Traditionalism in High-Rise Construction

When in our reviews we dwelt on architectural and stylistic features of skyscrapers that were built in different parts of the world, we tried to emphasize certain distinctive features and specifics of tall buildings and their distinguishing guises, inherent to selected countries. Describing the stylistic diversity of modern buildings and their designs, we focused on the general methods of this or that trend. However, speaking about the terms, which are important for understanding the principles of how this field develops, we cannot ignore two more global approaches to the skyscrapers construction that are constantly present in the world’s high-rise building and either dominate or withdraw within the architectural mainstream.

The concepts of historicism and traditionalism have a very wide range of treatments in architecture and arts, therefore we should be more specific about what falls within the scope of our attention in the first place. In a broad philosophical sense the traditionalism is a world outlook that turns the legacy of the culture into a positive tradition; here remoteness becomes the main value (ref.: the Encyclopedia on “Architecture and Urbanism”, Moscow, “Stroyizdat”, 2001, ed. by A. V. Ikonnikov, p. 591).

Apperceive traditionalism does not protect the familiar old, but some general principles that are considered fundamental and immutable. In architecture traditionalism is meant to use stylistic and compositional techniques specific to a certain period, trend or local tradition supporting them in the real practice. Traditionalism can be aimed at strengthening the trends left from an earlier period of the current culture. Thus, traditionalism can be directed either at the preservation of the existing tradition, or at the search of historical prototypes, i.e. at the restoration of the partially lost tradition (archaic styles). Conservative traditionalism is aimed at strengthening the existing principle in architecture; whereas obsolescent traditionalism, on the contrary, is aimed at its destruction that clears space for recovery.

Historicism that focuses on reviving and repeated using of techniques of architectural projects that are no longer relevant operates within an even deeper level of time penetration. “Trends that come from the restoration of already extinct traditions that are based on the historic memory belong to the category of historicism.” In highrise construction historicism is clearly used as a “way to refer to the architecture of the past to solve the issues of the present” (ibid, p. 254).

Full content of this issue you can read here

The full version of the article can be read in our printed issue, also you can subscribe to the web-version of the magazine

Text by MARIANNA MAEVSKAYA