THE TALE OF TWO REVOLUTIONS IN ARCHITECTURE

Two recent revolutions happened in architecture in the last two centuries to announce new phases in
this historical cycles. The late 19.c structural revolution turned architecture from stone to iron,
concrete combined in reinforced concrete. The architect is dealing with a monolithic material capable
of going as high as the pyramids with columns in centimeters, crossing spans as wide as the length of
a football field with a roof is centimeters thick. Both capacities were needed for newly emerging
housing, commercial, industrial and transportation strongly pressing needs. The result of this
structural revolution and its consequences was the emerging paradigm of contemporary architecture
in skyscrapers and large assembly halls.
The 2nd revolution, the late 20th.c electronic one brought the digital époque. It is a global one that
transforms the world to a small village in space and time. Digital technology changed the nature and
targets of architecture reality. It moved boundaries between reality and eventuality between organic
and inorganic. There is a new relation between time and space that shapes civilizations on bases of
contact by cables and artificial satel lites on spherical background. Technology in architecture is a
smart expression of aesthetical building. In the same time one. cannot forget the effect of awkward
technology on human life and architecture. This reminds us with the popularity of machine art and
the dislike of Lecorbusier who was fond of brutalism and popular art.