UNIT THREE SUMMARY

WHAT THE HECK IS MODERNISM?

At this point in time, World Fairs are becoming more and more popular, and this is a very good thing. These fairs played a huge part in promoting and moving design forward; they were evidence that people and designers were finally "thinking out loud".  The World Fair served four main purposes: it was commemorative (major anniversary), commercial (competitive), collaborative (working together), and celebratory (big events).  Going a little further with each part, commemorative also included the reinforcement of relationship and celebrating independence because this part had a more political undertone. The commercial is supported by government and big business. Collaborative includes being competitive, but also uniting; it was very much both national and regional. And last but not least, celebratory indicates world events and changes. 

With the help from World Fairs, architecture and design is now simultaneously looking both forward and backward, beginning in the 1930's and on. The venues from the fairs became in "institutional legacy in the city".  From the venues came objects and ideas that were commemorative and innovative.  Such an idea includes that of taking a twist on traditional design by adding glass and iron. Continuing with that idea, there were also implications for architecture and design. Some examples of this include the Eiffel Tower (1889), White City (1893), Barcelona Pavilion (1929), and Habitat '67 (1967). 

                                   Eiffel Tower                                            White City

                             Barcelona Pavilion                                                   Habitat '67

With all these new innovative, commemorative, and implicative ideas came the revival classic. Designers look at the past of the ancient world (Greek and Rome) to keep designs timeless and classic. Two examples of this include the Indiana State Building which takes on a Gothic twist, and the New York State Building which takes on a more Colonial Revival twist. Such influences and implications led to new products and ideas, people were beginning to travel to find a new way of looking at design, new transportation modes were coming out, there were larger impacts in cities and planning, and there were new foods coming about. The purpose of all of this was to promote persuasion, peace, and working together amongst everyone. 

All of this new reform is taking place in the 19th century where many are trying to change from old to new, make new forms, and decide whether things should be made by hand or the machine. With that, the new responsibility for all designers is to make a "good design for all". A designer who implicated this as well as his own style is Philip Webb who would make his designed space look as though they were designed in the medieval world. 

The key idea around design in the 19th century was to look for something modern, but no one knew what exactly that meant. For example, modern American architecture said that churches could now stand for modern buildings. What?! That was something very few would have ever predicted. Starting out on the quest for modernism led America to a very colonial design style, like that of the Villard houses. Designers were copying and reinventing design by adding together new mixes and bring back rhetoric from the past.  

A well known designer who utilized many of these ideas in his designs is Frank Lloyd Wright. He would treat the interior of his designs with as much care and attention as the exterior. He enjoyed making homes look like Victorian styled houses that were inspired by gothic design where detail was very important. All of his floor plans were VERY open and fluid which was something completely different from what people had experience before with cramped floor plans; with that, all of his interiors had a sense of totality. Lloyd also enjoyed over-emhpasizing the horizontal layout of his houses. 

                             Ward-Willets House by Wright                                   Robie House by Wright 

Alongside with Wright, many designers were on a search for modernism. Some were emulating classical design while others are inspired by the machine. This brought on many new types of designers and artists. Post-impressionists created a less-realistic representation of things and focused on how light hit the materials and objects. Fauvism and cubism would flatten out the space, taking post-impressionism one step further. Following that, expressionism and futurism took on a nervous energy combined with flattening an image out; they evoked strong emotion by creating multiple views of the same thing, almost as if time had stopped. Finally, art nouveau seeped through, and this was the first style that didn't implement and historic precedents, and their interests grew from metal.

One designer that really stood out during the art nouveau is Antonio Gaudi. His ideas and designs tended to "ooze" outside of the box and echo the Baroque style; he also used a lot of tile work (also glass and stone) on the exterior of his designs. A building of his, Casa Batillo, that is very strange indeed looks as though the human skeleton (metaphorically) is creeping into the interior of the space. Gaudi was quoted for saying that "buildings should not fall over under sunlight, if at all possible."

The link everyone is currently sharing is that they are all questing for the same thing (modernism), but producing different things. People are becoming more and more interested in buildings that look like factories for this very reason. Designers are trying to reinvent the wheel by looking beyond history for style and abstracting nature in their designs, which is beginning to allow cast iron and glass to come together. Two examples of this, which happened to be competing with each other, are the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. The Chrysler Building utilizes the cast iron and glass to end up becoming the tallest building in the world due to the point that was later added to the top of the structure. There is a very streamline movement from the top to the bottom of the building as it slowly goes from tiny to large. On the other hand, the Empire State Building was a major presence in the skyline and was built in a HUGE scale in comparison to everything else. This was the "new Rome". 

Following all this new design and the art nouveau was the art deco. These artists and designers had an interest in surface material, utilized a different way and system of buildings and objects, and they were inspired by black and white movies. Some examples of these are the Miami Beach Hotels that were an example of a beautiful use of color, curvy lines were a big design feature, and they were all very symmetrical. Another example is Villa Stein by LeCorbusier. He developed a system that would gather all the windows together in ribbons, it would have a free facade and plan, there wasn't a lot of symmetry, the building sat on stilts, and the land would be replaced by a garden roof. Someone made a statement about LeCorbuiser that said the following: "When he was born, there was no modern architecture; when he died, there was little else". 

                       Miami Beach Houses                                                       Villa Stein

Many of these ideas would migrate out of the Bauhaus to around the world, taking on different forms, and being criticized of the building not fitting on the land "correctly". Even still, there search for modern continues, and to help, designers are trying to figure out and decide what the renaissance was all about. Other criticism included that all buildings look so similar and it makes the vocabulary confusing, and it's hard for people to love and appreciate the buildings. Such buildings included the Unite d'Habiticion by LeCourbusier and the Edith Farnsworth House by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe. These buildings were different, and people didn't understand them; they were like abstract art. As if it was difficult enough for these designers, a man named Phillip Johnson showed up, making things a step more confusing.

Johnson felt that comfort did not equal beauty, therefore, the interior doesn't need to be comfortable for the human, just as long as it's pretty. Wrong. He also believed that purpose wasn't necessary to make a building beautiful. Wrong. He felt that the humans would eventually fit the building so that it could be used rather than the building fitting the human. Wrong. Johnson said that form has nothing to do with sociological or functional aspect of architecture. Again, wrong. To show exactly how Johnson felt, the Johnson house was designed, and it was just another glass box that dematerialized BIG time. 

Modernism bursted from the art nouveau, art deco, the Bauhaus, and Classical Revival styles. No one understands the modernist language because it's so different. Many designers tried to figure it out on their own which led to many different outcomes of what modernism might be. To this day, designers are still on the quest for truly figuring out what modernism is, and it will be an ongoing quest that many will attempt.

BP XIV

Object: 2010 Chevy Camaro

I feel like I differ from other girls my age because I have a guilty pleasure for cars, and the Camaro is by far my favorite car right now. I've always had a thing for sports cars, but I feel that the Camaro takes the idea of a sports car to a new level because it is a "big" sports car; most others tend to be masculinely dainty. Anytime I see this car, my jaw literally drops because it astounds me that much. This car would be an awesome example of automotive architecture because of it's sleek, yet pompous design. At some point, I would love to own one of these cars and be able to experience more than just that aesthetic exterior.

Space: Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

This chapel was built by E. Fay Jones completely out of wood. It is set in the woods of Arkansas to truly embrace the true nature of the environment. I have been going to a Baptist church with my mom since I was very little, and we have recently converted to the more contemporary, Non-Denominational branch of Christianity. I appreciate that although this chapel is very natural indeed, I feel that it does a magnificent job mixing in some modern design as well. I think the designer successfully recreated the arches in a very modular way to ensure that nothing was being taken away from an original chapel design. This is another space I would very much like to visit one day.

Building: Le Chateau Fontainebleau, Loire Valley, France 

This has become one of my favorite buildings after briefly learning about it this semester. This mansion is a good representation of classical design, as well as the broken rules of the very same fashion. From the image, it is clear that it is not symmetrical, but more like two halves of two different things were put together to create something beautiful. The rules are really broken with the squiggly stairs that hug the mid-section of the exterior, being nothing but obvious. Not only is this chateau pretty enormous, but the garden that is part of it's overall scheme is also very extensive. I plan to travel to France just to see this house and be able to experience more than just a photograph. 

Place: Virginia Beach, Virginia

This beach is one of my all time favorite places to be at, and I'm not even a fan of the beach! While approaching the overall atmosphere of Virginia beach, including the town embracing it, I just feel happy. The board walk that lines the entire beach is filled with hotels that each have their own personality. These hotels, and the boardwalk, face the beach where life is found all over the place. People are playing volleyball, swimming, building sandcastles, etc. A block over from the beach and beautiful board walk are all the beach shops, restaurants, and bars. Although the beach shops all begin to resemble each other after a certain point, I still find myself going into each one of them and looking around. Walking down the streets, people are just simply happy and having a good time. 

BP XIII

I immediately thought of IKEA when I read "scandinavian" and "modern". Ikea is a scandinavia-based company that embraces simple design, minimalism, and functionality. IKEA offers customers a low-cost and easy way to re-decorate a room to have a more modern feel to it, something Scandinavians were going for. Furniture can be shipped to the home and assembled easily, and decorations and other utilities can be chosen right off the shelf. As a person wanders through IKEA, they can even get a glimpse of entire homes put together with the furniture from the factory and how to make it work. This reflects Scandinavian design because they were always, as mentioned before, minimal and functional, which is why society was so attracted to what they had to offer.

RR XIII

RR XII

Pictures accredited to:

http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?6655-Brazil-Oscar-Niemeyer

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kuk/3049158856/

http://www.thecoolist.com/brazilian-architecture-10-breathtaking-modern-monuments/

BP XII

As I tried to search for an object, building, space, or place that was a good design for all, I realized that there cannot be just one specific item or place; this especially applies to an object. I feel as though an object that would be a good design for all could be literally anything, from a chair to a laptop, or a pen to a window. A chair is a place anyone can easily relax and take it easy while working on a laptop, playing a game or going through old pictures. Just the same, anyone can sit in front of a window to admire the view while writing a letter or simply doodling.

The same speculation applies to a building, space and place because it is difficult to just pick out one, or even a number of, places and spaces that could be a good design for all. 

UNIT TWO SUMMARY

This unit was all about rules being made and later broken. This is happening because during this time, design language was ALL over the place, and no one knew who to listen to.  The main struggle happening was between Gothic and Classical design forms, and whether or not these forms should follow time periods preceding them.

Starting out, there was a new emphasis on expressing faith through glass and stone. Many structures, both the interior and exterior, were designed in such a way to keep the eye moving and always engaged, the eye needed to dance. The stone and glass reflected a specific religion, and that religion WAS the structure. Focusing more on the structure as a whole rather than on little details, there was an evolution in church styles that utilized the square and circle in many ways:

The evolution of churches began when there were more empires rising. Many of these empires were centered around and near the equator because the climate was suitable and the trade was phenomenal. These empires followed money, meaning they were inter-connected through trade. As more empires rose, religion followed, and soon enough, Christianity was making it to the top. The churches that reflected Christianity were made out of stone (it had an "echoey" effect), and arches and lighting were emphasized. This brings in the surface and substance part of design that allowed the eye to dance around and catch the light and stone. "Light, God's daughter, is a principal beauty in a building" (Thomas Fuller).

Continuing forward with the spread of Christianity, massive Cathedrals were beginning to be built. The key ideas that went along with each precious cathedral included the golden section, the connection of man to Heaven, "stretching" the orders, and emphasizing flying buttresses. Once a person entered through the door of the cathedral, a transformation within them began. All cathedrals embraced these ideas because they spoke the same language, but used a different dialect.

This dialectal difference not only existed amongst cathedrals, but it traveled through eastern and western Europe. Due to this, there were a couple of "rule books" that were created for each side, east and west. The western design "rule book" focused more on writing and drawing ideas.  In the west, the city focused on the churches, allowing it to dominate the skyline, to be known no matter where a person stood. Order and harmony was emphasized because it was believed that everything should and could belong together. Many structures followed the same form and structure, but still had their own personality. The concentration of material was on the FRONT of the structure, because of course, no one is going to see the back of the structure at any point... And to link all of this back together, all measurements were based on the human body; each window, peak, and wall was based on the body length of the average Joe, and something beautiful came of it.

Switching sides, the eastern "rule book" had the same basic ideas as the west, but the details differed a little bit. The east had a strong continuity of what they believed design was for two thousand years. It wasn't until western influences creeped in that change needed to begin. The main idea that surround the east was that new buildings would stand forever; if something broke of shattered, it would be replaced instead of completely torn down. Stacks and groves were being utilized more instead of arches. Rules were based on a modular system and not so much on proportion anymore. An example of this includes the tatami mat, a tool used often in architecture. Just as the west believed things could be harmonized, the east embraced Yin-Yang, where two energies come together to create a dynamic relationship that represented the community as a whole, not just one individual. With that, emphasis was now more spiritual than religious, turning energy inward. Beautiful engravings were being used on the exterior and interior of buildings that would flatten nature while layering it up at the same time, creating an un-true perspective.

The creation of all these rules clearly had to lead to something else... Now it's time for some ballsy people to come in a BREAK THE RULES.

Palazzo de Te

One example of a structure that broke these rules included the Palazzo de Te. This palace broke the rules because the key not is bigger and the columns make it look as though the stone is falling. It was also forced to spread horizontally, which allowed the evolution of language from roman roots into the renaissance. From here, places are beginning to look more staged and less natural.

Other examples of rule breaking structures are the Chateau de Chambord, which looked as though two halves from different design perspectives were "stitched" together, representing clashing ideas. The other structure is the Chateau Fountainbleu which introduced a very curvy line into the staircase on the front of the house.

Chateau de Chambord

Chateau Fountainbleu

There was an issue on what it meant to form a classical space. On the renaissance spectrum, the following ideas were focused on: individualism, being able to stand separately, and having a calm and serene space. The baroque focused on being theatrical, standing as a player in the scene, engaging with all senses, having unity among arts, utilizing round, livid forms and distortion, and having theatrical and dramatic lighting. By this time, tools were getting better, allowing more renovations to begin. 

At this point, architecture has A.D.D and is on some crazy ass drug. Art is spilling onto the landscape and all decoration items are being shoved into one space. The structures are influencing the garden just as much as the garden is influencing the structures. The exterior theatrical design is made to look impossible with columns looking like they are moving. In the churches, axes show where to enter and how to move around. Different designers are being used to design different spaces. Design and architecture has gone off the edge! 

Although design and architecture is going a little crazy, there is a common factor of the structure visually dominating the landscape. Designers are following classical rules of design but are mainly relying on science. The engineering of any structure was sized out by what could carry the exterior load. With this, designers were know deciding what a structure would look like as a whole rather than focusing in on individual parts that made up the whole. 

The revolution encompassing all these new ideas was a revolution that was a high period of culture with split designers. Things were beginning to shift; there was a sequential understanding of history, a scientific approach through engineering, a rational and logical system for thinking, and practices were being changed through this industrial revolution. This led to a whole new conversation around theory which involved writing and thinking versus making, a quest for knowledge, and a lead towards the enlightenment period. There was a hidden set of rules, codes, and conventions that were made for specific social groups that were made universal. 

As mentioned, rules and codes were being made universal which meant they were being brought over to America now. The trade and discovery routes were what linked the new and old world. All American buildings were influenced by English (European) and Scandinavian designs, with a sprinkle of French influence; because of this, log cabins were very popular and dominated the majority of the landscape. On the exterior, things were kept symmetrical and on the front facade of the house. Moving on with time, brick was being used instead of wood. Porticos were getting longer and the detail was modeled after Greece and Rome.  

Through the many time periods, rules were made to be broken later so that new structures could stand out in their own way. However, it turned out to be an endless cycle of making, breaking, making, breaking, and so on. Nothing cleanly fits inside of the made or broken rules. A scale look at this would look like this:

individual : room : building : community : region : nation.

RR XI

Pictures credited to:

http://va312aslifilis.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/bauhaus-school/

http://www.heidihysell.com/life/moma-presents-bauhaus-workshops-in-modernity/

http://designers5.blogspot.com/

BP XI

Place/Buildings/Space: New York City.
As many know, NYC has come a very long way since it was first being built up. As styles became more well-known and there was a need for more space to work, NYC embraced it and continued growing. Now, it is a huge city that can be very stressful due to its on-going "life" that works around the clock.

Object: iPhone 4.
Apple has brought iPods a long way. They went from a tiny little square figure that had only a few buttons, to the iPod touch that has a touch screen that is used for mostly everything. This ongoing renovation of the iPod family is happening because Apple is aware of what consumers want and need. Today, we want everything to be all in one and easy to use, and that's what Apple has come up with, and still continues to create.


I believe that modernism was a prominent goal by the end of the 20th century because people were trying harder and harder to out-do each other. Modernism was a brand new style that caught many peoples' attention due to it's openness, cleanliness, and simplicity. Many designers were working hard to be modern because they were aware that this was the "new thing" going around and many consumers would be asking for it to fit their needs. Each designer put their own twist on making things modern to offer many styles of modernism to be chosen from. Gothic and medieval were out, and modernism was in.

RR X

RR IX

RR VIII

Pictures credited to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stowe_Park_Palladian_bridge.jpg

http://www.planetware.com/picture/buckingham-stowe-landscape-gardens-eng-gb474.htm

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Buckinghamshire/Stowe/photo408102.htm

RR VI

BP VIII

The nautilus shell was a representation of design across the eras. It basically "shows" how design moved up and out across the decades.  An example of this would be columns.  They have certainly moved up and out across the decades, and even centuries, as they became grander in size and more keen on detail. Later, they even act as an aid to tell people where to walk depending on where they may be situated. Columns started out somewhat simply in the Grecian and Roman eras (Doric), but even then were quickly evolving.  They have continued to evolve and are still used in numerous structures today, both commercially and residentially. 

Here we can see the three prototypes set for all columns. Throughout the generations, it is still easy to recognize the different style of column in every structure.

The Parthenon in Athens Greece utilizes the Ionic column.

Trajan's column (wu-wu) in Rome is an example of a very detail oriented Corinthian style column. 

The Pantheon in Rome utilizes the Corinthian columns.

We take a slightly different path and look at Cathedrals...

Here, columns are still being used, but are moved to the interior of the structure rather than being a design feature on the exterior.

An interoir view of the cathedral in Salisbury. Columns are used here as ornamentation and to represent the strength of the church.

The cathedral in Florence, the Duomo, uses columns in the same aspect as the cathedral in Salisbury.

Switching gears again, we focus on structures in eastern and western Europe. The columns reappear on the exterior of the structure but tend not to be the "main" focus of the buildings anymore, but rather act as an extra detail.

Palace of Charles V:: Granada, Spain

Villa Rotunda :: Rincenza, Italy

Hardwick Hall :: Chesterfield, England

BP VII

I chose the fountain for my happy place. Although it may not be in the center of campus, I still consider this the heart of UNCG. It's aesthetically pleasing, but it's so simple and nonchalant; it's just a water fountain, right? Wrong. This is a space where many can be entertained, relax, chat, and do homework. This is one of many spaces where nothing can ever be truly added to please a certain someone; it's close to perfect in it's simplicity. This is one of the many places on campus where students can come together and be "one" group of people without even noticing it.

I chose the recreational center as my happy place. I enjoy working out when I have the time and it allows me to clear my mind. The rec is a busy place most of the time, so it would seem as though it would be crowded and cause a little bit of anxiety, but it doesn't. I pop in my ear buds and start working out to the current song and the rest of the world disappears. I can do my thing and other people can do theirs, and it's all done in one place; in unity and harmony. de Botton mentions: "We are sometimes eager to celebrate the influence of our surroundings" (13). The rec is a perfect place for this because each person who enters the rec unknowingly is influenced by all those around them; all those who are working hard motivates most to want to work equally as hard, and once we're done, we just want to celebrate that we accomplished what we did.