"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

The Pruitt-lgoe myth – The end of MODERNISM?

The Independent film released a new documentary film about the crash of manice, the Saint Louis habitat (1956) was torn down for some reason. It's so called "The end of MODERN ARCHITECTURE" 

it was a tragic story was like a place went into war. The poors got angry and rise up against political controls. Economic failed, the experiment went terribly a rival. was uncompleted.

ref: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/thepruittlgoemyth/

From Louise Kahn t|o "PLAYTIME, Jaques Tati"

While Mies Van de Rohe said “Less is More”, Venturi opposed with his theory that “Less is a Bored”.

Panorama of Salk institute - Louise Kahn

Modernist like Louis Kahn believes that the shape and form of the building has to be pure geometry that show ‘honest’ of materials construction. The symmetry also play a big role. And the interior usually keeps privacy from outside and which is similar to the idea of ‘standard’ housing in Le Courbusier theory. For instance, Louis Kahn designed Salk Institute in 1959 complete in 1965

“The Salk Institute’s open environment teeming with empty space is symbolic of an open environment for creation, the symmetry stands for scientific precision, and submerging crevasses allow warm, natural light to enter the buildings like the intellectual light that leads to discovery. The contrast between balance and dynamic space manifests a pluralistic invitation for scientific study in structures developed to accommodate their respective functions as parts of a research facility. Although modern in appearance, it is essentially an isolated compound for individual and collaborative study not unlike monasteries as sanctuaries for religious discovery, and they directly influenced Kahn in his design. Ultimately, the Salk Institute’s meaning transcends function and physical place as a reflection of Western Civilization’s pursuit of truth through science instead of God: it is Louis Kahn’s masterpiece reinterpretation of the monastic “intellectual retreat” in our day and age.”                               

– meaning of Salk Institute.

In comparison to the film that created about the same time where these idea start to flourished. A film called “ Playtime, Jaques Tati.”

A group of American tourist land at Paris Airport and embark on a one-day sightseeing tour of the French capital. The famous landmark crowded by towering office blogs and a few signs of old Paris remain. For example, an old women sells flowers on a street corner while Monsieur Hulot has an appointment with an important official, but ends up getting lost in the maze of Modern offices. Later, he runs into the tourists at the exhibition of new invention products, which include a silent door and a broom with headlights. Having met up with an old army friend in his modern apartment, Hulot lost in crowded of Paris people with ideal of Modern age rules the town. 

When Hulot step into an office, interior path seem to be never ending. The pattern of working space lost him in nowhere. We unintentionally step into the elevator where he found another floor also looks the same. Later he get on the ground level where all the office room arrange in an order where Hulot can see all the office in the room from above, but when he was stepping down and try to reach one officer he get lost and was trig by officer’s shadow on the mirror next door. Then he jump into the crowded of tourists in the exhibition hall.

Abstract Idea through Modern Architecture.

Since when that people start to look at thing more truth, the shape become more flat and geometric, less ornamental on things and buildings, or to say is ‘Minimalizing’.

1905 the beginning of WWII and also the transition from the Fauvism to Cubism era, where everything(the truth) is rendered visible at once to the viewer. An artist turns their ideas around, seeing multiple sides at the same time and dematerialize into geometric form. It’s the first time when people become abstract by making number into statistic form.

These development in architecture can be easily illustrate by an architect “Le courbusier”, it’s in his name. He objectified himself “Le courbusier” artistic everyman.  By making himself to an object, he believe he could build every man home. He approach the mass productions in architecture, when he keep classical style, also involve in context of surrounding. The MASS+SURFACE of houses he build, is telling themselves as they are, the purity of form consists only line and color in painting.

OMA - ‘roadmap 2050: a practical guide to a prosperous, low-carbon europe’

The major character of his work:

1. Square and Rectangle – an accentuation of form, consists of plane and grid with no bearing wall. These because he wants to keep the pureness of form and to keep the space as open as possible. The outside-in space.
2. He fascinate by the hole in the form, aperture. And also bring art into Architecture.
3. Basic individual need, put people in Grid – He came up with the system of human measurement by abstract himself into one same space similar to Utopian Idea of human is the perfect scale for everything. He compare his idea to automobile in “Toward New Architecture”

Le Corbusier – Villa Savoye, Paris 1928-1931

Past Future-ism | The Metropolis

The idea of producing human by using robot replacement was some kind of modern typical thought that it would help the eternity of human life, working instead of real human, medication, and sometimes to eliminate racism. Refer to post world war, the happening of industrialize idea where people could live life easier by the rules teen that been fix since before the day one man born. How could human have a standard perfect life as much as having mass production in every house hold. During Industrial age, people in America believed if you have a family stay in a house in suburb area with nice car and television, a man working at the office in town, woman work at home to do house work and take care of children. Does this type of though really fit the basic need of our life. Indeed, people can live in it but did they satisfied with the choices they have?

FORM FOLLOW FUNCTION | BAUHAUS

The Flat roof, White plain facade, typology in building was so called the characteristic of Modern architecture and industrial design. Bauhaus which founded by Walter Gropius held a group of avant-garde in Architecture in the industrial age, the period After World War I . They simply came up with an new idea of ‘Starting from zero’ and open as a school to teach this idea publicizing. This majority of famous Bauhaus had become many famous architects and artists which impact today age of Post-modernity.

Once the Bauhaus created new theory, the definition of “Form follow function” born too.It is a principle that the shape of a building or object should primarily based upon its function or purpose. The way design professions approach this, was to appreciate the geometric forms and to limit one design into unity, sameness, and an absence of ornamental (Ornament was criminal : Adolf Loos) only focus on functional use. However ornamental can be functional, if it is for the scale objects, landmark of the building or to attract people. Therefore, the artist said this clearly was Louis Sullivan, he actually said ‘form ever follows function’ but the simpler one usually remembered. For him, this was distill wisdom, the single rule that shall permit of no exception. Thus: