More a philosophy than a style or movement, Organicism was an integrative approach to architectural design that concerned itself with the limitations of function, landscape, and materials. Instead of designing a structure and then forcing all other considerations to conform to... [more]

More a philosophy than a style or movement, Organicism was an integrative approach to architectural design that concerned itself with the limitations of function, landscape, and materials. Instead of designing a structure and then forcing all other considerations to conform to it, architects such as Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright sought to integrate their designs seamlessly with their place and purpose. As an approach, Organicism was more than simply a look to nature as a guide for the design process -- it was a conscious resistance to the ever-increasing emphasis on science, technology, and development. Since the eighteenth century, writers ranging from Samuel Coleridge to Ralph Waldo Emerson have espoused Organicism. They resisted the domination of scientific materialism, which seemed to sacrifice all ideas of value for industrial progress. As an alternative, they sought inspiration in nature and in the diversity and harmony of its forms. They tried to create a philosophy that would approach life organically: integrating fields of knowledge while remaining aware of their place in the larger frameworks of society and environment. Small wonder, then, that some architects would come to embrace the Organicist approach. As urban skylines became characterized by sky-scraping towers of glass and steel, there was a sense that the human dimension was being lost. Critics such as Lewis Mumford, inspired by the work of Sullivan, Wright, and others, would adopt Organicism as a new approach, not just for architecture, but for urban planning as a whole. Mumford's written works, which increasingly sought to integrate architectural questions with larger social issues, left an indelible mark on architectural criticism. Just as architects today look back to Wright's Fallingwater (1936) and Johnson Wax Administration Building (1936-39) for inspiration, so critical works like Mike Davis' "City of Quartz" (1990) use Mumford's "Technics and Civilization" (1934) and "The Case Against 'Modern Architecture'"(1962) as models for bringing history and sociology into dialogue with design. [show less]