John Ruskin’s Functionalism And Material Rationalism

This paper is a thematic study of the architectural theoretical thinking of John Ruskin(1819-1900),a major theorist of Functionalism and Material Rationalism and a major theoretical contributor to the Arts and Crafts movement.During that time,Ruskin’s precise assertions about architecture not only intuitively guided the architecture design,but also continued influence such as the Art Nouveau,the German Association of Craftsmen and the Modernism movements,and further provided nourishment for today’s architectural thinking on locality and architectural heritage conservation,with enduring value for study and research.This paper takes Ruskin’s writings and related literature as the main object of study,and examines the architectural theory section of Ruskin’s theory from three perspectives:theoretical background,content of the literature and significance of influence.It is claimed in this thesis that Ruskin’s main architectural theory consists of three aspects:one is the aesthetic criterion of the Naturalism;the second is the theory of Functionalism;and the third is the theory of Material Rationalism.Based on the theoretical analysis and research,it is innovatively suggested in this thesis that in a broader perspective of architectural history,Ruskin’s ’ Theory of Functionalism ’ and ’ Theory of Material Rationalism ’ have a richer significance.Firstly,these two theories together became the main source of the European Avant-garde’s focus on function and rationality.Secondly,the ’ Theory of Functionalism ’ evoked the emergence of an environmentally sensitive and contextual approach to design.Finally,the idea of ’ Theory of Material Rationalism ’ inspired the innovation of design methods in the Post-modern period.It is certain that even though more than a hundred years have passed since then,Laskin’s architectural ideas have played a pivotal role in the entire history of modern architecture,as well as remained highly relevance in the Post-modern period.The content of Laskin’s architectural theories is retrospective,but the significance of them is prospective.The content and results of this study could provide some reference value for today’s architectural community while seeking for direction in architectural development.