[SPECULATE]
The way that we learn history is to speculate what occurred in the past. History is more than just dates and happenings though, and one must analyze everything that was going on to get a good grasp of why things happened. In our precedent analysis project I chose the Bauhaus and I am speculating the effects it had artistically and socially. The Bauhaus was more than just a school for the arts, it also was a symbol of the renewal of the country after a time of war. Styles such as the Bauhaus must also be studied to discover why architecture was being built the way that it was. In the 20th century modern design started to be seen more and more. However, being a design student I must speculate what really was modern or Modern. Modern is what classifies an architectural style, whereas modern is what classifies the buildings of this time that were more contemporary and broad than those of the past. The only way to tell the two apart is to speculate about how they were built and their place in design. It is also important to speculate what architecture means to you and its place in society. Corbusier said “a house is a machine for living”[1], and he designed his homes to serve a very specific purpose.
[COMPOSE]
Composing is putting pieces together to make a whole polished work. It’s about finding the right way to make everything work together in a harmonious way. In both design and architecture making the final composition is what really matters when looking at a final finished product. A composition can have many inspirations that it pulls and is inspired from. During the 20th century architecture was pulling from the art world. Art Nouveau, Art Deco, post-impressionism, and expressionism are just a few of the types of art that found their way into buildings. Borrowing of ideas and styles led to new designs and ways of doing such. When talking about the Paris Salon d’ Automne it “established in 1903 as a fine art showcase, but from 1906 design was included”[2]. Art and design were fusing together. Composition can also refer to a building
t
hat is completely designed in every aspect. The Barcelona Pavillion for example worked not only as a work of art, but as the complete work of art. The pavilion was the mediator and the things inside were just the extras.
[ENERGIZE]
That little extra something that sets off your work from another’s gives it the energy that it needs. In today’s world we want to see something new that hasn’t been designed before, and that’s the challenge to being a good designer. When designers like Corbusier were creating new residential and commercial pieces exploration of other building was taking place. Factories and airports wanted to be just as stunning as other buildings around. The AEG Turbine Factory built by Behrens was built to reflect the technology inside. Behrens built it because he saw it as a way to “advance the ennobling effect of art on technology.”[3] Buildings that were normally seen as just places to produce goods were now given a boost of energy to influence culture in more ways than they had before.
[SHAPE]
Design is a tool to shape the world around us. Architecture can influence and also be shaped by the culture we live in, and how we view style. Often looking back in history by studying architecture we gain more knowledge than just about the buildings of the time, but the world and society they were in. Sometimes these buildings shape our minds with the shapes their in. Architects began to break out of the box and build designs that were rhythmic and fluid in their shape to create visual interest and invoke emotion. Antonio Gaudi was famous for his designs that had flowing shapes that were inspired by nature and the human body alike. He believed that, “Buildings should not fall over under sunlight”[4], and that they should have enough curving lines to still have a unique shape. Along with an exterior shape, the building must be shaped from the interior as well. Hector Guimard believed, “It is not the flower to take as a decorative element, but it is the stem”[5], showing that he believed in a well shaped frame and s
tructure as well as outside.
[STRETCH]
To create the best work one must stretch he boundaries and create something that is both intelligent and new. It is important to think broader than to stay trapped in a box. Finding that balance between stretching it but still being pleasing is the work of being a designer. In the 20th century, architects were stretching what they had previously done and were creating new modern designs. The modern movement then took off, and was being seen all over. The reason that it was all over the world however was due to an advance in literature and technology. Magazines, movies, and radios were among the mediums of delivering information. When this flowing of ideas occurred in “the 1950’s the speed and ease of inter-continental travel and the proliferation of media like films and television disseminated the American Modern look throughout the world.”[6]
[WRAP-UP]
The 20th century was all about stretching the boundaries to create new energized original work. Designers were speculating the work of the past to help them create in the future. They were thinking more about the final composition and making both the interior and exterior shape the whole building. Architecture was used to shape both a space and the culture and society it was in.
[CITATIONS]
1- Quote from Corbusier(in class)
2- Massey pg. 91
3- Roth pg. 521
4- Quote from Antonio Gaudi(in class)
5-Quote from Hector Guimard(in class)
6-Massey pg. 160
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