"Less is a Bored" of Venturi vs. Louise Khan to Peter Eisenmann

“I like complexity and contradiction in architecture. I do not like the incoherence or arbitrariness of incompetent architecture nor the precious intricacies of picturesqueness or expressionism. Instead, I speak of a complex and contradictory architecture based on the richness and ambiguity of modern experience, including that experience which is inherent in art...”

–Venturi, Robert. Complexity and Contradiction p16.

That is the beginning of his introduction to the famous complexity and contradiction essay he wrote. I found it interesting where it is really a contradiction that he is not believe in “Less is more” by famous architect Louis Khan. His famous essay is the start of evolution of Post-modernism whose think opposite from Modernist that claim ‘Modernism is timeless’, Post-modernist would claim ‘It is not true that Modernism is timeless because it is invoked in time, a represent a representation – that it is true. Peter Eisenmann is one of the powerful architect who ideally totally absurd but convincing, he is expert in white(concrete) but making it complete hard understand-able!  Does the house need to be base on human central? not for him. When the modernism fade the fact that Architecture is Black and white good and Bad, started to blend in and become grey. Grey is a definition of Post-Modernism.

“If you don’t have truth, then what do you have?” Modernist talks back to Post-modernist.

ANS: We have POWER! (hahaha ... i am just kiding.)

         

Exeter Library 1965-72, Louise Khan                                Venturi House 1959-64, Robert Venturi

Even that the Exeter library has build after Venturi house but it still show the obvious contrast between two architecture. Louise Khan believe in truth of pure geometry where he uses the circle symmetry in all four directions facing each other leaving space in the middle rise up to the roof like the space of pantheon dome. The building consists of clean concrete without color coat and wood materials that truly show its skin, almost no decorative and down warm light all over the place. Venturi whose in the early post-modern try every way to oppose that idea of “Less is more” by making a house facade not symmetrical, cut in the roof top apart, put ribbon window on the right and square on the left to show sign of asymmetry, paint the house in unnatural blue and put a curve line and rectangular for decorative. He put all these on to facade because he is really want to express himself that he oppose every idea of modernism and wanting to create a new idea desperately. same as his drawing says “ i am a house” wrote on a Venturi’s mother house drawing

Say “I am a house” - Robert Venturi

In the early Post-modernism, one of the major leader is also Peter Eisenmann who think the same. His house is not anthropogenic (not derive from human) at all not like the other usually refers to human scale, but his intention to describe only Architectural language is strong. So many said “he is a bastard” but he is really a strong influence of his era. Let’s say he is one of the chief voice among wave of “rationalist” architects in the last 30 years. Some critics labeled him “Deconstructionist”

House Vi 1972, Peter Eisenmann 

House VI the Architect Peter Eisenmann, Photo Moniek Wegdam