Southeast Asian Architecture

Modernism
Chomchon Fusinpaiboon
In search of a new world
Schröder House / Gerrit Rietveld (1924)
Modernism
•Newness
•Freedom
•Industrialisation
•Hygiene
•Quality of life
Villa Savoye / Le Corbusier (1929)
Villa Savoye / Le Corbusier (1929)
Villa Savoye / Le Corbusier (1929)
Dom-ino House / Le Corbusier (1914)
Barcelona Pavilion / L. Mies van der Rohe (1929)
Barcelona Pavilion / L. Mies van der Rohe (1929)
Barcelona Pavilion / L. Mies van der Rohe (1929)
WWII / 1939-1945
WWII / 1939-1945
WWII / 1939-1945
WWII / 1939-1945
WWII / 1939-1945
WWII / 1939-1945
WWII / 1939-1945
WWII / 1939-1945
Post-WW II Modernism
Modernism
•Newness
•Freedom
•Industrialisation
•Hygiene
•Quality of life
Farnsworth House, L. Mies van der Rohe (1950)
Farnsworth House, L. Mies van der Rohe (1950)
Farnsworth House, L. Mies van der Rohe (1950)
Crown Hall, IIT, L. Mies van der Rohe (1956)
Crown Hall, IIT, L. Mies van der Rohe (1956)
Crown Hall, IIT, L. Mies van der Rohe (1956)
Seagram Building, L. Mies van der Rohe (1958)
Seagram Building, L. Mies van der Rohe (1958)
Seagram Building, L. Mies van der Rohe (1958)
Unite d’Habitation / Le Corbusier (1946)
Unite d’Habitation / Le Corbusier (1946)
Notre-Dame-du-Haut, Ronchamp / Le Corbusier (1951)
Notre-Dame-du-Haut, Ronchamp / Le Corbusier (1951)
Notre-Dame-du-Haut, Ronchamp / Le Corbusier (1951)
Ste Marie de la Tourette / Le Corbusier (1956)
Ste Marie de la Tourette / Le Corbusier (1956)
Ste Marie de la Tourette / Le Corbusier (1956)
Non-Western Modernisms
1930s – 1950s
Non-Western Modernism
• Newness
• Freedom
• Local culture/tradition
• Climate
• Industrialisation? Local materials?
• Hygiene
• Quality of life
Ministry of Education, Rio de
Janeiro / Lucio Costa (1936)
Ministry of Education, Rio de Janeiro / Lucio Costa (1936)
Parque Guinle, Rio de Janeiro / Lucio Costa (1946)
Parque Guinle, Rio de Janeiro / Lucio Costa (1946)
Parque Guinle, Rio de Janeiro / Lucio Costa (1946)
Itamaraty Palace, Brasilia / Oscar Niemeyer (1960)
Itamaraty Palace, Brasilia / Oscar Niemeyer (1960)
Itamaraty Palace, Brasilia / Oscar Niemeyer (1960)
Palacio do Planalto, Brasilia / Oscar Niemeyer (1960)
Palacio do Planalto, Brasilia / Oscar Niemeyer (1960)
Catedral de Brasilia / Oscar Niemeyer (1960)
Catedral de Brasilia / Oscar Niemeyer (1960)
Brazilian baroque church
Catedral de Brasilia / Oscar Niemeyer (1960)
Hiroshima Peace Memorial / Kenzo Tange (1955)
Hiroshima Peace Memorial / Kenzo Tange (1955)
Kagawa Prefectural Office / Kenzo Tange (1958)
Kagawa Prefectural Office / Kenzo Tange (1958)
Kagawa Prefectural Office / Kenzo Tange (1958)
Kurashiki City Hall / Kenzo Tange (1960)
High Court, Chandigarh / Le Corbusier (1951)
High Court, Chandigarh / Le Corbusier (1951)
Parliament, Chandigarh / Le Corbusier (1951)
Parliament, Chandigarh / Le Corbusier (1951)
Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad / Balkrishna Doshi (1957)
Sangath / Balkrishna Doshi (1979)
Modernisms in the 1960s – 1970s
 Modernisms in the 1960s – 1970s
• Newness
• Freedom
• Local culture/tradition
• Climate
• Industrialisation? Local materials?
• Hygiene
• Quality of life
Lincoln Center, NYC / Wallace Harrison / Philip Johnson / Max Abramovitz (1961-4)
Lincoln Center, NYC / Wallace Harrison / Philip Johnson / Max Abramovitz (1961-4)
Philips Exeter Academy Library / Louis I. Kahn (1965)
Philips Exeter Academy Library / Louis I. Kahn (1965)
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad / Louis I. Kahn (1962)
National Assembly of Bangladesh / Louis I. Kahn (1962)
Salk Institute for Biological Sciences / Louis I. Kahn (1961-5)
Salk Institute for Biological Sciences / Louis I. Kahn (1961-5)
Kimbell Art Museum / Louis I. Kahn (1966)
National Theatre, London / Denys Lasdun (1967)
Art & Architecture Building, Yale University / Paul Rudolph (1958-62)
Boston City Hall / Kallmann, McKinnell & Knowles (1969)
Boston City Hall / Kallmann, McKinnell & Knowles (1969)
Post-WW II Southeast Asia
Decolonisation/Independence
Declaration of the Philippines’ independence from Japan, 1946
Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969)
Vietnam independence, 1945

Ho Chi Minh in Paris, 1945

Vietnam independence, 1945
Sukarno (1901-1970)
Sukarno (1901-1970)

Declaration of Indonesian independence, 1945

Indonesian independence, 1949
Jakarta, 1949
Sukarno (1901-1970)

The Cold War (1945-1991)

Sukarno (1901-1970)

The Domino Theory (1950s-1980s)

The Vietnam War (1955-1975)
Vietnam War
US Military bases in Thailand
Southeast Asian Modernism
 Southeast Asian Modernism
• Newness – New building types for new nations
• Freedom – Architecture of independence
• Local culture/tradition – not only modern but rooted
• Climate – Tropical
• Industrialisation? Local materials?
• Hygiene
• Quality of life
College of Engineering, Rangoon (Raglan Squire, 1962)
College of Engineering, Rangoon (Raglan Squire, 1962)
College of Engineering, Rangoon
(Raglan Squire, 1962)
Technical High School, Rangoon (Raglan Squire, 1956)
Presidential Palace, Saigon (Ngô Viet Thu, 1966)
Presidential Palace, Saigon (Ngô Viet Thu, 1966)
Frederich Silaban
Vann Molyvann
Leandro Locsin
William Lim

The Modernists
 Southeast Asian Modernism
• Newness – New building types for new nations
• Freedom – Architecture of independence
• Local culture/tradition – not only modern but rooted
• Climate – Tropical
• Industrialisation? Local materials?
• Hygiene
• Quality of life
 Common attributes
• Bold forms
• Prominent Roofs
• Reinforced concrete
• Sun-shading devices / breathing walls
• References to traditional, vernacular architectural forms
Frederich Silaban (1912 - 1984)
Masjid Istiqlal, Jakarta
Masjid Istiqlal, Jakarta
Masjid Istiqlal, Jakarta
Masjid Istiqlal, Jakarta
Monumen Nasional, Jakarta
Monumen Nasional, Jakarta
Bank Indonesia, Jakarta
Bank Indonesia, Jakarta
Vann Molyvann (1926 - 2017)
National Sports Complex, Phnom Penh
National Sports Complex, Phnom Penh
National Sports Complex, Phnom Penh
National Stadium, Phnom Penh
Teacher Training College, Phnom Penh (1972)
National Theatre, Phnom Penh
National Theatre, Phnom Penh
National Theatre, Phnom Penh
Chaktomouk Conference Hall, Phnom Penh (1960)
Vann Molyvann House, Phnom Penh
Vann Molyvann House, Phnom Penh
Leandro Locsin (1928 – 1994)
Philippines International Convention Center
Cultural Center of the Philipines, Manila, 1969
Cultural Center of the Philipines, Manila, 1969
Cultural Center of the Philipines, Manila, 1969
Transfiguration Monastery, Bukidnon
Transfiguration Monastery, Bukidnon
Maria Makiling Theater
Philippines Pavilion, Osaka Expo
William Lim (b. 1932)
Golden Mile Complex, Singapore
Golden Mile Complex, Singapore
Golden Mile Complex, Singapore
Golden Mile Complex, Singapore
Common Attributes
Bold forms
The Prominent Roof
Reinforced concrete
Sun-shading devices / breathing walls
References to traditional, vernacular architectural form
 Southeast Asian Modernism
• Newness – New building types for new nations
• Freedom – Architecture of independence
• Local culture/tradition – not only modern but rooted
• Climate – Tropical
• Industrialisation? Local materials?
• Hygiene
• Quality of life