A case Study; People’s Palace A case study of 20th century designs of buildings for ASSEMBLY, PRACTICING POLITICS, EXCHANGING KNOWLEDGE and RECREATION. This work is not intended to fully reconstruct the history and architectural typology of the people’s palace. By first constructing a framework of the changing society in the 20th century, and it’s relation to the shifts in economic and political structures, it presents case-studies of 8 buildings that in their own way illustrate the conflict between ideology, form, representation and function. Specifics of the building’s political itscontext physical and appearance,its architecture related are usedto the to intended construct client. an argument that helps the formation of an idea of what the architect’s intentions means for a structure and All texts are questioning the possibility of architecture to help the formation or representation of a community, in search of a contemporary way to apply this. IndEX 05-06 IntroductIon The necessity of a truly public space The cooperative’s houses as a place of resistance Architecture’s relation to politics and economy Buildings intended to form community 05 - 39 cASE StudIES of the history of the quarry in Heerlen / Heksenberg 09-12 BE Brussels - Victor Horta 13-16 RU Moscow - Konstantin Melnikov 17-20 21-24 FR Clichy - Jean Prouvé 25-28 IT Como - Terragni 29-32 NL Dronten - Frank van Klingeren 33-36 GBSE LondonEslöv - Hans - Cedric Asplund Price 37-40 BR Sao Paolo - Lina Bo Bardi IntroductIon thE EmErgencE of cApItAlism During the industrial revolution society went - through a gradual transformation, in which our accordingnew urban to fabric the new came processes into existence. at hand, The and govern to ment had to reorganize the country and its cities - create more hygienic circumstances for the hous ing of its citizens. At the same time large factory owners were gaining wealth, and became able to construct facilities to improve the life of their workers. The main argument to do this was that a andhappy recreational workforce facilities.was a more Although productive this workforce,helped, thE nEcessity of A truly publIc SpAcE and they provided them with housing, schooling workers, requesting better working conditions and it also released emancipative forces within the The people’s palace might not be considered a - itprimary has taken architectural are nonetheless typology, a story though worth it’s telling. role in organizing as unions. The conflicts between the the history of architecture and the different forms unions and the factory management led to a separa tion between the more radical intellectuals within From the early societies public buildings have the group of workers, against the management that cities.played Whereas a significant in the role early in the days organization the Greek agora, and attempted to keep control over them. This tendency representation of the communities of villages and has kept over time, and still there remains the civil society to trade, discuss politics or relax, the conflict between the capitalist forces that are in Roman forum, Chinese temple were the places for control of the flows of money and therefore power,- against the majority, or workforce. modern conditions of our society have changed For architecture this meant that most develop this completely. The mere fact that space is now ments were aimed at improving the organization completely divided into strict zones of public and - of society, so that it became more efficient equaling licprivate, space. traffic The lack and of dwelling, a space to green express and ourgrey opinion, can more profit. Whether the client was a private party whethermake us doubtpolitical whether or not, we has still shifted have our any expres truly pub- or the government as an institution, the goal of the architect remained to provide the proper space for read for everyone who wants, whether that was the the specific situation. intentionsions from or the not. street to the web, where it is out to thE communist mAnIfesto inequality grew along with it and the search for thE Greek polis alternative’sWith capitalism began. entering This isthe best majority expressed of the in world, the of public life that we know, is also one that helped One of the earliest, and still most known, forms providedmanifesto theorists written byand Karl politicians Marx, which with remainsthe argu - relevant today. His monumental work Das capital aconstruct reference our for contemporary everyone who way talks of about thinking. a truly The as a “theoretical strike at the bourgeoisie”, he Greek polis, with all its different elements, remains ments to construct a new organization. Aimed public life. Apart from providing the space for many constructed a framework which would result in a great thinkers to construct their arguments, the - new political form that we know as communism. societal organization of the polis is also something aThe state main owned intention enterprise. of communism This resulted was toin spreada gigantic all that becomes more relevant today. Being an inde wealth equally, through making the whole economy fallspendent in line settlement, with the fadingwith its of own the welfarecurrency, state laws as generally a totalitarian leader that served as the weand experienced government, it it till provides late. us an alternative that untouchablebureaucratic authority.organization, with party leaders and 05 06 cASE Study mAp 07 08 VOLKSPALEIS BRUSSELSVOLKSPALEIS completion: 1896 by who: Belgische Werklieden Partij for who: Brussel’s workers how many: +/- 10.000 VictorHorta The rise and fall representation of a of a monumental against the power of workersthe institutions. movement 09 Victor Horta Konstantin Melnikov Jean Prouvé Frank van Klingeren Cedric Price Gunnar Asplund Giacomo Terragni Lina Bo Bardi 1899 Brussels 1927 Moscow 1939 Clichy 1968 Dronten 1974 London 1947 Eslöv 1938 Como 1984 Sao Paolo Victor Horta Konstantin Melnikov Jean Prouvé Frank van Klingeren Cedric Price Gunnar Asplund Giacomo Terragni Lina Bo Bardi 1899 Brussels 1927 Moscow 1939 Clichy 1968 Dronten 1974 London 1947 Eslöv 1938 Como 1984 Sao Paolo Victor Horta Konstantin Melnikov Jean Prouvé Frank van Klingeren Cedric Price Gunnar Asplund Giacomo Terragni Lina Bo Bardi 1899 Brussels 1927 Moscow 1939 Clichy 1968 Dronten 1974 London 1947 Eslöv 1938 Como 1984 Sao Paolo Victor Horta Konstantin Melnikov Jean Prouvé Frank van Klingeren Cedric Price Gunnar Asplund Giacomo Terragni Lina Bo Bardi 1899 Brussels 1927 Moscow 1939 Clichy 1968 Dronten 1974 London 1947 Eslöv 1938 Como 1984 Sao Paolo Victor Horta Konstantin Melnikov Jean Prouvé Frank van Klingeren Cedric Price Gunnar Asplund Giacomo Terragni Lina Bo Bardi 1899 Brussels 1927 Moscow 1939 Clichy 1968 Dronten 1974 London 1947 Eslöv 1938 Como 1984 Sao Paolo Victor Horta Konstantin Melnikov Jean Prouvé Frank van Klingeren Cedric Price Gunnar Asplund Giacomo Terragni Lina Bo Bardi 1899 Brussels 1927 Moscow 1939 Clichy 1968 Dronten 1974 London 1947 Eslöv 1938 Como 1984 Sao Paolo VOLKSPALEIS BRUSSELSVOLKSPALEIS completion: 1896 by who: Belgische Werklieden Partij for who: Brussel’s workers how many: +/- 10.000 main entrance leading to the central hall with café divised in two ways of entering. hierarchy? accesible from all sides, no hierarchy main entrance leading through corridors, two side entrances large open structure, accesible from all sides two main entrances, various sidedoors main entrance with small doors on square main entrance leading through corridors, two side entrances main entrance leading to the central hall with café divised in two ways of entering. hierarchy? accesible from all sides, no hierarchy main entrance leading through corridors, two side entrances large open structure, accesible from all sides two main entrances, various sidedoors main entrance with small doors on square main entrance leading through corridors, two side entrances main entrance leading to the central hall with café divised in two ways of entering. hierarchy? accesible from all sides, no hierarchy main entrance leading through corridors, two side entrances large open structure, accesible from all sides two main entrances, various sidedoors main entrance with small doors on square main entrance leading through corridors, two side entrances VictorHorta main entrance leading to the central hall with café divised in two ways of entering. hierarchy? accesible from all sides, no hierarchy main entrance leading through corridors, two side entrances large open structure, accesible from all sides two main entrances, various sidedoors main entrance with small doors on square main entrance leading through corridors, two side entrances main entrance leading to the central hall with café divised in two ways of entering. hierarchy? accesible from all sides, no hierarchy main entrance leading through corridors, two side entrances large open structure, accesible from all sides two main entrances, various sidedoors main entrance with small doors on square main entrance leading through corridors, two side entrances main entrance leading to the central hall with café divised in two ways of entering. hierarchy? accesible from all sides, no hierarchy main entrance leading through corridors, two side entrances large open structure, accesible from all sides two main entrances, various sidedoors main entrance with small doors on square main entrance leading through corridors, two side entrances multiple theatre/concert halls, accesible from all sides, no hierarchy main entrance