Our Changing Skylines - Mirror of the World (1970)

[Music] la [Music] it began with a Pioneer who crossed desert and mountains on his Westward Journey exploring and cultivating vast stretches of [Music] land Desiring to take Roots he sometimes used local rough Stone to build images of permanence [Music] other times he abandoned the house he built restlessly moving [Music] on when he found more hospitable land he sometimes settled in a home that blended into nature no matter where he built communities the American immigrant brought with him a culture born in other [Music] lands as he had done in the old world he used available materials the wood that reminded him of the far away forests of his [Music] Youth and a brick that his forefathers in Europe had used for many centuries a cultural heritage had to be created from the very beginning it was nourished by many different sources [Music] the noble Legacy of ancient Greece echoed in the Georgian colonial style with its classic ideals of order Harmony and [Music] Perfection the English recall their long history of Gothic architecture and their love for Ivy covered [Music] walls like a pond faintly mirrors an image so the new world reflected the history of the old proud moments of French history are symbolized in this replica of the Paris Legion of Honor [Music] Palace in front of the classic columns in the courtyard we find rodan's famous sculpture The [Music] Thinker and Joan of Arc is honored nearby the Spanish also celebrated their Heroes such as elid and decorated facades with statues of Spanish Renaissance [Music] artists the Chinese recorded their culture in Artful wall [Music] paintings and everywhere are handicrafts that complement buildings and give color to city streets they illustrate the harmonious blending of nationalities so uniquely [Music] American modeled against American Skyline side by side with the Oriental appear the towers of the Old World featuring the gothic style the Romanesque or perhaps such mixtures as Renaissance and Neo Baro from Towers to round arches another traditional building form taken from ancient Rome an Old Mission witness of America's expanding [Music] Heritage a fountain of plain brick a window startling in its Simplicity what why are these works of our forefathers so meaningful perhaps people like to identify with favorite eras of history homes resemble a medieval Fortress or a neoclassic mansion small town government buildings appear in neoclassical Style state capitals this one in Sacramento California favor the imposing Renaissance Dome while the facades often show features of Greek temples to honor the birthplace of Western democracy this tradition started with the nation's capital from the ideals of Classical Greece to Roman Glory New York's Washington Arch stands for the enduring influence of ancient Rome it was directly inspired by the triumphal arches of Imperial times in the background is the Arch of Titus seen through the arch of septimius on the Forum [Music] romanum it is hard to imagine the grand grandure of Rome's immense public buildings from these ruins but we find their duplicates everywhere basilicas reappeared in American cities as factories power stations hotels Office Buildings hospitals the public bads of kacala served as models for Railway stations universities museums the beautifully preserved round Temple at The Forum boario inspired Christian churches and Civic buildings the square Temple was echoed in theaters and libraries this is the New York Public Library compared to the square Temple of ancient Rome old and Noble ideals of mankind mind realized in new and inventive ways that was the American dream cities spread and prospered early hardships were overcome the United States moved into a more complex age an age of accelerated progress [Music] it climaxed with the invention of skyscrapers dictated by economic necessity made possible by science and technology and transforming skylines in a way the world had never seen before [Music] but look closer even this soaring American achievement clung to the concepts of the past with neoclassical decorations merely placed on the front of buildings with columns rising over several stories a building invention of ancient Rome the time had come for a change Advanced Construction methods materials that could be assembled molded poured on the spot all demanded a modern [Music] style with forms as precise and as simple as the machine forms dictated by mass production of mached materials a most important Advance was the solid structure of the steel frame notice that it stands entirely by itself not needing heavy walls for [Music] support walls could now be made of glass individual planes of glass reflecting the surrounding [Music] City yes sheer Glass Walls a bold positioning the high Rising slab onto a horizontal shaft this is Manhattan's lever House of the early 1950s set back gracefully on a glass enclosed base it features walkways core of greenery for public enjoyment and a severely elegant 24 Story [Music] Tower a few years later Mis Vanda designed the seum building also in Manhattan it has a similar open Plaza it has bronze Mion with edges measured to an eighth of an inch for shadow line and its most admired feature is a splendidly conceived Tower what a classic solution for the [Music] skyscraper the slab began to Grace skylines from east to west incredibly slender when viewed from [Music] afar at close View auster and streamlined the simple effectiveness of the All Glass Wall it brings a striking quality of life into the City and everchanging play of light [Music] a modern architecture created by the 20th century for the [Music] future once again modern man could identify with the basic geometry of rectangles and squares reflecting the unadorned realism of Technology then concrete was added to the facade of the slab and the cube A variation of the new look the look of the Space Age realized in buildings that rise and Rise into [Music] skylines compare the new image to an older one the the Tower of yesterday is seen here on the left dwarfed by the new [Music] structures the restricted use of horizontals and verticals was strangely reminiscent of a mundon painting with its simple lines and squares now Architects embraced the principles of Modern [Music] Art cubists had already discovered spare geometry in 1903 at that time futurists envisioned City structures as Dynamic forces that soar [Music] upward finally architecture Rose to this artistic Vision but all art requires a balance notice the angular forms of this modern sculpture balanced by curving features painting is based on a similar principle szan the father of modern art carefully arranged straight lines to emphasize circular shapes [Music] the flowing Circle the graceful curve what an imaginative addition to the geometric look perhaps the pure circular shape of recent buildings is inspired by Rome's great Landmark the Coliseum [Music] Architects designers landscape artists and sculptors are stimulated by circles and [Music] curves once the architect feels free from restrictions his imagination gives flight to entirely unconventional structures anything is possible between the circular or the straight lines as long as it does not return to the concept of mixing together historical Styles historical styles were created for the past as seen here in Saltsburg Austria modern times need a different language of [Music] architecture let us compare our own ideals to the many valid styles of yesterday medieval Cathedrals this one in Germany are landmarks of Gothic culture perfectly reflecting the faith of that age our age is mirrored in the architect's concept of Elegance and function seen here is the new Los Angeles County Museum surrounded by small features of beauty Baro fountains in Rome inspired by that same love for beautiful [Music] things to this day the capital line top to is the pride of Rome our Towers have different functions to fulfill sculpture in the Baroque age often glorified absolute monarchs a contemporary work might be designed to Kindle the imagination of the viewer yes modern styles can be classic in their own right they are original without being bizarre they are inspired and dignified yet extremely functional for example latest inventions regulate the amount of light and heat to be admitted to the Interiors functional facades are at the same time decorative [Music] beauty is discovered in the natural pattern of [Music] materials color and texture are emphasized instead of ornate Victorian decoration complexity is transformed into Simplicity best of all modern Architects do carry on Mankind's cherished building Traditions they utilize columns first built around Greek temples to once again enclose walkways but note the newly Creative [Music] Design they utilize round arches seen in this Basilica of the truscan and Roman Heritage but these modern arches are slender elongated elegantly [Music] transformed as a new age is Dawning in architecture we ask what is the historical significance of America's new creativity [Music] let us remember that the Renaissance started in Florence with a new architecture it catapulted into an era of Human Excellence this Unity of art and culture ended with a baroque Europe's last great International Style [Music] thereafter European cities largely copied their own [Music] past American architecture reflected the bond with a many cultures brought [Music] here today once again a modern style is arising capturing the imagination of the world writing the image of the Space Age onto changing skylines the United States is a major contributor to this new creation of a modern Universal culture [Music]