Failed cities: The case for a transition into the Classical traditions

The Loss of Trust in Modern Architecture

When I started my architectural education almost 20 years ago, I was a firm believer in Modern Architecture (capital letter M & A). But as time passed, I couldn't ignore that the promises of Modernist ideas turned out to be false. I discovered that Modern architecture, as it stands today, has played a part in causing problems in Southeast Asian cities. These problems include the pervasive ugliness and placelessness, traffic jams, out-of-control development, apartments that are unpleasant to live in, over-reliance on air conditioning, and poor construction quality.

You may say that these are not Modernist ethos, and the problems are caused by bad implementation and badly trained architects. I am not interested in the Platonic idea of Modernism - I am talking about the actual existing Modern Architecture. The mass ugliness that most people (excluding architects and artists) so readily hate but continued to be built for decades. There are many reasons behind the decline of Modern architecture, but one major cause is the prioritisation of quick profits above everything else. However, I've come to realize that our profession and the way we work have made the situation worse. In our efforts to meet our clients' demands, we've created buildings that are highly efficient and make a lot of money but are inhumane and don't consider people's need for beauty and comfort.

A good example of this is those super-dense apartment buildings built on top of massive parking structures. While these projects may make a lot of money, they have a negative impact on the local community. The high density puts a lot of strain on infrastructure like roads and destroys the lively atmosphere of the streets by covering them with huge parking structures. On a broader scale, these dense complexes force people to rely on cars because they don't feel safe or comfortable walking in neighborhoods dominated by multi-story parking garages. Many neighborhoods now follow this pattern, leading to generations of people who know nothing but car-dependent living and streets designed only for cars. This is not to say we must reject high density - we need high density to tackle climate change but we do not need super-tall high rises to do it. Density is tackled on an urban scale - not via a single tower.

My Journey to Classicism

This journey led me to embrace the Classical architectural tradition, particularly through the enduring principles of town planning and neighborhood design. I realized that to tackle urban sprawl and the over-reliance on cars, we need to shift architecture to an urban-centered design. The New Urbanist movement, for example, championed by prominent designers and scholars from the United States and Europe, aims to revive the principles of Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND). Surprisingly, while urban planners in Southeast Asia have adopted this approach, it's largely absent from the architectural profession. This disconnect results in architects working on urban planning projects without the necessary skills for towncrafting. Consequently, architectural designs often undermine urban planning guidelines in pursuit of iconic buildings, which end up as isolated sculptures, surrounded by parking lots or massive structures.

I learned that for architecture to succeed in an urban setting, it must adapt to its surroundings, changing its appearance and layout to fit the area it's in. This understanding brought me back to classical architectural principles, such as the Classical Orders, known for their ability to seamlessly integrate buildings into the urban fabric. New Urbanism doesn't reject technology or cars; instead, it strategically incorporates parking while emphasizing walkable and livable urban environments. The outcome resembles a natural urban landscape, prioritizing comfort for residents over creating iconic structures.

Classical architecture is also primed for prefabrication and mass production. As it is based on modular grid and proportional rules, many elements of the building can be mass produced and thus lowering the cost of construction. In fact, this is not new at all - the Chinese classical tradition is entirely based on mass production. The Yingzao Fashi is an ancient text to create an entire supply chain for Imperial China's construction industry. The purpose was to control cost while maintaining a high standard of beauty and comfort. The idea that Classical architecture is expensive is a fallacy perpetuated by its detractors for decades after the Second World War - today this is the mantra of the modernists trying to justify their ideology. In many cases, the iconic modern buildings with its unique details, and novel fabrication methods are several times more expensive than a classical solution for the same project brief.

But classical architecture is not mere copying and pasting. It is a craft honed by careful study of the old masters and great buildings of the past and present. Redrawing their details reveal the underlying geometry and uncovers its symbolic meaning. As a result, classical and traditional architects who undertake this path, learn the methods of the old masters and re-employ them in new situation and sites. The translation of these old methods into new contexts is an art form - an expression of subtlety. I had to say this because I have always felt that classical and traditional architects needed to distance themselves from the disproportionate "Roman columns" of McMansions and the Disney-fied towns with fibre-glass/plastic facades that historians call "Post-modernism". Postmodern Architecture was a Modernist phase of flirting with the past - bereft of any of the rigour and skills required to design a traditional building.

After a decade of following this path, I've discovered more and more sources of classical and traditional architecture in our region, even though documentation is scarce or inaccessible. Sometimes, I've had to refer to archaeological drawings and scholarly research. This journey has also introduced me to the practice of measuring buildings as a way of designing—an old method used before modern architectural education. Now, after a long journey in the corporate wilderness, I'm ready to continue with my newfound appreciation for and dedication to the classical architectural tradition of Southeast Asia.