Architecture·Aesthetics·Modernity

Modernity, a cultural even philosophical concept of generalizing Modern social and cultural change since the Renaissance and the Enlightenment and the qualities of current of the present, has playing a crucial role of'meta concept'in western thought. To contemporary architecture, the researching of modernity always has the meaning of'meta-study'. The meaning of Modernity is very rich, however, its aesthetical connotation is often overlooked. Based on summarizing series associated categories of'modernity-aesthetics-architecture', this thesis makes a systematic theoretical research on the aesthetic modernity of architecture from a perspective of'modernity tension'to find the trajectory of aesthetics in the modernity architecture. beingorFirstly, the thesis discusses the influence of modernity's inherent tension on architecture and the evolution of architectural aesthetic orientation following the clue of modern aesthetica in the context of the emergence of modernity through a genealogical view. Then, focusing on the architecture at the turn of 19-20 century, this thesis analyzes the necessity of architectural ideas'shifting from realism to modernism, pointing out the aspiration of aesthetic redeem is the intrinsic impetus. ththFurther, the research is going to sketch a genealogy of aesthetic modernity for modern (and post-modern) architecture and outline their silhouettes. During the 1960s and 1970s, the emergence of critical architecture and postmodern architecture brought about a new transition of architectural aesthetics. However, the double plights of'formalism'and'aestheticism'plunge architecture into a self-paradox of aesthetic modernity. Aiming to break'the cage of language'of architecture, the'form'ontology, this thesis seeks to elucidate the family resemblance of aesthetics and linguistics of 20 century architecture, and argues that the architectural pragmatic or practical turn is imperative. After the 1980s, the western architecture initiated a phases of self-examination and realistic reconstruction, there was a comprehensive adjustment in the its cultural position and theory horizon. The thesis unscrambles the present architectural practice in the theme of'rebuilding the modernity', points out that architectural aesthetics in the thpost-theoretic era is becoming a phronesis.Finally, the conclusion reviews pragmatic and language-realistic characteristics of the contemporary western architectural aesthetics, and analyses the practical aesthetics of Chinese architecture, wishing to provide constructive comments on the'comprehensive reflective modernity of architecture'.