2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Undergraduate major in Architecture and Building Engineering

History of Modern Architecture

Academic unit or major: Undergraduate major in Architecture and Building Engineering
Instructor(s): Amana Hiraga
Class Format: Lecture (Face-to-face)
Media-enhanced courses: -
Day of week/Period (Classrooms): 5-8 Fri
Class: -
Course Code: ARC.D201
Number of credits: 200
Course offered: 2025
Offered quarter: 2Q
Syllabus updated: Mar 19, 2025
Language: Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

The instructor in this course will give lectures on the development of modern architecture and city planning in the West, with attention to the underlying technologies and ideologies. The instructor will also present an overview of its influence on the formation of modern architecture and architects in Japan.
A historical knowledge of how countries around the world created new architecture and environments in the modern age based on what senses of values is essential for students of Tokyo Tech anticipated to play active roles internationally as architects and architectural engineers in the future.

Course description and aims

By the end of this course, students will have learned various approaches to architecture design used in modern times in Japan and the Western world, furthering their understanding of how urban development design and building design of the present day was formed. The goal of this course is to have students find clues in contemplating their approach to subsequent designs.

Student learning outcomes

実務経験と講義内容との関連 (又は実践的教育内容)

The lecture of Dr. Hiraga involve the knowledge from the work experience as monument conservator (ex. senior researcher at Cabinet office).

Keywords

modern architecture, modernism, nationalism, rationalism

Competencies

Specialist skills
Intercultural skills
Communication skills
Critical thinking skills
Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

The textbook will be the main source, but other resources may be distributed depending on the topic. Students should study the textbook and material to be covered by each class beforehand and review it afterward.

Course schedule/Objectives

	Course schedule	Objectives
Class 1	Architecture in historicism	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 2	Architecture and urban design in the enlightenment ages	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 3	Advent of steel and glass architecture／ New architecture in the USA	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 4	From William Morris, Art Nouveau and Secession	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 5	History of modern architecture in Japan 1 / Modernization in Japan	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 6	History of modern architecture in Japan 2 / Architecture in Meiji and Taisho	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 7	From Deutscher Werkbund to Bauhaus	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 8	Avant-garde movement of the 1920s in Europe	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 9	Establishment of modernism architecture/ Le Corbusier's early works	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 10	Internationalism and Nationalism architecture in Europe after 1927	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 11	History of modern architecture in Japan 3／Seeking Japanese architectural style	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 12	Architecture after World War II	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 13	From history of modern architecture to Today's architecture	Reading a textbook beforehand.
Class 14	From history of modern architecture to Today's architecture	Reading a textbook beforehand.

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

Hiroyasu Fujioka "the History of Modern Architecture" Morikita press.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Nihon Kenchiku Gakkai "Kindai Kenchiku-shi Zushu", Shokoku-sha, 1976, "20th century of architecture 1,2", shinkenchiku-sha, 1991、Shinjiro Kirishiki "the History of Modern Architecture", Kyoritsu press, 2001

Evaluation methods and criteria

A report at the end of class and short assignments in classes are required for making score.

Related courses

the history of Japanese architecture
the history of western architecture

Prerequisites

nothing

Other

nothing