Kenneth Frampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kenneth Frampton
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Kenneth Frampton at GSAPP (2014)
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Kenneth Brian Frampton
20 November 1930 |
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Notable work
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Modern Architecture: A Critical History Towards a Critical Regionalism |
Kenneth Brian Frampton (born 20 November 1930) is a British architect, writer, and historian. He is known as one of the world's top experts on modernist architecture and contemporary architecture. For over 50 years, he taught at Columbia University in New York City. He is a citizen of both Britain and the United States.
Contents
Kenneth Frampton's Life Story
Kenneth Frampton studied architecture in London at the Guildford School of Art and the Architectural Association School of Architecture. After his studies, he worked in Israel and then in London. From 1961 to 1966, he worked for Douglas Stephen and Partners. During this time, he also taught at the Royal College of Art and the Architectural Association. He was also an editor for the Architectural Design magazine.
In the early 1960s, while working for Douglas Stephen and Partners, he helped design the Corringham Building. This is an 8-story apartment building in London with a clear modern design. In 1998, it became a protected building because of its special architecture.
Frampton also taught at Princeton University School of Architecture from 1966 to 1971. He joined Columbia University in 1972 and has been a professor there ever since. In the same year, he became part of the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in New York. He also helped start their magazine called Oppositions.
In 2017, the Canadian Centre for Architecture held an exhibition about his teaching. It was called Educating Architects: Four Courses by Kenneth Frampton. This exhibition showed how his teaching at Columbia University shaped his famous books.
In 2021, Kenneth Frampton was given a special award called Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his important work in architecture. In 2015, his large collection of books was bought by The University of Hong Kong.
Kenneth Frampton's Ideas on Architecture
Frampton is very well known for his writings about architecture from the 1900s and 2000s. He also played a big part in developing a way of thinking about architecture called "architectural phenomenology." This means looking at how buildings are experienced by people.
Some of his most famous books include Modern Architecture: A Critical History (first published in 1980) and Studies in Tectonic Culture (1995).
What is Critical Regionalism?
Frampton became very famous in architecture education with his essay "Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance" (1983). The term "critical regionalism" was first used by Alexander Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre.
In this essay, Frampton criticized how globalization and mass consumer culture were affecting architecture. He believed that these trends made buildings look too similar and lose their connection to local culture and history. He felt that modern architecture was becoming boring and losing its special meaning.
To fix this, Frampton suggested that architects should use a "critical regionalist" approach. This means designing buildings that consider the specific place, its landscape, climate, and culture. It also means creating new types of architecture that fit the local traditions, like a modern "vernacular" style.
Frampton's View on Modernism
Frampton's essay was included in a book called The Anti-Aesthetic. Essays on Postmodern Culture. However, Frampton himself was critical of postmodernism in architecture. Postmodernism often focused on architecture as a language, using symbols and signs.
Frampton believed that architecture should not just be about symbols. He argued that buildings also have a deeper meaning related to how they are built and how they connect to human culture and needs. He thought that both the symbolic side and the construction side of architecture are important and should work together.
In 2002, a collection of Frampton's writings from 35 years was published as Labour, Work, and Architecture. He has also written introductions for many other books on architecture.
Awards and Honors
Kenneth Frampton has received many important awards for his contributions to architecture:
- 2022 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture
- 2019 Soane Medal
- 2018 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, Venice Biennale of Architecture
- 2021 Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- 2014 Lisbon Triennale Millennium BCP Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2012 Schelling Architecture Theory Prize
- 2005 Architectural League of New York President's Medal
Images for kids
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Kenneth Frampton at GSAPP (2014)
See also
In Spanish: Kenneth Frampton para niños
