Cultural roots within Third Generation: Aldo van Eyck and primitive cultures

Abstract

This paper deals with a key topic within the criticism developed on Modern Movement architecture by the so called Third Generation: the disregard for specific cultural roots when architecture generates the human habitat and user’s emotional dissociation caused for the resulting impoverishment of architectural project. In this sense, at the same time he represents one of the strongest voices and attitudes in that regard within Team 10 context, Aldo van Eyck provides an approach as special as interesting based on a committed personal investigation process developed throughout his career. Thus, his approach to those primitive cultures still existing in our days means not only a useful and inspiring source of learning, but the confirmation that many of those reflections which featured that conviction for claiming the presence of diverse and specific cultural roots in the project of architecture had a reference and support in the configurative genesis of primary human settlements.