Romanticism

Romanticism is originately in Europe during the end of the 18th century. It is focusing on the strong emotion as an real source of the beauty in one certain building. The phenomenology is metaphyscial which means that Romanticism is dealing with how people perceive things, how things affects the person and how does each individual responds to a certain space and form. While the early or previous period like Barouque was more in a florid style where it fulled of decoration with humanism. Romanticism still maintains the logic but still very emotional. The architecture in this period will not be purely focused on the structure of its own but will be focused on it’s reason and the effect or consequence of the structure on people. To have a strong feeling of being overwhelemed is also called “Sublime”. One of the example from Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, is the temple of love which has plan as the shape of male genital. In my opinion, romanticism has been always focusing on the real feeling of human being without adding any extra interpretation. Since christianity is promoting love, the temple of love was created within the interpretation of love in a physical way.

Difference between Baroque and Renaissance

Baroque architecture begun in Italy during the late sixteeth century which is more accessible to the emotion and a statement of the power of the church. The characteristics of this style of architecture will put attention more on highly decorative instead of supportive, curvers more than straight lines, and expresses the appearance of movement. Being symmetry is very important until it leads to the perspective optical illusion which happens in Santa Maria Presso San Satiro by Bramante (previous blog). One of the example could be “The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter” even though, it was belong to the period of late Renaissance as well. Baroque has borrowed many things from Renaissance and mannerism, but there are certainly differences. Another way to indicate the difference can be said as Renaissance is more to be straight and based on realism while Baroque will be more on to the complexity and overflowing. The term “Baroque” means absurd and directly to the meaning, it breaks the rule from Renaissance. Because it focuses more on the sense of movement which contains drama and theatrical deatures, Baroque churches tend to be richly decorated and the elements in the structure are used more freely than Renaissance. Baroque creates a strong sense of liveliness, spirit and attraction.

Perspective Optical Illusion

Renaissance architecture happens between the early 13th and early 17th centuries and it is demonstrating a development and rebirth of some certain thought and material culture of Roman and ancient Greek. The style emphasize on proportion, symmetry, and geometry of the building since they are made as the representation for God. The idea derives from the teaching in bible of how man is made in the image of God and that the porportiong of human has to be studied. Then applied the study of human’s proportion into an architecture so that the building will represent the God.

However, the main concept can be applied to every design butnot every design will be placed on the same location. In fact, there were still site restricted because of many factors including the surrounding area. What interested me the most is that ancient people know howto learn and adapt their design into a space. Even though some certain design can’t be placed into the site since it will interupt the existing surround, they still come up with technique to manage the solution.

Santa Maria Presso San Satiro by Bramante is a church in Milan where it shows a perspective illusion on one of the barrel vault. According to the limited amount of land, but they still want to show the idea of cruciform so one fake vault must be created.

There are many ideas derive from this concept. Nowadays, perspective optical illusion has been used as one field of art or even decoration including painting on the wall too. It tricks the eyes of people in a certain angle. One of the example that use the same method would be The Borromini Gallery, located into the courtyard of Palazzo Spada. Borromini created a false perspective in the arcaded courtyard of Palazzo Spada. By decreasing rows of colum

ns and rising floor, create a perspective optical illusion where people perceive a hallway of 37 meters (only 8 meters) with a gigantic structure (only 60cm tall)

MVRDV and Postmodernism

In Netherlands, there was newly provided policy toward the end of 1990s for the people in retirement called “residential care complexes”. It aimed to enable people above the age of 55 to continue living in their homes for as long as possible. Wozoko’s is one of the projects belonged to MVRDV which is a firm of Dutch Architects. The name is an acronym for the founding members which are Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries.

MVRDV is considered to be a post-modernism which can be seen through their various projects. With the characteristic of postmodernism which is “the return of wit, ornament and reference”. The colorful and varying building has ““individual dwellings (that) are again notable for the variety of fenestrations, doors and balconies on the rear of the building, but especially in the units that project form the front façade, a way of circumventing the constraints of the master plan”, said Lootsma.

However, dispite the fact of being postmodernism, Wozoko, is still, somehow reacting with modernism by having the geometrical form of structure along with the concept of “form follow function”. Since the place was constructed but not enough space to enable all elders. Only 87 of 100 units could fit the restricted footprint while the remaining units were cantilevered on to the borth facade in order to respect the open space on the rest of the site. For modernist, “form follow function” is being focused in order to get a structure with the most simpliest and honest materials used along with being minimalist. Dispite the fact of being minimalist, Wozoko support the idea of modernism by the term of “form follow function” since the form of the building was created based on the function, (in this case), is the users of the space.

Architecture as life

Same as the previous post, Modernism is focusing on the technology and production which leads to the machinary style of architecture. Therefore, “form” was the word that never existed during that previous day since they only concentrate on the purpose and function of the building itself. However, toward the following movement, Post-modernism is considered to be an international style which gives more freedom to the builders or group of people independently. Based more on the reality where an individual has difference approachs to get to their goals but the final outcome still based on the same idea.

Post-modernism gives life to architecture and brough back some of the historical ideas from the past which are ornament and colors. “Form” started to get involved as well as symbolism. Zaha Hadid is one of the famous architects whose work is not just a normal building that only functions according to the purpose, but the building itself has a life and form. Her works flow together with the contemporary cities and the lives of their people. Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre is one of her work that inspired me! It is located in Baku, Azerbaijan and also represents the a move away from the country’s Soviet-dominated past and toward a national identity.

Modernism and Post-modernism

On the previous day, modernism is one of the architectural language which define technology and production. It focuses mainly on being machinary and try to eliminate all the ornament and unnecessary color or materials. Being honest and pure are the major purpose of modernism and also try to equalized all the status of people. Everything needs to be the same and in pattern. Breaking rules from the previous historic architecture, modernism considered ornament and freeform as a disgrace for the architecture.

However, introducing to the new style of architecture, Post-modernism is an international style of architecture which totally different from what previous style of architecture, modernt’s approach. It doesn’t concentrate on the similiarity or any machinary feeling where everything has to be the same and well organized in order. In fact, it holes more on to the reality where there’re always differences. For post-modernist, it’s matter on the dependence and freedom for the group of people. It mainly points out on the interest and nature of an individual. While modernist tries to focus on freedom and honesty of architecture and eliminate all symbolism to equalized everything, Post-modernisim looked back into the historical idea and brought back some of the idea applied to this new style. Ornament and color have become part of the decoration in this style of architecture which also bring back symbolism. So it can’t be defined as black or white just like the previous historical record but it’s instead known as the grey idea or logic of the late capitalism.

Architectural Language

“Technology and Production” Vs “Spiritualism”

Architecture contains alot of meaning within one certain style. Just by first glance, it shows the meaning, culture and belief of the period in

a certain place. Sometimes, a sculture can even demonstrate the lifestyle of people or even tell the timeline itself. During the old period, architecture were commonly found as something related with religion and mostly focus on the belief of the local people. However, as the world develops, the concept of architecture has been adap

ted and evolved through each period. In the new era of “Technology and Production”, most of the architecture will be using modern material such as industrail steel, plate glass or something common and similar. They will be expressed in the machinary feeling which tells people more about freedom and space of modern. Mies Van de Rohe

or Mies is a German architect who was one of the pioneering master of modern architecture. His work contains the idea of “Technology and Production” concept for the modern day. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago is one of the example from Mies’ work which represent modernism. Simple yet elegant architecture with the pure form and meterial which is steel skeleton fram and glass window.

In comparison, modernism has spoken about technology and production just like in the past where Gothic architecture was for the eraof Spiritualism. This style of architecture was expressed with religion which can be seen easily through many church. The concept will be based on God and mainly focus on light which is the symbol of sacred. The characteristic mostly will be seen though the pointed arch, ribbed vault and flying buttress. Reims Cathedral in France can be one of the example of this style of architecture.

Parthenon in Athens & The White House

De stijl is one of artistic movement during 1917 which contain the style of Neoclassicism. It also can be called “Neoplasticism” or “new plastic art” which refers to a basis for the group’s work formed by the artistic philosophy. The style emphasizes on the pureness and modern of art form which is inspired by the classical architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. Parthenon is the temple in Athens which began to built around 447 BC and complated in 438 BC. It is one of the classical Greece building that can be seen as an example of the influence and have an effect on later style of architecture, Neoclassicism. The White house in Washington, D.C. is the official resident and workplace of the president of the United States which is considered as one of the Neoclassical building. Both buildings are completely built in different period but they still share some similarity that show the effect of the movement inspiration and influences. The features that can be collected from both buildings are they are built in symmetrical shape, tall columns that rise the full height of the building and triangular pediment. Observe carefully, both Parthenon and the White house share these similarity since they both got the same influence at the different timing.

Le Corbusier and Vienna Seccession

As the time pass, the world has developed and finally the architecture has been changed through time. The Union of Austrain Artists, or also known as “The Vienna Seccession” is the movement during 1897 which consists of new style of Architecture. The style of this new architecture can be seen through the buildings as they are the icon of the movement. The style that can be seen through building will be modernist and send the influences later on to the next generation. Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier is one of the example of the modern architecture which was built between 1928-1931. Villa Savoye is focused on the simplicity of the shape which is the geomertic shape. Being a concrete structure creates a modern feeling. Also, Its a repeating pattern and puer geometry which are accordance to the concept of “The Vienna Seccession”. However, during the previous period, Bourgeoisie is used to refer to the range of socio-economic class or the “rich” people. The architecture in that period is very different from the Villa Savoye, which it was mostly Classicism. For example, Garnier Opera House was built between 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was a design for Bourgeoise and the architecture style was really luxury and use gold/coper as the color range representing the wealthiness. This shows the different between modernist architecture, simplicity and machinary feeling and classicism architecture, wealthiness and handcraft.