COP3 - Critical Regionalism

Critical Regionalism is an idea that takes fruition within architecture, the idea of critical regionalism aims to create an architecture that is established in both modern traditions, yet remains inline and in-touch with its regional and cultural contexts. Kenneth Frampton’s writings, ‘Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six points for an architecture of resistance’ outlines the theory of Critical Regionalism explaining – ‘The fundamental strategy of Critical Regionalism is to mediate the impact of universal civilisation with elements derived indirectly from the peculiarities of a particular place.’ (Frampton, 1981) This critical regionalism could be an effective way of looking at typography, that looks at both the wider modern themes and keeps in touch with its regional surroundings and identities. Frampton explains that - ‘It may find its governing inspiration in such things as the range and quality of local light, or in tectonic derived from a peculiar structural mode, or in the topography of a given site.’ (Frampton, 1981) Frampton explains the method of ‘double mediation’ that is key within Critical Regionalism – ‘Critical Regionalism is contingent upon a process of double mediation. In the first place, it has to ‘deconstruct’ the overall spectrum of world culture which it inevitably inherits; in the second place, it has to achieve, through synthetic contradiction, a manifest critique of universal civilisation.’ (Frampton, 1981) Further more Frampton uses the writing of Californian architect Hamilton Harrell Harris to argue his point ‘Opposed to the Regionalism of Restriction is another type of regionalism, the Regionalism of Liberation. This is the manifestation of a region that is especially in tune with the emerging thought of the time. We call such manifestation “regional” only because it has not yet emerged elsewhere… A region may develop ideas. A region may accept ideas. Imagination and intelligence are necessary for both. In California in the late Twenties and Thirties modern Europeans ideas met a still developing regionalism. In New England, on the other hand, European Modernism met a rigid and restrictive regionalism that at first resisted and then surrendered. New England accepted European Modernism whole because its own regionalism had been reduced to a collection of restrictions.’ (Harris in Frampton, 1981) explaining that the regionalism cannot be based on the native people alone, other ideas may be accepted and changed by outside influence giving the example of European Modernism in New England. It is through this idea of Critical Regionalism that typography could have its own regionalisms embedded within its production and design that reflect both the modernist themes that set out to identify clarity and the postmodern themes that aimed to embed cultural diversity and multiculturalism.