New Classical architecture
postmodern classical architectural movement
New Classical architecture, also known as New Classicism or Contemporary Classical architecture, is a contemporary movement that builds upon the principles of Classical architecture. It is sometimes considered the modern continuation of neoclassical architecture, even though other styles might be cited as well, such as Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance or even non-Western styles – often referenced and recreated from a postmodern perspective rather than as strict revivals.
The design and construction of buildings in evolving classical styles continued throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, even as modernist and other non-classical theories broke with the classical language of architecture. The New Classical movement is also tied to a resurgence in new traditional architecture, which emphasizes craftsmanship rooted in local building traditions and materials.
Development
During the 1950s and 1960s, a small group of architects in Europe continued designing classical buildings contrary to the prevailing fashion for Modernist architecture. British architects Donald McMorran, who designed several noteworthy neoclassical buildings such as the Cripps Hall at the University of Nottingham and described the Modernist movement as "a dictatorship of taste", and Raymond Erith, who mentored New Classical architect Quinlan Terry – Erith's pupil, employee, partner, and ultimately successor – were notable for their neoclassical works, including numerous civic buildings and housing estates. In mainland Europe, François Spoerry contributed to the European Urban Renaissance with his classical designs and by the late 1970s, architects like Leon Krier and Maurice Culot began challenging modernist planning through publications and counter-projects, a movement further bolstered by the support of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and initiatives such as INTBAU or The Prince's Foundation for Building Community. and, later, Create Streets.
During the same period, postmodern architecture emerged as a critique to modernist architectural aesthetics. Influential architects inside this movement, such as Charles Moore, Robert Venturi, and Michael Graves used classical elements as ironic motifs to criticize modernism's sterility.
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