Content and Role of National Traditions and Values in the Architectural Formation

1. Introduction

The problem of using national traditions in formation of the contemporary architecture is not a new problem. But in present time, and considering the enormous rates of construction, this issue acquires fateful importance for development of the national culture and for the aesthetic formation of the built environment, and is assumed as one of the most complicated questions that generate serious debates among architects worldwide. The clarification of the content, role, position and importance of the national traditions in contemporary architecture and their integration with the modern building technologies and materials is considered as one of the very complex issues of architectural practice. The proper solution of this question will have its significant impact on the comprehensive aestheticism of the environment and development of the particular image of the urban settlements.
Since more than one century, the creative application of the national traditions in architecture is postulated as a very important issue. The massive and uncriticized implementation of classical orders in the most impressive buildings provoked at that time an acute and spontaneous reaction in most European countries. The serious social changes that occurred in the way of living and the rapid development of technical progress changed dramatically the artistic thinking in architecture. The acute reaction against classicism, eclecticism and decorativism (Art Nouveau) was resulted from the appearance of new ideological movements with heterogeneous aesthetic character provoked by the utilitarian needs of the population or the artistic specificity of architecture…. etc. Nevertheless, generally, in both directions the "utilitarian" relation towards "beauty" was predominant and produced a trend towards the simplification of the decorative elements.
The vigorous rejection of the strict canonized forms paved the way for a new architecture that started with the timid steps of Henri Labrouste, passing through the courageous constructive quests of Joseph Paxton until it found its sound and explicit theoretical and practical rationalization in the works of Louis Sullivan and Auguste Perret.
Yet, in parallel with the worldwide globalization of the architectural forms, a reaction against the extreme aesthetic course of functionalism and attitudes calling for the revival of the indigenous traditions appeared as a basis for the form-generating process in the contemporary architecture. Tendencies calling for a creative implementation and regeneration of national traditions has been developed successful, but in new expressive contemporary forms adequate with the new building materials, technologies and the modernized aesthetic view of the population. In a much convinced way, was treated the issue of “national” vis-a-vis “international” to cover a new scope of “regional” vis-a-vis “international”.
Attempts for creative regeneration of the national traditions are still in their way in different countries in Europe, America, Africa and Asia.
Significant results have been achieved in utmost of Mediterranean countries as Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, Spain, Malta, Greece, Jordan, Turkey and others. But, while the national traditions have found their implementation mainly in the touristic and some multi-scale projects in Europe such as hotels, restaurants, cultural clubs…etc., in the Orient they have been implemented in the most significant public buildings and complexes.
For J. Rykwert the traditions can not simply be inherited, it must be laboured for. You can’t approach it without a historical sense, and a historical sense means that you appreciate the pastness of the past as well as its presence (Rykwert, 1982). Indeed, not all realizations were able to reveal the right way for a genuine regeneration of the national traditions. Also, not all attempts in this regard have been persuasive. Nevertheless, all these experimentations produced an output with very significant results and distinguished with a right sense, original thought and well-defined path.

2. Nature of Architecture

The explanation of the role of national traditions and values in the development of modern architecture, needs to discuss and briefly examine some basic theoretical formulations related to the creative nature of architecture, and its aesthetic substance as a specific reflection of the objective socio-historical reality, where architecture appears, as an expression of the comprehensive social needs. The examination of these general theoretical matters related to the specific character of architecture as an art and as a social phenomenon will give the opportunity to penetrate through the sophisticated problems of national traditions, and to trace the right way to re-create them in the modern architecture by the means of:

- Courageous innovation.
- Great concern towards preservation.
- Re-creation of the national heritage.

By this way architecture will become an extensive accelerator of the creativity’s process that will successfully help in solving the continuously evolving problems of social development, and enriching the aesthetic qualities of the living environment.
Architecture originated as a material and productive activity took on by the mankind in order to satisfy the particular needs of the society. However, with the development of the labor forms, the differentiation of the labor process, the technological means gradually earned a new additional importance as an artistic creative expression.
Architecture became an expression of public relationships, and an active spiritual power for their further development. Furthermore, it was converted as a form of public awareness and acquired the qualities of an art with brightly expressed material and spiritual nature.
Friedrich Engels related the genesis of architecture to the time. He stated that “by joint action of the hands, organs of speech and brain, not only for individuals, but for the entire community, people had become more capable to peruse more complicated operations, and to achieve higher aims and goals. From generation to generation the labor itself became more diverse, perfect and multilateral” (Arbaliev, 1982).
Obviously, the labor is older than the art. Since the beginning, the human being had a utilitarian approach towards the objects and phenomenon. At a late stage, he was able to formulate his attitude towards them from an aesthetic approach (Plechanov, 1952). Thus, the art is not just a utility, but it originates and develops its elements according to these social needs, orders, systems and structures. They were a result of the community way of living and provoked new architectural forms, styles and aesthetic concepts, and became an objective precondition for the diversity in art and architecture that assumes to be the social and spiritual expression of the society culture. Adolf Loos wrote: “ I call culture that balance of inner and outer-man, which alone can guarantee reasonable thought and action” (Frampton, 1982). While A. Rapoport argues that culture can be seen as a habitual set of choices that, reflect an ideal human being, an ideal life and an ideal environment. In this way these choices are also a way of mediating between human beings and the national environment, of dealing with the fundamental human activity of contrasting culture and nature (Rapoport, 1980). At the Seminar One in the Series “Architectural Transformations in the Islamic World” held in France in April 1978, Hasan Fathi said that the best definition of culture is the outcome of the interaction between man and his environment in satisfying his needs both spiritual and physical. The identity we are talking about Islamic Architecture comes from within the place and culture. In this context of these thoughts, the nature of architecture might be described as follows:

- Architecture is a very complicated creative process that aims to setup in a harmonic manner organized spaces, buildings, and equipment that satisfy the utilitarian needs and the aesthetic indentation.
- Development of architecture requires the progress of an adequate social environment with definite aesthetic goals and needs.
- Architecture is a socio- aesthetic phenomenon that doesn’t reflect just the creative capabilities of the architect, but also the social nature and needs of the society.
- Architecture is not only an aspiration for creativity, but it is also an ambition to preserve all valuable, original and indigenous objects that were created all through the historical periods.
- The objective and dialectic approach towards the contributions of the preceding generations will enrich the aesthetic image of architecture and make it more exciting. By this way, architecture will perform as a magnitude that reflects the development of the material culture, living standards, traditions and aesthetic needs of different generations.
- Important role in this respect have the local building materials, and the local know-how in terms of technical skills and aesthetic criteria that are deeply penetrated into the consciousness of the local population.
- The diversity and stylistic purity of architectural forms to a great extent depend on the creative capabilities of the architect, his ability to analyze, generalize and reflect in a unique and original manner the prerequisites for the tectonic and artistic form of his works.

3. Morphological and Stimulating Functions of National Traditions.

Along with the basic morphological and stimulating factors that define the parameters and aspects of the artistic image of architecture, emerge the local know-how of traditions and values. They developed under certain historical and geographical conditions, and contain the centuries-old experience and creative expression of different generations. Yet, they played an essential role for:

- Aesthetic and patriotic education of different generations.
- Development of spiritual capability and creative response of the community, at a time when no special schools for professional education where available, and craftsmanship were conveyed from generation to generation by the inherited local know-how that have been the first teacher and preceptor for the young creators or masters.
- Strict observance of certain tectonic and aesthetic principles and requirements set in the traditional values, and examination of their capabilities to furnish an appropriate and comprehensive exposition of the folk talent.

The orientation of research towards certain traditional compositional preferences, and concentration on the artistic regularities or objectives in the architectural heritage aim to achieve the following:

- Development of harmony into different urban fabrics.
- Comprehensive artistic rationalization of the heritage inherited from local masters.
- Enriching the local traditions.

The traditions don't affect only the sphere of aesthetics, but it penetrates deeply into the process of material production, way of living and the moral behavior of the people. They are subjects of change and adaptation towards the new materials and the community spiritual needs that arise by the changes in the environmental conditions. Consequently, the compositional principles, criteria and structure develop and include increasingly new forms, means, technologies and materials. By this way, new conditions for deeper changes in the sphere of artistic expressions will take place.
Due to the changeable living conditions some elements of the traditions and values loose their initial meaning, and they have to be replaced by new ones with a function more close to the new live requirement and respond to the certain socio-historical conditions.
The persuasive illustration in this regard is the Palestinian vernacular architecture that has shown very resonant development at functional, constructional and artistic approach during the last 120 years. The national building and artistic traditions in the Palestinian architecture has been formed during centuries. They were expressed strongly during the second half of the 19th century when conditions, developed as a result of the cooperation between the Ottoman Empire and the European states, were appropriate for considerable progress in the material production and for concrete reinforcement of the spiritual horizon of the local population. In this regard, a substantial importance have the specific local forms of production, religious customs, believes and traditions, mental adaptation, self-confidence and spirit of people, because all of them are determined by local physical, geographical and climatic conditions.

4. Relationship between Environment and National Traditions.

The diversity in the vernacular architecture is stimulated largely by the noble love of people towards the environment. A manifestation of that are the large number of masterpieces that reflect the values of local arts and architecture. Urban structures and buildings are incorporated to the environment with impressive harmony, truly selected scale and architectural articulation. The successful application of local materials produces an individual and local pattern of buildings.
The skilful connection between architecture and environment is something specific for all stylistic groups of local architecture, and determine in a great extent the aesthetic impact of the traditional architecture. For instance, the Palestinian village was distinguished with exceptional harmonic panoramic form and dimensional connection with the existing environment. The built up area grew together with the land, but revealed its own main urban image and elements: square, mosque or church, tower, pedestrian alleys, schools….etc. This local urbanization process could be described as a classical expression of organization the habitation process by the means of natureless, intuition and inseverable connection of the street network with the site topography. Apparently, unconscious artistic feeling and sense articulate the spontaneous arrangement of solids and volumes (Berbenliev, 1972).
Along the time the importance of national traditions in the fields of architecture and art will continuously increase as a mean of organizing the environment and for the aesthetic, artistic and professional education and training of the new creative generation of masters.
A wrong attitude towards the heritage was prevailing in the last decades. It produced a formal stylization in the natural spirit and external resemblance of the specific historical monuments. However, today the new attitude is going far away towards the complete ignorance of the heritage. The past mistakes were mainly allowed due to the lack of a belief, and a precise assessment of the heritage as form-generating factor in the development of modern architecture.
The cultural heritage doesn't need only to be acquainted and preserved. Nevertheless, it's very important that heritage to be interpreted skillfully vis-a-vis the necessary artistic conformity with the requirement for producing modern urban fabrics. An objective and precise global basis for synthesis between the old and new is essential in this regard. Several architects and designers frequently leave behind this formulation. They easily ignore and undervalue the artistic qualities of the historical monuments. That's why, increasingly urban sites in different countries lost their historical image and deprive of their individuality (Ghadban, 2001).
The centuries-old development of architectural monuments sometimes leads to co-existence of forms out coming from different ideo-artistic concepts and stylistic approaches. This is the main reason for the great importance given to aspects such as succession, mutual creative co-ordination of forms from different historical periods, strict abidance of natural factors and the correct reflection of the new society's needs, in order to achieve and maintain the required co-existence.
The aesthetic principles of vernacular arts are the best basis for achieving harmony and creative succession between the environment and the forms from different historical periods. In this meaning, vernacular arts played and will continue to play significant role in the process of urban formation. These arts are bearer of intransient aesthetic values and an active accelerator and form-generating factor, which define the national parameters for development of architecture as an art with complex creative nature. So, the acquaintance with the nature of the stimulating functions of national traditions, and understanding in a better way the artistic objectives of their development shall be revealed from the certainty that they are indeed constant values established forever. Yet, they are very flexible aesthetic systems that are always a subject for continuous evolutionary changes under the impact of the variable conditions of life, which produce always-new artistic values. By this way, the national traditions don't represent dogmas and lifeless creative rules that restrict the modern design process. However, they are a source for good example, inspiration and revealing the complex historical destiny of people and the artistic peculiarity of their creative activity. They are an essential part that induce fully or partially the environment, showing the following peculiarities of different historical ages:

- The social, cultural and ideological values.
- Level of cultural development.
- Level of technical and technological progress.
- Artistic concepts and methods that formed the values and norms of the social and urban fabric.
- Ingenuity of the civilization heritage and its ability for continuance, existence and adaptation during the different ages.

5. National Traditions and Globalization.

The modern development of building industry and technology reveals great possibilities for more courageous and original treatments that allow creation of new forms in architecture. However, at these circumstances, some designers ignore totally the ingenious forms of vernacular arts and the mastery of the local knowledge, and they uncritically concentrate on copying different imported forms. So, in modern architecture has been developed cosmopolitan trends and stylish movements, which overshadow the creative past and the particular national pattern of the vernacular architecture.
In this regard, a serious alert makes the fact that the new patterns of modern architectural works are available in many international journals. The architecture of different countries becomes too much similar and lost its national charm and original creative nature. Besides that, this phenomenon seriously disturbs the cultural public opinion all over the world, and mainly in countries with developed international tourism. Namely in this aspect, national culture, architecture and arts have a paramount significance for cultural contentment of tourists and their needs.
There is no need to prove the great importance of these matters for a country like Palestine, taking into consideration the great perspectives it has to develop international tourism, in which the particular pattern of Palestinian architecture perhaps will have profound significance on the tourist’s activities. Now, It’s a high time to deal with the anomalous attitude towards the local architectural heritage and to bring about the necessary preconditions for its creative adaptation to the contemporary needs of life.

The continuation of traditions in architecture shall not be confound neither with the restoration of ancient forms, nor with the copying of ancient elements from elevations and interiors of these forms. Nevertheless, by a genuine way, it is necessary to re-create and transform all those features, which are capable to give the architectural heritage the warmness, internal harmony and attractiveness related to the spirit and creative nature of the local identity. The innovatory development of the traditional architecture shall maintain several creative principles that make from architecture a great art, such as:

- Originality of the compositional concepts.
- Honesty and authenticity of the architectural image.
- Organic relation to the environment.
- Skillful use of the local building materials and the prevailing configuration of terrain.
- Appropriate scale, rhythm and articulation.
- Internal organic uniformity of structural and architectural perception.

The vernacular architecture and its synthesis with fine arts are inexhaustible source of inspiration and education for the modern generation. This understanding will make more possible the discovery of the real harmony of the archi-artistic ideas and tectonic solutions, that might be used creatively in the contemporary design practice.
In different regions of our planet, a great artistic harmony already has been established based on national traditions. One infiltrating review of the wide variety of available forms and means will help in revealing several common characters that reflect explicitly not only the particular achievements of different ethnic groups, but also these ones realized mutually by groups of neighboring identities. In such a way has been formed the great realm of arts where the manifestation of vernacular creativity and the so-called “formal architecture” have been rationalized.
Examples are available in the architectural heritage of a large number of countries, especially those countries where the artistic expression of vernacular traditions has been particularly rich, strong and versatile. The historical destiny of those countries is related to a significant displacement of ethnic groups, culture and traditions. Namely, this displacement established the necessary conditions for an intensive development of the mutual influence between the ethnic groups living in this region.
A good example in this regard is the architecture of the East Coast of the Mediterranean basin, where the historical events and development caused great dislocation of ethnic groups and population with different public systems, specific customs and cultural traditions lived very closely together. By this way appropriate conditions for mutual influence had been established during the formation, development and enrichment of artistic traditions and values. The vigorous forms of substantial traditions provoke further interest among architects in the world. This process is growing up continuously as a spontaneous reaction against the rapid and anxious globalization in architecture (Kultermann, 1999). The atmosphere of active international contacts contributes extensively for the improving of the design process and building materials. However, this occurred synchronously with a tendency towards creating preconditions that causes depriving of architectural forms from their particularity. Along with the development of progressive methods in building technology, globalization starts negatively to influence the ideo-artistic aspect of architecture. This led to imperceptible dehumanization of architecture as an art and to deep contradiction with the basic social and artistic function of architecture. This fact provokes anxiousness among architects, and most of workers involved in cultural and public activities in most countries.
Walter Gropius, the ideological leader of the Bauhaus school in architecture, was one of the most prominent representatives of the functional (utilitarian) concepts in architecture. Nevertheless, he passionately advocates the national character of architecture. For him architecture always has been national, but in the meantime individual due to its deep creative nature that perpetually reveals the individual capabilities of the author besides the national character of the societal necessities (Papagalov, 1990).
Le Corbusier respects traditions mainly as a source of learning and inspiration that help in realization of very courageous creative synthesis and transformation within the spirit of the contemporary aesthetic thought. Oscar Niemier liken traditions with a vital spirit that really enrich the creativity of each architect continues to re-create the traditional forms into the modern architecture. Kenzo Tange assumes traditions as catalyst that accelerate the creative process, but without being main part of the artistic product. With other words, for Tange the traditions “could participate in the process of formation, but they are unable by themselves to be a formative factor (Angelov, 1968).
Evidences of the inexhaustible capabilities for re-creating of the national traditions are available in the works of architect Kionoro Kikutake, where he substantiate theoretically as well as practically the national religious traditions in his work. For him traditions simultaneously disclose constant and variable artistic qualities, elements and regularities. The variable ones ensure possibilities for creative transformation in different aspects according to the specific individual sensations and interpretations of the architect, while the constant ones might and shall be implemented in their persistent appearance. The first ones give opportunity for the artistic enrichment of the traditions, while the second ones provide organic stylistic link between different creative realizations, and impart them national sonorousness. In other words, they provide the traditional connections between architecture from different periods and outline its artistic specific character within the spirit of the national traditions.
The works realized by considerable number of architects in different countries could be assumed as an attempt for courageous link between the modern approaches in their countries and the original ancient culture there. The transformation of elements from traditional arts achieved by them proves the great vital power and emotional influence of the traditions and their right to exist in the modern art movement. Even, some of them achieved impressive results when they successfully transformed some construction and environmental elements from the traditional architecture proving one very serious stand towards the utilitarian issues of architecture.
However, other architects treat the traditional values eclectically and their realizations characterize with uncritical use of traditional elements. They have been unable to reach high achievements because of their explicit misjudgment of the artistic harmony of traditions and therefore, they have been unable correctly to read the character of the new building industry and the contemporary social and the spiritual needs of people.

6. CONCLUSIONS

Based on this analysis, the following conclusions might be expressed concisely:

1- The national traditions are a natural product of the historical development. By nature they contain the specific characteristics of their society in terms of way of living, morals, habits as well as the technical progress and way of production. Besides that, they reflect the specific characteristics of the climate and the spiritual and cultural standard of population.
2- The national traditions in their most typical and peculiar features have pronounced democratic signs, because they are very tightly connected to the historical development of people. They express in a truly and spontaneous manner their material and spiritual needs all through the complicated stages of historical development. Therefore, the national traditions penetrate very deeply in the consciousness, way of living and daily work of the people. In addition, they become an inseparable part of their historical destiny and their struggle for self-recognition and cultural improvement.

3- The specific peculiarity of the artistic expression of national traditions is the harmonic combination between the utilitarian and aesthetic requirements for construction of the compositional structure on the basis of certain principles, criteria and preferences that have been approved in the life-style and consciousness of the people. This is achieved by strict consideration of the characteristics of the environment and the application of the local building materials.

4- The best artistic realizations in the spirit of national traditions are distinguished with expressed diversity of forms, stylistic purity of shapes, and visual and utilitarian harmony in the urban fabrics. The historical development of these traditions reveal complicated creative process of continuous changes with utilitarian and aesthetic nature. Due to the power of the changing conditions of production, way of living and consciousness of people also deep changes have occurred in the artistic expressions of traditions.

5- The artistic expression of national traditions has complicated creative transformation power and harmony of forms and solutions coming from the bosom of the folk fantasy and the individual discoveries of particular individualities. Some of them have the character, specificity and regularities of a certain restricted locality, but meanwhile they express also the character, specificity and regularities of a wider region.

6- The achievements of the national traditions are characterized with the most rationalized utilization of spaces, means and materials. The wise, advisable and thrifty use of resources during the formation of the spatial structure and artistic image determine the principal peculiarity of their compositions and aesthetic nature. The utilitarian advisability of the space tectonics is the basis on which the aesthetic diversity, honesty and veracity of the archi-artistic image are formed and developed.

7- The success in creative transformation of the progressive peculiarities of traditions is related deeply to the nature of the social demands, relationship towards historical past, the right professional and creative reading of the qualities of the architectural heritage. In addition, it also depends on the simultaneous precise discovery of the form-generating and stimulating functions, and their wise implementation for shaping the urban fabrics, and formulating of the ideo- aesthetic principles for their future improvement.

7. REFERNCES:

1. Angelov, G. (1968); “Contemporary Western Architecture”, Nauka I Izkustvo Publishing Establishment, Sofia, Bulgaria.
2. Arbaliev, G. (1982); “National Traditions in Architecture”, Technika Press Establishment, Sofia, Bulgaria, P. 11.
3. Berbenliev, P. (1972); “Architectural Heritage and Recreation”, Journal of Architectura, Vol. 6, 7 & 8, Sofia, Bulgaria.
4. Fathi, H. (1978); “Towards an Architecture within the Spirit Of Islam”, Proceedings of Seminar One in the Series: Architectural Transformations in the Islamic World, France, April, P. 57.
5. Frampton, K. (1982); “Modern Architecture: a Critical History”, Oxford University Press, P. 90.
6. Ghadban, Sh. (2001), “The Historical City- A Dynamic Factor In The Urban Development Of The Modern City: Case Study Of The City Of Nablus- Palestine” Proceedings of the Permanent Conference of the Historical Cities in the Mediterranean, Sparte, Greece, 29/3- 1/4.
7. Kultermann, U. (1999); “Contemporary Architecture in the Arab States: Renaissance of a Region”, McGraw-Hill, PP. 1-18.
8. Papagalov, G. (1990); “History of Modern Architecture”, Technika Press Establishment, Sofia, Bulgaria, PP. 159-166.
9. Plechanov, G. (1952); “Arts and Literature”, Partizdat Press, Sofia, Bulgaria, P.105.
10. Rykwert, J. (1982); “The Ecole de Beaux- Arts and Classical Traditions”, Thames & Hudson, PP. 9-16.