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    Serf. F S: B U V T o D

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    Gil Edgar

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    Serf. F S: B U V T o D

    Uploaded by

    Gil Edgar
    16 views1 page

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    29

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    16 views1 page

    Serf. F S: B U V T o D

    Uploaded by

    Gil Edgar

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 1

    Nine Points on Monumentality

    J. L. Serf. F. Lger S. Giedion


    Oue donneriez vaus ma belle
    Pour revoir votremeti?
    Je donnerai Versailles,
    Paris et Saint Denis
    Les tours de Notre Dame
    Et Ie clacher de man pays.
    Aupts de ma blonde
    Ou'i! fait bon, fait bon, fait bon.
    -From anold Frenchsong,"Auprs de ma blonde"
    1. Monumentsarehumanlandmarks which menhavecreated as symbols for their
    ideals,fortheiraims,andfortheiractions.Theyareintendedtooutlivetheperiodwhich
    originated them, and constitutea heritagefor futuregenerations. As such, theyform
    a linkbetweenthe past and thefuture.
    2. Monuments are the expression of man's highest cultural needs. They have to
    satisfythe eternal demand of the people for translationof their collective force into
    symbols. Themostvital monumentsarethosewhichexpress thefeelingandthinking
    of this collective force-the people.
    3. Everybygone period which shaped a real cultural life had the power and the
    capacity tocreatethesesymbols. Monumentsare, therefore,onlypossible inperiods
    inwhich a unifyingconsciousness and unifyingcultureexists. Periodswhich existfor
    themoment havebeen unable to create lastingmonuments.
    4. The lasthundred years havewitnessed the devaluationof monumentality. This
    does notmeanthatthereis anylackof formal monumentsor architectural examples
    pretending to servethis purpose; but theso-called monumentsof recent date have,
    withrareexceptions, become emptyshells. Theyinnowayrepresentthespiritor the
    collective feelingof modern times.
    5. This decline and misuseof monumentalityis the principal reasonwhy modern
    architects havedeliberately disregarded themonumentand revoltedagainst it.
    Modern architecture, likemodern painting and sculpture, had to start the hard
    way. Itbegan bytacklingthesimpler problems, themoreutilitarianbuildings likelow-
    renthousing,schools,officebuildings, hospitals,andsimilarstructures.Todaymodern
    architects knowthat buildings cannot be conceived as isolatedunits, thattheyhave
    to be incorporated into the vaster urban schemes. There are no frontiers between
    architectureandtownplanning, justas therearenofrontiersbetweenthecityandthe
    region.Co-relationbetweenthemisnecessary.Monumentsshouldconstitutethemost
    powerful accents inthesevast schemes.
    6. A new step lies ahead. Postwar changes in the whole economic structure of
    nations may bring with themtheorganizationof community lifeinthecity which has
    been practically neglected up to date.
    7. Thepeoplewantthebuildings thatrepresenttheirsocialandcommunitylifetogive
    morethanfunctionalfulfillment.Theywanttheiraspirationformonumentality,joy, pride,
    and excitement to be satisfied.
    The fulfillment of this demand can be accomplished with the new means of
    expressionathand, thoughitisnoeasytask.Thefollowingconditions areessentialfor
    29

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