classism vs modernism

Reflections of the Ancient - Modern Quarrel

The program is designed to refresh the practitioner in the fundemental roots of architecture. Day to day practice has an insidious way of neutralizing the philosophic and ideological positions on architecture. This program will remind and recall two opposite positions on architecture - the classic/traditional and the modern/iconoclastic. Viewing these two positions clearly will assist the practicing architect in applying questions of theory in day to day practice.

Each position will be eloquently stated by internationally known architects who have worked within the philosophical roots of their position. They not only will discuss how their work and clients have advanced their positions, they will also discuss how they make their positions a physical reality. Regulations of governing authorities, materials and methods of construction and budget all have an effect.

Date: October 29, 2003

Location: Princeton University

Program Speakers:

Paul Goldberger
Pulitzer Prize winning architectural critic for the New York Times, and the New Yorker. He will establish the context and moderate the discussion between architectural classicism and modernism.

Thomas Gordon Smith, AIA
Founder of Thomas Gordon Smith Architects, and professor and former chairman of the School of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame. He published Classical Architecture: Rule and Invention, a polemic for the revival of classical precepts and forms. As a Midwest classicist, he will discuss the current state of the world and how tradition and classicism should affect the way we design and
practice architecture.

Thomas Mayne, AIA
Founder of Morphosis, and The Southern California Institute for Architecture, in the early 1970's "to develop an architecture that would eschew the normal bounds of traditional forms and materials and surpass the limiting dualism of modern and postmodern." As a west coast iconoclastic architect he will discuss the current state of the world and how societal and zeitgeist influences should affect the way we design and practice.