Flippo Brunelleschi.....

Flippo Brunelleschi is the very first Italian renaissance architect. He was born in Florence in 1377 and died in 1446 and the very place. His work is contemporaries and very strong in term of the style, which still carry on even in the 20^th century.

What I love about his architectures is the patterning of light and dark. The contradiction between the two factors somehow interacts very well. In my opinion, I think his work projects humanism and is concluded in classic architecture. Humanism develops during the 14^th century and is about emphasizing scientific studies, and the core of humanism is started in Florence, where Brunelleschi was born.  He is the first architect to bring mathematical projection and interpret Gothic and Romanesque styles, and brings them together to create his own rules of symmetry and proportioning.

Among his great work and architecture, I love the dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo), which is one of his major works. I like how the construction is very symmetrical and consist of super details both interiorly and exteriorly. It is a cathedral church design of Arnolfo Di Cambio but engineered by Brunelleschi. It is the largest brick dome ever constructed and is a symbol of the city, symbolizing the lily. 

Expressionism, Frank Gehry....and me

Expressionism from what I understand, is the type of (post-) modernism that somewhat breaks the rule of “form follow function.” As modernism the form seems to be very restrict with simple form of geometric combine with the usage of honest materials. But for Frank Gehry is completely different, as he seems to think of architecture in a different perspective.  He thinks modernism is too perfect, and life is not about that, so he designs his building with different style, expressing the forms to be so flow and unique.

One of a great example of his work is the Gugenheim Hermitage Museum. it is said to be the combination of his own house and the fish thingy he designed, it is the skin that make u feel dazzle and extremely expressive. The form of the construction is very unique in a way that no geometries actually can be defined.  Although the forms are so flow and extremely expressed, the plan is not. It is beautifully ordered and is quite symmetrical and that is the aesthetic of expressionism.

Frank Gehry said architecture is like frozen music. It expresses of the symphony and the flow of music, which is clearly expressive. This work is successful and form does not follow function, in a way that most Modernist is not work. It makes people want to access the building whether the spaces inside are great or not. 

Rem Koolhaas and CCTV...and my observation

Rem Koolhas is a Dutch architect who’s his architectures based majorly on function and program. What I like about his architectures is that he has a unique way on how to define spaces, with the expressive forms of most of his work. Although the forms are very expressive, his major consideration is about the construction’s function and program and he divides the spaces very wisely. A great example among his well-known architectures is the China Central Television (CCTV.)

The construction is located in Beijing, China. On my structure project, I have a chance to work with the building, which make me realize how complicated the building is. In my opinion, the form somehow looks infinite, never ending due to the flawless shape. From what I understand, it consists of no column at all, just the structures that all around the façade that support the building weight. The building is connecting to each other, and it provides precise routes for the circulation. To my mind, the shape of it looks somewhat simple, like extracting from a square cube, but it is very beautiful in a way how Rem Koolhas renovate the idea and make the architecture looks very expressive.

Modernism vs Postmodernism....

In my opinion, modernism and postmodernism is somewhat very similar to each other. Modernism can be said as contemporaneous simple form of geometrics. In which, postmodernism is very alike, but with a little more decoration.

I think modernism and postmodernism somehow does not find each other attractive, and does not blend well. Postmodernism thinks that modernism is not practical, people cannot leave comfortably in them, and they are somewhat all the same! But I personally do not think that is true. Le Corbusier is the father of modernism and I have seen many of his architectures, it looks lively and interesting to me. The spaces seem to be comfortable to live in and very well orientated. Although there are not much of details in the work, but I prefer less is more and certainly less is not a bore.

Postmodernism is a development of modernism (obviously…). But it is a hybrid style, contradicting modernism in everything mixing with lot of stuff together. From what I understand, it is modernism, with more details maybe not in the work, but the concern of the furniture and decoration to make the place looks much comfortable and better to live in.

Thoughts on "Playtime" by Jacques Tati

The linkage between the film and Louis Kahn would be the fact that they are very similar in term of the designs. Kahn always start every of his design from a cube and let it goes from there. And the architectures in the film are somewhat repetition (take the office’s cubes for instance). In Kahn’s designs, they consist of International style that is about simple geometric forms, form characterized by a series of volumes and honestly used of materials and the constructions in the film are somewhat comparable.

The movie basically projects the life of Modernism and the people.  To me, it is rather boring (the Modern’s life, not the movie!) as things are so systematic and everyone seems to have their daily routines. For instance, the shot when people are working at the cubical offices that orientate in an extreme systematical way. It looks very boring to me, as everything is so perfect.

But I don’t mean to say that Tati want to project that the modern world is flawless and beautiful as the impersonal spaces he has shown in the movie doesn’t interact with the space in term of communication. It is designed to discourage individual thought and expression. As far as I am concerned, people cannot interact much because of the spaces themselves, so they have to end up changing it by their presence.

The film has been designed for people who has been given specific jobs, whether it is an officer, maid, or people in the apartment. I think it doesn’t look like a livable place at all as the satisfaction would be zero due to its unlikely dull environment. However, other people impose their own consciousnesses on it and mould it in order to make their environment livable.

  

The caption of the new era...

A movie is about a photographer who takes a lot of architects’ caption in Los Angeles. What is interesting about it is that there is a girl who finds his picture somewhat “a start of American dream.” The photographer takes the photo without the noticed of what the photo will become, the life of the new age architecture.            

The caption that is really elegant is the Pierre Koenig’s Stahl house, Case Study House 22. It sets high in the hills of Los Angeles, one of the most iconic houses of the modern era due to both its radical design and its extremely beautiful view. It is said to be one of the most photographed house in the world. Julius Shulman is who to take the claim of taking the awesome caption in May 9, 1960.

Art & Architecture magazines’ editors for the objection of promoting modernism promote the caption. The caption takes place after the World War II that America wins, and it is the time of starting the new era, the contemporary architectures. Pierre Koenig, one of the architect says "Industry has not learned the difference between what is beautiful in its simplicity and what is ugly although equally simple...." and I think it is very touching.

Opinions on Le Corbusier and my favorite building..

Le Corbusier is one of my most favorite architects of all time. He is known for the father of Modernism. The building that catches my eyes most and is very interesting is the Villa Savoye.  The building has been accepted as the standout modern design. The house is on the large field surrounded with mature trees. He wants to leave the site as untouched as possible.

I think the reason why the building is located in the middle of the field is because Corbusier wants to preserve the environment. And I think that links to the reason why the exterior of the building is white, to blend well with the green grass and blue sky to make the building standout. The orientation of the columns is located as a grid, to open the down floor space clear and flow.

Inside the building, there is a ramp and I think it is there to create somewhat a movement as he says “A staircase separates one floor from another but ramp links it together.”

In my opinion, it does not look much like a house. It looks like an office to me, but it is extremely beautiful.  What I like about the construction is the axis, proportion, simplicity and it’s minimalistic.