Modernists, in the early twentieth century, suggested that traditional building styles were as obsolete as horse-drawn carriages. They designed modern buildings to be Different from their predecessors but Similar to each other, in that they would all use similar materials and constructional principles. Modern cars were also made to be Different from their predecessors but Similar to each other. Architecturally, the policy of Difference was a totalitarian approach with a special appeal in totalitarian societies: "Stalinist' continues to be used as the name for this style in the former Soviet empire.
Conservationists normally oppose the modernist line. They want old buildings to be protected and new buildings to have a relationship of Identity, or Great Similarity, with their neighbours. In historic areas, their argument has gained increasing support since the 1960s. But what is a historic area? Every part of the earth's surface is as old as every other part. If one takes a small town surrounded by rural land, one could argue that new buildings in the town should conform to the urban character while new buildings on the periphery should conform to the rural character. This makes new building styles unacceptable everywhere, which is an unacceptable policy.
Recent authors have tried to reach a balance between the modernist and conservationist positions. Kenneth Frampton speaks of "critical regionalism' (Frampton, 1985). Robert Hewison speaks of a new "critical culture' (Hewison, 1987). Hewison has an equal dislike for "the heritage industry' and for "the tacky stenography of architectural postmodernism'. "Critical', in this discussion, is used as a term of opposition to totalitarianism, be it doctrinaire modernism, doctrinaire conservationism or tacky postmodernism. The usage derives from Karl Popper, who opposed the anti-critical stance of closed political systems, be they Platonic, Nazi or Marxist. Popper distinguished between an open society, or critical society, which permits challenges to authority, and an uncritical society, which relies on old laws and unquestioned obedience to political leaders (Popper, 1966). A critical approach to a historic design tradition involves learning from the past without slavish obedience.
Alternatively, the modernist versus conservationist dilemma could be resolved by a zoning policy (Figure 10.9b). For example:
1. The historic cores of old cities can be designated as Historic Heritage Areas. Within these zones, a strict policy of Identity with existing character can be followed.
2. Development in zones of medium quality can be made similar-to or better-than the context.
3. Zones of indifferent quality, either urban or rural, can be designated as Development Zones within which a contemporary architectural character will be encouraged.
In which country, or continent, is this building?
The design of the Poundbury estate was commissioned by the Prince of Wales in 1988
