ARTH 2610 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Levittown, New York, Victor Gruen, Northland Center

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Art History
• Course: ARTH 2610
• Professor: Michael Windover

Document Summary

Key points for today: glass houses, levittown and the suburban condition, skyscraper reconsidered, politics of american modernism. Eliza(cid:271)eth gordon, (cid:862)the threat to next ar(cid:272)hite(cid:272)ture(cid:863) 1953: respo(cid:374)se to the far(cid:374)s(cid:449)orth (cid:862)type(cid:863), glass house, raili(cid:374)g agai(cid:374)st the idea of the glass house a(cid:374)d the (cid:373)oder(cid:374) (cid:373)o(cid:448)e(cid:373)e(cid:374)t that (cid:862)less is (cid:373)ore(cid:863) It"s okay to o(cid:449)(cid:374) thi(cid:374)gs, (cid:271)ut this is (cid:271)ei(cid:374)g u(cid:374)der(cid:373)i(cid:374)ed (cid:271)y this ar(cid:272)hite(cid:272)ture (cid:449)hi(cid:272)h is stripped down: political message: aesthetic can have social implications, less is (cid:373)ore tur(cid:374)s us agai(cid:374)st true a(cid:373)eri(cid:272)a(cid:374) (cid:448)alues (cid:271)orderi(cid:374)g o(cid:374) (cid:272)o(cid:373)(cid:373)u(cid:374)is(cid:373) (cid:894)cold war. Levittown pennsylvania, 1951: houses built quickly and efficiently, contained the modern ensemble (kitchen appliances), instant domesticity, modern take in key features and interior, models with similar set ups. Northland center, victor gruen, detroit, 1954: shopping centers being built around these city-towns, for the growing demographic, arranged near highway, modern principles (open) The development of the skyscraper was also happening at this time. Lever house, gordon bunshaft for som, new york, 1950.