Bunnie’s Blog

Is London Postmodern?

Postmodernism is a term used to describe a change in social and cultural movements that led to ‘artistic, architectural and intellectual ideas that directly promoted postmodern values, aesthetics and ways of thinking’ (Hamnett 2005: 427). Postmodernist thinking came around in the 1960’s and 1970’s and is literally the derivative of the Modernist movement. Nevertheless, postmodernism means different things to different people and thus it’s definition is highly contested.

Postmodernism in architecture has been characterized by the revival of ornaments and pillars such as those similar to Rome and Ancient Greece (Jones and Woodard: 567), high ceilings and generally more creativity and experimentation. Architects often became ‘playful if not exuberant [as they] aimed to create confusion by overlapping and juxtaposing in contiguous spaces and many different aesthetic styles’ (Woodard and Johns: 567).

When walking down a street in London it is quite likely that you will see buildings and spaces from different architectural periods. These buildings are built for varying purposes e.g. housing or commercial and also send differing messages. However, there seems to be an increase in the volume of postmodern buildings especially for economic purposes. One example of postmodern architecture is the City Hall in London.

The City Hall is distinctive for it’s round shape which was picked to improve the it’s energy efficiency. The building has various colors, the windows alter in geometric shape and inside the building there are oval spiral staircases (see images above). Straight away one gets an indication that this building is far different from modern buildings which were usually straight, practical and perhaps dull. By contrast, the city hall building is rather flamboyant, noticeable and certainly built to achieve more then it’s initial purpose – literally and aesthetically.

Other examples of postmodern architecture in London are seen by the Lloyds building, the Gherkin, the MI5 building and the fore-coming Shard building. Furthermore, it is evident that more and more buildings in London are postmodern, however, this does not necessarily imply London is postmodern. There is more to postmodernism then just architecture, for example, the economy.

London’s economy is arguably post-Fordist as capitalism enhances and there is specialization of workers and jobs, increased diversity of workers e.g. more woman entering the working force and ultimately market forces are governed by the free market.  David Harvey (1989: 286) suggests that some of the consequences of post-fordism is the changing pattern of consumption like the ‘volatility and ephemerality of fashions, products, ideas and ideologies…[such as ] fast-food meals and other satisfactions. David Harvey (1989: 284) describes the consequences of this transition as the ‘Time-space compression and the postmodern condition’. Firstly, in London fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s are highly prevalent and perhaps even the nature of life has become quick, formal and instantaneous. Secondly, the labour force has diversified with regards to sex and ethnic background and thirdly specialization in jobs has become very important.

In conclusion, it seems that architecture in London has certainty taken the stance on being increasingly postmodern, in addition, so does the economy. However, here I have only briefly explored two conditions of postmodernism (the economy and architecture) and hence I feel it is unfitting to state that London is postmodern, but it is clear that an increasingly number of features are becoming postmodern.

References

Harvey, D. (1989) The Condition of Postmodernity, Oxford: Blackwell.

Jones, J.P. and K. Woodard (2009) ‘The dictionary of human geography’, in Gregory, D., R. Johnston., G.    Pratt., M.J. Watts and S. Whatmore (eds) The Dictionary of Human Geography, Oxford: Wiley – Blackwell, 567.

Hamnett, C. (2005) ‘Urban Forms’, in Cloke, P., P. Crang and M.Goodwin (eds) Introducing Human Geographies, Oxford: Hodder Education, 425- 438.

Natalie’s post

It is claimed that ‘most cities have, by now, been tainted or blessed by postmodern architecture’ where there has been a ‘departure from the modern style’ of architecture. But the overall end and aims of postmodernism are unclear as ‘no destination was specified for the departure, but this central ambiguity was part of the seductiveness of postmodernism’. (Dear 2000: 33)

London’s prominence or importance can be, I feel, perpetuated by the role of buildings and architecture because ‘buildings are important flagships of urban regeneration’ as their size and design become ‘major icons of prestige’ (Hall 2006: 90). In London between the 1960’s and 1980’s as container shipments were closed and downstream depots were expanded, area around Tower Bridge were closed down. This allowed huge potential for redevelopment and regeneration in the form of architectural innovation in the Docklands area.

Image 1- The Lloyds Building

Whilst modern architecture is based on rational, practical and scientific principles whilst postmodern architecture rejects the concept of style in itself. Even more postmodernism relishes mixing different styles and forms, culminating in creations such as the famously iconic Lloyd’s building. The Lloyd’s building is situated in the historic heart of the City of London and was developed in the 1970’s by architect Richard Rogers in order to ‘cater for the needs of the market into the 21st century, facilitating the flexible expansion and contraction of the underwriting space in line with the future market trends’. As Image 1 shows the sky-scraper is encased on its outside by spiral forms, steel tubes and crosses which fuse with spherical shapes on each the storeys attaching to asymmetrical facades on the front of the building, tell tale characteristics of Rogers’ designs. A symptom of postmodernism here is that the symbols are incorporated in a way that deprives them of their original meaning, like the cross symbol on the building losing its religious connotations. In this way there is no deeper meaning and a new style in itself has emerged representing a virtual reality. It is this ‘spectacular, futuristic, ornate’ style which is consistent with such ‘flagship projects of urban regeneration’ which suggest ‘a progressive, dynamic city on the move’ (Hall 2006: 93).  According to Hannigan, a city is postmodern if it is constructed around ‘virtual reality and the thrill of the spectacle’ (Hannigan 2005: 4).

It has been an increasing trend that the image of a city or business can be represented fully by its state of architecture, or its portrayal to the consumer or society. ‘Dynamic images of places as good business locations have become a cornerstone of modern urban promotion’. It is no longer the mundane attributes of a location or building that its important it is the buildings ability to be ‘dramatic and highly visual’ (Hall 2006: 90). In this case the Lloyd’s building is a multifaceted and fragmented which leads the consumer or investor to believe that the Lloyd’s brand is one which is reliable and stable.

In the 1980’s London architecture scene, Richard Rogers and Norman Foster were leaders in their fields desiring to change the Modern Movement from its fallen position, focusing particularly in the corporate sector. With the Lloyds Building, Rogers wanted to respect the context of the City in which the building exists as well as holding up modernist elements such as open plan, glass partitions and a central atrium. As with a lot of architecture of the postmodern era particular elements of previous designs or past architecture are often involved into the building, in this the impressive Lutine Bell dwells in the main atrium. The building is incredibly flexible which is important considering it stands in one of the most economically influential yet dynamic parts of the capital city.

Postmodern ‘architectural symbols and public art’ give particular areas a specific ‘aura’ which isolates them for a ‘narrow, socially homogenous public’(Hall 2004). I would agree with this statement and translating it in into the context of London where walking through parts of the City of London feels incredibly different from other areas that are geographically very close, for example Hackney. This feeling is heightened by the symbolic architecture of the City of London which feels very homogenous like the people who inhabit that area in the everyday context.

This kind of postmodern architecture found across the City of London including Canary Wharf and the Gherkin building is typical of a process of gentrification expressed through postmodern architecture which promotes individual identity which must be either ‘provided by the developer or through a variety of symbolic ornaments applied thereafter by the owner’ (Harvey 1989: 270).

References

Dear, M. (2000) The Postmodern Urban Condition Oxford, Blackwell

Hall, T. (2004) ‘Art and urban regeneration’, in Blunt, A., Gruffudd, P., May, J., Ogburn, M. and Pinder, D. (eds) Cultural Geography in Practice, London: Arnold

Hall, T. (2006) Urban Geography Abingdon, Routledge

Hannigan, J. (1998) Fantasy City: Pleasure and Profit in the Postmodern Metropolis London, Routledge

Harvey, D. (1989) The Urban Experience Maryland, The John Hopkins University Press

Megan’s Entry

Postmodernism has been notoriously hard to define, as postmodern designs seem to fit no particular mould and challenge notions of what we perceive to be part of the ‘everyday’. The development of postmodernism urbanism is often associated with the process of gentrification (DHG 2005), which drew in the capital necessary to allow changes in architectural design where attention to difference was crucial. In this sense postmodern architecture produces a type of ‘symbolic capitalism’ (Harvey 1989:75), that highlights curiosity, fetishness and stylishness unlike any other. The architectural characteristics of postmodern development reflect the postmodern culture that has developed around it; a culture in which old systems of modernist development have been transcended and social polarisation seems to have increased (Soja 2000).  Thus, it is important to highlight that postmodernism can be viewed negatively, as it ‘tends to disengage urban space from its dependence on functions’ (Colquhoun 1985 cited in Harvey 1989: 304). Therefore, postmodern forms architecturally and spatially threaten our capacity to control, leading to an increased sense of being ungovernable.

The postmodern architectural example I have chosen to focus my discussion on is Peckham Library. It is located in the London borough of Southwark and was designed by the architects, William Alsop and Jan Stormer. It was opened to the public in the year 2000. There are two images below that show the Peckham library; I would say the first image is of the front of the library, and the preceding image of the coloured back of the library, however being typically postmodernist, I’m not sure which image represents the front and which one represents the back. If it was not for the library sign suspended on to the top of the library, the very function and purpose of the building would still be a mystery. Thus, we can see how postmodernism aims to break from modernism dependence of form and function, that valued practicality, to a form that creates uncertainty and prefers to project an exuberant air. However, some elements of modernism can be seen within postmodernism design. Although Peckham library is an example of a stunning architectural design, it still offers the function of a new multimedia facility for a deprived community. As Soja (1995 in Watson & Gibson 1995) states, postmodernism does not aim to outrightly reject modernism and thus, still uses elements of modernism to create something new and innovative. 

Image 1 of Peckham Library at Night

Image 2 of Peckham Library

For some the architectural challenge posed by Peckham Library is too much. Germaine Greer, a renowned writer for the Guardian, believes ‘its top-heaviness seems to court catastrophe. I like my libraries durable, stable, serene…’ (12th February 2007). However, some elements of the library inside are serene. It has three enclosed quiet pods that are located on stilts (as shown below), that all provide different functions allowing people with similar interests to be grouped together, whilst still leaving space for people to study below them. Admittedly, Peckham library does strongly reflect the tastes of the architects involved in its design, however it also ‘lies at the heart of the regeneration of the centre of Peckham, and public consultation was a crucial part of the design process’ (Guardian, 27th November 2000). Rather than reinforcing social-spatial segregation, as the pessimists of postmodernism claim postmodernist architecture to do, it actually helps to integrate the community and creates a popular centre for many citizens to come together socially. The figures highlight this for themselves:

• It attracts over 35,000 visitors per month, 9% above the target set by the council
• Membership of the library is higher than the borough average for all age groups up to 44 years old
• Of the teenage population, 15-19 years old, there is 14% membership, twice the average for Southwark
• The 25 PC’s terminals record a 94% usage (Spring 2009)

Image 3 of Peckham Library – inside

Postmodernism most certainly represents a ‘mutation in built space itself’ (Jameson 1984 cited in Watson & Gibson 1995: 115), yet the fact that postmodernism embraces difference, therefore segregating certain groups is shown not to inherently be the case, as with Peckham library. It actually encourages an urban social cohesive identity that brings locals together. The paradox that architectural diversity can bring a community together is evident, even though the stereotypical image of a postmodern life contradicts this. The image created by popular theorists, such as Harvey and Soja, that postmodernism capitalism is merely the privilege of an urban elite, a privilege that cannot be controlled and one which thrives on appearance rather than function, is not necessarily associated with architectural projects that have an inherent social value, such as Peckham library, showing that assumptions cannot be made purely by observations of aesthetics.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Building; Spring, M. (2009) ‘Will Alsop’s Peckham library revisited’ (WWW), London: Building, (http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3136504; 24^th February 2010)

Harvey, D. (1989) The Condition of Postmodernity, Oxford: Blackwell.

Johnston, R. et al (2005) The Dictionary of Human Geography, Oxford: Blackwell.

Soja, E. (2000) Postmetropolis: Critical Studies of Cities and Regions, Oxford: Blackwell.

Watson, S. And K. Gibson (1995) Postmodern Cities and Spaces, Oxford: Blackwell.