Modern Architecture: Symbolism, Nation Building, and Identity Analysis

This essay delves into the role of modern architecture as a symbol of new nations, focusing on how architectural styles and building projects have been used to construct national identities. The essay explores the historical context of nation-building after World War II, examines case studies such as the Ottoman Empire and Iran, and analyzes concepts like Ekistics and the impact of modernization. It discusses the interplay of political events, economic factors (like oil revenue), and cultural tendencies in shaping architectural landscapes. The essay argues that modern architecture serves as a reflection of a nation's aspirations, values, and historical narratives, highlighting the symbolic meanings embedded in the built environment. The work references several scholarly sources to support its arguments, providing a comprehensive analysis of the subject.

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MODERN ARCHITECTURE
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MODERN ARCHITECTURE AS SYMBOL OF NEW NATIONS FOR THE
GEOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
The construction or structuring of the identity of the nations by the use of the state power is
referred to as the nation building. For achievement of the political stability in the country, the
citizens should be united. Nation builders are people that take the initiative to develop the nation
through the government programs hence fostering harmony and growth of the economy,
propaganda or major development of the infrastructure. The nation building is also known as
newly independent nations.
METHODOLOGY
New nation State after the WWII
The most powerful political actors in the world are the nation-states. These are ruling
organizations, maintain the identity of the nation, occupation of the territory, possession of own
government and consist of a larger group of people. The examples of the modern state are
countries like the Japan, United States and France. The beginning of the modern nation-state was
seen in Europe and was due to the domination of the politics in Europe by the feudal lords and
the Catholic Church. The political power of the church was broken by both the Renaissance and
the Reformation. The search for the guidance in learning was propelled by the men of the
Renaissance while those men from the Reformation had a proposal that men can go to heaven
through God. The state transformation in Europe would also be dealt with by the Protestants
reformation (Cooke, 20).

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The shattering of the religious entity in Europe was propelled by the protestant reformation. The
vernacular language took the center stage and replaced the Latin that was originally being used.
The development of interest came up against the roman based laws. The rise of the bourgeoisie
middlemen in Europe led to major factor on feudalism. The migration of the people began to the
west accompanied with them the wealth from the east. There was the development of the trading
route between the east and the west due to the desire for wealth. There was an increase in trade
and development of towns. The political power of these towns, therefore, increased since they
had a wealthier ruler (Blunt, 30).
Due to this development, there was the decline in the hegemonic church and the bourgeoisie
class rose up leading to the development of the powerful monarch. The creation of the new state
was greatly spurred by the independence movement championed by Spain and France. The
nationalism rose up during this time and lead to the death of the emperor. The decline of the
emperor such as the Ottoman and the Austro-Hungarian empires were as a result of the World
War 1. However after the World War 2, only half the modern states were involved. Hence more
states were created after World War 2 due to the new anti-colonial movement (Fraser, 45).
Ottoman Empire 1801-1913
Destruction of Ottoman Empire
The fight between the Ottoman Empire and the allies ended in the year 1918 but this did not
create stability in this region. The Syria, Palestine, and Mesopotamia were being controlled by
the British. The British, French and the Greek was forced to occupy ottoman Thrace and
Constantinople. There was hope by the allies that the stability of this region would be retained
even after the war. The need for the stability therefore increased in the region (Kusno, 56).

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The integration of the civil infrastructure of the empire was badly strained during the civil war.
In many areas there was no application of the laws and order. There was an eruption of the
violence due to the ethnic and religious tension. There also existed banditry that roomed across
the countryside that came as a result of a large number of deserters. There was a match towards
the Constantinople by the allies with the intention of the taking control of the Anatolia.
The Ottoman government could do little in stopping the allies in November 1919. The
assembling of the Ottoman armies was destroyed by the British offensive in Palestine and in
Syria, this started under the guidance of the Mustafa Kemal in Cecilia. The intact ottoman army
regrouped in Mesopotamia as they wait for orders. The general Fakhri Pasha continued to hold
on with his besieged garrison at Medina. This general did not surrender until the year 1919(Lee,
43).
Ekistics
This is a concern based on the science of human development that includes human planning and
dwellings. Description and statistics are the basis of the ekistics. Among the nations, this implies
the interaction amongst the members of the nation based on the infrastructure, human shelter,
and functions depending on the environment hence promoting the well- being of the human
beings. It also shows the forms of the settlement and the interrelations between the human and
other species. For the efficient expansion of the human settlement, there has to be a
reorganization of the villages, towns, and cities.
However, Doxiadis claimed that re-organization of the life from Anthropos to Ecumenopolis that
was also known as the global city, was important to avoid chaos since the biological and social
experience was very clear on it (Minichiello, 121).

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Oil revenue agreement between British and Iran
The parliament of Iran voted for the nationalization of the Anglo Iranian oil company and its
holdings. Mohammed Mossadegh was elected as the prime minister to champion the
nationalizing of this company. The crisis of the Adaban came up under the British pressure in
which the foreign countries agreed not to buy oil from Iran and finally the refinery of the Adaban
was closed. The negotiation was brought off by Mossadegh in the year 1951 when there was a
threat of the employees being thrown out of Iran and there was a warning from the British
government that any tanker from Iran would not see the world market (Tuan, 60).
The Iran government continued to get more pressure from the British government due to the
plan of occupying the Adaban but this plan was rejected by the United States ambassador to Iran
and the United States president. The US had believed that an agreement would be reached
between the Iran and US on the nationalization of Anglo Iranian Oil Company. This implied that
Anglo Iranian Oil Company would take control and the management of the organization
(Graham, 121).
RESULTS
Modernization is the social development that includes the development of the technology,
development of the industries, and development of the urban centers and the expansion of the
system of mass communication. The orientation towards the future due to the cultural tendency
and static movement is known as the modernism. Static dwellings are the major component of
the cities and towns around the world. The utility, solidity and the beauty are the confirmation of
the classical Vitruvian attributes of the architecture (Cosgrove, 31).

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Work Cited
Cosgrove, Denis. "Geography is everywhere: culture and symbolism in human landscapes."
Horizons in human geography. Palgrave, London, 2016. 118-135.
Lees, Loretta. "Towards a critical geography of architecture: the case of an ersatz colosseum."
Ecumene 8.1 (2011): 51-86.
Graham, Stephen. Cities under siege: The new military urbanism. Verso Books, 2011.
Jackson, Peter. Maps of meaning. Routledge, 2012.
Fraser, Valerie. Building the new world: studies in the modern architecture of Latin America,
1930-1960. Verso, 2010.
Blunt, Alison. "Cultural geography: cultural geographies of home." Progress in human
geography 29.4 (2015): 505-515.
Minichiello, Sharon, ed. Japan's competing modernities: issues in culture and democracy, 1900-
1930. University of Hawaii Press, 2016.
Cooke, Miriam. Tribal Modern: Branding New Nations in the Arab Gulf. Univ of California
Press, 2014.

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Kusno, Abidin. Behind the Postcolonial: Architecture, urban space and political cultures in
Indonesia. Routledge, 2014.
Nasar, Jack L. "Symbolic meanings of house styles." Environment and Behavior 21.3 (2011):
235-257.
Tuan, Yi-Fu. "Place: an experiential perspective." Geographical review (2013): 151-165.