Nine Points on Monumentality

J. L. Serf. F. Lger S. Giedion

Oue donneriez vaus ma belle
Pour revoir votremeti?
Je donnerai Versailles,
Paris et Saint Denis
Les tours de Notre Dame
Et Ie clacher de man pays.
Aupts de ma blonde
Ou'i! fait bon, fait bon, fait bon.
-From anold Frenchsong,"Auprs de ma blonde"
1. Monumentsarehumanlandmarks which menhavecreated as symbols for their
ideals,fortheiraims,andfortheiractions.Theyareintendedtooutlivetheperiodwhich
originated them, and constitutea heritagefor futuregenerations. As such, theyform
a linkbetweenthe past and thefuture.
2. Monuments are the expression of man's highest cultural needs. They have to
satisfythe eternal demand of the people for translationof their collective force into
symbols. Themostvital monumentsarethosewhichexpress thefeelingandthinking
of this collective force-the people.
3. Everybygone period which shaped a real cultural life had the power and the
capacity tocreatethesesymbols. Monumentsare, therefore,onlypossible inperiods
inwhich a unifyingconsciousness and unifyingcultureexists. Periodswhich existfor
themoment havebeen unable to create lastingmonuments.
4. The lasthundred years havewitnessed the devaluationof monumentality. This
does notmeanthatthereis anylackof formal monumentsor architectural examples
pretending to servethis purpose; but theso-called monumentsof recent date have,
withrareexceptions, become emptyshells. Theyinnowayrepresentthespiritor the
collective feelingof modern times.
5. This decline and misuseof monumentalityis the principal reasonwhy modern
architects havedeliberately disregarded themonumentand revoltedagainst it.
Modern architecture, likemodern painting and sculpture, had to start the hard
way. Itbegan bytacklingthesimpler problems, themoreutilitarianbuildings likelow-
renthousing,schools,officebuildings, hospitals,andsimilarstructures.Todaymodern
architects knowthat buildings cannot be conceived as isolatedunits, thattheyhave
to be incorporated into the vaster urban schemes. There are no frontiers between
architectureandtownplanning, justas therearenofrontiersbetweenthecityandthe
region.Co-relationbetweenthemisnecessary.Monumentsshouldconstitutethemost
powerful accents inthesevast schemes.
6. A new step lies ahead. Postwar changes in the whole economic structure of
nations may bring with themtheorganizationof community lifeinthecity which has
been practically neglected up to date.
7. Thepeoplewantthebuildings thatrepresenttheirsocialandcommunitylifetogive
morethanfunctionalfulfillment.Theywanttheiraspirationformonumentality,joy, pride,
and excitement to be satisfied.
The fulfillment of this demand can be accomplished with the new means of
expressionathand, thoughitisnoeasytask.Thefollowingconditions areessentialfor
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