Modern Architecture

Modern architecture is a style found in the buildings that have simple form without any ornamental structures to them. This style of architecture first came up around 1900. By 1940, modern architecture was identified as an international style and became the dominant way to build for many decades in the 20th century. Modern architects apply scientific and analytical methods to design.

Many historians relate the origins of this style of architecture to the social and political revolution of the time, though others see modern architecture as primarily driven by technological and engineering developments. The availability of new materials such as iron, steel, concrete, and glass brought about new building techniques as part of the industrial revolution. Some regard modern architecture as a reaction against ancient building style. Above all, it is widely accepted as a matter of taste.

For the international style, the most commonly used materials are glass for the facade, steel for exterior support, and concrete for the floors and interior supports. The floor plans are functional and logical. But, many people are not fond of the modern style. They find its stark, uncompromisingly rectangular geometrical designs quite inhumane. They think this universal style is sterile, elitist, and lacks meaning.

Modern architecture challenged traditional ideas about the types of structures suitable for architectural design. Only important civic buildings, aristocratic palaces, churches, and public institutions had long been the mainstay of architectural practices. But, modernist designers argued that architects should design everything that was necessary for society, even the most humble buildings.

Architects began to plan low-cost housing, railroad stations, factories, warehouses, and commercial spaces. In the first half of the 20th century, modern architects produced furniture, textiles, and wallpaper - as well as designing houses - to create a totally designed domestic environment. The aesthetics used by modern architects celebrated function in all forms of design, from household furnishings to massive ocean liners and new flying machines.

Modern architecture originated in the United States and Europe and spread across the rest of the world. The characteristic features that made modern architecture possible were buildings, stylistic movements, technology, and modern materials.

Architecture provides detailed information on Architecture, Architecture Designs, Architecture Schools, Landscape Architecture and more. Architecture is affiliated with Residential Architects.

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By Kristy Annely

Laminated Glass in Modern Architecture

The usage of glass is inevitable in changing construction trend and modern architecture. The style and elegance of glass are most evident in the design of skyscrapers and modern buildings. The orderly arranged glass walls and steel structures are the characteristics of high tech architecture.

Architectural glass is used as glazing material for the facet of the building, windows and in internal partitions. These glasses are of safety type of toughened, reinforced and laminated glasses to resist environmental stresses like hurricanes, bomb blasts, fire arms, high winds and impact of other objects.

The laminated safety glass plays an important role in protecting these impacts of natural and man made disasters. This laminated glass is a type of safety glass that holds together when shattered and offers resistance to the penetration of objects. It is produced by bonding two or more layers of toughened glass together with a plastic layer inside so that it ensures high impact resistance. It protects people outside or inside the building from consequential damage following an explosion

If the laminated glass had not been invented, most of the modern architecture would not exist. Getting more daylight into buildings has several advantages. Research indicate that increased day light helps the people more productive at work and also aid in physical and psychological recovery in hospitals by allowing daylight into buildings. This new technology of coatings gives high performance, low reflectivity and high transmission of light. This can be achieved by using laminated glass.

In tall buildings the two layers of laminated glass facilitates solar control and natural ventilation. It can also significantly reduce noise from the street as well as control solar energy transmittance. Most significantly, these laminated glasses can reduce up to 98% of UV radiation. Fading away of fabrics, such as curtains, carpeting and furnishings that are exposed to sunlight entering buildings through the windows, are mainly due to the Ultra-violet energy from the sun.

Glass strengthening systems Inc; is the pioneer in this industry and they have more than twenty five years of experience in this field and have distributors in all over the world. They manufacture a micro-thin transparent polycarbonate laminate which turns regular glass into barriers that can resist the force of small firearms, bombs, high impact projectiles, and severe weather such as hurricanes. They are having world wide customers who are very much satisfied with the products and demanding more of the products for their safety and security.

We, GNG associates, are of the authorized distributor for Glass strengthening systems, Inc. We wish for the safety and betterment of the lives of the people residing over India. We are proud to be the distributor of GSS products which have worldwide reputation.

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By Christopher Devadoss

10 World Wonders Of Modern Architecture

The end of the XXth century was marked with the architectural boom. Grand erections similar to ancient constructions classified as the wonders of the world began to arise one by one all over the globe. Many of them became the places of tourist pilgrimage even while not being completed. Ten of such projects have already gained the worldwide fame.

Great Egyptian museum in Giza.

Great Egyptian museum in Giza is about the same architectural wonder as the Giza pyramids themselves. As a matter of fact, it is the basis of architectural development of modern civilization. It is a massive row of chambers enfolding the scenery, with triangular roofs like in pyramids. The space of the largest archaeological museum in the world exceeds thousands of square meters.

The Tate Modern art gallery in London.

The Tate Modern art gallery in London is the largest-scale gallery in the world. And now the construction of the second 11-story glass building with 23 thousand square meters of space has been started. It is planned to complete the construction in time for the 2012 Olympics. The use of new areas will allow to solve the problem of over-crowding of the gallery that was visited by 4.9 million people in the year 2006. The cost of the project, designed by Swiss architects, is 215 million pound sterling. The expenses for extension to gallery are expected to be comparable to the main construction bill.

Burj Dubai.

The skyscraper in United Arab Emirates pretends to be the tallest building in the world. There will be the fastest elevators and the “highest” communications. When the construction is completed the final height of Burj Dubai will be more than 700 meters, it will have more than 160 floors. Now the builders work at 484.1 meters height. Interestingly: the weight of concrete used in building construction equals approximately the summarized weight of 100 thousand elephants.

Simon Wiesenthal Museum in Jerusalem.

Simon Wiesenthal Center suggested an idea to create the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem in the year 2002. Famous American architect Frank Gehry developed the model of museum complex. It is situated on the plot of land between “Gan Ha'atzmaut” park and Nahlat Shiva in the West Jerusalem. 120 million dollars were invested in this construction. The museum that is officially called “ Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem” occupies the territory of 14 thousand square meters. It has been built from Hierosolymitan stone with the insertions of titanium allays that is Gehry’s favourite construction material.

The third terminal of the Capital International Airport in Peking.

The country that builds the biggest dam, the longest bridge and the greatest shopping mall just ought to have the most immense construction plot while erecting the largest airport terminal in the hugest airport. The future third terminal will occupy 17 tiers, will stretch for nearly 4 kilometres, will require 35 thousand builders and will be capable of handling 53 million passengers in a year.

Olympic stadium in Peking.

Huge complex will be constructed by the year 2008. Its sizes are impressive: 330 metres lengthwise, 220 metres widthwise, with 62 meters in height, it will hold a 100 thousand persons. Though it is still unclear whether there will be as many lavatories there as for example in the famous Wembley stadium.

Ground Zero Memorial in New York.

Ground Zero is the memorial on the site of the former World Trade Center towers destroyed during terrorist attacks on the 11th of September. The huge construction with the slabs on which all the witnesses and sympathizers sign, now yields in size only to Holocaust memorial. The Tower of Freedom will be as tall as 1776 foots - 541 meters.

MAXXI - National Museum for Contemporary Art in Rome.

Zaha Hadid, the only one lady-architect in the world who won the Pritzker Prize, has designed MAXXI – the Roman Centre for Contemporary Art, it is a sophisticated concrete erection that simultaneously impresses with extravagance and monumentality. It is impossible to measure the length of the building since it has an extremely odd shape; it is even compared to spaghetti.

CCTV - the Chinese Television building in Peking.

CCTV - the Chinese Central Television building - is to be completed by the year 2008. This building – the skyscraper – is impressive due to its unusual shape. Chinese television head quarter will have 500.000 square meters of total space and will become one of the 300 skyscrapers that are to be constructed in the down town of Peking. The estimated cost of the project is 600.000.000 euros. Its infrastructure includes restaurants, hotels and theatres.

The Bishopsgate Tower in London.

It is another skyscraper of unusual configuration. Today it is the largest construction in London’s history. Its height is going to be 288 meters – it was originally proposed to be 307, but civil aviation authority prohibited such height. The tower will become one of the tallest buildings in the whole Europe. Recently the project was renamed The Pinnacle. The date of the construction first phase is planned for the beginning of the year 2008. The building will also be ecological – it will be covered with the solar cell panels.

Iuri Tarabanov writes about interesting travel experiences. His Travel Deals site is http://www.travelime.com

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By Iuri Tarabanov

The Use of Glass in Architecture

Acclaimed architect Bruno Taut said, “If we want our culture to rise to a higher level, we are obligated for better or for worse, to change our architecture. And this only becomes possible if we take away the closed character from the rooms in which we live. We can only do that by introducing glass architecture, which lets in the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars”.

A New Architectural Era
Built in Hyde Park, London to house the Great Exhibition in 1851 the Crystal Palace is commonly considered as a significant turning point in architectural history. This magnificent structure built from steel and glass paved the way for further exploration of glass as an architectural element. The glass sail of the new Milan trade fair and Louvre pyramid are other stunning example of the use of glass as a structural as well as a design element. Other examples of glass architecture include the London Bridge, Agbar and Federazija Towers as well as the Tokyo International Forum.

While the use of glass in construction was previously quite limited to grand designs and office buildings it is starting to become a core structural and design element in many homes. Glass facilitates natural light and opens up rooms allowing smaller spaces to look bigger as well as facilitating a natural indoor/outdoor flow which often enhances the tranquillity as well as the value of your home. Glass is also relatively inexpensive and fully recyclable, an important consideration in the current era of heightened environmental consciousness. Glass use in construction has increased dramatically due to the rapid changes in glass production and technology. Previously glass was thought to be quite a fragile building material and many steered away from it because of this. Modern glass, however, is not only spectacular to look through but it is safer, stronger and energy efficient.

Glass in the home
In the past glass was mainly utilized for windows to allow some air and light in to rooms. Today glass is utilized in the construction of several elements of exterior and interior architecture. Exterior glass architecture includes facades, display windows’ skylights, skywalks, entrances, revolving doors, canopies, winter gardens and conservatories. All of which allow homes to be bathed in natural sunlight with gorgeous outdoor views. Interior glass architecture can be used for staircases, elevated walkways and even as traditional walls. There are some houses in which all of the walls are actually glass. Such high quantities of glass previously compromised other aspects such as the heating and cooling requirements. Often glass architecture would incur high heating costs in winter and cooling costs in summer. Fortunately such great progress has been made in the glass industry that we now have access a variety of different kinds of glass each with fantastic benefits. One such example is glass with spectrally-selective qualities, which allows light to stream into the house without being harmful or degenerative to occupants and their belongings.

Caring for your Glass
To keep your glass looking great and streak free you will need to ensure that it is cleaned often. Try a few different cleaning solutions before you decide which one to use, options vary from store bought to home made solutions. Many use products such as ammonia, vinegar, borax, alcohol or Epsom salts to clean glass. An important point to remember is that when using your own solutions never combine an acid and an alkaline, for example vinegar and ammonia, as they neutralise on another. After washing use a dry cotton towel rather than paper towels or newspaper as they tend to disintegrate and leave deposits on your glass. For a great shine a dry blackboard eraser can be used.

To keep frost from accumulating on exterior windows during the winter, add two cups of antifreeze or rubbing alcohol to each gallon of wash water. For deposits of paint, resin or glue wet the surface and then scrape them off using a razor blade scraper. Take care to scrape in one direction only in order to avoid scratching the surface.

Another option, and a fantastic one at that, is the breakthrough technology that has brought us self-cleaning glass. An ultra-thin coating is applied to the glass during the manufacturing process; this coating has two highly beneficial effects on the glass. First organic residue on the glass broken down by the ultraviolet wavelengths in sunlight then when it rains the dirt is washed off. As the coating is hydrophilic when rain hits the glass, it doesn't form droplets and in turn eradicates streaking. Rain water flows down the glass in a sheet and washes the dirt away. If you don’t have time to wait for the rain a simple garden hose will be just as effective. Self-cleaning glass is making the lives of homeowners far easier and is giving home owners absolutely no reason to hesitate to use of glass in the construction of their homes. What could be better than bright, open rooms with excellent outdoor views facilitated by huge sheets of glass, without having to spend your days cleaning them?

Modern day architectural trends have elevated the way we think about the use of glass in our own homes. It is no longer simply a material for windows and the occasional sliding door; it is a design component in its own right.

With each passing day glass becomes a more important element in architecture not only in grand public structures but also in the lives and homes of families across the world. The beauty of glass lies in its simplicity, it enables us to be enveloped by nature while living comfortably in doors.

Many architects, designers and construction companies recommend Pilkington when it comes to glass. Having been in the glass industry for 179 years, Pilkington is recognised as the world's technological leader in glass. Out of all of their innovative products, Pilkington Activ™ - the world's first self-cleaning glass is one of their greatest products and is an ideal material in glass architecture.

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By Sarah Manners