The Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM) (International Congress of Modern Architecture) (1928 - 1959) was the This article is about the institution. For other meanings, see Think Tank. A think tank is a group of individuals dedicated to high-level synergistic research on a variety of subjects, usually in military laboratories, corporations, or other institutions. Usually this term refers specifically to organizations which support theorists and... think tank of the Modern Movement (or The Weissenhof Estate in Stuttgart, Germany (1927) The Weissenhof Estate in Stuttgart, Germany (1930) International style, also known as the Modern movement, is a primarily American offshoot of Bauhaus architecture that was exported to various parts of the world. International style was a major architectural trend in the 1920s and... International Style) in This article is about the built environment. For other uses of the term Architecture see Architecture (disambiguation) Architecture (in Greek αρχή = first and τέχνη = craftsmanship) is the art and science of designing buildings. A wider definition would include within its scope the design... architecture. It was both an organisation and a series of meetings.

Formation and Membership

The 20th century abounds with A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. In the United Kingdom, and in some other parliamentary democracies, political parties prepare electoral manifestoes which set out both their strategic direction and outlines of prospective legistlation should they win sufficient support in an election in... manifestos in which the term "architecture as a social art" is variously voiced. Among the many propositions that command our attention are the concepts and buildings of architects associated with the International Congress of Modern Architecture (CIAM), founded in June 1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). Events January-May January 6- 7 - River Thames floods in London - 14 drowned January 17 - OGPU arrests Lev Trotsky in Moscow; he assumes a status of passive resistance and is exiled to Turkestan February - Kurume University... 1928 at the Chateau de la Sarraz in The Swiss Confederation or Switzerland is a landlocked federal state in Europe, with neighbours Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. The country has a strong tradition of political and military neutrality, but also of international co-operation, and is home to many international organisations. Confoederatio Helvetica (CH), the Latin version... Switzerland, by a group of 28 World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. It is conventionally considered a continent, which, in this case, is more of a cultural distinction than a geographic one. ( National Geographic, however, officially recognises... European architects organized by The Villa Savoye near Paris Le Corbusier (October 6, 1887–August 27, 1965) was the pseudonym of Charles Edouard Jeanneret-Gris. He was an architect famous for what is now called the International style, along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, and Theo van Doesburg. He also... Le Corbusier, Hélène de Mandrot (owner of the castle), and Sigfried Giedion (the first secretary-general).

Other founder members included Karl Moser (first president), Victor Bourgeois, Pierre Chareau, Josef Frank, Gabriel Guevrekian, Max Ernst Haefeli, Hugo Häring, Arnold Höchel, Huib Hoste, Pierre Jeanneret (cousin of Le Corbusier), André Lurçat, Ernst May, Fernando García Mercadal, Hannes Meyer, Werner Max Moser, Carlo Enrico Rava, Red and Blue chair Lamp, designed by Rietveld Rietveld-Schröder house Gerrit Rietveld (Utrecht June 24, 1888- Utrecht June 26, 1964), was a Dutch designer, architect and cabinet maker. In 1911, Rietveld started his own furniture factory, while studying architecture. Rietveld designed the Red and Blue Chair in 1918... Gerrit Rietveld, Alberto Sartoris, Hans Schmidt, Mart Stam, Rudolf Steiger, Henri-Robert Von der Mühll, and Juan de Zavala

Other notable members later included Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto (February 3, 1898 _ May 11, 1976) was a Finnish architect. He was a Scandinavian modernist designer, noted for his humanistic approach to modernism. His work includes architecture, furniture, and glassware. He was one of the first and most influential architects of the Scandinavian modern movement... Alvar Aalto and Hendrik Petrus Berlage (1856-1934) was a prominent Dutch architect. He was born in Amsterdam in 1856. After failing the entrance exam to artschool, he took architecture at the Zürich Institute of Technology under Gottfried Semper from 1875 until 1878. His most famous work is the Amsterdam Stock Exchange... Hendrik Petrus Berlage.

Influence

The organisation was hugely influential. It was not only engaged in formalising the architectual principles of the Modern Movement, but also saw architecture as an economic and political tool that could be used to improve the World through the design of buildings and through urban planning.

At the fourth congress, held in 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 3 - Japanese troops occupy Shanghai January 5 - Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins in San Francisco Bay. January 15 - Political violence has caused almost 100 deaths in Spain January 17 - US Congress... 1933, the group conceived of the "Athens Charter", a document that adopted a functional conception of modern architecture and urban planning which was unique and provocative. The Charter, based on discussions held ten years earlier, claimed that the problems faced by cities could be resolved by strict functional segregation, and the distribution of the population into tall apartment blocks at widely spaced intervals. The ideas were widely adopted by town planners in the rebuilding of World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. It is conventionally considered a continent, which, in this case, is more of a cultural distinction than a geographic one. ( National Geographic, however, officially recognises... Europe following Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (60,000 ft) into the air. August 9, 1945 World War II was a global conflict that started in 7 July 1937 in Asia and 1 September 1939 in Europe and lasted until 1945, involving the majority of the... World War II, although by then some CIAM members were having doubts about some of the concepts.

As CIAM members travelled world-wide after the war, many of its ideas spread outside Europe, notably to the The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, the States, or (archaically) Columbia — is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii... USA. Unfortunately the implementation of many of the ideas was frequently poorly executed in the post-war era, often due to tight financial constraints, sometimes compounded by a poor understanding of the concepts by architects.

CIRPAC

The elected executive body of CIAM was CIRPAC, the Comité International pour la Résolution des Problèmes de l’Architecture Contemporaine (International Committee for the Resolution of Problems in Contemporary Architecture).

Conferences

CIAM's conferences consisted of:

• 1928, CIAM I, La Sarraz, The Swiss Confederation or Switzerland is a landlocked federal state in Europe, with neighbours Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. The country has a strong tradition of political and military neutrality, but also of international co-operation, and is home to many international organisations. Confoederatio Helvetica (CH), the Latin version... Switzerland, Foundation of CIAM
• 1929, CIAM II, Frankfurt am Main [ˈfraŋkfʊrt] is the largest city in the German state of Hessen and the fifth largest city of Germany. Situated on the Main river, it has a population of approximately 650,000 (but about 5 million in its metropolitan area). Among English speakers... Frankfurt, The Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. Due to its central location, Germany has more neighbours than any other European country: these are Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the... Germany
• 1930, CIAM III, For other uses, see Brussels (disambiguation). Brussels in winter Brussels (Dutch: Brussel, French: Bruxelles, Belgium and is considered by many to be the de facto capital of the European Union, as two of its three main institutions have their headquarters in the city. Overview Brussels is first of all a... Brussels, The Kingdom of Belgium ( Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. Belgium is at a cultural crossroad between Germanic Europe and Romance Europe. It has Dutch speakers... Belgium
• 1933, CIAM IV, For other uses, see Athens (disambiguation). The Acropolis in central Athens is home to ancient monuments of Athens — a mainstay of its thriving tourism industry Athens (Greek: Αθήνα Athína) is the capital of Greece, and also the capital of the Attica region of Greece... Athens, Greece, formally called the Hellenic Republic ( Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία), is a country in the southeast of Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. It has land boundaries with Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav... Greece
• 1937, CIAM V, The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. Paris is the capital city of France, as well as the capital of the Île-de-France région, whose territory encompasses Paris and its suburbs. The city of Paris proper is also a dé... Paris, The French Republic or France ( French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. France is a democracy organised as a... France
• 1947, CIAM VI, Bridgwater in Somerset, England, is a market town, the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and the leading industrial town in the county. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England, between two junctions of the M5 motorway and on the edge of the Somerset Levels... Bridgwater, Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Official language None; English is de facto Capital London Capitals coordinates 51° 30 N, 0° 10 W Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK... England, Reaffirmation of the Aims of CIAM
• 1949, CIAM VII, Bergamo is a town in Italy, in Lombardy, about 40km northeast of Milan. It is home to Orio al Serio International Airport, which serves Milan, Italys low-cost market. The foothills of the Alps begin immediately north of the town. Commune: 39.60 km2, 113,143 inh. Province: 2... Bergamo, The Italian Republic or Italy ( Italian: Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in southern Europe. It comprises a boot-shaped peninsula and two large islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia, and shares its northern alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent countries of San... Italy
• 1951, CIAM VIII, Hoddesdon is a commuter town in the English county of Hertfordshire, situated in the Lea Valley. Hoddesdon grew up as a coaching stop on the route between Cambridge and London. At its height during the Eighteenth century, more than 35 coaches a day would pass through the town. The town... Hoddesdon, Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Official language None; English is de facto Capital London Capitals coordinates 51° 30 N, 0° 10 W Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK... England
• 1953, CIAM IX, Aix (prounounced eks), or, to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, Aix-en-Provence is a city in southern France, some 30 km north of Marseille. It is located in the Provence region, in the Bouches-du-Rh ne d partement, of which it is a sous... Aix-en-Provence, The French Republic or France ( French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. France is a democracy organised as a... France
• 1956, CIAM X, Dubrovnik ( Latin Ragusa), population 43,770 in 2001, 49,728 in 1991 is a port and one of the most prominent tourist resorts on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Croatia, and the center of the Dubrovnik-Neretva county, positioned at 42.39N Lat and 18.04E... Dubrovnik, The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was a Balkan state that existed from 1945 to 1992. It was formed in 1945 from remains of the pre-war Kingdom of Yugoslavia under the name Democratic Federal Yugoslavia, in 1946 it changed its name to Federal Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia and... Yugoslavia

Disbanding

The CIAM organisation disbanded in 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). Events January-February January 1 - Cultivars of plants named after this date must be named in a modern language, not in Latin. January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when forces of Fidel Castro advance January... 1959 as the views of the members diverged. Le Corbusier had left in 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday. Events January-April January 2 - Panama president Jose Antonio Remon is assassinated. January 19 - The Scrabble board game debuts. February 8 - Nikolai Bulganin ousts Georgi Malenkov February 13 - Israel obtains 4 of the 7 Dead Sea scrolls. February 23 - First meeting of... 1955, objecting to the increasing use of The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. It is the third most common first language (native speakers), with around 402 million people in 2002. English has lingua franca status in many parts of the world, due to the military, economic, scientific, political and cultural influence... English during meetings.

See also

• Architectural style constitutes a mode of classifying architecture largely by morphological characteristics in terms of form, techniques, materials, etc.. However it is not a holistic way of understanding architectural works because of its emphasis on style. It overlaps with and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of... Architectural style
• Team X (or Team 10) is an architects group. Several personalities have been members of it througout the years: Peter and Alison Smithson, Giancarlo De Carlo, Aldo Van Eyck. In 1950, following the Second World War (1939-45), some younger C.I.A.M. members envisioned other ways of considering... Team X
• Urban, city, or town planning, deals with design of the built environment from the municipal and metropolitan perspective. Other professions deal in more detail with a smaller scale of development, namely architecture and urban design. Regional planning deals with a still larger environment, at a less detailed level. The Greek... Urban planning
• Union of Modern Architects