The Arts and Crafts Movement, which evolved between 1860 and 1910, was a big rebellion against much of the mass-produced, symmetrical architecture and décor. The movement brought about one of the key design and property styles of the mid to late 1800s to the early 1900s.Arts and Crafts architecture sought a spiritual connection with the surrounding environment, both natural and manmade.

It focused on high quality, hand-crafted items, textures, designs and structures, as opposed to anything machine-made and mediocre. There was much decoration and ornamentation on arts and crafts designs, and although it was meant for the masses, due to the extreme handmade nature of the goods and materials, it was often expensive for many. The Arts and Crafts approach, on the whole, was often asymmetric, sometimes with medieval influences, but its style had many similarities with Art Nouveau.

When came to 1900 to 1945,the architecture was gradually developed with the help of science and technology.Modernist movement was lead in architecture which was an attempt to create a nonhistorical architecture of Functionalism in which a new sense of space would be created with the help of modern materials.It is an adoption of the machine aesthetic whereas a rejection of ornament which means a simplification of form and elimination of "unnecessary detail". Thus,about 1920, some architects developed in simple cubical forms.Eg of architects: Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright

After World War II, modernism was moved to postmodernism. But it's not clear exactly when postmodernism begins. In fact, modernism is viewed as excessively minimalist, anonymous, monotonous, and boring. Whereas postmodernism has a sense of humor. It is combining new ideas with traditional forms, postmodernist buildings may startle, surprise, and even amuse.Some features of postmodern houses:
- Sense of "anything goes": Forms filled with humor, irony, ambiguity, contradiction
- Juxtaposition of styles: Blend of traditional, contemporary, and newly-invented forms
- Exaggerated or abstract traditional detailing
- Materials or decorations drawn from far away sources

Following is deconstructivism in architecture, also called deconstruction,which is development of postmodern architecture that began in the late 1980s. It is characterized by ideas of fragmentation, an interest in manipulating ideas of a structure's surface or skin,non-rectilinear shapes which serve to distort and dislocate some of the elements of architecture, such as structure and envelope.

Well, how about in future?..yes..here we go..parametric..Parametricism is the great new style after modernism. Postmodernism and deconstructivism have been transitional episodes that ushered in this new, long wave of research and innovation. Modernism was founded on the concept of space. Otherwise, parametricism differentiates fields. Fields are full, as if filled with a fluid medium. Swarms have also served as paradigmatic analogues for the field concept. Late modernist architects are using parametric tools to maintain a modernist aesthetic. At Zaha Hadid Architects, our parametricist sensibility pushes in the opposite direction and aims for a maximal emphasis on conspicuous differentiation.

Discussed by cheejye, chinhsien, yinying

by Muhammad Syukri


Johor Bahru was founded in 1850 by Wong Ah Fook himself together with Temenggong Daing. It was a fisher village known as Tanjong Puteri before being renamed Johor Bahru by the Sultan. Constantly growing, the village turned to a traders hub and Sungai Seget became an important feature of Johor Bahru. Jalan Trus was the main road before shifting to Jalan Wong Ah fook after the causeway was built.
After independence, Singapore departed and the Custom Complex was built. Growing to become a financial and commercial area, Johor Bahru is recognized as a city in 1994. In 1996, most of Johor Bahru main feature such as the Central Market and Bus Terminal was moved to Larkin to make way of new development and ease traffic. In 2008, the new CIQ Complex was opened to public.
Johor Bahru development is shifting from west to east. Some of future feature is transportation hub at JB Sentral by 2012, LRT System by 2015 and recognition as a Economy City by 2020.