Four Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Thinkers on the Truthfulness of Architecture A Thesis submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER of SCIENCE in ARCHITECTURE In the School of Architecture and Interior Design of the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning 2012 by Florentina C. Popescu BA, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, 1998 BA, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania, 2002 MA, University of Pittsburg, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 2004 Committee Members: John E. Hancock (Chair) Patrick Snadon 1 Abstract In modern architectural discourse, true architecture has been associated with the removal of ornament, simplicity, or transparency. While the importance of truth in modern architectural theory has been extensively documented, this study disentangles the internal complexity of the notion of architectural truth. It does so by examining those architectural practices that were rejected in the name of truth, and the terminology that designates their characteristic untruthfulness, in order to trace contrasting notions of truth in the history of architectural theory. It looks at four architectural theorists of eighteenth and nineteenth century Europe: Marc Antoine Laugier, Carlo Lodoli, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, and John Ruskin. There were two distinct notions of truth that coexisted in these authors and in eighteenth and nineteenth century architectural literature. The first relates truth to necessity, and requires the exclusion of those elements that were redundant relative to the structural or material logic of the building. The second refers to the ways to ascertain the truth of the architectural display, and requires the exclusion of those elements that interfered with the understanding of the building. The first is opposed to fault, imperfection or abuse, and is associated with functionality, while the second is the antonym of deception, and concerns intelligibility. This study concludes that the distinction between truth as function and truth as intelligibility can elucidate a number of ambiguities in the history of architectural theory. It explains the difference between Laugier and Lodoli, both of whom adhered to some version of functionalism, but diverged over certainty/intelligibility. It explains the position of Ruskin, who 2 was not a functionalist, yet was engaged with truth in architecture; the distinction between functionalism and intelligibility explains his stance better than other readings. Finally, the idea of intelligibility emerges as the main contribution of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to the genealogy of modernist architecture, with a continuity that functionalism cannot provide. Keywords Truth, certainty, intelligibility, deception, rationalism, architecture, functionalism 3 This page intentionally left blank 4 Dedication To my family 5 Acknowledgement I thank John E. Hancock and Patrick Snadon, my advisors and most inspiring professors. Their grace, patience and support have made this thesis possible. Special thanks are due to Augustin Ioan for providing crucial comments on my work. I thank my sister, Viorica Popescu, for stirring my interest in architecture in the first place. I thank past and current faculty of the School of Architecture and Interior Design: James Bradford, Aarati Kanekar, Nnamdi Elleh, and David Saile. I thank the staff of the School of Architecture and Interior Design, particularly Ellen Guerrettaz Buelow, who provided invaluable administrative assistance over the years. I am greatly indebted to all those who helped me, in countless ways, complete this work. Final thanks are due to the University of Cincinnati for financial support and an amazing library. 6 Table of Contents Abstract ___________________________________________________________________________ 2 Keywords _________________________________________________________________________ 3 Dedication ________________________________________________________________________ 5 Acknowledgement _________________________________________________________________ 6 Table of Contents __________________________________________________________________ 7 Table of Figures ____________________________________________________________________ 9 Preface ___________________________________________________________________________ 13 I Introduction __________________________________________________________________ 14 I.1 Background ______________________________________________________________ 15 I.2 Literature review __________________________________________________________ 23 I.2.1 Topp _________________________________________________________________ 23 I.2.2 Forty _________________________________________________________________ 25 I.2.3 Rizzuto _______________________________________________________________ 27 I.2.4 Ameri ________________________________________________________________ 29 I.3 Structure of the argument __________________________________________________ 32 II Eighteenth century ____________________________________________________________ 35 II.1 Marc Antoine Laugier _____________________________________________________ 35 II.1.1 Essay ________________________________________________________________ 36 II.1.2 Avertissment __________________________________________________________ 49 Summary _____________________________________________________________________ 53 II.2 Carlo Lodoli ______________________________________________________________ 54 II.2.1 Two interpretations ____________________________________________________ 54 II.2.1 Principles _____________________________________________________________ 55 II.2.2 Practical reasoning _____________________________________________________ 57 Summary _____________________________________________________________________ 59 III Nineteenth century ____________________________________________________________ 60 III.1 A.W.N. Pugin ___________________________________________________________ 61 III.1.1 Principles - Decorating utility ___________________________________________ 63 7 III.1.2 Construction and convenience ___________________________________________ 63 III.1.3 Purpose ______________________________________________________________ 67 Summary _____________________________________________________________________ 69 III.2 John Ruskin ____________________________________________________________ 69 III.2.1 The Seven Lamps of Architecture _______________________________________ 70 III.2.2 The Stones of Venice __________________________________________________ 77 Summary _____________________________________________________________________ 88 IV Conclusion ___________________________________________________________________ 89 V Bibliography _________________________________________________________________ 93 8 Table of Figures Figure 1. Parthenon, Athens - Greek Doric corner (left), Vitruvian Doric corner (right). In: (left) ARTstor [database online]. [cited 03 March 2011]. Available from ARTstor, Inc., New York, New York. (right) Ware, William R. The American Vignola: A Guide to the Making of Classical Architecture. Mineola: Dover Publishing, 1994. _______________________ 16 Figure 2. Southern homes pediments. In: Southern House Plans, http://www.southern-house- plans.com/southerncharm/pediments.html, 05 July 2012 (accessed 05 July 2012). __ 17 Figure 3. Louvre east side, architect Claude Perrault 1680. In: ARTstor [database online]. [cited 03 March 2011]. Available from ARTstor, Inc., New York, New York. ____________ 18 Figure 4. Façade of the Church of St. Gervais, architect Salomon de Brosse. In: ARTstor [database online]. [cited 03 March 2011]. Available from ARTstor, Inc., New York, New York. _______________________________________________________________ 20 Figure 5. Santa Constanza, Rome. In: ARTstor [database online]. [cited 09 July 2011]. Available from ARTstor, Inc., New York, New York. ___________________________________ 21 Figure 6. Secession building, architect Joseph Maria Olbrich. In: ARTstor [database online]. [cited 03 March 2011]. Available from ARTstor, Inc., New York, New York. _______ 25 Figure 7. Postal Savings Bank, Vienna, Austria, 1904-1906 (image between 1945 and 1959), architect Otto Wagner. In: ARTstor [database online]. [cited 03 March 2011]. Available from ARTstor, Inc., New York, New York. __________________________ 25 9 Figure 8. Michaelerplatz Building, House for the gentlemen’s outfitter Goldmann and Salatsch Vienna, Austria, 1910-1912, architect Adolf Loos. In: ARTstor [database online]. [cited 03 March 2011]. Available from ARTstor, Inc., New York, New York. ____________ 25 Figure 9. Purkersdorf Sanatorium, Purkersdorf, Austria, 1904-1905, architect Josef Hoffmann. In: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanatorium_Purkersdorf, 07April 2007 (accessed 07 August 2009). ____________________________________________________________ 25 Figure 10. Maison Carrée at Nimes. In: ARTstor [database online]. [cited 03 March 2011]. Available from ARTstor, Inc., New York, New York. __________________________ 41 Figure 11. Louvre, Court Carrée. In: Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/wenzday01/5916798811 (accessed 07 July 2012). ____ 42 Figure 12. Hotel Soubise, Paris, France. In: ARTstor [database online]. [cited 03 March 2011]. Available from ARTstor, Inc., New York, New York. __________________________ 43 Figure 13. St. Sulpice façade, architect Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni.