Whats the next big Architectural style?
 

Ive always wondered about this. by,say 2020 what will buildings look like? will they be soaked in glass and metalics like now? will it be a jetsons like style? could there be a rebirth of old classics,like Art Deco or Postmodern? what do you invision as architecture moves further into time?

perssonally I think it will be rebirth of old classics with modern twists to them,but only time can tell,in the end.

Organic and Green Structural Expressionism. Things will be based off organic forms and increased efficiency. I think it will be a revival of Structural Expressionism with different rules of what a structure does. Instead of just holding up the building, the form will now help to keep the building cool and various other greening tasks. Some examples of this are coming out of Studio Gang in Chicago with Aqua and Solstice on the Park being the primary highrise examples. We will also see buildings being constructed on cues from nature since many of natures forms are the most efficient. Calatrava gives some examples of this, though his work is not as pure as I think we may see. (the shapes take cues from nature, but the actual structure often does not in his work).

The other big thing in Architecture will be an increase in the use of computers as design tools. You can see this used in conjunction with Green Structural Expressionism, again in Aqua and Solstice on the Park. Both were imagined by humans, but refined into higher efficacy by computers...

Perhaps Structural Expressionism isn't the greatest term to refer to this, but it is certainly the architectural precursor to the buildings and style I am talking about.

;)

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...pagoda_big.jpg

Perfect. :cool: Couldn't agree more.

That is usually the route styles take. Simple basic at first, then it grows to be ever more intricate and organic (in later parts of this stage the elements cover everything, becomes "gaudy") , then the style "fractures" (using pieces of the evolved style framing blank spaces), then a new style forms.

You can almost see that with the "curved spire" form. First you saw simple glass skyscrapers with a bit of a twist, then you saw them twisted even more, and the latest example is the very twisted and organic looking Chicago Spire.

Whats interesting is that it appears to me that there are at least 2 general styles and a style that mixes the two. There is the box form with different variations of sharp, distinct linear boxes and rectangles.. then there is the curvy, sensual form. They could both continue to evolve and become more intricate and organic. Will be interesting to see.

Yep, nature's spent millions of years perfecting efficient structures, we have a lot to learn. But I don't think it'll be all shiny glass. Brick is a cheaply made material and a good insulator. I see it sticking around for a while.

On the social dynamic end, I don't see anyone predicting a return to cheap oil. By 2020 our love of the automobile may be at an end. Hopefully that means the end of the parking podium as a required design element in every single building.

I'd love to see us getting back to basics, building solid stretches of streetwall, condos over first floor retail without gaps and curb cuts. In northern climates like NY and Chicago, sharing walls between buildings dramatically cuts exposed area and heating requirements. That efficiency is going to be important.

Green Expressionism does seem like a good guess, be it structural or sculptural.

Also, considering we're in the midst of Neo Modernism right now, it can only be a matter of time before Neo Post Modernism rears its head.

Please no.

Uhh..it already has. Its a nightmare.

I think alot of the architectural styles we use today will still be produced, except we'll see a higher percentage of wacky and weird proposals coming out of the woodwork like with what we're already seeing starting to happen.

Such as this............................





http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...aNew4small.jpg

^^^ I have to say that we will see two main prongs of modernism, the first, Dubai Modernism, "lets do it because we can" 3rd world modernism, which I think will ultimately be a failure. It will fail because it will be a sign of waste in what is coming to be a time where we all must become more conservative with our behavior. There is no need to build gigantic cantilevers (CCTV) for no reason other than it looks cool when that money could be put into making the building use less resources... This is not revolutionary and leads nowhere other than to even more ridiculous designs... Its no more than pure exhibitionism which, in architecture, almost always leads to failure in the long run...

The second I think will be the expressionism I mentioned above which will probably be as successful and revolutionary as early modernism itself was. It will share the same philosophy of form follows function. The only reason we will deviate from old modernism is that our function parameters and technology will change, completely altering the end result...

I'm pushing for a continuation of Classical * Revival Revival :)

I actually tend to agree. In a future of ever-increasing oil costs people will trend towards increasingly local designs and materials. Combined with the inherent efficiency of traditional building materials, I think we will see quite a bit of newly constructed traditional architecture - which I think will be a great benefit to neighborhoods and communities.

I wouldn't mind seeing a return to things like load-bearing masonry walls, in fact. Read Quinlan Terry's articles on the superiority of these designs from a "green" perspective.

Well ideally for the streetscape we cannot continue to build garbage retail/commercial that is built for one tenant only such as the old Wal Marts or other chain stores. The buildings are not easily reused and have limited lifespans...and are not built up to the street for walkability.