A Review of the Qualities of Time for Understanding Early 21st Century Architecture: The Fluid Age

Abstract

Architecture is a discipline that changes depending on the character of the era. The first step to evaluating 21st-century architecture is to understand the effects of the world's new qualities on the architectural environment. This article aims to lay the groundwork for evaluating architecture based on the era. The article analyses the qualities of the 21st century through the concepts of change and fluidity. Qualitative research begins with descriptions and continues with a conceptual sequence. The components causing the increased speed of change are investigated; globalisation, capitalism, technology, the internet and information are identified as factors contributing to the changing environment. Investigating this background reveals the characteristics of the era. Exploring the most recurrent concept of fluidity has enabled an overlap with qualities derived from fluidity theories. This conceptualisation has led to the era being termed the 'Fluid Age', enabling examination of the environments created by this age.