Contemporary and Hi-Tech Design

The post-modern style started in 1950 and is still developing. This type of design replaced the International Style. Jet travel and increased communication made design easier to share between countries and helped design become an international profession.
Louis I. Kahn was an American architect. His works did not represent any other styles seen in the past. The external forms he produced were unlike any modern work previously built. He expressed deep concern with use of materials and how light reveals forms. Some of his works include the Yale University Art Gallery and Richards Medical Research Laboratories.
Ceasar Pelli was an Argentina/ American architect. He designed some of the world's tallest buildings and worked for Eero Saarienen. Some of his works include the US Embassy, Museum of Modern Art, World Financial Center at Ballery Park City, Winter Garden, NNT Building, and the Twin Towers of Pelli Petronas Center.
The University of Illinois Business Instructional Facility was the first business facility at a public university to earn platinum LEED certification.
New technology was on of the prime basis of modern design. Materials commonly used are steel, concrete, and glass.
Richard Buckminister Fuller was an American engineer, designer, inventor, and philosopher. A lot of his work was only prototypes that he could not finish. He liked the geometric concept. He was able to  make hemispherical dome structure from triangular units.  Some of his works include the US Exhibition Expo 67, The World's Fair at Montreal.
Charles Eames built his own house from standard industrial produced parts. He proved technologically based design could produce beautiful interior spaces.
Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers designed the Centre Pompidou, Multipurpose Cultural Center and many Hi- Tech projects.
Norman Foster partnered with Richard Rogers for 2 years. He also designed with Willis Faber and Dumas. His works included Dumas Offices, Carre d'Art, Contempoary Art Gallery, he renovated the Great Court of British Museum, The Gherkin.
Robert Venturi wrote Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture. He believed that simplicity and logic made for boring design and limits design.  His motto was "Less is a bore". He embraced decorative ornament and historical design concepts. His works included the Vanna Venturi House and the Chippendale chair.
The New York Five consisted of a group of 5 New York architects. They were Peter Eisenman, Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmoy, John Hejduk, and Richard Meier.
Contemporary design rejects Modernism and reflects designs of early modern concepts.
I.M Pei's works included National Gallery of Art and Pyramid Louvre Museum.
Richard Meier was an architect and abstract artist. His works included the Getty Center and High Museum of Art in Atlanta Georgia.
Rem Koolhaas's designs included bridges post-modern, hi-tech and deconstruction concepts. He used red a lot. He was a Dutch architect. His work's included CCTV Building (also known as Into the Void),  Parc de Villette, Bridge la Roche and Prada interiors.
Deconstructionism is made up of broken up, loosely assembled parts.
Peter Eisenman also liked the deconstructive concepts. His works included the Miller house and Aronoff center for design and art.
Frank Gehry was well known for deconstruction and one of the most important architects of our age. His works included Gehry house, Vitra Museum, Schnabel Residence, Dancing House, and Guggenheim Museum.
Neofuturistic architecture is when architecture is meant for cities to release emotions, driven by eco sustainability, ethical values and implement new materials and new technology to provide better life for city dwellers. 
Santiago Calatanava was a neofuturistic designer that produced bridges and railway stations. His works included the Oriente Station and Milwaukee Museum of Art.

 Current Applications

Contemporary Design

Hi-Tech Design

Furniture

Contemporary

Hi-Tech

 

I read Allison's blog. I liked how she used pictures however I did not think she provided a lot of information, it may not have been completely finished when I viewed it.

I also read Samantha's blog. I really liked all the information she had in it. I also like how she gave her experience of the Getty Center. I liked her video as well.

 

American Modernism and Rise of the Decorator.

Eero Saarinen was an architect in the 20^th century. His styles varied according to the project he was doing. His architecture has characteristics of simple, sweeping, arching structural curves. He is well known for creating the Tulip chair. Knoll was the company that commissioned the Tulip chair. Eero Saarinen also designed the womb chair, a dining chair in 1957 and an executive chair. Charles and Ray Eames worked with Eero Saarinen to create la chaise. Charles and Ray Eames also created the aluminum group, lounge chair in 1956, the compact sofa, molded plywood chairs and tables, molded plastic and plastic rockers, an executive chair, walnut stools, wire chairs and tables, the elliptical table, conference tables, screens and coat hangers.

George Nelson was also one of the founders of American Modernism. He was the director of design for the Herman Miller furniture company and created many iconic pieces. George Nelson created the coconut chair and end table, marshmallow sofa, platform bench, swag leg group and clocks.

The rise of interior design happened in Paris during the Art Deco period. Functionalists were grounded in the theory of ensemblier. Ensemblier is someone who creates an ensemble, chooses objects, combines objects and in doing so makes aesthetic choices. Elsie de Wolfe was a founder of the interior design profession. She was an actress that pursued interior design. She restored Victorian interiors into light and bright spaces using French furniture. She was completely opposed to the Victorian style. She designed the house of good taste. Her motto was “I'm going to make everything around me beautiful- that will be my life.

Dorothy Draper used traditional furniture in non-traditional ways. Her style was fun and appealing. She also helped interior design become a profession. Dorothy Draper was known for dramatic use of black and white on walls, flooring, and upholstered pieces. She used clear vivid colors and her style was Modern Baroque. Dorothy Draper designed the Green brier hotel.

The last founder of the interior design profession was Billy Baldwin. He designed for the middle class as well as for many famous clients. He worked with a restricted color scheme. His style was very clean cut, hard edged, and pared down. His motto was “Nothing is interesting unless it is personal”.

Current Applications

 

Furniture

 

This week I reviewed Paige's blog. I really liked how she gave her opinion about her favorite aspects of the topics. She did not just describe and give facts, she also gave her own opinion.

Modernism

Modernism was the most successful use of eclectic historicist. It was based on concepts of Paris ecole des beaux-arts. People involved in this movement (in America), include Irving Gill, Frank Lloyd Wright, Rodolph Schindler, Richard Neurta, William Lescasze, Philip Goodwin, Walter Groupis, Marcel Bruer, Mies Van De Rohe, Phillip Johnson, Skidmore Owings and Merril, and Eero Saarinen.

Irving Gill was a California architect. He was an advocate of the California mission style. His style was simple, non ornamented, and white walls. He is known for designing the dodge house.

Another person involved in this movement is Frank Lloyd Wright. His style was not included in the exhibition international style. He was responsible for the hollyock house. This house was a monumental structure of poured concrete. The house also had Japanese inspired elements. Frank Lloyd Wright also designed la miniatura. This house was made out of textile blocks and had a block tile interior. Frank Lloyd Wrigh started Taliesin Fellowship. In this school, he had a group of followers that worked with him. They were his apprentices. The school still exists and is in Wisconsin. Architectural Forum acknowledged Wright's modernism approach. Frank Lloyd Wright also designed falling water in Pennsylvania. He also designed the S.C Johnson company building. This building is known for its open office plan.

Rodolph Schindler collaborated with Wright but they had a bad falling out at the end. Rodolph Schindler owned a practice in California. He designed the Schindler house which was designed to have two families living in the building, and a workspace. Schindler lived in this house with Richard Neutra and his family.

Richard Neutra designed the Lovell House and the Kaufmann house. Neutra and Schindler were both from Austria and studied under Frank Lloyd Wright.

William Lescaze was one of the first skyscraper architects. He desined the Philadelphia savings fund society.

Phillip Goodwin and Edward Stone designed the New York museum of modern art.

Walter Groupis designed the Harvard graduate center.

Marcel Bruer owned his own firm

Mies Van de Rohe designed the metallurgical research building. He also designed the Lakeshore drive apartments in Chicago.

Phillip Johnson is known for the glass hosue and studied under Water Groupis.

Skidmore, Ownings and Merril are known for glass box skyscrapers. They also did the terrace plaza hotel. They designed the Lever house which was the first modern tall building in New York.

Eero Sarrinen designed the Kleinhans music hall. He also did the crow island school. He started the cranbrook academy. They designed the Benjamin high school. He is known for the tulip chair. The design traits he is known for are simple, sweeping, arching curves and machine like rationalism.

This is an interior showing modernism in a current application. Notice the simple furniture and the white, lightly ornamented walls.

This room is a current application of modernism. The simple design and white walls which are not ornamented are part of this style.

This table has a simple design that is very clean and simple.

This chair reminds me a lot of the tulip chair. It only has one leg and is very curvy.

 

Emergence of Modernism

Emergence of Modernism

• Clarity and force to achieve movement
• De Stijl was the Dutch artists, sculptors, architects, and designers
  • Means the style
  • Expresses harmony and order
  • Abstraction and universality by reduction of essentials of form and color
  • Used primary colors and black and white
   

People

Frank Llyod Wright

• Known for his use of Horizontal lines
• Non-historical design
• Original design
• Organic Design
• He created structures that complimented the landscape.
• Japanese inspired designer
• First major modern architect. Organic Architecture
• His international career was kicked off by his work in the Imperial Hotel.
• Known for Robie House
• Known for 5757 S Woodlawn Ave Chicago, IL
• Known for Unity Temple (875 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL) which is his only surviving public building from his prairie style
• The Rookery (209 South LaSalle St. Chicago, IL)
• Winslow House in River Forest, IL
• Hickox house in Kankakee, IL was a prairie form house
• Known for Larkin Compnay in Buffalo NY which included innovations such as air conditioning, stained glass windows, built-in desk furniture and suspended toilet bowls
• Known for Avery Coonley which featured the first custom carpet scheme

Walter Gropius

• Known for his lack of ornamentation, functional, industrial feel
• Known for the Bauhaus
  • Bauhaus emerged fine art and applied art
  • It was forced to close is 1933 due to the war
  • Main teachers were Marcel Breuer and Wassily Kandisky

Marcel Breuer

• Created the Cesca chair
• Created the Wassily chair

Wassily Kandisky

• Artist

Miles Van Der Rohe

• His motto was “Less is more”
• Known for the Barcelona Exhibition of 1929
  • Bareclona Exhibition used steel and concrete

• Known for the Tugendhat house in the Czech Republic
• Relocated to America in 1937
• One of the founders of the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago
  • He was the head of the architectural program

• Known for the Farnsworth house in Plano, Illinois
• Known for the Barsolona chair and stool
• Known for the Brno chair

Gerrit Rietveld

• Known for the Schroder house in the Netherlands
• Known for the Z chair

I read Paige's blog, I really liked all the information she wrote on the period. She also wrote a lot of information on current applications of the period. She had a section on Frank Lloyd Wright that was very informational.

I also read Rose's blog. I liked how many pictures she had I also liked how she included a picture of the emergence of modernism in fashion. It was a good idea to tie the two together.

Current Applications

Deutscher Werkbund Movement

The deutscher werkbund movement was founded in Munich, Germany. It also affected Vienna, Austria and Berlin, Germany. Herman Muthesius was the founder. The goal of the movement was to produce the highest quality of mass production. The movement also strived to collaborate design teams and product manufacturers. Joseph Hoffman established the Vienna workshop. He also made the Morris chair, armloffel chair, kubus chair, palais stoclet chair, haus roller chair, club chair, circular fledermaus table, and the Koloman Moser. He worked on furniture, textiles and interiors. Gustav Klimt was very predominant in the Vienna period. He believed that there should be a union between art and design. He used fold paint often for dramatic effect. Otto Wagner was from Austria and he designed furniture to match his architecture. He was responsible for the Austrian Postal Savings Bank, and the postal savings bank armchair. He is also responsible for the Adolf loof.

 These chairs are an example of chairs that are used in the Deutscher Werkbund Movement.

This table and chair set has the characteristics of the Deutscher Werkbund Movement style of furniture.

 This is a modern application of the Deutscher Werkbund Movement. The curved furniture and geometric surroundings are a signature of the style. The picture on the wall is also very characteristic of the style.

 The geometric style of this room is a modern application of the movement.

 

I looked at Sammy's blog. I really like how detailed it was. She used a lot of pictures and described the people involved too.

I also looked at Rachael's blog. I like how she described in detail all of the pictures she posted.

http://vimeo.com/85705253 I found this video which shows details of the Vienna Secession building which was built by Joseph Olbrich in 1898.

Art Nouveau

The Art Nouveau movement started was big in France and Belgium. Germany, Spain, Scandinavia, and the United States also participated in the movement. At the time, there was a lot of economic growth in Europe which supported new and experimental directions in design. Art Nouveau rejected traditional ways of design. Artists also showed an admiration for Japanese art. The style of Art Nouveau was strongly influenced by nature. There was a lot of steel and glass work. Some other characteristics include the use of electrical lighting and curvilinear forms (especially whiplash). Art Nouveau was also known as Jugendstil in some places.
 
The people that mainly influenced the Art Nouveau movement were Victor Horta, Henery van de Velde, Hector Guimard, Antonio Gaudi, Louis Tiffany, and Louis Sullivan. Victor Horta was a Belgian architect and designer. He used conventional architectural motifs, unique iron railing, asymmetrical façade, twisted iron balconies, large glass window frames, and curvilinear nature related details. Henerty Van de Velde was also from Belgium. He designed furniture, silverware, and cookware. Hector Gulimand is well known for designing the Paris subway system.  Antonio Gaudi was known in Barcelona, Spain. He used flowing curves and unusual decorative detail. Louis Tiffany was known in the United States for his use of stained glass. Louis Sullivan was also known in the United States. He was known for his rich ornamentation. Some of his famous works include the Danmark Adler Auditorium Building, Charney House 1892, Transportation Building, and Carson Pirie Scott.

 This chair represents the Art Nouveau style. It has the curves and influence from nature that was common for this movement.

These lamps are the Tiffany style lamps that were known in the United States at the time. They include stained glass and the design is influenced by nature.

This family room represents a modern interpretation of the Art Nouveau movement. On the floor, the curved lines are typical of the style. The curves on the ceiling, walls, and down the fireplace also are typical of the style. The light fixture is also Art Nouveau style.

This modern interpretation of the Art Nouveau movement includes the iron work on the staircase. The couches, chairs and coffee table have the curved lines. The chandelier is also very curvy. The plants in this picture are also a good nod to the Art Nouveau style.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaIwdAErlKc  This video has a lot of detail and pictures from the Art Nouveau period. I really like how it included more than just interior design pictures. There were also pictures of the fashion, jewelry, furniture and paintings of the time. It really gives a good description of the time period and styles of the time through pictures. It also talks about the people famous for Art Nouveau styles.

I read Natalie's blog. I really like how she showed pictures from the designer she is explaining. For example, when she mentioned Victor Horta, she showed a picture of the Horta House.

I also read Justine's blog. I like how she categorized her blog in countries. She also put pictures for every country. There were a lot of pictures in her blog which made the blog more enjoyable to look at.



Arts and Crafts Movement

I learned that the arts and crafts movement was a reaction against the Victorian period. I also learned that the style was more minimalistic. An important thing I learned was the characteristics of the arts and crafts movement; The characteristics include visible wooden joists, pieces based on Gothic designs and influenced by shaker furniture, a lot of use of oak, simple and honest design, heavy furniture, clean lines, large exposed hinges, and good quality furniture. I also learned that designer Godwin incorporated Japanese style to furniture. Other designers such as Voysey combined Japanese and Gothic details. A subcategory created by Mackintosh featured furniture what had simple and geometric forms. He used extreme high back chairs, exaggerated proportions, new use of colors and exotic looking chairs.

  

This chair has the extended arm rests. It also has a simple and clean design with the wooden frame which was typical of arts and crafts chairs.










This table is bulky like most of the arts and crafts furniture. It is wooden and you can tell the craftsmanship put into making this table which makes it symbolic of the arts and crafts movement.

This interior is a good application of the arts and crafts period because it has the bulky furniture of the time. It also has the wooden features that have good craftsmanship.

This interior is a good application of the arts and crafts period because it has the wooden frame windows that have clean and simple lines. It also has bulky wood furniture which is typical of the arts and crafts period.

 

This URL is to a YouTube video that does a good job explaining why the arts and crafts period happened. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBq73yxha0o

I read Flor's blog. I really like how she got into certain designs of the arts and crafts period, such as the red house. I also liked how she wrote about the design patterns that she recognized Lily Pulitzer patterns as similar to the design of the arts and crafts period.

I also read Ali's blog. I really like all the pictures she added in her blog. I also liked how she put a lot of information about the political history and what was going on in that time period.