Examine modernist architects’ rejection of ornament informed by a review of the following two texts and in relation to examples designed by the two writers. Le Corbusier, ‘A Coat of Whitewash: The Law of Ripolin.’ The Decorative Art of Today (1925) London: The Architectural Press, 1987. and Loos, Adolf. ‘Ornament and Crime’ (1908). Reprinted in G. Lees-Maffei and R. Houze, eds. The Design History Reader. Oxford: Berg, 2010.
Ornament began as a luxury, when you see how ornamented jewellery, clothing or even a building is, you can tell that more labour has gone into producing it as well as how expensive it is. When the Industrial revolution and machine production rolled around in the 18th Century it changed how production worked. Everything
…show more content…
In Ornament and Crime, he compared the negative effects of ornament on the national economy and the consequences of crime. He believed that ornamentation was a waste of materials, capital and manpower. He believed that workers wages could increase if ornamentation was eliminated. Such statements are repeated by architect Le Corbusier. This economic criticism of ornament did not just start in the 20th century but in fact in the 19th century. J.N.L stated “the expense… ornamentation entails is folly.” while justifying his more simple forms “the more symmetrical, regular, and simple a building is, the less costly it becomes.” Though this is not entirely true as it ignores the fact that just because a building is ornamented doesn't make it more expensive than simple ones. This is also challenged due to technical construction advancements this would mean that original ornaments can be commensurately less expensive “Moreover, ornaments endow his carrier with an added value which is a stimulus for economic activity; hence it cannot be taken thoroughly as an obstacle to economic growth.” Critics deny ornamentation as a form of art as well as the building realm due to its lack of utilitarian function. They deny its a form of art due to its structure, function and form of the object. Loos is one critic who did not view it as a form of art, “even went so far to give the pure art a superiority over ornament.” Some critics- including Le Corbusier- denounced ornament due to its role in concealing the unpleasant realities of objects such as deformation, lack of power, construction faults , and poor quality of materials. Le Corbusier released the Law of Ripolin where he called for all buildings to be whitewashed while also calling for white ripolin to replace interior decoration. As the colour white in itself represents the cleansing of space, Corbusier thought of this as an act of
Two examples that I find especially thought provoking are the Danziger studio and the Goldwyn Library. Built to blend into the local surroundings, the luxury residence was given a humble, rough exterior. Davis' explains that the rough exterior of the architecture reflects the underlying social phenomenon of "repression, surveillance and exclusion"(Davis, 224) that collectively forms the "fragmented, paranoid spatiality"(Davis, 229 ) that LA embodies. Moreover, The house's "camouflage"(Davis, 229 ) exterior creates a stark contrast to its luxurious interior, which places further emphasis on the exclusion and barrier between the "opulent"(Davis, 256) interior and the "rough"(Davis, 224 ) environment. I find Davis' assessment of the Daziger studio particularly agreeable and accurate as I truly believe that an architecture, its purpose and characteristic, sheds light to not only its physical environment but also its social environment, something that might not necessarily be as apparent. On the other hand, I find Davis' assessment of the Goldwyn library rather exaggerated. Judging from photos taken, the fifteen foot security wall is not as grotesque and 'fear-imposing' as Davis puts it. Davis described the library as "baroquely fortified...menacing...bizarre"(Davis, 246) and "paranoid"(Davis, 251). Although security and 'vandal-proof'' maybe, as Davis suggested, the initial goal of the design, I do not believe that it is as exaggerated as Davis
When considering the differences between the Rococo and Neoclassic styles, it is striking how completely different they are from each other. In the area of architecture, it is easy to see how they diverge when looking at examples of the styles. The Ottobeuren Abbey in Bavaria, Germany is a true embodiment of Rococo with its countless gilded, vapor-like coils of plaster and stone, bright, playful colors, and heavily sculpted décor. The United States Supreme Court, a familiar study in Neoclassic architecture, is the polar opposite. Someone viewing its stately, symmetrical shape, understated coloration with an emphasis on natural materials like marble, and towering, stately pillars may wonder if it came from the same planet as the abbey in Germany.
Question 1. Choose an architect or practice whose work is covered by or relevant to this course and discuss critically one or more of their design projects or drawings or urban proposals as precedent case-studies. Selectively situate this work in relation to their body of work, and against the practices and concerns of the period. Focus on the architectural qualities of a specific key aspect of the design of the projects. Selectively consider how they might relate to the historical situation, cultural values, theoretical concerns and design practices of the time. This may involve a selective analysis of compositional design practices, material fabrication production and the experiential reception of built outcomes of the projects.
Adolf Loos wrote his piece, Ornament and Crime, about how the demand for ornamentation has declined over the years. He not only mentions that the demand for embellishment has decreased in time, but also how the quality of current embellishments have deteriorated. This passage is powerfully worded and is obviously a topic Loos feels strongly about. The ideas that struck me as interesting, and ones I will be discussing, are how he and society view tattoos, production of ornamentation, and the disappearance of ornament.
Elsie de Wolfe designed during the Victorian movement, however “had adopted the 1890’s preference for Neoclassicism” (Smith, 22). Unlike the cluttered and dark interiors of an average Victorian interior, her interiors were, “in the words of one visitor, ‘[models] of simplicity’” (Smith, 20). She redecorated the once cluttered dining room of her apartment in the
Louis Comfort Tiffany, an American artist, and designer, was born in New York City in 1843. Tiffany, the son of Charles, who was the founder of the jewelry firm “Tiffany and Co.,” began his career as a painter and then expanded to design and direct his studios in order to “produce lead-glass windows, mosaics, lighting, glass, pottery, metalwork, enamels, glass, pottery, jewelry, and interiors” (“Louis Comfort Tiffany Stained Glass Art”; Frelinghuysen and Obniski). Beginning in the late 1870’s the decorative arts and interiors caught Tiffany’s eyes and he began exploring and trialing with stained glass (Frelinghuysen and Obniski). As years passed he introduced blown-glass vases and bowls called “Favrile.” The
Art Nouveau, 1890-1914, explores a new style in the visual arts and architecture that developed in Europe and North America at the end of the nineteenth century. The exhibition is divided into three sections: the first focuses on the 1900 World's Fair in Paris, where Art Nouveau was established as the first new decorative style of the twentieth century; the second examines the sources that influenced the style; and the third looks at its development and fruition in major cities in Europe and North
Leon Krier was criticised for publishing a costly monograph on Albert Speer’s architecture (1985)in which, while acknowledging the crimes of the Nazis and the man, Krier nonetheless claimed the book’s only subject and sole justification was “Classical architecture and the passion of building” (cited by Jaskot, ‘Architecture of Oppression’, 2000). Discuss this claim, the controversy and the issues (historical, philosophical and ethical and possibly others) they raise. Can architecture, Classical, Modern or otherwise, be autonomous from politics and valued independently of the circumstances of politics and history that adhere to it?
On his book on Modern Architecture, Curtis writes that modern architecture was faulted for it’s “supposed lack of ‘recognizable imagery’” towards the end of the 1970s. This statement supports the idea of Jencks’ double coding where architects must now make
Mies van der Rohe is one of the most prominent figures in modernist architectural history, the man who popularised some of the most influential phrases of the era, e.g. “less is more”, and strove to push his ideas and philosophies, not just on what he thought a building should be, but of what he thought architecture itself was. He changed the cityscape of America, showing the world a style that was simple and elegant, with such a controlled palette of expressions that shone through in its geometric beauty.
The effects of crime on victim can have a mixed feeling about making a victim impact statement. They may want to tell the judge or parole hearing officer how the crime affected their life and yet they may be anxious because you don't know how to prepare an impact statement or you don't want to bring back bad memories by describing how the crime has hurt you. The victim impact statements may include descriptions of:
CTPED or Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design is defined as “The prevention strategy which outlines how the physical environments can be designed in order to lessen the opportunity for crime.” (Queensland Police Department.) CPTED not only is defined by this definition, but it focuses on four more characteristics that help to make this design work effectively, and smoothly. These four characteristics are: maximizing the risk that offenders face, maximizing the effort required by offenders to commit crimes, minimizing the benefits that offenders can gain from committing crimes, and finally minimizing the excuses for opportunities toward offenders. COP is defined as “Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies, which support the systematic use of partnerships and problem solving techniques, to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues, such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.” (Community Policing Defined." Community Policing Dispatch). CPTED and COP are methods that promote strong communities to deter crime, and provide the community with alternatives to stop crime from ever happening in the first place. As well as these definitions, the strategies of COP, and CPTED, these strategies are based off of the broken windows theory. The broken windows theory is the theory that states once criminals see an area that is under-patrolled, they will commit more crimes
“Architecture or Revolution?” in Le Corbusier’s belief was the only way to avoid class-based revolution in industrialized architecture (Quirk, 2012). Le Corbusier, born Charles Édouard Jeanneret, was born into an artistic family in 1877 in a small village in Switzerland. His mother was a pianist and his father was a designer of watch dials. Even though he learned piano and father’s trade he got interested in the architecture when he was 13 years old. He learned from L’Eplatenier, a teacher in La Chaaux-de-Fund. His teacher opened his eyes and led him to the direct observation of life. He was an instinctive genius by turning older building designs into newer more modern designs. Le Corbusier is one of the most significant architecture’s of the 20th century, and one who led architecture to the modern era.
When one considers the term “Art Nouveau,” what comes to mind most immediately is “images of a European-wide invasion [characterized] by the restless dynamism of organic form”(Silverman 1). For me it is usually the work of Alphonse Mucha– his mysterious women surrounded by the beauties of nature. Often my Art Nouveau fantasies take shape in the odd fungal-shaped stained-glass lamps of Tiffany. Or sometimes they surface as the romantic Parisian posters I’ve seen at Pier One, advertising champagne or cats noir or bicycles or the like. But no matter what ones notion may be of what Art Nouveau looks like, there is a feeling that accompanies it that is at the heart of the style’s appeal. It is difficult to define or describe what
In relation to this the book ’Le Corbusier ‘by Kenneth Frampton (British architect, critic and historian, born: 20/11/1930) also holds a link within some of the opinions, movements and beliefs of Le Corbusier. Focusing from the early stages of Corbusier’s life to his last works, we find ourselves indulging in facts and creations of Corbusier himself such as the Dom-ino. As featured in the previous reading ‘towards a new architecture’ Corbusier talks about the engineers aesthetic ‘two things that march together and follow one from the other one at its full height, the other in an unhappy state of retrogression’. After some research in to this I was lead to the dom-ino design (image above). The dom –ino was an early example of the engineers aesthetic and became the theoretical basis of most of Corbusiers houses up to 1935 and extended on a scale much larger than the two story house. The dom-ino led to a number of prototype buildings such as the United De Habitation. The design allows the concept of the free facade, The pieces were to be pre-fabricated allowing the construction time of the design to be reduced and thereby a product of Corbusier’s application of