Frank Gehry
When I first heard about this article I was quite shocked to hear what was said from him, because literally a few days before this article was published I just watched a Ted Talk about Frank Gehry and the infamous 'Bilbao Affect' that everyone wants to re-create for every building that gets built nowadays.
However reading more into the article obviously as ever the media takes everything out of context and goes over board, hes just stating the fact of the truth that there isn't anymore a real sense of design, I mean generally what you see these days is a building just aesthetically pleasing on the eye, but whats the function or purpose?
I understand Gehry's frustration whether he was a bit jet lagged when he gave his response or he actually meant word for word of it all. At the end of the day I know what he means.
You can read the article here in full down below I've left a link:
Frank Gehry's Article
Other than that mishap, here's something that I found on the Vanity Fair Culture Page, something new, fresh and vibrant. It's a 4 page article spread, it's pretty impressive.
Vanity Fair Article on Gehry
Monday, 27 October 2014
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
Le Corbusier
Corbusier's - Villa Savoye
Villa Savoye is without a doubt the most remarkable piece of architecture in the early 20th century, it fits in with today’s modern society. It’s just one of those buildings you could sit there and admire for days with a fellow architect and talk about the wonderful qualities it possess as a building. ‘A.Roth, the latter described the Villa Savoye as being, not only one of Le Corbusier’s known masterpieces, but moreover a monument to 20th century architecture recognized as such in professional circles worldwide’. This quote by Roth backs up my point of view, Corbusier was a professional, one person you can trust to tell you that is Andre Wognesky his assistant.
Furthermore continuing on with the Villa Savoye and discussing its importance in the architecture world it, ‘stands as an avant-garde milestone in architecture and modern culture, marks an extremely important step to a new architecture’. This quote undoubtedly goes to show what critics thought of the Villa Savoye, to get it rejuvenated was the best idea Corbusier had, it’s certainly earned its name as one of the most important transitions to take that step from old to new architecture.
The Villa Savoye, ‘It translates into exploratory study of new spatially, the definition of a new language and the quest for standardisation’, this quote shows how in depth and how futuristic Corbusier’s way of thinking was when he designed the Villa Savoye. He created a definition of a new language. Corbusier had four meaningful house types that he installed and always referred to when designing a house it quotes, ‘Pyramid composition, Spiritual delight, and visible framework (skeleton framework), useful of floor volumes, different on each floor, in form and quantity, and finally Poissy, the villa Savoye to be a synthesis of the other three from the list.’ The four meaningful house types that Corbusier categorizes them in is interesting, because they are a mixture of all good to come from designing a building, you have the form aspect, structural aspect, the scenario ideology, Corbusier really thought these four meaningful types out, from this basis any architect of today could use these types of ideology in their work, no one would know any different. However what makes these four types so intriguing is that you must indulge and , ‘ express other values and other conceptual meanings’, this means to go off on your own accord and find out other concepts behind these four types or create your own and express other aspects.
Here are a few quotes from Le Corbusier’s book titled, ‘Le Corbusier’s Hands’, it’s a very intriguing book written from the eyes of his assistant, Andre Wognesky, you really feel the connection and bond these two had as working partners and as best friends, here are a few quotes I picked from the book to understand the workings of an architect’s mind.
Le Corbusier’s Hands
Corbusier quotes, ‘I let it all go from my hand into my head, and sometimes, it is my hand that precedes my mind’, from his quote you really get to understand what type of architect he really is, taking into account this quote you can most definitely tell that this is how he paints, and creates his sculptor’s, you can tell he lets it all go from his hand. ‘It is impossible to organize the pieces if you do not have the shape of the whole inside your head’, he is a visionary, what he sees in his head he connects it with his hands.
All architects in this day and age should refer to their mind and vision everything as a template and then refer to their hands as the modelling tool and trust their instincts to create a remarkable piece of architecture.
Villa Savoye is without a doubt the most remarkable piece of architecture in the early 20th century, it fits in with today’s modern society. It’s just one of those buildings you could sit there and admire for days with a fellow architect and talk about the wonderful qualities it possess as a building. ‘A.Roth, the latter described the Villa Savoye as being, not only one of Le Corbusier’s known masterpieces, but moreover a monument to 20th century architecture recognized as such in professional circles worldwide’. This quote by Roth backs up my point of view, Corbusier was a professional, one person you can trust to tell you that is Andre Wognesky his assistant.
Furthermore continuing on with the Villa Savoye and discussing its importance in the architecture world it, ‘stands as an avant-garde milestone in architecture and modern culture, marks an extremely important step to a new architecture’. This quote undoubtedly goes to show what critics thought of the Villa Savoye, to get it rejuvenated was the best idea Corbusier had, it’s certainly earned its name as one of the most important transitions to take that step from old to new architecture.
The Villa Savoye, ‘It translates into exploratory study of new spatially, the definition of a new language and the quest for standardisation’, this quote shows how in depth and how futuristic Corbusier’s way of thinking was when he designed the Villa Savoye. He created a definition of a new language. Corbusier had four meaningful house types that he installed and always referred to when designing a house it quotes, ‘Pyramid composition, Spiritual delight, and visible framework (skeleton framework), useful of floor volumes, different on each floor, in form and quantity, and finally Poissy, the villa Savoye to be a synthesis of the other three from the list.’ The four meaningful house types that Corbusier categorizes them in is interesting, because they are a mixture of all good to come from designing a building, you have the form aspect, structural aspect, the scenario ideology, Corbusier really thought these four meaningful types out, from this basis any architect of today could use these types of ideology in their work, no one would know any different. However what makes these four types so intriguing is that you must indulge and , ‘ express other values and other conceptual meanings’, this means to go off on your own accord and find out other concepts behind these four types or create your own and express other aspects.
Here are a few quotes from Le Corbusier’s book titled, ‘Le Corbusier’s Hands’, it’s a very intriguing book written from the eyes of his assistant, Andre Wognesky, you really feel the connection and bond these two had as working partners and as best friends, here are a few quotes I picked from the book to understand the workings of an architect’s mind.
Le Corbusier’s Hands
Corbusier quotes, ‘I let it all go from my hand into my head, and sometimes, it is my hand that precedes my mind’, from his quote you really get to understand what type of architect he really is, taking into account this quote you can most definitely tell that this is how he paints, and creates his sculptor’s, you can tell he lets it all go from his hand. ‘It is impossible to organize the pieces if you do not have the shape of the whole inside your head’, he is a visionary, what he sees in his head he connects it with his hands.
All architects in this day and age should refer to their mind and vision everything as a template and then refer to their hands as the modelling tool and trust their instincts to create a remarkable piece of architecture.
(Quotes from, Le Corbusier: The Villa Savoye by Jacques Sbriglio published 2008
Le Corbusier’s Hands: Andre Wogenscky - translated by Martina Milla Bernad Published 2006
Towards a New Architecture by Corbusier published in 1989)
Peter Eisenman
20th Century Geometry
Peter Eisenman in the 20th century certainly did change the way we think about how to draw geometrical. He showed imaginative spaces which once upon a time did not exist, for example his House V, shows undoubtedly how much fun you can genuinely have during the process of design (through his drawings) and the final outcome. The form and shapes that are created from his big unsupported beams are incredible, you would not think as an architect you could ever have such a heavy beam just hanging in mid-air or coming out from the structure itself, it’s more of an illusion aspect to, which is remarkably genius. The one intelligent idea behind why these beams seem as if they are in mid-air or coming out from the structure is because of the space around it, light perceived but most influential the colour white. It is such a bright colour it help's the human eye see it as an illusion, it’s a precise and accurate acquisition of scale too.
The absence of presence or void, Cynthia Davidson, ‘Attempt to understand Eisenman one must go back to go forward, must trace absence to find presence’ what Davidson is trying to clarify here about Eisenman’s way of working is that you need ‘to find the presence of something thought to be absent’, you can see this without a doubt in Eisenman’s work. However he didn't really start showing this absence of presence and void up until the ‘psychoanalysis in 1976 did his buildings start to come to life’. From this date you see this change completely; this is when Eisenman adapts this geometrical style throughout his work. Furthermore critics where talking about how he used ‘non load bearing walls, frames, columns that architecturally opened and carved out spaces’.
You can tell that Eisenman was affected by the media, he quotes powerfully, ‘we live in a future-less present in which buildings have lost their meaning’, this quote proves that he really fears for the way architecture is going and he believes that buildings today have lost their significant meaning, in a way to be deemed as a disaster or in another way there needs to be someone out there to inject life and meaning into architecture, and I believe Eisenman most definitely did this.
Eisenman started to use another great technique within the architecture language of structure, ‘ L shapes produce the voids for the House II which are active, it can change at how we look at a building’, it’s the voids that you first notice on the majority of Eisenman’s buildings, the forms are simple, this is why it captures your attention, simplicity is the easiest type of form to capture. The most intriguing thing is that, ‘House II is full of sequenced walls and columns’. It goes to show how very symmetrical and delicate the house was, using L shapes to create voids, but with the dynamic importance of sequenced walls and columns. However looking at, House VI 1972-75 everything in this house isn't supposed to work, but because of the human brain it works differently to how it should, this is typical Eisenman, other architects wouldn't dream of making something so complex, whereas this is where you can tell a slight difference in the style of work, because Eisenman was brave in his thinking of architecture, this house was a turning point in Eisenman’s architecture period, in ‘1970 on wards this is when Eisenman realizes what type of architect he actually is’. He is a geometry genius, the forms and dynamics of his architecture shine throughout all of his pieces that he has created, you can tell when you see an Eisenman.
(Quotes from -Tracing Eisenman: Peter Eisenman Complete works - edited by Cynthia Davidson published 2006)
Peter Eisenman in the 20th century certainly did change the way we think about how to draw geometrical. He showed imaginative spaces which once upon a time did not exist, for example his House V, shows undoubtedly how much fun you can genuinely have during the process of design (through his drawings) and the final outcome. The form and shapes that are created from his big unsupported beams are incredible, you would not think as an architect you could ever have such a heavy beam just hanging in mid-air or coming out from the structure itself, it’s more of an illusion aspect to, which is remarkably genius. The one intelligent idea behind why these beams seem as if they are in mid-air or coming out from the structure is because of the space around it, light perceived but most influential the colour white. It is such a bright colour it help's the human eye see it as an illusion, it’s a precise and accurate acquisition of scale too.
The absence of presence or void, Cynthia Davidson, ‘Attempt to understand Eisenman one must go back to go forward, must trace absence to find presence’ what Davidson is trying to clarify here about Eisenman’s way of working is that you need ‘to find the presence of something thought to be absent’, you can see this without a doubt in Eisenman’s work. However he didn't really start showing this absence of presence and void up until the ‘psychoanalysis in 1976 did his buildings start to come to life’. From this date you see this change completely; this is when Eisenman adapts this geometrical style throughout his work. Furthermore critics where talking about how he used ‘non load bearing walls, frames, columns that architecturally opened and carved out spaces’.
You can tell that Eisenman was affected by the media, he quotes powerfully, ‘we live in a future-less present in which buildings have lost their meaning’, this quote proves that he really fears for the way architecture is going and he believes that buildings today have lost their significant meaning, in a way to be deemed as a disaster or in another way there needs to be someone out there to inject life and meaning into architecture, and I believe Eisenman most definitely did this.
Eisenman started to use another great technique within the architecture language of structure, ‘ L shapes produce the voids for the House II which are active, it can change at how we look at a building’, it’s the voids that you first notice on the majority of Eisenman’s buildings, the forms are simple, this is why it captures your attention, simplicity is the easiest type of form to capture. The most intriguing thing is that, ‘House II is full of sequenced walls and columns’. It goes to show how very symmetrical and delicate the house was, using L shapes to create voids, but with the dynamic importance of sequenced walls and columns. However looking at, House VI 1972-75 everything in this house isn't supposed to work, but because of the human brain it works differently to how it should, this is typical Eisenman, other architects wouldn't dream of making something so complex, whereas this is where you can tell a slight difference in the style of work, because Eisenman was brave in his thinking of architecture, this house was a turning point in Eisenman’s architecture period, in ‘1970 on wards this is when Eisenman realizes what type of architect he actually is’. He is a geometry genius, the forms and dynamics of his architecture shine throughout all of his pieces that he has created, you can tell when you see an Eisenman.
(Quotes from -Tracing Eisenman: Peter Eisenman Complete works - edited by Cynthia Davidson published 2006)
Thursday, 2 October 2014
3D Models
3D Models
Down below are 3 models that I will render and interpret-ate in my own virtual style, breaking the barriers of materialism and suggesting what if these architects (Eisenman, Gehry and Corbusier) used completely different materials when designing their buildings and what if they created more voids, more negative spaces; even change (what we consider) to be a normal spatial way to a more dysfunctional and virtual modernist lay out.
I'll post my renders and what I have changed very soon.
I got these 3D models from Google Sketchup Warehouse credit goes to those model makers.
Frank Gehry's Residence 1978
House VI
Villa Savoye
(Thanks to Google Sketchup 8 for the 3D Models, produced by, Dorain Chirat, Randeemp and Don. Shepperson)
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
Le Corbusier Documentary
Le Corbusier
This is an excellent documentary about his life and work. It really helped me understand the materials used, the emotional connection with all his works and most importantly why he is regarded as a modernist architect. The documentary captures the architectural spaces that we can't even imagine existed, very well documented.
(Le Corbusier's Documentary Part 1 by tnek8tnek published on 3rd June 2012)
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