WORKING TITLE

Type: History Thesis

Title:

Author: Kumar.A

Summary:

Keywords:

Mentor: Edens.C

Faculty: Architecture & the Built Environment

Department: Architecture

Programme/Section/Other: AR2A010 Architectural History Thesis

Hand-in date: 2018-02-15

Language: English

Comment:

Study number: 4738268

Submitter email: A.Kumar-6@student.tudelft.nl

Arav Kumar
February,2018
Architecture History Thesis
Research Proposal

Designing with robotics in architecture has made giant leaps in recent years. Looking back, we
can find quite a few interesting architectural solutions regarding the use of imbedded intelligent systems
that can transform a static structure to behave almost life like to react to human needs and changing
functions. On the production front things look quite optimistic thanks to advent of 3d printers. We can
now dream and realize the existence of movable, breathable, floating megastructures. But can we build
them? Will they be accepted as an industry standard for construction as they are intended to be? Or
would they limit themselves to be the only buildings of their time.

What’s most disconcerting is the fact that such visionary and utopian thoughts have been established
before by radical firms and conglomerate of brilliant architects back in the 1960’s. These post-war avant-
garde architectural ideas spread from Europe to Japan. Firms like Archigram (UK), Archizoom (Italy),
Superstudio (Florence) and the Metabolist architects of Japan were striving to question and better the
modernist ideas. These ideas were more successfully realized by the architects in Japan as reflected in
buildings like Sky house, Nakagin capsule tower and Shizouka press and broadcasting center. All these
examples depict an obsession with the role of technology in society. The key idea of the group was that
of continuous transformation like an organism type building which could grow and develop through
elimination of exhaustive modules and addition of new components in accordance with the necessity of
the socio-economic environment.

In the following thesis I would like to expand on the topic of metabolism and know as to what
are the lessons to be learnt here as we move forward into the digitalization age?
My primary research question being: Why did such valiant expressions in metabolism fail & have been
left redundant over the years?

My secondary questions are:

Did metabolism follow its origin intent?

Why is it that instead of becoming a model for construction, it is the only building of its kind?

Did they un account dynamism of the human user resulting in an unyielding design approach?

Did public policy favor such projects back in the day? Does the blame fall on the reality of real estate
development?

Did technology take over the more importantly social agenda?

My working thesis is that the Metabolists attempted to control the process of urban & social
development with predetermined patterns & technological means.