A Progressive Tradition

Alvin Holm and John Blatteau, in a “Conversation on Architecture”, describe the difference between the conventional view that tradition is the past and the view that tradition is a living idea - a linear frame of thought that embraces the wisdom of the past, applies it to the now, and looks to the future:

As I’ve written before, the notion that architecture should be “of today” is meaningless and should be abandoned. I think this idea of a “progressive tradition” is great. It implies a forward motion while acknowledging the cultural and academic heritage of those who preceded us. It places more emphasis on the development of collective wisdom and less emphasis on the whims and ego of the individual designer. It reduces the reliance on genius that so plagues modernism. And yet it still leaves room for fresh interpretations and new ideas. It is the wisdom of the past coupled with the prospect of the future.