Question

What are the defining concepts underlying megastructure and metabolism as they emerged in the 1960s? How does the work of Archigram show these concepts, and in what ways does its graphic style extend or develop them?

Answer 1

The human and environmental catastrophic events that occurred after the atomic bombing of Japan along with natural disasters such as earthquakes paved way for envisioning architecture that could contemplate with the political and social requirements of the country and its people. This necessity led to the inclusion of metabolism in the physical structures in order to make them resilient and adaptable to change. Biological metaphors with the vernacular and technoscientific images evoked the notion of a genetic architecture which can be created again and again.

Metabolist manifesto was perceived as the presentation of the concept megastructure at the World Design Conference and was considered as a unique Japanese contribution to modern architecture.

The megastructures primarily branched into local structures in order to connect the people at local level. For instance the transportation mega structure branched into large traffic arteries and transportation lanes to streets on the pedestrian level. The megastructures are in constant process of becoming and declining

Archigram evolved in 1960s and it believed that architecture can be made mobile, dynamic and pulsating so that each individual can fit into it on the basis of their individual perseverance about the society. Thus, they drafted models with moving building and structures that can be changed at their users’ will. The trait of flexibility is structure, continuous design change and connecting the locals have resemblance with the concepts of megastructure and metabolism