Syllabus Information

1.1. Introduction

In this course, the concept of ‘Cultural Landscape’ is understood within the consciousness that architecture and urban planning take place in complex realities. It is made of natural and cultural components that could be tangible and intangible. This year, the course will focus on the evolution of modern architecture in Spain, and on the idea of ‘Crisis’ in Modern Architecture Culture. To do that, the course studies different tendencies that appeared from the 1950s to the 1980s, and questioned modern ideals, both in Spain and the international panorama. 

1.2. Recommendations to take this course

This is an elective course (6 ECTS) that is part of ‘Urban design and Landscape’ itinerary. The course is open for 5^th year students of the Degree in Architecture and is part of the ‘Spring Semester’ that offers all the courses in English. This course is mainly recommended for students of Architecture due to its direct relation with the History and Theory of Architecture. It is highly recommended to have taken previous courses in History and Theory of Architecture (Composición Arquitectónica) offered in the Degree of Architecture.

1.3. Context and importance of this course in the degree

The course aims at fostering an understanding of the architecture profession and its role in society, through the study of its relationship with the latter throughout History. It also aims at providing the student with tools that help him develop architectural designs grounded on an ample and rigorous knowledge of the basic con­cepts of the discipline.

1.4. Activities and key dates

The course has weekly lectures and studios of 2 hour-long each so that the student will take 4-hour classes per week. The main activities are the following:

• Activity 1: Lectures ( 2h/week) -1 Group
• Activity 2: Studio (2h/week) – 2 Groups
• Activity 3: Office hours.

All the submissions will be defined the first week of the course and they could be modified under the consensus of all the students and the teachers during the semester. 

2.1. Learning goals

Result 1.   A clear, diachronic, sequential vision of the History of Architecture, as well as a knowledge of the mechanics of architectural composition that integrate architectural design.

Result 2.   Synthesizing, through examples, the typological, constructive and morpholo­gic features that characterize the periods of the History of Architecture studied in the course: From the Renaissance to the XIX Century.

Result 3.   The ability to identify the key works studied, locating them in the period they belong in a reasoned way, justifying their relationship with the history of the place where they have been built.

Result 4.   The skill to develop, via the knowledge of the Theory and History of architec­ture, of an engaged and educated approach to architectural design, providing a critical vision of the works or trends studied in the course.

Result 5.   The skill to provide fundaments and convincing commentaries on architec­tural works, using the knowledge acquired throughout the course as a tool to develop the ability to interpret the most relevant designs of Architecture’s History, understanding those as the products of the materials, construction systems and technologies that were used to build them, and a specific cul­tural moment.

Result 6.   The capacity to understand, interpret and analyze academic literature (on the Theory and History of Architecture), as well as the ability to develop structured and suitable contents.

Result 7.   The rigorous and measured use of the specific language and terminology of the architectural discipline.

Result 8.   The ability to handle specific bibliography. 

2.2. Importance of learning goals

This course develops the student’s capacities to:

• Position himself in a committed way, grounded on the knowledge of the theory and history of Western architecture, when facing architectural design, thus providing a critical and informed vision.
• Develop architecture projects based on rigorous knowledge of the basic concepts of the discipline.
• Face, within the rigorous knowledge of the theory and history of Western architecture, a research project. 

3.1. Aims of the course

The main aim of this course is to provide the student the tools he or she needs to gain a deep, reflective knowledge of the History and Theory of Spanish Modern Architecture.

The course should help him develop a clear, diachronic and sequential understanding of the phenomenon, and show him different paths to approach the analysis and interpreting of the architectu­ral fact, as well as the compositional mechanisms behind it.

3.2. Competences

The skills that the student develops through the Theory and History of Architecture Area as defined in the verification report of the Degree in Architecture Studies of the University of Zaragoza, this course deepens on the following ones:

C.E. 107.OP; C.E. 108.OP.

4.1. Assessment tasks (description of tasks, marking system and assessment criteria)

The student will be expected to show that he/she has reached the learning results defi­ned for the course through several evaluation activities.

Test #1: Oral presentation of an international architectural project (Project 1 - from section 2).  (15%).

Test #2: Oral presentation of a national architectural project (Project 2 - from section 3). (15%)

Test #3: Essay that relates project 1 with Project 2 (70%)

5.1. Methodological overview

The methodology followed in this course is oriented towards achievement of the learning objectives. It is based on an active methodology that favors the development of critical thinking. A wide range of teaching and learning tasks are implemented, such as lectures, practice sessions, autonomous work and assessment tasks. 

Students are expected to participate actively in the class throughout the semester.  Further information regarding the course will be provided on the first day of class.

Main methodology:

• M1 Lectures.
• M2 Seminars.
• M3 Studio.
• M10 Office hours.
• M11 Exams.
• M14 Student own work. 

5.2. Learning tasks

The course includes 6 ECTS organized according to the following activities:

• Activity 1: Theory lectures (Teaching type T1/ Methodology M1): There will be weekly lectures with their content focusing on the history of architecture, fo­llowing the course schedule (see course schedule and calendar). The students will be provided with a working guide via the MOODLE platform of the University of Zaragoza. This guide will list the most relevant architecture works of each theory lecture, as well as the general bibliography and the specific bibliography corresponding to each of the sections, as a basic reference for the individual study of the course.
• Activity 2: Studio for the graphic analysis of architecture works (Teaching type T3/ Methodology M3):  Throughout the term, the students will develop 3 graphic assignments where they will ca­rry out graphic analyses of architectural works, following the course schedule (see course schedule and calendar). This activity will be carried in small student groups which will additionally be subdivided into work pairs in order to develop their graphic assignments.
• Activity 3: Office hours (Methodology M10-M2): The student will be able to ask for individual interviews with the professors both regar­ding the contents of studios, seminars, and lectures, in the hours specified in the official calendar. These office hours will also be used to comment on the exhibitions whose attendance has been suggested in the course.

5.3. Syllabus

This course topic is: ‘Spanish Architecture in Context. Modernity and its Crisis, 195X-197X’. The course is divided into three sections:

• SECTION 1: Histories of the ‘History of Modernity’
• SECTION 2: Modernity and its Crisis.  The International Scene.
• SECTION 3: Modernity and its Crisis. The Spanish Scene.

5.4. Course planning and calendar

Calendar of Activity 1:

SECTION 1_Histories of the ‘History of Modernity’

Session 0 –             A1           Introduction to the course.

Session 1 –             A1           The Official Historiography of the International Style. 

Session 2 ­–             A1           The Spanish Case: The Historiography of Spanish Modern Architecture.

Session 3 –             A1           Female Architects in and out of the Official Historiography.

SECTION 2_Modernity and its Crisis. The International Scene.

Session 4 –             A1           Le Corbusier, and the Crisis of the International Style.

Session 5 –             A1           The CIAM Crisis and the Team X.

Session 6 –             A1           Brutalism in the UK and the USA.

Session 7 ­–             A1           Megastructures in Europe and the USA.

Session 8 –             A1           Metabolism in Japan.

Session 9 –             A1           The Whites vs The Grays. Post-Modernity in the USA.

SECTION 3_Modernity and its Crisis. The Spanish Scene.

Session 10 –           A1           Official and Independent Architecture Magazines in Spain.

Session 11 –           A1           The shiny 1950s in Spain. North American and Italian Connections.

Session 12 ­–           A1           The 1960s and 1970s in Spain. French and Italian Connections.

Session 13 –           A1           Post-Modernity in Spain. North American Connections.

After each session (Activity 1), there will be a 2-hour long session dedicated to Activity 2. Partial submission would be scheduled the first week of the classes.

5.5. Bibliography and recommended resources

BALDELLOU, Miguel Ángel; CAPITEl, Antón, Summa Artis XL: Arquitectura española del siglo XX. Espasa Calpe, Madrid, 1995.

BOHIGAS, Oriol, Arquitectura Española de la Segunda República. Tusquets, Barcelona, 1970 (2ª edición, 1973).

CAPITEL, Antón, Arquitectura española: años 50 - años 80. Centro de Publicaciones del MOPU, Madrid, 1986.

DOMENECH i GIRBAU, Lluís, Arquitectura de siempre. Los años 40 en España. Tusquets, Barcelona, 1978.

FLORES, Carlos, Arquitectura Española Contemporánea. Aguilar, Madrid, 1961.

FRAMPTON, Kenneth, España, arquitecturas de hoy. MOPT, Madrid, 1992.

ORTIZ-ECHAGÜE, César, La arquitectura española actual. Rialp, Madrid, 1965.

PIZZA, Antonio, España: Guía de la arquitectura del siglo XX. Electa, Madrid, 1997.

POZO, José Manuel (ed.), Los brillantes 50: 35 proyectos. T6, Pamplona, 2004.

RUIZ CABRERO, Gabriel, El Moderno en España. Arquitectura 1948-2000. Tanais,Madrid, 2001.

SAMBRICIO, Carlos, Cuando se quiso resucitar la arquitectura. COAAT, Murcia, 1983.

SOLÀ-MORALES, Ignasi de., Eclecticismo y vanguardia: el caso de la arquitectura moderna en Catalunya. Gustavo Gili, Barcelona, 1980.

URRUTIA, Ángel, Arquitectura española siglo XX. Cátedra, Madrid, 1997.