BUE ACE1
Sustainable Vital Technologies in
Engineering & Informatics
8-10 Nov 2016
Rationality versus Functionality
Steel as a New Building Material by the Turn of the Nineteenth Century
The Battle of the Styles
Dr. Hazem Eldalya, Eng. Rasha Abel Latifb
a
Assitant professor, Architecture department, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Abassia.
Assistant Lecturer of architecutre,Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime, and A Candidate PHD student, Ain Shams
University, Cairo.
b
Abstract
Architecture by definition is the designing of buildings, executed by architects and built by engineers. Yet, it is more. It
represents the expression of thoughts in building not simply a construction, through stones or steel structures. It is the
smart embodiment of 3d objects to reflect ideas. A building is architectural and smart. If it is the modest and most
progressive type of structure, adapting the task set for it, and possible in its age, building will have the excellence of
perfect suitability and will also be an expression of the mechanical knowledge of a culture. It becomes smart also when it
is designed to emphasize its simplicity and to reflect its system of support so that both can be directly recognized.
In the 19th century, architecture of west world was influenced significantly by historical architectural movements, and
these movements were related to old technologies such as building with bricks and stones. During this century architects
started to revival styles of Greek, Renaissance, and Gothic but with an adapt to new materials and technologies of this
time.
With the two main features distinguish 19th-century architecture; the use of a variation of historical styles and the
progression of new materials and structural methods, this paper will present the dialectical approach to two schools of
thought in architecture. These schools lie on the two opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean: Europe and the United States of
America. In both, architectural thought was included in a broad body of discourse that existed in both societies and trends
towards using Steel as a new building in their architecture. In both schools architectural products were mainly related to a
main body of cultural and philosophical thoughts and inclinations.
© 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Global
Science and Technology Forum Pte Ltd
Keywords: steel, glass , ornaments , functionality , rationality , Neoclassicism , Modernism
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1. Europe from Viollet Le Duc to Gustave Eiffel
In France the structural goodness became structural rationalism in the literatures of the architect Viollet-leDuc (Fig 1). One of the most famous student of Gothic technique in the 19th century, Viollet-le-Duc
discussed designing modern architecture, through the use of modern materials such as glass and steel as
wisely as Gothic architecture had used stone. Viollet-le-Duc took the structure and function of a building as
its only the determinants of form, completely neglecting speculative artistic visions. In fact, he preceded Louis
Sullivan’s “Form Follows Function” by several years. Viollet-le-Duc has had a great impact on the
development of the theory of architecture through the 20th Century and up to today. Viollet-le-Duc's visions
were clearly read in the United States and Europe well into the early 20th century. Many architects were
affected by his writings such as the Spain Antonio Gaudi and the Belgian Victor Horta, they were specialized
in the naturalistic Art Nouveau style. His effect also extended overseas to the early work of Frank Lloyd
Wright who supported organic materials in his work.
Fig (1) : Viollet Le Duc and his seminal Book Lectures on Architecture
Fig (2): The inclined column Languge. The separtion between the compressive and tensile forces in one single architecture composition Viollet fighting force will not be by mass but by inertia.
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Using steel as a new building material in Europe passed through three different phases (Fig 3):
a) Completely concealed within the bricks- pioneered by Jacques Germaine Soufflot (one of European
Neoclassicism) in the eighteenth century.
b) Partially concealed in the Interior only - pioneered by Henry Labrouste
c) Fully revealed and apparent internally and externally- pioneered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel
Fig (3) : The threePioneers , Jacques Soufflot ( first Phase), Henry Labrouste (Second Phase) , Gustve Eiffel (third Phase)
Fig (4): The Usage of Steel as a new Building Material in Europe
Applications, Phases and implementations
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Fig (5):examples for using Steel as a new Building Material
1.1. back to the eighteenth century and the Neoclassicism
The Panthéon, (Transparent Cathedral) designed by Jacques Gemanin Soufflot is a Greek cross plan cathedral
in Paris. This cathedral was first built devoted to St. Genevieve as secular mausoleum to contain the remains
of distinguished French Citizens. It is designed similar to the Pantheon in Rome, covered by a dome that was
influenced by the character of Bramante's "Tempietto". The Pantheons looks out over all of Paris. This
cathedral was built in 1755. Germanin's Pantheon was not only culmination great reflection of the baroque
traditions but also the a start for the future development of architecture. It shows an increasing awareness of
the possibility of achieving symbolic effects. This Cathedral is based on the same concept of buttresses used
in Gothic architecture but here it was hidden, which make the windows very large to bring light flowing
through the spans of arches and columns, which, in turn, supported the roof vaults. Pantheon interior is
designed similar to the same concepts of Roman buildings with their domes, complication of colonnades, and
windows.
Fig (6) : Le Panthéon national (completed1790 ) - Greek Cross plan with all classical reference of a classical catedral design
In this cathedral Soufflot developed a new building material of his invention which he named as the
Reinforced bricks. He tried to hide the steel both internally and externally, by embedding the steel structural
members in the masonry. His invented style reflects a blend between the philosophical thoughts of the French
community and cultural body. "Steel for them was not a noble material to be used in churches and cathedrals."
Architects in their first generations of using steel, tried to hide these new material inside the common well
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known materials. Thus utilizing the language of steel as a spatial expression but encased in a false masonry
cladding.
Fig (7): Reinforced brick structural System.Representing the cultural impact on the design of the Transparent Cathedral
The issue of embedding steel structures in the general architectural compositions is clear through the use of
false language of classical columns without flutes. It was only drums as an indication of being built from
material different from masonry. Steel as a new building material and not representing any classical columns
either Greek with flutes and drums or Roman column with a monolithic shaft
Fig (8) : A French column (steel with false encasement of Masonry) , Greek Column with Drums and Flutes and Roman monolithic Shaft.
He utilised false masonry cladding as indication of skeletal structural system of the whole composition. Also
the triple section dome where the steel dome is imbedded between two layers from the interior and the
exterior. Both wooden interior and masonry exterior. Simultaneously Fig (9) and (10) .
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Fig (9) The triple sectioned dome: Masonry, Metal, Wood from the interior
Fig (10) False Masonry Bonds hiding the real structural system of a metal interior of the Cathedral
1-2 the rationalist approach in architecture:
In the 18th century France was the centre of Northern European culture and architecture. By the 1830s
architects were starting to think whether the repetition of ancient forms suits the modern society with its new
industries, institutions, and life standards. Henri Labrouste famous architect at the beginning of 18th century
designed both the Library of Ste-Genevieve in Paris in 1838-51( Fig 9- 12) and the National library in Paris
(1868), his work show more practical and less imposing arched forms of the Renaissance in a building whose
composition and decoration were dictated by its interior organization and purpose rather than by historical
model. In both libraries he presented steel as an apparent and fully exposed from the interior.
Fig (11): the Bibliotheque Ste-Genevieve , Classical Exterior: Tri- Partite Division: Base, Shaft and Capital
A heavy Base and a Light shaft
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Fig (12) Classical Exteriors and Exposed Metal Interiors
Henry started in the library of St. Genevieve exceled in showing steel to the public, through using light as a
design medium for the steel. In this project, light was used to conceal the exposed structural steel columns. By
distributing the columns in the direction of the sun beams and at the same time he used classical ornaments
around the window sills. Fig (13)
Fig (13): Light as a design Medium. The second phase of utilizing with exposed steel structures in the interior and classical Masonry
Facades
So, his design became a blend between modernity, by using steel as a new building material, with tradition by
utilizing masonry as in a classical ornamentations vocabulary. Interior design represents a gallery of
ornamental steel works.
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Fig (14) Metal Details, beams and corbels, but in the classical language to be accepted to the European Culture
In the National library of Paris (Fig 15-16) , Labrouste depends on the same way, by showing the metal
interiors and by keeping and using the main classical interiors concepts with its tri partite parts, heavy base
and light and transparent shaft. He relied on the common old concepts such as symmetry, axiality, heaviness
versus lightness, darkness versus lightness, dominant single entrance and finally the sense of antiquity.
Fig (15 ) the Bibliotheque National , Domical Metal Inerirs with Lightnesss. The outcome of a new building material
Structural columns remained in the classical language: base, shaft and a capital, but in the metal vocabulary, Bolts replaced the flutes in
the classical language.
Fig (16) Steel Columns in the classical Language and Metal Bolts replaced Flutes in the Masonry Language
As the century progressed, architects turned to using the forms of the Classical tradition in more decorative
and pictorial ways reflected the opulence of contemporary society in its baroque forms and rich decorations.
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1-3 The structuralist approach / technology exposed
A great progression was clear in the influence of technology on architecture happened in the 19th century.
With the Industrial Revolution architecture was linked in a relationship with manufacturing. Industry showed
a need for new types of buildings, and at the same time new building materials and techniques were being
made available by industry. Large space, without vertical heavy obstacle was needed for factories and mills
and later in the 19th century, vast department stores. These new buildings were made possible by the
development of new technology:
Eiffel utilized skeleton structures and steel members and copied the same concept of the human body in his
seminal Tower at Paris expo in 1889. This tower represents a symbol of modernism.
Fig(17): Eiffel Tower a symbol of modernism
Eiffel Tower - Fig(17) represented the last stage of using steel as a new building material in Europe. It
represents the completely apparent steel structure in the facades without any concealment or hiding. At that
time, this new material has got acceptance in the culture and was completely approved and accepted in the
society. It took an average of one hundred and thirty years to get its approval in the European culture. Starting
by the transparent Cathedral by Jacques Germanin Soufflot at 1755 and ending by Eiffel tower at 1889. This
large span of time was sufficient enough to make an entrance for steel as a new structural material in the
European Culture and to replace masonry as an outdated building material of the Renaissance era.
Market places and fruit markets designed by Victor Baltard in Paris represented a shift in designing with this
new material. It reflected the concept of transparency, lightness and the flexibility of both the structural and
architectural design. He utilized steel members, columns, ornamented details both internally and externally .
Fig (18): Victor Baltard Pavillon Baltard 1850s and Eiffel Garabit Bridge 1880s Completely exposed structures after 130 years of
experiments to gain acceptance in the European Culture as a new Building Material
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The Grand palace in Paris built with the style of Beaux-Arts architecture as taught by the École “des BeauxArts” of Paris. The building reflects the movement's taste for ornamental decorations through its stone
facades, the formality of its floor planning and the use of techniques that were innovative at the time, with its
glass vault, its structure that was made of iron and light steel members. (Fig 19)
Fig (19): The Grand Palais by Albert Louvert (1897 -1900) Axiality and Symmetry: The vocabulary of Masonry - Transparency and
Lightness: The vocabulary of Metal - Ribbed columns, Beams and Dynamic Spaces
2. Egypt steel buildings evolution:
Egypt’s steel structures reveal phases similar to that in France, But with delay in time frame. Building such
as main train station in Ramses, Cairo, was built at 1853 reflects the second phase. The main façade is
classical style built with bricks and filled with ornaments, while the main interior hall of trains was designed
from clear steel columns and trusses.
Fig(20), and (21): The main façade of Ramses train station, and the interior of main station with the clear steel structures in interior.
The last phase is clear through the bridge in Giza zoo designed by Gustave Eiffel and built 1911, where all
the steel structure was clear
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Fig(22), and (23): Gustave Eiffel Suspended bridge in Giza zoo.
Conclusion
The presence of steel structures in the previous centuries passes through phases represent in its essence a
battle between common building materials and steel, between the common image of a stone building and a
vague material, between the historical burden styles of architecture and modern style that breaks these
burdens.
The battle was clear in Paris as the capital of culture of Europe at that time, and spread overseas to USA and
other continents. The first phase was to fully conceal the steel structure inside the common building materials
(stones, and bricks) with the preservation of known historical styles. Second phase, was the real start of
showing the steel material by designing the interior with steel columns, and arches with the common
ornaments. At this phase the elevations were still moving inside the old burdens. The battle phases between
the two styles was linked intensely with the public recognition, culture, and changes of life style.
The final phase, was announcing the acceptance of fully built steel, and glass building. This announcement
opened the gate to new style of architecture with wide spans, lagers areas of glass, and fewer ornaments.
The battle started at the 18th century, and it took more than a hundred years to transfer the public perception
of buildings from a classical heavy full of details, to a light weight abstracted constructions.
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