Architectural Realism Essay -- Urban Planning, Otto Wagner

As a proponent of Architectural Realism, Otto Wagner was interested in urban planning. Although Wagner began as a traditional architect, he promoted the transition from historicism to the idea of an architecture that spoke to its time. As an architect, Wagner began his career with buildings that were designed in the conventional Baroque and neo-classical styles. Wagner attempted to turn away from the accepted traditional forms of architecture by bringing together structural rationalism and technology. However, he retained a sense of historicism and eclecticism. (Wagner 21). Wagner’s architectural style embraced and clearly manifested a distinct change in traditional and the emergence of purpose built buildings. The church at Vienna’s Steinhoff sanitarium, the Postal savings Bank and several entrances for Vienna’s city railway are some of Wagner’s most memorable buildings. (100) . The belief of art having purpose was expressed when he stated, â€Å" The practical element in man, which is particularly pronounced, is evidently here to stay and every architect is going to have to come to grips with the postulate, a thing that is unpractical cannot be beautiful† (100). In the exploration of the idea of modernity in architecture, he used the designs of his own buildings, where he used new technology, materials and simpler ornamentation. The Postal Savings Bank is seen as an important early work of modern architecture. This represented Wagner’s move from Neoclassicism. The building was constructed using reinforced concrete. Square marble plates cover the faà §ade attached to the man brick structure with mortar and ornamented with iron bolts with aluminum caps. The picture below shows the exterior of the main faà §ade of the Postal Savings Ban... ...s considered modern at that time, it still contained references to Classicism and neo-Renaissance. This resulted in his modern architecture arguments not to be completely distinct and leave the traditional architecture of the past. John Ruskin decried the type of restorations employed by Viollet-le-Duc stating that it is â€Å"a destruction out of which no remnants can be gathered, a destruction accompanied with false description of the thing destroyed† (Viollet-le-Duc 35). Because Viollet-le-Duc refuted the challenge of his own ideas, he continued to design buildings in eclectic styles. Both Wagner and Viollet-le-Duc did not succeed to completely avoid using traditional architecture as reference to modern architecture. The preservation movement widely rejected Viollet’s methods because it threatened the autonomy of the observed historical past.