Expressionist Architecture: Mainstream Tendencies or Pluralism?

This essay critically reviews the role of expressionist architecture in Australian society and its impact on mainstream tendencies and pluralism. It explores the works of famous expressionist architects like Griffins, Kevin Borland, Edmond, and Corrigan and their iconic buildings. The essay also discusses the incorporation of German building outlooks and the use of architecture as a vehicle for social change.

EXPRESIONIST ARCHITECTURE.
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Expressionist Architecture.
Introduction.
In the architectural discipline, art plays a significant role in relaying the various
expressions and feelings held by people. Artists utilize the multiple styles of building to depict
the real picture of the emotions, visions, culture, religion, and other properties of a people. In the
post-war era, architectures have adopted various styles to give a picture of a particular attribute.
For instance, in Australia, expressionists like Griffins, Kevin Borland, Edmond, and Corrigan
have taken action in providing layouts of buildings according to their philosophical views. The
purpose of this essay is to critically review whether the expressionists are for mainstream
tendencies or pluralism.
Background.
The most famous architectural models in Australian societies borrow from western
nations and particularly the British style of building. The ancient civilization saw the Australian
community to conform to newer legitimate models of housing. Australia has three sets that help
them recall their culture and the similar experiences that were associated with these places. For
instance, Australian convict sites, the Sydney opera house and royal exhibition building found in
Melbourne. In the modern world, newer forms of buildings are parliament house located in
Sydney and the parliament building. The National Trust of Australia function as a body that
monitors the beauty of the Australian buildings2.
Among the architectural expressionists in Australian history are griffins who worked in
close companion with his wife, Marion. They sought to focus on the ancient prestigious designs
that seem to be mastery in the eyes of the current population. Like other contemporary
architectures, Griffins tries to focus on the ability to provide diversity to the current generations

1
and also to hint on the transformation over the years. “Church of resurrection” is one of the most
iconic buildings in the designing of buildings in Australia and the world at large, Peter Corrigan
and Maggie Edmond are the pioneers of the building in Victoria. The church activated the
second Vatican’s council recommendations hence depicting its outstanding and quality of
designing right from the inside to the outside parts of the house. “Architecture is not for the faint-
hearted” is one of the slogans used by Kevin Borland in enhancing a transformation of the
international styles of erecting buildings to the local Australian society1. It has led to the
reinforcement of invention and innovation to a more considerable extent changing the ancient
forms of structures to the modernized ones.
1 Apperly, Richard, Irving, Robert and Reynolds, Peter, Identifying Australian Architecture, Styles and ---,
1788 to the Present, Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1989. Esp. Interwar and early Postwar sections.
2Hamann, Conrad. Cities of Hope Remembered: Cities of Hope Rehearsed: Australian Architecture &
Stage Design by Edmond & Corrigan 1962-2012. Fishermans Bend, Vic. : Thames & Hudson Australia, 2012.

Walter Bury Griffin.
Griffins and his wife Marion.
As an American architect, Griffins is one of the principal designers of the Canberra layout of
buildings and also in their models. The l-shaped floor design is one of the popular designs tied to
his works. In at least twenty-eight years Griffin had roughly designed a minimum of 350
buildings in line with a handful of urban models. Mr. Walter developed similar construction
materials like furniture and raw materials. One of her close compatriots was his wife Marion
who was also a profound architect. In early 1911 they both worked comprehensively to give the

design of the present day Canberra. The competition on the best design preceded the selection of
their design. Among the 137 models, their design merged the most charming and convinced the
panelists.
In his remarks, “I have planned a city that is not like any other in the world. I have
planned it not in a way that I expected any government authorities in the world would accept. I
have planned an ideal city – a city that meets my ideal of the city of the future”3 he was of the
view of dynamism would push to modernization and cities that will conform to the open designs
would be outdated and vague to the eyes of the people. Later after his win in the bid for city
design, he was called upon to inspect the works in progress in the city. Mahoney was left as the
custodian of the ongoing construction activities in Australia. On the influx of the First World
War a tremendous change in the design, altered the reality of Griffin’s vision on the city of
Canberra. The main factor tied to the world war on the cost of handling the conflict led to a
diversion of the funds that could be used in the construction process towards war. The challenges
only saw it possible for Mr. and Mrs. Griffin to be the master planners of the northern and
southern parts of Canberra.
The tendency on Expressionism.
His belief in architecture. “an abstract appeal to the fundamental human capacity to judge
time and sake of rhyme and proportions, as in music.”3 an instrument to depict a picture of the
current state of things at a given point in time is core to the development of the society. The
Newman College and theatre buildings were the most exciting projects undertaken by Griffin in
Australia back from 1916 to 1924.

(Newman College)
Expressionism is commonly attributed to German society. The realization of the objectives of
Griffin in Melbourne saw the incorporation of these forms of German building outlooks to the
buildings constructed. Crystalline internal conformations in the Capitol theatre saw through the
actualization of formality. The opinion of Griffin was to leave a landmark in the architectural
society of the Australian setup. The Newman College is an example of the contrast of the formal
structures, and it was set to conform to the “Gothic style” antique forms of religious buildings
design, especially those of the Roman civilization3.
In his opinion, he argued that the use of gothic designs create a form of religious
atmosphere to the users of the buildings and the populations “in these days of architectural
renaissance …all the world over men are beginning to speak their minds in what is almost a new

language in wood and stone, so that the force of new ideas and independent thinking binds fair to
outrival the great, gothic upheaval of the middle ages.”4 To be in a platform to disclose other
viable designs despite their age. The minds of the prospective architectures should not be rigid in
terms of the designing, but they should be centered on the ability to convince the people
logically. By considering the relief of a site, the creation of any aspired set of the environment is
possible by designing the best layouts. In the Griffin perspective, the aspect of diversification
through buildings was the central theme of his works.
Kevin Borland.
(Rice house designed by Kevin Borland)
As an Australian architect, Kevin Borland worked in the post-world war era,
especially in the aspect of raw materials used in the construction processes. His works are
profoundly articulate in Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales. In modern architecture, he is
one of the primary facilitators of formal forms of housing in the current Australian buildings. As
a Bachelors student at the University of Melbourne, he withdrew studies to take part in the

Second World War as a naval reserve. Immediately after the war, Borland advocated for a
society free from economic and social equality that is educated with the various skills for the
reconstruction of the Australian setup. In this period he was rewarded as the illuminating
engineer for light architecture before graduating with a degree in town planning in 1950.
In the years 1951 and 1952, in conjunction with retired lecturers, Borland posed for
decent housing by the small-scale people in the Australian setup. The objective of the initiative
was to supply the poor with affordable formal designs for house in the Australian cities. Later he
gained s from his improvisation of roofing using concretes reinforced in a chicken wire which
was a step ahead of the primary forms of roofing. Interdependency of building components was
actualized by the subgenre of the Olympic swimming stadium in Melbourne.
(Olympic swimming stadium.)
The school hall in Preshil earned Borland the Victorian Architectural medal for
outstanding building in the year 1962. Borland was awarded a variety of many honors in terms of
his various achievements in the discipline of architecture.

The tendency of Kevin Borland in Expressionism.
Borland thought of ensuring architecture is utilized to the latter and getting the worse
state of things prevalent after the world war era are rehabilitated in the shortest time possible. It
is in this approach that Borland used the various designs of architecture to get his country out of
the menace. The emotional concern of Kevin towards emulating infrastructure as a vehicle for
social change helps in closing the gap among the colonizers and the subjects. The use of arts in
bringing in various versions of civilization eras buildings brought facilitated hiding of the
multiple challenges underwent by Australia in the wartime. Kevin Borland was pure of the
perspective of modernism in the contemporary world. Adoption of more intricate designs and
patterns depicted the ability of architecture to progress from more straightforward to complex
forms of designs. Honesty as a tendency of Borland is evident in his works through ensuring the
society acquires the best ways of architecture.
The passion for architecture displayed by Kevin Borland is overwhelming in terms of
clinching awards in a brief time. His urgency to the issue of development is positive and reveals
an energetic heart. He does not keep the architectural knowledge to himself he is considerate to
the poor by providing designs to the small scale earners; hence initiating change from a low
level. The principle of function is paramount is exclusively paramount in his works as the
buildings emanating from his designs adopt features similar to their purpose, for instance, the
Olympic swimming stadium conforms v shape to enable fans in the stadium to have a clear view
of the actual activity taking place in the arena. Taste is another attribute tied to the work of Kevin
Boland as he is precise on switching to unique designs; he stands out amid other architects.
Edmond and Corrigan.

(Building 8 of RMT)
As an architectural firm in Melbourne, Maggie Edmond and Peter Corrigan are the
pioneers of the firm in terms of founding the entity. The firm was put into work in 1975, a lot of
its work was mainly channeled to Catholic churches, and it is by then that they designed
Keysborough church of resurrection and other buildings in the suburbs. The church of
resurrection works is influenced by the actions of Griffins and other roman forms of church
structures and designs. The
company is well known for devolving the Australian architectural language. The approach aimed
to ensure modernity a comprehensive process to every willing low earning person in society. The
ideology of suburbia in the context was used to ensure that even the people in the low status are
beneficiaries of the new civilization. In the afterward the company pursued more complex

buildings, for instance, the RMIT building 8, which was about a city in one building5.
Metaphorically it was mean that the whole of Melbourne was to align into a specific design of
architecture and precisely those that are within the postmodernist era.
Some of the significant achievements of the firm are the designing of structures that
portray a unique form of layout in the modern social set up. Use of bricks in the contemporary
constructions of buildings, their mode of the design was changing the initial trend of building in
Australian society. Polychrome bricks are some of the raw materials used in the outer walls of
the buildings in ensuring the visual appeal of the buildings is convincing to the people.
Excellence from other larger cities of the world was a driver in the works of Edmond and
Corrigan the modernization of Australia was the core vision in his work by ensuring the normal
was matched out by the newer forms of architecture in the major metropolis.
Tendencies of Edmond and Corrigan.
Integrity was a significant issue that forced the Edmond and Corrigan to outdo the
traditional forms of thinking by the people of Australia. From the perspective of an architect
towards pursuing the various tasks with passion and determination was the only out to change
the face of architecture by changing what they referred to as “suburban wilderness. Complexity
and contradiction are some of the drivers that led to the realization of the architecture found in
Australia. Evasion of what he referred to as simple and finer helped in thinking outside of the
normal or the public spheres of reasoning. Industry and science focused on economic
development. The complexity of Corrigan’s perspective of development led to modern living.
Through borrowing from Antonio Gaudi’s housing, Corrigan was in a position to show some
light in the tunnel. The conformity to the modern American architectural methodology raised
concerns from the public “inappropriate enthusiasm.”

Embracing Australia was a significant appeal by Corrigan, the movement and energy
helped the firm to attain the milestones of theatre and mobility in terms of changing from
sophisticated forms to pronounced forms of housing. Athan house of 1988 is a building in the
outskirts of the urban, held a number of the modern types of technology in architecture, for
instance, the use of ramps instead of verandahs. The architecture in the setup had taken a new
form of formality, and its properties were beyond the standard kinds of structures. It is
facilitating a movement comprising of the young architectures into reinforcing the overall design
if the Australian societies. The Melbournian style emerged in the 1990s. Architects with myopic
vision postulated “well, that’s very Melbourne or mad Irish.”4
Convergences.
The social role of architecture is highlighted in the works of the expressionists by giving
the essence of housing to the lifestyle of a people. Mobility towards self-actualization of the
social setups can be achieved through the attainment of the most legitimate basic needs of life.
Modernization and diversification of the societies have arisen from the developmental progress
of the forms of housing, leading to making the community accommodative of the people from
outside the spheres. Melbourne has gained fame out of the type of building skills, just like the
ancient buildings of the classical eras of civilization.
2
Designing of new schools push for increasing the level of globalizing the education of Australia.
Marketing of architectural tourism has been
25Turnbull, Jeff and Navaretti, Peter Y. The Griffins in Australia and India: The Complete Works and
Projects of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, Melbourne : Miegunyah Press, 1998. (Available from
the Library Reserve).
6Weirick, James. â&******o;˜The Griffins and Modernismâ&******o;™, Transition: Discourse on
Architecture, No. 24, Autumn, 1988, pp.5- 13.

Realized by the profound architects of Australia in the various eras of modernity. Benchmarking
by similar professionals from other nations help in earning government revenue.
To the aspect pluralism, it has become a reality in the shaping of the opinion of the
masses in terms of building the structures with the due international capacity despite the era of
modernization of the design. For the case of Griffin, he merged the antique styles and the modern
forms of plans to generate the most convincing structures. For instance, the postmodern
architects have further lead to the establishment of information relevant to their profession from
the early works of their counterparts. The society at first tends to develop wrong justifications
from new propositions of building hence pushing them further to old housing. Through
international interactions, the architects develop many more original designs, and the public is in
a better to accept the form of civilization and make it a kind of culture8. The heritage of the
Australian towns has received a massive boost from the designs used in the construction of the
new cultural wealth.
The mainstream tendency of saving in the resources and raw materials used in the process
of construction is enormously reinforced in the plans used for constructing many of the present
world building. Changes in time factor have resulted in variations, especially in perceptions held
by the people who want their buildings to be erected. It is through the approach by the various
architects that a tremendous unification of the people’s ideas in building and construction has
been shaped to conform to the current styles of construction. Beautification as an issue that
everyone looks forward to is realized by the various works of Griffins, Corrigan, and Borland.
The aesthetic appeal derived from their actions advocate for further use of the modern forms of
setting up houses. The realization of globalization is made easy through such aspect.

3
Divergence.
The appeal of modern expressionist approach has led to a distortion of the meanings tied
to various attributes by the society. The tendency of the majority has always been looking
forward to getting cheaper and simpler forms of executing building, but with the intervention of
the modern architects, it has led to the worsening of the situation. Intervening for what is unique
and what will ensure the city of Melbourne has risen above the odds has always been on the
doorsteps of the Australian people7. People wanting to exercise the free will, the issue of
initiating construction of similar buildings renders the public towards a denial of the right to
choose as it is tighter for many people to highlight what they want as their design.
Expressionists may tend to diverge the real thought on a given structure or carvings that
people considered and will continue to feel. The new definitions of the drawings distort the
cultural meanings and also evoking of bad memories by some of the illustrations tend to be
emotionally tragic to people of the Australian society who took part in the world war. In many
instances, it is hard for the poor citizens to afford the designs of the new forms of buildings,
especially for the low-class workers hence curtailing the process of social change.
Conclusion.
In summary, the aspect of expressionists helps in communicating with the world through
art, for instance, in the buildings of various localities. It is advisable for embracing and ensuring
a change in standard set ups, especially in mainstream societies. In the contemporary world, the
level civilization of a people can be tied to the form of structures set in these societies. For the
37Hamann, Conrad. Cities of Hope: Australian Architecture and Design by Edmond and Corrigan, 1962-
1992, Melbourne; New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. (Available from the Library Reserve).
8Kevin Borland: Architecture from the Heart, edited by D. Evans with H. C. Borland, C. Hamann,
Melbourne: RMIT Publishing, 2006. (Available from the Library Reserve).

context of the Australian culture, it has been vital in ensuring the organization has undergone a
series of change in terms of the outward complexion of the landscape. It is also important to note
that modernity in buildings will reinforce the mental capacity of a society to positivism and
higher self-esteem.4
Bibliography.
Apperly, Richard, Irving, Robert and Reynolds, Peter, Identifying Australian Architecture, Styles
and ---, 1788 to the Present, Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1989. Esp. Interwar and early
Postwar sections.
Hamann, Conrad. Cities of Hope Remembered: Cities of Hope Rehearsed: Australian
Architecture & Stage Design by Edmond & Corrigan 1962-2012. Fishermans Bend,
Vic. : Thames & Hudson Australia, 2012.
4

Hamann, Conrad. Cities of Hope: Australian Architecture and Design by Edmond and Corrigan,
1962-1992, Melbourne; New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. (Available from the
Library Reserve).
Kevin Borland: Architecture from the Heart, edited by D. Evans with H. C. Borland, C. Hamann,
Melbourne: RMIT Publishing, 2006. (Available from the Library Reserve).
McDougall, Ian. â&******o;˜Speculating on a Traditional Avant-Gardeâ&******o;™, Express
Australia, New York: Express Annual 1984, pp.32-33. (Week 12 Reading from
Blackboard).
Munday, Richard. â&******o;˜Passion in the Suburbsâ&******o;™, Architecture Australia,
Vol, No.1, Architecture Australia with â&******o;œPassion in the Suburbsâ&******o; ,
vol. 66, no.1 (February-March 1977) pp. 52-61.
Turnbull, Jeff and Navaretti, Peter Y. The Griffins in Australia and India: The Complete Works
and Projects of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, Melbourne :
Miegunyah Press, 1998. (Available from the Library Reserve).
Weirick, James. â&******o;˜The Griffins and Modernismâ&******o;™, Transition: Discourse
on Architecture, No. 24, Autumn, 1988, pp.5- 13.