I have observed an overwhelming trend in current architecture that involves relatively simple rectangular buildings which have bold Volumes projecting from the core of the building. The projections are generally rectangular, and usually made to stand out through the use of bold colors and contrasting materials. You also occasionally see intentional Voids which puncture the facade.
I want to learn the historical influences, early examples, global context, and best examples of this emerging style.
'House on Chilliwack Street' New Westminster, BC, Canada, by Randy Bens Architect.
Glass and wood house in Melbourne, Australia, by Vibe Design Group.
John and Frances Angelos Law Center at the University of Baltimore, designed by Ayers Saint Gross (Architect of Record) and Behnisch Architekten (Design Architect).
Context for my question:
I'm Tom Alphin, author of the recent book, The LEGO Architect. In writing my book, I discovered the great challenge in writing the history of the present. Postmodernism is far enough in our rear view mirror that the architecture community has rallied around those iconic examples of the style such as the works of Graves, Botta, and Legorreta. (Ex: the earliest books by Charles Jencks on the subject were not as thoughtfully organized as the latter books.)
In my book, i close with a chapter that I simply called "High tech" where I described two parallel threads of contemporary architecture as:
"High tech Modernism" - Those buildings with a more playful take on modernism that celebrates the engineering process rather than hiding it. A good starting point for this thread would be the Centre Pompidou.
"Deconstructivism" - A sculptural approach which obscures the structure; easily characterized by Hadid, Gehry, and Libeskind.
(I struggle to categorize the works of Calatrava, because he blend elements of both threads...)
My ask to the members of Archinect is for some insight into this latest trend in architecture focused on projecting volumes, and to a lesser extend subtracted voids?
Historical examples and inspiration? I see possible inspiration in the cantilevered rooms of Wright, the private patios on 'Unite d'habitation', and the most clear inspiration in the Brutalist forms, especially Paul Rudolph’s 'Orange County Government Center' or 'Claire T. Carney Library".
> Is this really just an expression of neo-brutalism with new materials, or is this something new?
Contrasting colors and materials? I have struggled to find the earliest examples of this approach where the projecting volume is intentionally set aside using contrasting colors or materials. This feels like a very new development, maybe in the last 5 years.
> Is there a clear thread, lineage or cited early example?
> Is the root cause of the explosion in popularity something else, like an attempt to save money by using a smaller foundation, or the application of new materials or construction techniques?
Regionalism in Architecture? Likewise, I think this is a global trend, but it seems to be particularly prominent in the Pacific Northwest. (I can't imagine that our regional weather inspired so many flat roofs and potential water penetration opportunities.)
> Is this a global or regional trend? Is this happening in your city too?
I want to thank anyone who is able to offer insights to help me detangle this story. It's something I want to understand for my own reasons, but also because it's a story that I'm trying to explore and tell using LEGO.
your first image and following text reminded me of this from Zaha -
in I believe the recent Archinect Podcast, Schumacher essentially says - "wide angle lens"
16 years ago, while doing my first internship I accidentally made the entire German city I was modeling (Dusselldorf) I think into semi-transparent buildings. The architect I was working for immediately noted it looked like Zaha Hadid paintings/renderings and said keep it. The advantage of such a model was you could see "through" the city. I also started playing around with very wide angles to get more of the city from street corners.
This is just a suggestion - but 16 years ago not everyone was working in the computer. Hand drafting and blue prints still existed.
When sketching in the computer its often easiest to create simple volumes. I did this in a client meeting live yesterday in 3dsMax, instead of modeling a sofa, hard to do on the fly, just made boxes, went wide angle in view to see room, etc...
It's possible, perhaps the tool for creating architecture has made this "style" more common, almost becoming a language strictly through use of tools.
The simplest thing to do in the computer is to make Volumes, apply solid materials maps or colors, and then fly around the building until you get this wide angle shot that sucks you into the building like a Zaha painting.
So historically, it would be hard to point to one Architect, rather you could point to one tool.
I think for me I take inspiration from a number of sources (the expressionism of Hadid and Libeskind, the heroic/regional modernism of Saarinen and Fehn, the materiality of HdeM, Zumthor, and Aalto, the phenomenology of Holl and Pallasmaa) and combine it all into a process. I actually have a really hard time explaining my style to non architects, as its really going through the process for me, applying layers and letting context, program, and concept shape each other to create a cohesive whole.
I think it's an attempt to give the illusion of mass. As walls became thinner architects sought ways to play with light and shadow. You can simply fenestrate a stone or rammed earth wall and achieve that dramatic effect, but a thin wall assembly forced architects to make more pronounced and exaggerated forms to express light and shadow...
Mass and void is not a contemporary idea. If you open an Arch history book you can see examples on nearly every page. The colonnade is essentially a play of solids and voids...
Dear Archinect: How did projecting Volumes and Voids take over mainstream architecture?
I have observed an overwhelming trend in current architecture that involves relatively simple rectangular buildings which have bold Volumes projecting from the core of the building. The projections are generally rectangular, and usually made to stand out through the use of bold colors and contrasting materials. You also occasionally see intentional Voids which puncture the facade.
I want to learn the historical influences, early examples, global context, and best examples of this emerging style.
'House on Chilliwack Street' New Westminster, BC, Canada, by Randy Bens Architect.
Glass and wood house in Melbourne, Australia, by Vibe Design Group.
John and Frances Angelos Law Center at the University of Baltimore, designed by Ayers Saint Gross (Architect of Record) and Behnisch Architekten (Design Architect).
Context for my question:
I'm Tom Alphin, author of the recent book, The LEGO Architect. In writing my book, I discovered the great challenge in writing the history of the present. Postmodernism is far enough in our rear view mirror that the architecture community has rallied around those iconic examples of the style such as the works of Graves, Botta, and Legorreta. (Ex: the earliest books by Charles Jencks on the subject were not as thoughtfully organized as the latter books.)
In my book, i close with a chapter that I simply called "High tech" where I described two parallel threads of contemporary architecture as:
"High tech Modernism" - Those buildings with a more playful take on modernism that celebrates the engineering process rather than hiding it. A good starting point for this thread would be the Centre Pompidou.
"Deconstructivism" - A sculptural approach which obscures the structure; easily characterized by Hadid, Gehry, and Libeskind.
(I struggle to categorize the works of Calatrava, because he blend elements of both threads...)
My ask to the members of Archinect is for some insight into this latest trend in architecture focused on projecting volumes, and to a lesser extend subtracted voids?
Historical examples and inspiration? I see possible inspiration in the cantilevered rooms of Wright, the private patios on 'Unite d'habitation', and the most clear inspiration in the Brutalist forms, especially Paul Rudolph’s 'Orange County Government Center' or 'Claire T. Carney Library".
> Is this really just an expression of neo-brutalism with new materials, or is this something new?
Contrasting colors and materials? I have struggled to find the earliest examples of this approach where the projecting volume is intentionally set aside using contrasting colors or materials. This feels like a very new development, maybe in the last 5 years.
> Is there a clear thread, lineage or cited early example?
> Is the root cause of the explosion in popularity something else, like an attempt to save money by using a smaller foundation, or the application of new materials or construction techniques?
Regionalism in Architecture? Likewise, I think this is a global trend, but it seems to be particularly prominent in the Pacific Northwest. (I can't imagine that our regional weather inspired so many flat roofs and potential water penetration opportunities.)
> Is this a global or regional trend? Is this happening in your city too?
I want to thank anyone who is able to offer insights to help me detangle this story. It's something I want to understand for my own reasons, but also because it's a story that I'm trying to explore and tell using LEGO.
Sincerely,
---tom
Gwathmey Siegel maybe? Le Corbusier?
your first image and following text reminded me of this from Zaha -
in I believe the recent Archinect Podcast, Schumacher essentially says - "wide angle lens"
16 years ago, while doing my first internship I accidentally made the entire German city I was modeling (Dusselldorf) I think into semi-transparent buildings. The architect I was working for immediately noted it looked like Zaha Hadid paintings/renderings and said keep it. The advantage of such a model was you could see "through" the city. I also started playing around with very wide angles to get more of the city from street corners.
This is just a suggestion - but 16 years ago not everyone was working in the computer. Hand drafting and blue prints still existed.
When sketching in the computer its often easiest to create simple volumes. I did this in a client meeting live yesterday in 3dsMax, instead of modeling a sofa, hard to do on the fly, just made boxes, went wide angle in view to see room, etc...
It's possible, perhaps the tool for creating architecture has made this "style" more common, almost becoming a language strictly through use of tools.
The simplest thing to do in the computer is to make Volumes, apply solid materials maps or colors, and then fly around the building until you get this wide angle shot that sucks you into the building like a Zaha painting.
So historically, it would be hard to point to one Architect, rather you could point to one tool.
I think it's an attempt to give the illusion of mass. As walls became thinner architects sought ways to play with light and shadow. You can simply fenestrate a stone or rammed earth wall and achieve that dramatic effect, but a thin wall assembly forced architects to make more pronounced and exaggerated forms to express light and shadow...
Mass and void is not a contemporary idea. If you open an Arch history book you can see examples on nearly every page. The colonnade is essentially a play of solids and voids...
I was just thinking light and shadow and... computers, then read the comments. Ha ha.
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