plea for modern materials, better planning at various scales and an abandonment of "the amazing encrustations of Architectural motifs of a dozen Empire Exhibition dead styles." The onlypart of the talk referring to an actual However, U Tin (1890-1972), designer of the much-admired building was one being built under his direction, the New Burmese pavilion at the 1924 in London, Port Trusta Office: difficult problem in this city, when a f acade faces the proceeded to replace Arthur G. Bray's workaday classicalpyatbat monsoon weather verandahs take up most valuable space, they facades with a treatment inspired by the ancient buildings of mustThere be is eliminated where possible, the life of venetians louvres Pagan. In particular, he adapted traditional tiered roof not long. Tbe Port Trust Officebas a feature which forms to crown the prominent towers of his composition and appears to solve the problem admirably. A screen of terraor cotta dispensed with verandahs and colonnades. When completed jalisis of certain thicknessNew forms a honeycomb patternas a protec in 1935, U Tin's building was acclaimed as a "striking success tion against the sun and monsoon. Tbiswas designed to obviate (... ) inaugurating a new era in secular Burmese architecture."6 the wasteful verandah space. BasilCountry Ward's Life Port Trust Officebuilding, also mentioned in his lecture, was considered important enough to be featured in under the title "An Architectural Innovation in the Tropics." 7 1 0 � 0 OI Q) II) 0 OI :::, ::c @ iii et ...� :,: iii .c a. 0 OI.. .2 .c0 a. G).. .2 .,j "" Q) ,!"O .c·- Q):::, � (.!) c:,:: 0 E -o Q) Q) "'O a. O@ :e Ill o E .. 0 C ._ 2 OI ... 0 :::, .0 "'O·- ".E � C 0 0 "" .cIll a. � 0 N OI.. 0 ,:a.. .2 - .c0 f a. ....C Q) ""0 .c c ..o � ";;i Top row and corresponding diagrams below - from left: Luiz Nunes, Caixa D'Agua, Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil, 1934: First use of cobog6s in a public building. Middle: Lucio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer et al., Ministry of Education and Health (MES), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1936: Horizontal adjustable external quebra-sol elements (brise-soleil). Right: Brothers Roberto, Brazilian Press Association (ABI), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1936: Vertical quebra-sol elements. Lower images with diagrams below, from left to right: Lllcio Costa, Parque Guinle housing, Rio de Janeiro, 1948: Ceramic Claustra elements as sun and privacy screening allowing free air movement. Middle: Di6genes Rebou<;as, Escola Polit8cnica - UFBA, Federrn;:Clo, Salvador da Bahia, 1953: honeycomb screens similar to those used in the 1939 Brazil Pavilion, New York World's Fair. Right, top and bottom: open concrete cobog6s and claustra used in popular building. 2 The innovation[. ..(is) ...] of the greatest importance to Europeans 4 in the tropics. Owing to the necessity of using the maximum floor space for offices, responsequebra-sol to building in thebrise-solei� tropics. There, an inventive the space that usually sacrificed for verandah on the western range of practical moveablecobog6, or claustra static, horizontal or vertical frontwas not available(. .) the window surface bas been brought [Portuguese for shading devices as well almost flush withis the columns. It was here that invention was as smaller scale cellular and other elements called into play. in precast concrete, ceramics5 or other materials augmented The solution of this problem-of preventing the direct rays from modern architecture's austere facades with flexible arma penetrating to the interior while still assuring the maximum of light ments to temper the sun.' Combining these with imaginative -was found in the use of honeycomb porcelain jalis manufactured planning, openness and an expanded formal vocabulary, a by the Royal Daulton Potteries, Lambeth. A simple jali is made by small group of immensely talented architects supported by setting a number of convex tiles one above the other. These Daulton politicians such as the Minister of Education and Health, jalis are of stone terra-cotta,with a jade green glaze, and are nine Gustavo Capanema ( 1900-1985), matured a distinctive inches deep. The first experiment was made with the tiles only eight Brazilian architecture in a remarkably short time. First inches deep, but this was found insufficientto exclude all direct rays appearing outside Brazil at the 1939 New York World's Fair in and the depth was therefore increased. By this simple yet extremely the country's pavilion by Lucio Costa (1902-1998) and Oscar effectiveexpedient, the building the maximum of ventila Niemeyer ( 1907-20126 ), the solar control grille on its southern tion and lighting, but is kept cool.7 facade was misinterpretedBrazil by criticsBuilds as an enigmatic decora receives tive conceit.' Four years later, when the Museum of Modern Art's (Mo MA) exhibition brought Brazilian archi tecture to worldwide17 attention, its catalog stated explicitly While Basil Ward was still8 in London in 1926, T. 0. Foster that a major focus demonstrated how Brazilian architects N and E. W. Armstrong exhibited a perspectiveThe Builder, of his design dealt with the sun. After great success in ArchitecturalNew York, parts N at the Royal Academy. By February9 1929, after details of of the exhibition went to London while Britain was still at 0 jali N I the Port Trust building appeared in use of terra war and a special celebratory issue of the Review M -0 cotta screens had been accepted. was published with8 extensive coverage, featuring many of 0 Back in Rangoon, in the same street as the Port Offices, Kidder Smith's ( 1913-1997) evocative photographs taken from E jalis: brise-soleil 0 the National Bank of India, probably built to Basil Ward's the MoMA show.' Brazil's9 Ministry of Education and Health E 0 design,a(.