In its heyday, modernism was taught in architecture schools as a moral imperative. Architectural form was supposed to embody the spatial, structural, and mechanical demands of the building. Implanted in every student’s mind were two terse aphorisms: “Form follows function” and “Less is more.” All new structures, from incinerators to cathedrals, commanded equal respect as products of our advanced technological culture. People began to complain that churches and banks looked alike; only very gradually did large numbers of architects acknowledge that such objections might be well founded. Eventually, a substantial proportion of architects lost faith in the modernist movement, and many embraced a body of architectural principles identifiable as postmodernist. Postmodernist is a reaction against the characteristic modernist style. In typical modernist buildings of the 1950s, differences between interior and exterior, top and bottom, and back and front—or, indeed, between portions serving different functions—were deliberately minimized. Surrounding structures and local precedents were almost invariably ignored. Detailing was made to look as uncomplicated as the surfaces and joints of the architectural model, no matter what design and construction effort it took to achieve that effect. While modernist architecture is moralistic and exclusivist—based on a set of “Thou shalt nots”— postmodernist architecture is amoral and inclusivist, based on contextualism, allusion to other design, and ornament. Postmodernist contextualism demands that whatever is built acknowledge its setting. In the 1950s, modernism conditioned architecture students to assume that surrounding construction was obsolescent and soon to be replaced by “improved” modernist work; more sensibly, postmodernist architects see a building as an incremental change in an existing environment. Contextualism means that architects adopt the visual axes and prevailing roof lines of existing buildings, or promote correspondences in form, scale, and materials between new and old buildings. Postmodernists allude to historical styles in various ways: they may borrow spatial organization from the Italian Baroque style or incisive abstract lines from early modernist European architecture of the 1920s or decorative motifs from movie palaces and diners of the twenties and thirties, thus encouraging the very impurity and heterogeneity the modernist movement condemned. 1 B 1.The author is primarily concerned with (A) describing the elements of a once-popular architectural style (B) comparing two approaches to architectural design (C) resolving a debate about the relative merits of two architectural styles (D) summarizing the accomplishments of architects of the 1950’s (E) explaining the cause of changes in architectural design since the 1950’s 2 E 2. It can be inferred from the passage that, because Modern architects of the 1950’s believed that “Less is more”, buildings they designed were NOT likely to (A) feature contrasting materials such as stone and glass on their facades (B) contain spaces serving only one purpose (C) use complicated design and construction techniques (D) employ unusual materials to express an architectural concept (E) emphasizing purely decorative elements of building design 3 A 3. Which of the following best describes the organization of the first paragraph? (A) A particulier set of principles is described and the consequences of challenges to that set of principles are stated. (B) A theory is explained and modifications of that theory are listed. (C) Specific examples of the application of a theory are given and reactions to those examples are detailed. (D) Two opposing sets of principles are described and the merits of one over the other are explained. (E) Criticism of a theory is elaborated and the sources of that criticism are mentioned. 4 C 4. Which if the following buildings would be most compatible in design with the principles of Postmodernism, as described in the passage? (A) A cubical hight-rise apartment buildings with a glass facade that is located in a neighborhood of single-family brick houses (B) A school in which classrooms, play areas, and offices all have identical design features (C) A government office building that has brightly painted columns similar to those used in classical Greek architecture (D) A movie theater that is faced with smooth white concrete (E) A renovated warehouse in which the original pipes and ducts are obscured by featureless ceilings and panels 5 C 5. The author uses all of the following in discussing architecture EXCEPT (A) a contrast (B) an explanation of terms (C) a literary analogy (D) a generalization (E) a value judgment 6 B 6. The author suggests that some of the general public’s objections to Modern architecture were based on the public’s (A) moralistic and exclusivist ideas about architectural design (B) desire to see architectural differences in buildings with different functions (C) preference for architectural designs that directly allude to the history of a building (D) inability to adapt to new ideas (E) failure to respect buildings as products of an advanced technological culture 7 B 7. The author views the attitude toward existing buildings that was conveyed to architecture students in the 1950’s with (A) indifference (B) disapproval (C) nostalgia (D) regret (E) amusement ID 16884

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In its heyday, modernism was taught in architecture schools

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kittle

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09 Sep 2023, 00:40

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KarishmaB - where does the author use "value judgement" while discussing the architecture in the passage above? - reference question # 5 in the above passage

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12 Sep 2023, 19:15

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kittle

where does the author use "value judgement" while discussing the architecture in the passage above? - reference question # 5 in the above passage

The following could be considered a "value judgment," or an opinion on how good or valuable something is, about postmodernist versus modernist architecture:

more sensibly, postmodernist architects see a building as an incremental change in an existing environment

It can be argued that, in indicating that postmodernist architects act "more sensibly," the author makes a value judgment, or basically judges postmodernism to be better than modernism.

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12 Sep 2023, 19:26

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ShouryaDarshan

why is option A for question 6 is not correct

Here's question 6:

6. The author suggests that some of the general public’s objections to Modern architecture were based on the public’s

Scanning the passage for what it says about "the general public’s objections to Modern architecture," we see that it says only the following about that topic:

People began to complain that churches and banks looked alike

Compare that with choice (A).

(A) moralistic and exclusivist ideas about architectural design

We see that choice (A) is different from what the passage says about the general public.

The passage does say that "modernist architecture is moralistic and exclusivist." However, it doesn't say that the general public had "moralistic and exclusivist ideas about architectural design." In fact, what seems to be the case is that the public did NOT have such ideas about architecture and that it is partly for that reason that people were not happy with modernistic architecture.

So, choice (A) conflicts with what the passage says.

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28 Feb 2024, 02:50

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MartyMurray

Q2:
I want to eliminate “D - employ unusual materials to express an architectural concept” but the last line of third paragraph
“…..thus encouraging the very impurity and heterogeneity the modernist movement condemned” is confusing me.

Will you please help me? Thank you! 🎉

alwaysHP

2. It can be inferred from the passage that, because Modern architects of the 1950’s believed that “Less is more”, buildings they designed were NOT likely to

(A) feature contrasting materials such as stone and glass on their facades
This clearly can be possible, because no where in the passage they mentioned that stone and glass is not used in Modern buildings

(B) contain spaces serving only one purpose
yes this is very true they have mentioned that designs are usually similar

Reference: n typical modernist buildings of the 1950s, differences between interior and exterior, top and bottom, and back and front—or, indeed, between portions serving different functions—were deliberately minimized.

(C) use complicated design and construction techniques

This is a tricky one at first but if you carefully read the passage
Reference: Detailing was made to look as uncomplicated as the surfaces and joints of the architectural model, no matter what design and construction effort it took to achieve that effect.

Here it just says its made to look uncomplicated, it doesn't mean its not complicated (U can get from this statement no matter what design and construction effort it took to achieve that effect.)

(D) employ unusual materials to express an architectural concept.
Nowhere in the passage it is mentioned that Modern architecture dosent use new different materials

(E) emphasizing purely decorative elements of building design
IMO E

Reference :European architecture of the 1920s or decorative motifs from movie palaces and diners of the twenties and thirties, thus encouraging the very impurity and heterogeneity the modernist movement condemned

Clearly this para detail says decorations are condemned by modernist movement

While solving these questions try to get the most likely answer choice.

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18 Apr 2024, 07:23

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Question 2

Su7sH

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MartyMurray

Q2:

I want to eliminate “D - employ unusual materials to express an architectural concept” but the last line of third paragraph

“…..thus encouraging the very impurity and heterogeneity the modernist movement condemned” is confusing me.

Will you please help me? Thank you! 🎉

The bit that you've quoted does say that the modernists were against "heterogeneity" (or diversity). An example is given earlier, when it is mentioned that banks and churches look alike.

But does that correlate with answer choice (D) for question 2? Take another look at the exact language of that option:

Quote:

(D) [It can be inferred from the passage that, because Modern architects of the 1950’s believed that “Less is more”, buildings they designed were NOT likely to] employ unusual materials to express an architectural concept

"Unusual" materials doesn't mean the same thing as "heterogenous" materials. You could have a whole bunch of "unusual" materials that are very similar to one another, and therefore not heterogenous. So the quotation you've pulled from the passage doesn't necessarily imply that modernists only use "normal" materials.

Additionally, we know that modernists used any "design and construction effort" necessary to make buildings appear simple. It could be that they used really strange materials -- that's fine, as long as the final product looks plain.

That's why we can eliminate (D) for question 2.

I hope that helps!

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