‘Man is able to travel beyond the earth, but he is not able to live on it in a manner that matches the era. ’ This pessimistic statement by the jury of the Grand Prix de Cannes, ‘Humanism and Architecture’, as well as the important debates published in Volumes Nos. 14 and 15 have induced us to attempt a survey of the contemporary scene. For this reason we have sent out a questionnaire which, although necessarily schematic and not all encompassing, attempts to include many of the important problems with which those who feel concerned for man, his habitat, and his environment are faced today.
All the replies received are published in full as we wish to leave each author free to state his own point of view.
Some articles may surprise, others shock and even irritate; none of them, however, will leave you indifferent. In the second and third sections of this volume, we wanted, as far as possible, those people who has replied to the questionnaire to show with illustrations the works they would like to carry out—their projects—and what they are doing, which constitutes the world panorama.
Sometimes the gap between the idea and its projection is, in reality, very wide. For the reader to judge.
Again this volume may seem on the whole pessimistic; this has incited us to start preparing the next volume in a more concrete frame of mind, with a more positive outlook. Also Volume No. 17, and probably those that follow, will seek to present a balance sheet of international contemporary research: useful research, practical research, valuable and stimulating research, and not purely chimerical research.
Once again, we wish to emphasize that Architecture Forms Functions wants to be the link, the effective contact, with no limitation of frontiers of race or politics, between architects and architecture from all countries.
This is our most sincere desire. Thanks to you we shall achieve it.
Several well-known names have dominated contemporary architecture during the last fifty years: a) Which in your view are the most important and for what reasons?
b) What, in general, has been their influence on you?
What is their influence today? What will remain of their influence tomorrow?
What is the principal characteristic of the architecture of the last fifty years?
3
What progress or modifications has it brought about on the human and social level?
4
Are we heading towards an architecture dominated by technique or the opposite?
5
During the lastfifty years techniques have made a startling progress. What place do they have in the synthesis of architecture and the art of the engineer?
6
What is the position and the role of women and children in contemporary building?
7 Will architectural creation be restricted to a few individuals while building is reserved for the large mass of technicians? Can youform an opinion on this subject?
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Anthony Krafft
Why has modern architecture only been partially adopted?
9 In which recent urban realizations do you see the application of new theories?
10
The experience of partial town planning carried out nearly everywhere (habitation work, culture and leisure, circulation), are they of a kind that brings an answer?
11
Do you foresee a solution that will allow public administrations to control spontaneous or primitive urbanism (squatters’ sites) or to prevent speculation by urbanism?
12 The most recent and most audacious theories for town planning, whre the projects are known, have they a true prospective character or must one consider them as utopias and if so why?
The editor warmly thanks all the people who were kind enough to take part in the enquire. He apologizes to all those authors whose reply, or whose documentation, arrived too late for it to be included in our general analysis.
13
What is the effect of the demographic increase and of the disturbing increase in the area of land required by each individual in the town planning prospective?
14
The safeguarding of the historic towns and sites which are part of the cultural patrimony of humanity, does it require technical and administrative means other than those applied up till now and what should be these means?
15
What has been the contribution of sociology in the recent town planning revolution?