Independent Travel Notes: Classroom vs. Experience

Ca' Brutta - Milan - Muzio

                The group I traveled with during independent travel consisted only of Khris Kirk and myself. The fact that we ended up traveling together was largely due to the fact that neither of us jumped on board with any of the other groups of people as they planned their trips. Despite the circumstantial nature of our pairing it worked out beautifully. Having just the two of us meant that there was lot of flexibility our itinerary. Also Khris choose Berlin as one of our destinations (the others being Athens and Milan) and I am extraordinarily glad she did.

                Most of the sites we visited over the course of our travels were buildings and locations that we had already studied. Some were things we’ve covered this semester, and some were things that we just had a general knowledge of. Regardless, already having knowledge of the things that we were viewing is what set this trip apart from the day trips and extended travel trip that we had taken with the group. Traveling became more about the experience of the place rather than the background information regarding it. It was especially interesting to see how my expectations of what being in a place would be like differed from actually visiting the place.

Philharmonie - Berlin - Sharoun

Jewish Museum Berlin

- interior
- Liebeskind

                One of the most frequent the misconceptions I had regarding the buildings I visited related to scale. For example, the buildings in the Kulturforum in Berlin (the Philharmonie, Berlin Library, and Neue Nationalgalerie) were all much larger than I had anticipated. This created a very different affect than looking at pictures of them as they were much grander and more striking in person. In contrast, the Parthenon and various other ruins in Athens were much smaller and had a generally less impressive than I had imagined them to be. Perhaps this had to do in part with the fact that they were largely in ruins and many were partially covered in scaffolding. However the two most remarkable places to experience were the Liebeskind Jewish Museum and the Jewish Memorial Garden. In both cases this was the result largely of the compression and release of space. While it can be theoretically understood that a space might cause you to feel claustrophobic, unbalanced, or create a sense of relief it cannot be fully comprehended until it is experienced in person.

Ruins of a theater in Athens

The Parthenon - Athens

                Over the course of this semester I’ve learned that sketching really does help me to better understand what I’m looking at. When I draw something I gain a better mastery over it. Sketching forces me to see and recognize things that I might not have recognized otherwise. I better recognize the relationship of proportions, the way things are joined together, and the general form of things when I sketch. Perhaps the most useful sketching exercises are the ones in which I get something wrong because it shows me the difference between my expectation and reality. When I have to correct something it means that I wasn’t seeing it properly to begin with. Over the course of my extended travel trip I had a lot more time than I usually would on a day trip or a group extended travel trip to stop and sketch. As a result I believe I developed a greater appreciation for the buildings which I saw over independent travel.

Prada: Architecture, Art, and Fashion

                The word Prada brings to mind all that is chic, rich, tasteful, fashionable and desirable. Owning Prada handbags, footwear, and clothing is a status symbol. The label speaks for itself. It tells the world that you are all the things associated with the Prada name. This association didn’t happen by accident, it was an image that was very carefully cultivated in the public mind and it is an image that needs to be maintained. The maintenance of this image is accomplished by a multi-faceted marketing campaign and architecture is included within this campaign.

Prada Epicenter New York - Section of stair

The flagship store is the most obvious use of architecture for a fashion company. Rem Koolhaas’s Prada Epicenter in New York provides the company with a place to showcase its clothing and allow customers to shop in an optimum setting. According to the OMA website the goal of this project was to provide a space that differentiated itself as a retail setting as opposed to another type of corporate establishment. Additionally, the materials of the project were of great importance. The disign mixes innovative new technological materials and techniques with the rich traditional material lumber. This is not only an interesting contrast visually. It also speaks to the nature of Prada itself. Prada is not rich and luxurious like the lumber but also innovative and forward thinking like the technological materials.

The Prada Epicenter in New York is characterized by a central stair element that ends in a slope. This space serves a multitude of uses. In addition to being a method to transition between elevations it is also a place to showcase clothing. The sloping side can also fold out into a stage element for performances. This element helps to create a connection between Prada and the Arts, in particular music and performing arts.

Prada Marfa by Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello is a piece of architecture that serves a very different purpose than the Prada Epicenter. This building is not a place to exhibit clothing and accommodate customers. In fact the building is entirely sealed off and placed in a bizarre desert setting. Prada Marfa functions largely as a piece of instillation art. This building was created as a publicity stunt. The primary purpose of this building was to be depicted in print. The shocking contrast of the chic understated black and white Prada Marfa building and the wild desert backdrop makes Prada seem all the more fashionable.

Prada Transformer - Unfolded

The Prada Transformer which was constructed in Seol is another example of Prada architecture by OMA. It is also another great example of architecture as art, however unlike Prada Marfa the Prada transformer serves an actual function. In fact, it serves three functions. The structure is lifted by cranes and rotated into different positions in which it can serve as the setting for a film festival, fashion show, or art exhibit. This building does not just serve a great example of experimental temporary architecture. It also brings together multiple art forms under one roof. This association is great for Prada’s image.

"OMA- PRADA-NEW-YORK." OMA- PRADA-NEW-YORK. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://oma.eu/projects/2001/prada-new-york>.

"OMA- PRADA-TRANSFORMER." OMA- PRADA-TRANSFORMER. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://oma.eu/projects/2008/prada-transformer>.

Theory vs. Practice: What we can learn from impractical solutions by Le corbusier

Plan Voisin -Detail of Tower

Le Corbusier was one of the architects responsible for pioneering the modernist movement. His five points of architecture and the modular system he developed were both extremely notable contributions. Corbusier’s designs are not beyond reproach however. Largely the faults that are found with his plans are a result of an extremely formulaic and theoretical approach. This approach led to the oversight of certain real world conditions and a design that is impractical for the purposes which it was meant to serve. Despite the fact that Le Corbusier’s plans were not always suited for actual implementation they demonstrate concepts and ideas that are valid and useful.

Diagram of Plan Voisin Layout

               

             Plan Voisin is perhaps the most extreme solution that Corbusier ever proposed. As a result it has been subject to some of the most extreme criticism. The plan proposes the demolition of the entire city of Paris with the exception of some key features. The demolished city would be replaced by cross shaped skyscraper laid out in a grid. Despite the severity of the solution that led to the reception of a large amount of scorn, the plan still accomplishes its intended goals. Through this solution Le Corbusier sought to provide an alternative to the crowded dirty streets of the traditional city. Instead he sought to provide optimum living conditions and access to green space. Le Corbusier posed the question: “The street wears us out. And when all is said and done we have to admit it disgusts us. Then why does it still exist ?” His proposal for the Plan Voisin is an viable solution when this question is considered, even if its actual application is not practical.

Plan Obus

                Le Corbusier’s Plan Obus is another example of a defensible but impractical solution. If it had been constructed the plan would have provided public housing to a vast number of people. The form of the building is meant to mirror the movement of the highway as well as the natural features of the land. The result is a building that winds across the landscape. Living in the building would not be unlike living inside of the highway itself. However, the building was never constructed because of the grand scale of the building and the lack of resources to build it. This oversight on the part of Corbusier made the building impractical. However it is still an interesting formal exploration.

                One final example an impractical Corbusier design is the Villa Savoy. This structure, unlike the other two was actually built. However, it was abandoned by its residents very shortly and the building was declared uninhabitable. Ironically, this “machine for living” which was designed using all of Corbusier’s five principles was not suited for living at all. The building is a great example of theory however, such strict application of theory is ungenerous and not necessarily well adapted for human habitation.

Dekker, Thomas. "Le Corbusier and the City without Streets." The Modern City Revisited. N.p.: Taylor & Francis, 2000. N. pag. Print.

Mutable Architecture: How Architecture Progresses in Modern Society

Originally the formation and growth of cities was an almost entirely organic process. The genesis of a city was usually when group of people settled near a natural feature that was beneficial for whatever reason (cliffs or mountains for protection, rivers for a reliable water source, oceans for transportation and fishing). As the expansion of the settlement progressed, the only restrictions on buildings were generally the lay of the land on which it was being built. This is not exactly the case for modern cities. When an architect makes an addition to a city of today they must not only give consideration to things such as building codes, but they also have to make considerations as to how they choose to address the forms of surrounding architecture.

There are several ways in which an architect may choose to address the preexisting structures around the site of his building. He may choose to directly reference the style and form of the surrounding structures. Building in the same style as other nearby buildings gives a strong sense of continuity. However, it tends to limit the scope of the project and also has the danger of being a sort of fake architecture. An architect may also reference certain proportions or certain features of prior structures without directly coping them. This allows for some degree of continuity but also allows the architect a large amount of freedom. Finally, an architect may completely ignore the structural context of a site. Building a structure that is entirely incongruous is a valid way of working though it can be controversial. Peter Cook and Colin Fournier’s Konthaos is a good example of a building that respects its surroundings by remaining separate from them.

Peter Cook and Colin Fournier-Kunsthaus Graz

How does the city and the architecture within it progress in light of these considerations? Often new styles of building are met with opposition from the public and from critics. It is the architects responsibility to justify his designs. Because of this, often the second way of giving consideration to the site is the best option. This way the building the architect designs becomes more a part of the city. This method of design is most similar to the organic way in which towns and cities originally sprang up.

Despite the legitimacy of this approach sometimes it is necessary to break a few rules in order to design architecture that meets the goals that the architect wishes to accomplish and integrates itself well into the city. A great example of this is the building by Manuel Herz called Legal Illegal. This building breaks many building codes in order to create a structure that is effective. This building also integrates itself into the site in an unexpected way. The inclusion of more traditional elements both contrast the bright red structure, and tie it back into the site. The arch at the bottom of the front façade of the building is one notable example of this.

\Manual Herz - Legal Illegal

Architecture's Response to Movement

by Fielding Lowrance

One of the most defining aspects of human life is the way we move. Bus, car, train, bike, and pedestrian traffic move through our cities, suburbs, and countrysides worldwide. Movement is necessary for productivity, for social interaction, and for the ability to visit and experience other environments. Because transportation is so essential to human life it has had a pronounced, though varied, effect on the architecture. Architects must always consider the circulation of people through the space in which they create. However, some works of architecture more directly reference the way in which the population moves around or through it. It is particularly interesting to note the way in which newer modes of travel, in particular cars and trains, have influenced the considerations of some architects.

Lucien den Arend - Omage to El Lissitsky
Still view 

Lucien den Arend - Omage to El Lissitsky
view in movement over tim

             Lucien den Arend’s Omage to El Lissitzky is an interesting example of the way in which architect can be influenced by movement. The topographical sculpture includes a red metal element and is located next to a highway. The form the Arend has created is meant to be viewed from the road from within a car in movement. This is particularly interesting because it recognizes and addresses the new dynamism of viewpoint that has come about with the advent of cars. The effect of Arend’s sculpture is not lessened by the movement of the cars that pass it. Instead the high speeds enhance the affect that Arend intended for his form. Other structures might lose their affect do to the blurring that occurs when an object is viewed at high speeds.

Max Wan - Master Plan for the Leidsche Rijn
diagram of bridges

Max Wan’s master plan for the Leidsche Rijn is another architectural work that makes a specific consideration of people’s movement. However, Wan’s approach to addressing movement is less visual. Rather, his master plan deals specifically with the circulation through his site. Two things about this plan are particularly interesting. First, the way in which Wan deals with the multiple means of transportation that will be used to move through the space. Wan denotes the different paths for different types of movement using various colors painted on the street. This gives the street a character that lend to the interpretation of the identity of the place. It also serves as a sort of record of movement. Even without directly witnessing interactions with the site, someone viewing it can see the way in which people are expected to move through it through the written record on the ground. The second interesting thing about the plan is the way in which he presents the path of pedestrian and bike traffic as organic and mutable, particularly in the forms he chooses for the bridges in the site. Wan includes fifty bridges in the plan for the Leidsche Rijn. The bridges are meant to transport pedestrians, bike traffic, and cars across the river that is present at the site. However the pedestrian paths often diverge from the rigid lines meant for car traffic. This allows people to choose the path most specific to their needs at the time when crossing the river. This move by Wan appears significantly more intention because of the fact that he makes it using bridges, and sets up a tension between the path of cars and that of pedestrians. 

Forms of the Biennale

by Fielding Lowrance

My experience in Venice at the Biennale was one of the most enriching experiences I had while on my ten day extended travel around the north of Italy.  The first portion that we visited, which included expositions that related specifically to architecture, was particularly interesting.  We had only a very short period of time in which to take in a very large number of expositions, a fact that I found rather overwhelming and which led to a bit of a sensory overload. However, I still came away with some observations that have enhanced, and in some cases changed the way in which I think about architecture.

              

           The exhibition that had the greatest impact on me personally was certainly not the most sensational. However, the simplicity of the nature in which the idea behind the exhibit was conveyed lent power to the idea itself. The exhibit was one of the first that we viewed and was simply a darkened room with black and white images and text projected on each of the walls. The black and white, highly contrasted images immediately called attention to the architectural forms that they depicted. The fact that the framing of the images often took the subject out of the context of the entire building heightened the affect. There was written underneath each image the name of the building, and a description of the form: regulated, wavy, geometric, etc. A slide with text explained the difference between affect and meaning of form. While meaning is specific to the individual and dependent upon that individual’s biases, affect is the influence that the form has and has a closer relation to the form itself.

This idea colored many of the observations that I made later that day, and even influenced some of my previous experiences upon reflection. For example, in one of the later exhibits participants were asked to vote on what emotions certain buildings made them feel. The results were displayed on panels located throughout the room. Some buildings generally evoked similar responses. For example a rigid looking concrete government building elicited primarily anger and very few feelings of freedom. However, the responses to some buildings varied, or had votes split between similar responses such as happy and free. This reiterated the idea that the same forms can carry different meanings for different individuals.

The theme of the relationship between architecture and the people who populate was also present in many of the other exhibits I viewed that day. One that comes to mind in particular was another room that made heavy use of projectors. However, this room, presented full color images on all for walls, depicting large groups of people in states that varied from peaceful to highly agitated/protesting. On the floor cities were depicted coming together and dispersing in time with the images on the walls. This illustrated the role that populations play in the construction and destruction of a city environment and the cyclical nature of these developments.

Regulating Nature: How the function of a garden dictates its form

Gardens are a particularly interesting situation in the fabric of a city. Cities are entirely manmade environments designed to suit the needs of their populations. A garden is, in general, a natural or semi-natural spaces that acts as an addition to the city environment. This is a very different situation than the relationship that normally encountered when designing architecture (that of a building to a site). The level of human regulation that a garden is subject to is determined by the purpose that the garden is meant to serve. A garden may act as a foil for the city, as a way of recording the original environment of a space, as a relaxation area, or as a recreation area.

Alan Sonfist - Time Garden

The natural space of a garden punctuates the manmade city space. The relationship between the two spaces can say as much about the city as it does about the natural environment. This is accomplished through the tension created between the contrast of the two spaces (especially when a garden is not highly regulated). One great example of a highly unregulated garden is Alan Sonfist’s Time Garden which is located in New York City. This garden is a careful recreation of the natural flora that originally occupied the space that is now New York. This extreme break from the order of the city serves as a form of punctuation and as a living natural record.

Catherine Mosbach - Jardin Botanique Bordeaux - Plan

A garden can also record the natural environment in a slightly more ordered way. Catherine Mosbach’s Jardin Botanique Bordeaux, for example, presents the natural flora as one would present objects in a museum. She carefully compartmentalizes different vegetation and presents many different sorts of environments within a very confined space. Though form of presenting the natural environment is less authentic it also allows visitors to the space to gain a broader idea of what the space the city occupies would have actually been like.

Gardens are also often meant to serve the needs of the population of the city. Traditionally the purpose of gardens has been to provide a place for relaxation and respite from the city itself. Spaces designed for this purpose tend to be more structured that the previous examples because they, like the city itself, are designed largely to accommodate people. Gardens meant for the purpose of relaxation can be either private or public. Gardens that are private tend to contain more order because they typically occupy a smaller space and very often have walls which are a strict regulating feature.

Parc De Villette
Competition Entry -
Diagram of form generating layers

The final purpose a garden might serve is for the purposes of recreation. Often such gardens are the most highly ordered because they are meant to serve specific purposes other than simply providing a place to relax. Oma and Rem Koolhaas’s entry for the Parc de Villette competition in Paris is an extreme example of a garden as a regulated space. This garden is intended specifically as a space for activity. The design of the garden is entirely geometric and regulated by mathematical formulas and algorithms. It is essentially a structured space that includes some natural elements as opposed to a natural space with some structural elements. 

Speer vs. Scharoun

By Fielding Lowrance

Berlin has had a rather volatile political history. Both World Wars and the Cold War have had a pronounced effect on the city. Because of these events Berlin has become a great example of how the social and political climate of an area can influence the designs of the architects working in that region at any given time. Two architects who illustrate this idea particularly well are Albert Speer, who designed buildings for the Nazi Regime, and Hans Scharoun, whose buildings were created under the democratic German government established after the second World War.

Albert Speer - Zeppelin Field

Albert Speer’s close affiliation with the Nazi party resulted in the creation of works that reflection the greatness of the state.  Speer’s buildings were grand neoclassical structures that often included features such as arches and domes. The strictly regimented forms of neoclassical architecture mirrored the rigid and authoritarian nature of the Nazi Party. Additionally, neoclassicism relies of forms, proportions, and materials that had been previously established by classical architects (i.e. the architects of Ancient Greece and Rome). This reference of the Classical served a dual purpose. First, using building elements that the public would have already been familiar with created a sense of non-transience and a climate in which deviance from what the government defined as acceptable was unacceptable. Second the reference to the civilizations of Greece and Rome created a connection between the Nazi Regime and great Civilization of the past. This both helped to further the idea of the permanence of the current government institution and mirrored the way in which the aforementioned civilizations (particularly the Roman Empire) used buildings and monuments to attest to their strength, wealth, and greatness.

Some notable designs of Speer include Zeppelin Field, the Neue Reich Chancellery, and a design for the reinvention of the city of Berlin (which was never completed). It is worth noting that both Zeppelin Field and the Chancellery were buildings for government use. The plan for the city of Berlin focused on the creation of structures, in particular broad avenues, which were works that attested to government power as previously mentioned.

Hans Scharoon - Berlin Philharmonie 

 Scharoun’s structures are an almost perfect foil for Speer’s. In contrast to the Speer’s buildings Scharoun’s designs were meant to create spaces for the people. Though this does not directly reference the government under which his structures were created it does reflect the values of a democratic society, that is, the good of the public. Scharoun was a modernist. Modern architecture was at the time of his buildings a style that encouraged experimentation and a reconciliation of architecture and the progress of technology. These ideas directly opposed Speer’s reflection on past styles.  Other important values that Scharoun placed on his designs were the need for green space, and maximum light and air for individual dwellings. His buildings were also light, as opposed to massive, and were not highly ordered in the same way that neoclassical structures are.

Like Speer, Hans Scharoun also developed a master plan for the city of Berlin. However, Sharoun’s plan focused on green spaces, gardens, and natural elements of the city such as the river. The focus on such elements was designed to make the city a more pleasant place to live. He also contributed designs such as the Philharmonie and the Berlin State Library to the collection of buildings that is known as the Kulturforum. The Kulthurforum is a collection of cultural buildings constructed in West Berlin.