South African Architectural Record
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Browsing South African Architectural Record by Author "Martienssen, Rex D"
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Item Architecture and Modern Life(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1929-12) Martienssen, Rex D"My intention this evening, is to bring the art of architecture into relationship with the other arts, and with our every day activities, in order to show that the arts do not necessarily lose any of their aesthetic value by fulfilling a functional need."Item Architecture in Modern Painting. A Study in Absorption and Reinterpretation(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1939-03) Martienssen, Rex D'Cezanne taught the architect the laws which had been forgotton. He showed that surface was significant in its definition of volume, and that the mutilated and perforated "walls" which had come to be accepted by architects could enclose in only an incidental and imperfect manner.'Item The Changing Generator in Greek Sculpture(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1936-09) Martienssen, Rex DArt Implies human intervention; the impact of a creating will on inanimate material, but in the functioning of this humanizing agency the outcome is coloured by economy. To evoke a response it is not necessary to re-create the whole idea or form conceived in the mind it is sufficient to evoke a reaction in temrs of a symbol.Item Civil Defence in South Africa(The Cape, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1940-09) Martienssen, Rex D; Hanson, Norman L; WGM"The architect's training in large scale planning, in the co-ordination of the many and varied technical activities connected with building and in the adjustment of related and sometimes conflicting programme requirements, gives him a special place in the formulation and carrying out of comprehensive measures for Air Raid Protection."Item Commentary(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1931-09) Martienssen, Rex D'...Why not try nothing?"Item Commentary(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1931-06) Martienssen, Rex D"It is not to be thought that because advanced modern work successfully fulfils a functional need that it is lacking in those mystic qualities, those thrilling touches of imaginative virtuosity which seem to be the essence of classic and gothic."Item Conflict in hellas - Materials for an Integration of the Greek Spirit (Paper read to Architectural Student's Society)(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1935-06) Martienssen, Rex DWhen we build, we establish a relationship more or less satisfactory between the volume of the building and the greater volume which encloses it. The enveloping elements of the building-form provide the transition, and it is in this actual transition that the degree of strength and the kind of relationship is established.Item Contact with Le Corbusier. Rhapsody(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1934-07) Martienssen, Rex D"Le Corbusier says 'state the problem clearly' and take stock of present day resources. Co-ordinate all the factors involved, material, economic, metaphysical. Solve the problem strictly in terms of these."Item The Contemporary House(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1934-10) Martienssen, Rex D"The term architect, then in this context implies very much more than is commonly supposed. Our architect must have a full understanding of the problems involved in the present social and economic structures. His function is to correlate and unify new scientific processes with the scale of human requirements."Item The English Spirit(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1939-01) Martienssen, Rex D" The architectural monuments of England are to be found in the country. In the vernacular where architectural forms combine with an unaccountable poise and harmony; where brick and tile and thatch and stone are used with judgement and leisurely arrangements we find the spirit which has escaped the architect's most determined efforts to establish an english architecture."Item Evolution of and Architect's House 1940(The Journal of the Cape, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors., 1942-02) Martienssen, Rex D'Architects' houses tend to be interesting not because they inevitably exceed either on practical or aesthetic grounds the work done in the normal way, but because they are in a sense snatches of autobiography.'...'in the architect's own house the only conflicting circumstances that have to be contended with are economic or material - there are no external problems of taste'...'In this freedom lies the possibility of greatness or weakness.' p19Item Facade(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1937-11) Martienssen, Rex D"... these palaces marked the last stage before impatience with the restrictions of a pure style brought decay, and final collapse into vulgarity."Item The Golden Road. Impressions of an Architectural Pilgrimage to the Cape.(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1928-06) Martienssen, Rex D"...The picture of a shady patch, of whitewashed wall, the scent of pressed grapes, the fantasy of a gable scroll are the treasures which refresh one after a pilgrimage to the Cape. In January 1928 Professor Pearse took a party of architectural students to the Cape. His intention was to make complete surveys of as many of the old buildings as possible, consistent with careful study, and a true appreciation of their beauty..."Item The hellenistic House, with special reference to examples at Delos(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1939-11) Martienssen, Rex D"The Hellenistic house exemplifies a classic ideal. There is nothing haphazard in its shape.Craftmanship was merely a means to an end, and where we can find faults they can be attributed to a lack of technique or lack of funds, but never to lack of intention. The aesthetic conscience of the individual was as disciplined in his private enterprises as in his collective endeavours, and the house reflects an aspect of life that must be carefully weighed in arriving at an estimate of the Hellenistic achievement."Item Ideals in Architecture(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1928-09) Martienssen, Rex D'No formula has yet been devised to obtain beauty in architecture. For beauty is not dependent on pure design. Forms nearly approaching the ideal, but bounded by unsympathetic materials will lack the essential quality."Item The International Tendency in Contemporary Architecture, with particular reference to Swedish work(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1931-12) Martienssen, Rex D"If we look back a few years in the rapid development of the new movement in European architecture we will find in general that there are two tendencies in the movement. A tendency towards nationalism and a tendency towards internationalism.Item Kwart-eeu se Argitektuur(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1935-05) Martienssen, Rex D"Ons behoort sowel die toekoms as die verlede te skat indien ons geboue 'n vrolike agtergrond moet verskaf wat voldoende en ten volle in harmonie sal wees met ons lewenswyse."Item Man in Space ( A Lecture delivered at the Abstract Art Congress)(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1937-08) Martienssen, Rex D"...I am all for a minimum of information and a maximum of wrangling."Item The Melting Pot(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1932-06) Martienssen, Rex D"... it is useless to cut and trim from the outside: the change must start further in. We must model outwards, we must conceive the problem clearly, then our house will have shape."Item Mobile Architecture(Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State Provincial Institutes of South African Architects and the Chapter of South African Quantity Surveyors, 1937-05) Martienssen, Rex D"When the designer saw his first flyingboat make a steep climbing turn over Rochester Castle he saw the demonstration of an idea given expression in terms of the rich vocabulary of his own time."