Post Modernism

A notable designer from this time period was Robert Venturi. He wrote Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture. He believed that simplicity and logic as a cornerstone to modern design was a limitation and that it would lead to boredom and dullness. He's famous quote is, “Less is a bore.”He believed that greatness in modern design comes from Complexity and Contradiction and he embraced decorative ornament and historical design concepts. His works include the Vanna Venturi House and the Chippendale Chair. Another notable designer was Michael Graves, one of the New York Five. He moved away from group and developed more Post-Modern designs and embraced more decorative detail and strong color and forms. he had eccentric tastes and thought design should be available for the masses. He designed the Public Services Building, Portland, Oregon which was the first post modern building. Charles Gwathmey was another member of the New York Five. He was an Architect and Educator he designed the Gwathmey Residence and Studio. Richard Meier is one of the only members of the New York Five still alive today. He is an Artist and Architect. He uses geometric designs and the color white. He designed the Getty Center and the Douglas House. Peter Eisenman is the other member of the New York Five to be alive today. He is an Architect and a Deconstructivist. He designed the Aronoff Center for Design and Art and the Museum of Galicia in Spain. Frank Gehry is a Canadian/American architect who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Spain as well as the High Sticking Chair and the Wiggle Chair. Rem Koolhaas is a designed who bridges post-modernism, hi-tech and deconstructivist concepts. He designed the Maison Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France. I.M. Pei is the man who designed the National Gallery of Art and the Pyramid Louvre Museum.

Past:

Present:

Extra Credit:
John Hejduk, the only member of the New York Five we didn't talk about in class.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z91hfQ-D6oI

Footage of John Hejduk’s ‘The Collapse of Time’ - a construction made to accompany the exhibition of Hejduk’s project VICTIMS, shown at the AA in 1986.  ‘The Collapse of Time’ is the final element in a series of 68 structures. Each element is individually named and dedicated to the Victims who suffered in the Gestapo torture chambers in Berlin during World War II. The full project was presented to the city and citizens of Berlin. The tower, which represents time, was lowered twice by 45° at noon on Fridays 10th and 24th October 1986 until it was completely horizontal, signifying the total collapse of time. The design of ‘The Collapse of Time’ was undertaken by AA staff and students. The structural consultant for the project was Frank Newby.

Peer Review:
Holli: I liked how she chose a few designers to focus on and her pictures were great
Angie: I liked how she summarized the period well and he pictures were also lovely

International Presentations

One of the places I've always wanted to visit is Dubai. All the places that the group presented on were places I would love to see in person. The Jumeirah Beach Hotel was built in 1997 and is a 26 story building. It is 305 ft tall and 902 ft long. It is curved to resemble a breaking wave and overlooks the famous water park. Burj Al Arab was built in 1999 and is the worlds only 7 star hotel. It includes a underwater restaurant as well as a sky view bar. It is a iconic symbol of Dubai and it 1,035 ft tall. Burj Kahlifa was built in 2004 and is the tallest building in the world. It also contains the highest mosque and a swimming pool. It is 2,717 ft tall. Ski Dubai was built in 2005 and is the equivalent of 3 football fields long. It is an indoor skiing place with real snow. The Infinity Tower was built in 2006 and is the worlds largest tower with a 90 degree twist. It is an 80 story residential building and is 1,000 ft tall. The Palm Islands were constructed in 2014 and are the largest artificial islands in the world. They are also the 8th wonder of the world. I would love to visit Dubai and stay in one of the many luxury hotels there.




Extra Credit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BXGh0EYJtE
Youtube video about the Palm Islands and how it was constructed.

Peer Review:

Holli: I liked how she focused on 2 of the places she was most interested in and elaborated on both of those things. I also liked how she included more detailed pictures of those places

Ashley: I liked how she touched on all the buildings that were presented for the place she picked and also talked about what she thought was interesting.

Mid-Century Modernism

Mid-Century Modernism architecture is characterized by flat roofs, angular details and asymmetrical profiles, expansive walls of glass, clean lines and wide open floor plans. It was the first to use bi-level structures and married indoor spaces to the outside. It was extremely popular on the West Coast. Common color schemes included warm, earthy tones created nature-inspired interiors (olive green, burnt umber, pumpkin and mustard yellow). Trendy colors included pink, gray, turquoise, black and yellow. Furnishings were commonly made out of plastics, resin, metal composites, laminates and fiberglass. All these materials helped to fuel creativity. One notable designer of this time period was Joseph Eichler. He was a real-estate developer in California who was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. He developed Mid- century tract housing subdivisions for the average American family. It had post and beam construction, open floor plan, glass walls, concrete floors (radiant heat) with low slope- no slope A-frame roofs. He built over 11,000 homes. Another notable designer was Eero Saarinen. He was a Finnish/American architect/Industrial Design who worked with Charles and Ray Eames. He also produced furniture with Knoll including his famous Tulip Chair. Charles and Ray Eames worked with Herman Miller and were two very eccentric designers. They designed a who array of things ranging from coat hangers to very famous chairs like the their lounge chair and the aluminum group. Another important designer from this period was George Nelson. He was one of the founders of American Modernism. He was the Directer of Design for Herman Miller and also had his own company, George Nelson Associates, Inc.. With these two companies, he shaped much of the 20th Century's most iconic Modernism furniture. He designed pieces such as, the Coconut Chair, Marshmallow Sofa, and Swag Leg Group. Isamu Noguchi was an American artist, designer and landscape architect who worked for Herman Miller. His most famous piece of furniture is the Noguchi table.

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Present:




Extra Credit:
http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/1044237/video-explore-the-hidden-treasures-of-noguchi-museum
A video about the Noguchi Museum

Peer Review:

Paige P- She summarized the period well and her pictures were great. I liked how she split it up into sections by designer and shared pictures of their work. 

Amanda V- I liked how she summarized the whole period and then had little blurbs about the individual designers. 

Herman Miller

Herman Miller began in 1906 as the Michigan Star Furniture Company. They sold mainly residential furniture with a gaudy Victorian flair. Later they dropped the "star" from their name. D.J. DePree was hired as a clerk for the Michigan Furniture Company and ten years later became president. In 1923 the company was being sold and D.J. wanted to buy it. He didn't have the money so he asked his Farther-In-Law for the money to buy the company. He was so grateful that he named the company after him, Herman Miller. In the 1930's the depression was happening and the company was going under. Gilbert Rohde was hired as a furniture designer for the company and he really pushed the switch to modern. in 1933 the first line of modern furniture was released. Some other notable characters involved with Herman Miller include; George Nelson who designed the logo, and Ray and Charles Eames who were furniture designers. They had a very eclectic and avant garde style. Charles was commissioned to design a leg splint for the military that had to be lightweight. He used bent, pressurized wood to create the design. Later he put this concept into his furniture. A few of the Eames' designs include the Chaise Lounge Sleeper, the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, and the Solar Powered Do Nothing Machine. Another notable person is Robert Propst. He came up a new concept for office design. He developed the Action Office, but people didn't like it so he was forced to change it up. The companies loved the new version because with the vertical storage, they could fit more employees in the space. Since then, office design has again shifted to more open offices with a few private areas. The corporate offices of Herman Miller are located in Michigan. The Greenhouse is in Holland, Michigan and is a LEED certified building. Everything is recycled and the amount of trash that comes out of the building in one week can fit in a grocery bag. It had a problem with wasps at first but they brought in honey bees to combat the wasps. The bees produced honey and so Herman Miller now gives visitors jars of their honey. Herman Miller also owns several other companies including, GEIGER, Nemschoff, Maharam, and Design Within Reach.

Extra Credit:
Documentary on Charles and Ray Eames
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/charles-ray-eames-the-architect-and-the-painter-watch-the-full-documentary-film/1950/

Peer Review:
Scott: Even though he was late to class he still managed to get a lot of information about the company and Ray and Charles Eames. I liked how he included their video in a link.
Riann: I liked how her blog was short and sweet and to the point. She did a good job of supplementing her blog with the pictures.  

Art Deco

Art Deco began in France in the 1920's. There was tension between Functionalists, who focused on mass production, common person, and social good and Decorators who focused on labor intensive craftsmanship, elite market, and were not concerned with social theory. The 1925 Worlds Fair in Paris gave Art Deco its name. It was a showcase for the exhibition of interior design. It showcased furniture, lamps, textiles, and accessories. Common themes in Art Deco include the use of angled and cubist forms, aluminum, black lacquer, glass, zig-zag or chevron patters, skyscraper inspired designs, and prominent light fixtures. The designers of the time used rich materials including: ebony, zebrawood with inlays of ivory, tortoise-shell, leather, polished metals, mirrors, and glass. A notable French designer of this time was Michel Roux-Spitz. He designed the Salon des Artistes Decorateurs in Paris and the Bureau de Administratuer. He mainly focused on governmental buildings. Another designer was Jean Dunand. He was also a figure in the Art Nouveau movement and moved towards geometric forms in the 20's. He was a decorator for the wealthy and produced screens, cabinets, chairs and tables and often worked with lacquer. Maurice Dufrene was also a figure in the Art Nouveau Movement and a well know and very influential French designer. He designed furniture, textiles, glass work, metal work, and complete interiors. His work includes the French Art Deco Side Table and the Carved, gilt-wood three-piece sofa suite. Jean Michel Frank was a French interior designer known for minimalist interiors. He decorated with plain-lined but sumptuous furniture made of luxury materials, such as shagreen, mica, and intricate straw marquetry. He used mainly neutral colors and let the beauty come from his materials. Jacques- Emile Ruhlmann was a French furniture designer who focused on glamour and uded unusual materials such as, ebony, zebra wood, sharkskin and ivory. His most famous chair is his Elephant Chair. Art Deco came to the United States via the Normandie, a French ocean liner. The interior of the ocean liner was extravagent Art Deco style and inspired the movement in the US.

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Present:





Extra Credit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z69pRbAb_No

This video shows some pictures of the Art Deco district in Miami, Florida

Peer Review:

Amanda M- I liked how she talked about why Art Deco became a style, with the need for fun during the World Wars.

Holli: I liked how she went into the motifs of the time period and talked about why materials they used. Her pictures were also a nice supplement.

Modernism/International Style

Modernism began in 1900 and lasted through 1950, this was the time during the World Wars. “The Machine” was source of design inspiration and functionalism term used to describe design style. There was a rejection of the past and historical design and an embracing of industrial design during this time. The pioneers of this movement were Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier. Frank Lloyd Wright designed over 1000 structures, completed 532 works and worked in the offices of Adler and Sullivan in Chicago before branching out on his own. Some of his notable works include the Winslow House in River Forest, Illinois, the Hickox house in Kankakee, Illinois, and the Robie House in Chicago, IL. Walter Gropius established own architectural practice in 1911 and formed the Bauhaus School in 1919. Some Bauhaus teachers included Marcel Breuer a Hungarian born modernist architect and furniture designer and Wassily Kandinsky a Russian painter and founder of abstract art. Economic and political problems closed the Bauhaus at Weimar and Gropius designed the building for the new location in the industrial city of Dessau. But the school was forced to close in 1933 due to WWII. Mies van der Rohe was a German-American architect. He believed that exhibitions offered opportunities to showcase interior design and furniture. Some of his notable works include the Barcelona Exhibition, the Barcelona chair, the Tugendhat House, and the Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois. Le Corbusier worked for Peter Behrens and Josef Hoffmann and was most known for urban design. He wanted to improve the industrialized urban cities such as Paris, France. He combined a passion for classical Greek architecture and an attraction to the modern machine. His notable works include Pavilion de l’Esprit Nouveau, and Villa Savoye.

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Present:






Extra Credit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UttRfwd9zjs

"Bauhaus: Art as Life - Talk: An Insider's Glimpse of Bauhaus Life"

Peer Review:

Holli: I liked how she focused on Mies and went into a lot of great detail about his works, and her pictures were spot on.

Stephanie: I liked how she summarized the whole period while still hitting all the key points. 

Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright's career lasted from about 1900-1950. Along with FLW came the emergence of modernism. With both the World Wars happening around this time period, the destruction gave way to opportunities for new buildings and new designs. Modernism really embraced industrial design. Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Gropius, Ludwig mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier were the pioneers of this movement and treated like an exclusive club. Those who wanted to follow the movement had to follow the exact rules they set in place. Frank Lloyd Wright created over 1000 structures and 532 works in his career. He began his career working for Adler and Sullivan. When he branched off by himself and create his own company in Oak Park, Illinois, 1893,  he began creating the Prairie style home. These homes blended their structure into the environment and used the same color palettes as the  indigenous plants where the homes were built, primarily in the Midwest. He primarily designed residential buildings but there were a select few commercial buildings as well.

Past:

Fallingwater

Emil Bach House

Taliesin West

Present:





Extra Credit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvQZbC1OOZc
The Fallingwater House - Documentary on Fallingwater

Peer Review:
Katie L: I liked how she talked about how he also designed a lot of the furniture for the homes that he designed as well.
Amanda M: I liked how she touched on his childhood and the pictures she picked were a great supplement to her blog.