TOWN BUILDING

INTRODUCTION
Town Planning through the ages
Putrajaya
What is a town?
In many areas the term town and city are interchangeable, as size and cultural history
determined which name is applied;
Town: Small communities with populations below 50, 000
City : larger population
Villages: population less that 500
Ancient World EGYPT
The ancient world principles and urban planning is a cause of inspiration that inspired the Neo-Egyption style of the
1930s and then Post Modernism
In town planning and architecture style of the ancient civilization, Egypt showed the strengthening of the elites
Power and rule from the Priests and Pharaoh with the construction of temples and massive castles and pyramids
(Mumford, 1965)
The use of mythical reasoning that is neutral in planning for use of both ideological and political
Egyptian towns in Thebes had wide roads that were planned in geometric form for religious purposes and for
Governance celebrations
Town planning had no social benefits and not democratic or caused of social justice
Most building settles were built near water sources, good linkages and land cultivation for community use
Rivers are the ideal location for towns to develop where bridges can be built to link towns.
Ancient World EGYPT
Many old civilization built public building using local materials such as stones.
Since old times till the Industrial Revolution, each town and countries have their own regional architecture and
styles that are
Built using local resouces, needs, cultural developmenet and climatic response
Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Senenmut, Deir el-Bahri,1460 BC
Classical World GREEK
The Greek civilization is the source of idea and philosophy of the Western world.
The classical style of 3 capital columns; Doric, Ionic and Corinthian is thought as the true architecture style
Doric Ionic Corinthian
The Greeks were the early city planning theorists and the planning are seen in their city state within their
constituency
Most road in the Greek era used the Grid System to link each road to places and interlock with roads that
follow the sites context such as the building of amphitheaters on hill sides.
Classical World GREEK
The Greek town characters: centered Agora (market), Stoa (public buildings), systematic drainage system, water
system and general cleanliness
Classical World GREEK
The quality of a civilization is recognize by how the society treats its waste Lewis Mumford 1965
Athens architecture has influenced many architects for generations
The Parthenon is Agrapolis (Centre of the city) Harmony, Hierarchy and Perfect proportion
Many European towns replicates the architectural styles that is though as classical elegance
Greek Parthenon
Classical World ROMAN
The Roman architecture and planning has greatly influenced architecture for many decades after
The Roman style perfected the classical era by changing to decorative extravagance while its architecture are
clean and simple
The Roman empire built city planning from the use of its army which includes city planners, civil engineers and
architects
The Roman town were more organized than the Greeks where Towns are organized in Grid with the city center
known as Forum, with city amenities like Public Baths, laterines and Arenas
The exist zoning in the city where land use were based on
nobility and civilians job from shop keepers to
industrial land and the slaves
Roman achitectural feat : Arches, Domes
Coliseum in Rome is an example of arch construction
Coliseum
Classical World ROMAN
ROME TOWN CHARACTER:
The aqueduct and viaduct use spread to whole of Europe and North Africa with clean water supplies, great
plumbing system and systematic road network
Roman urban planning is an empires tool where the city is administrative governance to control the people
The Roman town and its road system each linking to one another is the foundation for land use and
loci for Britain town and city planning
Classical World ROMAN
MEDIEVAL TOWN
Medieval rise
After Rome left Britain, the community moved back to the villages and the town functions as administrative
and market place and not part of the Roman empire.
The Norman Empire rose in Britain by William Conqueror in 1066, and had impacted the land use there
The British class structure also change and establishing he feudal system in the community.
The Church became more powerful in governing the nation, government and people.
Constructions of abbeys, churches and cathedrals grew rampant with opening of new markets and squares that
became a part of the Church authority
MEDIEVAL TOWN
Paris Town
MEDIEVAL TOWN
Other amenities such as carpenters home, dwellings, stables and markets were built near a well of water and
junction
Road follows walkable routes and had no organization and grids like the famed Roman cities.
Without planning, the town and cities sprouted organically to suit its needs and does not benifit the people in town
without
structure.
Example: a town is set up next to a river and small paths follows and develope into roads that meets a bridge where
the people will build houses along the road.
Middle ages RENAISSANCE TOWN
The Churchs influence in city states slowly decrease especially in Italy where business thrives and merchants
gain more control in the city.
Renaissance period was birthed from the idea of Greek and Roman revivalism instead of mythical believe that
controlled the peoples living.
High use of classical architecture in the building of public buildings and castles to symbolize the business feat.
City planning grew in Italian town and cities with rebuilding city centers.
Squares was built and became informal centers and gathering
Mont S. Michel, France, 13
th
Century and later
Middle ages RENAISSANCE TOWN
Most Mediterranean planning follows this function of
squares as place and node of gathering like outdoor
licing rooms for the people
Town and city planning in Renaissance Italy was
designed for military security purposes.
Renaissance ideal cities inspired by Vitruvius
(15th-16th c.)
1. Filarete,
2. 2. Fra Giocondo,
3. 3. Girolamo Maggi,
4. 4. Giorgio Vasari,
5. 5. Antonio Lupicini,
6. 6. Daniele Barbaro,
7. 7. Pietro Cattaneo,
8. 8/9 di Giorgio Martini.
Courtesy of Marten Kuilman
Middle ages RENAISSANCE TOWN
City centers became public squares, use of military marches and fiesta; religious march and fiesta
Perspective art techniques for articulating spaces and depth in art pieces are adapated in town planning.
Narrow streets are created with statues and townscape feature are placed strategically to indicate the vanishing
point in the 3 dimension perception of space.
St Peter's Basilica
Middle ages RENAISSANCE TOWN
VENICE PLANNING became the exemplar of planning design for modern town
Character:
Piazza planning with seperation grid of walkable street and mobile street where there exists mostly canals.
In the beginning, Venice was a network of swarms and small islands that was built into canal straight.
These small islands has central wells in the piazza, where fresh water are extracted from the ground.
Neighborhoods are developed centralized upon the well. This theory of community development became the model
theory
for town planner and theorist for centuries after it.
Architectural styles consists of classical, gothic and Islamic Mediterranean.
Venice style is replicated in the Victorian age where the Byzantine architecture was adapted in Britains Bristol.
In Rome, the Renaissance period greatly influnced the town planning and Renaissance architecture which later
followed by Baroque and Rococo
Many spaces in squares and between building uses Baroque planning and architecture
The obelisk is placed in the middle of a square as the center for avenues and radial planning.
Middle ages RENAISSANCE TOWN
VENICE PLANNING
Palmanova, in the area of Venice
Middle ages RENAISSANCE TOWN
There exists no consideration for poor people or industrial plot within this type of planning. Nor does it solve
traffic problems.
The Renaissance outlook then became the model throughout Europe that exemplifies strength and stability of the
government.
Most of Europe was frequently redeveloped with boulevard, squares, fountains, statues, triumphal arches to
exentuate the Rennaissance character.
Town Planning/Urban Planning is an art form that aspiration of the merchant class as well as the Bourgeoisie
that existed in thatperiod (conclusion of town planning in Europe within the
16th-19th century)
Source: Greed, C. (1985), Introduction Town Planning, Longman
Arc de Triomphe
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
Georgian
Georgian planning and architecture was developed through Renaissance era in Europe
Georgian style mixes the Renaissance influence with other Northern European styles especially
during King George the 1
st
.
The Dutch developed this style in domestic dwellings due to the savings, cleanliness and puritanical
Style of symmetry, evident in the houses in Amsterdam.
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
Georgian
England:
Expensive stones in Britain, only big houses use this style as stones had to be imported from
Holland and Belgium.
After the great London fire in 1666, the town could be developed systematically with this style as
theme.
Townhouses sprouted in London with Dutch, Classical styles with emphasis on symmetry, shashed
Windows, triangles pediments and columns
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
Georgian
The garden in Georgian style was influenced by piazzas in Italy, where the house has a front lawn with
plastered path thought to be the same as village house so they developed the courtyard back garden.
(The BEGINNING OF GARDEN CITY)
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
Georgian + Victorian
London prospered and progressed during the Georgian era and became the capital of Britain in the 19
th
century.
The overall town was developed in Georgian and Victorian style where slowly town planning takes shape.
John Nash design town houses in Regents park formerly land belonging to King George IV.
Later developments The Grand Design: Clarence House, Soho, Mayfair, Traflgar Square, the Mall, Piccadily Circus,
Oxford Circus and Bukingham palace.
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
Georgian + Victorian
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
Georgian + Victorian
Then swimming became fashionable for high class citizens where amusements parks are built : Regency Pavilion
in Brighton
With the creation of Trains, these places were made available for working class Londoners and others where
the high-class all gather in South of France
Regency Pavilion in Brighton
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
Georgian
Bath was a famous Spa Town, a town first developed for tourist attraction.
Famed after Queen Ann healed her rheumatism ther in 1720
Character
Bath has row townhouse with gardens and crescent in Georgian style and classical styles
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
Victorian
CHARACTER:
Victorian style is eclectic drawing in historical precedence of Gothic, Classical, but with empires
influence from India, Orientalist, and Egyptian
This style was rejected after the development of modern movement where the architecture is more
pure, fucntional and truth.
During this era, the style had significantly planned the urban fabric :
Villas
Town houses
Heated houses
Dwelling for working class
The industrial revolution also developed rapidly the town planning. Mayors use the benefits of
industrialization and revolutionized Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool with Public Halls, Library and
galleries.
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
VICTORIAN
During this era, the community segregated in social and economic classes where high class, middle class and
Working class use different routes to go to work etc. For example: a wool weaver will never meet a high class
lord because she/he does not enter the Commerce Distric. Even if the low class enters this area, they are not
permited into an art gallery etc.
Many Victorian style came out during the industrialization era : train station, public building, workers quaters
with ornemental and embellished designed facades
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
VICTORIAN
Trains stations was designed like a cathedral to placate peoples fear by making them feel safe like in
a church
Slowly there is a distinct rejection of Victorial extravagant style as compared to Georgian styles
Midland Grand 1865
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
MODERN MOVEMENT
Near the 20th century, architects rejected the heavy ornamentation, eclecticism of the town and
reach a purer architecture.
During this era, there were many other styles Art Noveau, Neo-Georgian, neo-Egyptian dan art deco,
Tudor etc.
After the World War 2 Functionality and Utility became fashionable where architects sought more
purer form.
Continuous of shortage of resources make Functional Modern widely accepted.
Prefab was also widely used to house temporary houses
60ssaw the Real Estate rose and land price increases due to Land Control laws repelled
easing the reconstruction and restructuring of towns, office blocks and public housing systems.
saw the architecture movement making people accept traditional architecture and inspirations.
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
MODERN MOVEMENT
70sBton brut: Architectural concrete left unfinished or roughly-finished after pouring and left
exposed visually. It flourished as a part of the brutalist architecture of the 60s and 70s and influenced
to create structural expressionism as steel structures became more advanced and practical.
Typified by pure geometrical forms clad with sleek curtain- an articulated structure that
expressed the internal functions of the buildings in rugged, cantilevered concrete
forms. Hovering over the broad brick plaza, the City Hall was designed to create an
open and accessible place for the city's government. The architects sought to create a
bold statement of modern civic democracy- which was, at that time, in desperate need
of reinvention, investment, and vision. (Wikipedia)
Boston City Hall, Massachusetts
(December 2011)
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
MODERN MOVEMENT
80s+ 90s architecture was known as the contemporary period with
Conservative
Neo Georgian
was adapted for office and housing blocks.
High-tech was also contemporary modern
Pompidou Center, Paris by Richard Rogers
Lloyds Building London, Norman Foster
GEORGIAN, VICTORIAN & MODERN MOVEMENT
MODERN MOVEMENT
Zoning is also introduced in planning where High-Tech building are zoned for city/urban centers and
administrative areas, science centers to protect the image of smaller towns.
During this period there was also the Post Modernist movement that added character to town/city
architecture.
TOMORROWS MOVEMENT?
SUSTAINIBILTY + GREEN
SCARCITY
Urban Pattern 6
th
Edition. Simon Eisner. Arthur Gallion and Stanley Eisner
Source: Greed, C. (1985), Introduction Town Planning, Longman
http://www.spur.org/publications/article/2012-11-09/grand-reductions-10-diagrams-
changed-city-planning
REFERENCES