I’ve been pondering about the meaning of the word ‘monolithic’ which is thrown around in different forms by people with an interest in buildings.
My first memory of something like it was when I watched the sci-fi film 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrik and Arthur C. Clarke and was introduced to the alien Monolith. This was a futuristic, rectangular, cuboid object, a bit like a smooth dark floating gravestone, that appeared at key stages within the film to impact on the story. I won’t go into the details as you can find a lengthy explanation of the film and the rationale behind the Monolith on Wikipedia. Suffice it to say that the word stuck with me from an early age and clearly with others who have recreated the structure in France (copied below).
The true meaning of a monolith (without a capital letter) is also provided by Wikipedia which has two pages, one mainly about geological formations from a single type of rock such as Ayers Rock in Australia or El Capitan in the USA, but also a disambiguation on other uses of the term and its adjective ‘monolithic’. One of these refers to monolithic architecture and the main examples are ancient churches or temples cut out of a single rock type, hence not far from the original definition of monolith. You actually get many search results by looking for images of monolithic architecture and these include recent buildings. In researching for this post I have just stumbled across a 1990s exhibition catalogue freely available on the internet with the title: ‘Monolithic Architecture’. It skirts around different definitions of the term but uses typologies of architecture to help illustrate the overall theme of what you might call ‘solidity’ or ‘fixity’ - clearly examples are needed to feature in an exhibition about such a theme, so the books provides just nine of them … Interestingly it does reference the sci-fi Monolith in the same section as the real Eiffel Tower - both as distinct objects designed to stand out visually from their settings. However in the same book monolithic architecture is connected to the linear simplicity of computer-aided design, which just didn’t exist as an option in 1880s Paris!
Ok I admit it, I’m still struggling to exemplify monolithic architecture in one written and visual example of a building. Perhaps it’s just not possible? What I can do is explain a little more about my interest in the topic. Even though I have promised in an early post in this series NOT to use buildings in my PhD thesis, I'm going to have to relent. My version of monolithic refers to the structural combination of building framing and terracing within a Belle Epoque building constructed using reinforced concrete or cement systems. This is illustrated in the below image taken from a technical book of the period.
The matrix of thin metallic bars inside the columns, beams and slabs in the diagram (exposed for illustrative purposes) indicate that, in theory, you could build a frame of iron or steel without any covering. Whether it would be able to support itself or any loads is a wholly different issue, and without ceiling/floor infills, how could anyone stand on any levels above the base not shown in the picture? For this reason wooden planks were fixed around the metallic frame, allowing enough space to form the finished components by pouring in liquid concrete. Only once this thick liquid is cured and set might you be able to start testing the structure for overall stability and its ability to bear loads (including walls, windows, internal fittings, people etc).
What was the purpose of such an approach to construction? My thesis is trying to connect novel technical approaches to the use of metallic construction systems, more closely to developments in architecture during the Belle Epoque in pre-First World War France and Belgium. The main drivers were the need for larger, but still economically viable, fire-resistant buildings that could handle demanding industrial and human loads, but also provide more natural internal light and volumetric space through larger windows, fewer pillars and glazed roofing.
There is no single example of all of this in one building and if there were, I’d probably give up my thesis! But I will keep thinking about the problem and who knows, in a future post I may even decide to fix on a single example with all kinds of provisos. You could in the meantime just do an internet search on ‘monolithic architecture’ and see what you think of the resulting images.