Emergence of Modernism

The Emergence of Modernism began in the early 1900's and included many well known architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, and Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe. Although each architect and designer has their own style, I found Mies, the German architect, to be very interesting.  His famous sayings are "Less is more" and "God is in the details". Mies was known for using rich materials such as marble, glass, and steel. These materials served as the ornamentation rather than actual décor pieces. Some of his most famous designs were the Barcelona Exhibition, the Farnsworth House, and the expansion of the Caroline Wiess Law Building. Although he had many more influential designs, these three stood out to me and most definitely stood out in this time period. In all three of these designs, we can se that his saying "Less is more" really is applied. He also designed the Barcelona Chair, Stool, Chaise and Table as well as the Brno Chair. The Barcelona series appeared in the Farnsworth House. However, there were complications with his designs. Such simple, day to day activities were difficult in such an exposed home. Problems like were to place a garbage can and were to hang clothes were not taken into consideration when Mies created the layout for the home. Although some problems occurred, his designs are still being produced today by companies like Ikea. Clearly, Mies Van der Rohe made a lasting impact during the Emergence of Modernism.

Past Photographs:

The Barcelona Exhibition
 

The Barcelona Exhibition



Caroline Wiess Law Building

 

Present Photographs:

Barcelona Chaise





Recreation of the Villa Tugendhat

Extra Credit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPYHznP8WP8



 

Frank Lloyd Wright Peer Reviews

Happy's blog summed up this time period perfectly with straight to the point facts. She included several photos, interiors and exteriors, of the emergence of modernism. Her video of the Robie House really showed off the FLW design style.

Holli's blog included not only information on Frank Lloyd Wright, but also an overall glimpse into the time period of the emergence of modernism. The photos she included for the past were very intriguing. The stair cases did not look like the normal Frank Lloyd Wright prairie style that was so common in this period. Overall, very interesting!

Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright was the first major modern architect and also known for developing "American" architecture. Not only was he an architect, but also a designer, writer and educator. Many of his first homes were Queen Ann style but he is mostly known for his prairie style of architecture and design. This design consisted of a hipped roof, a strong horizontal profile, and an integration of the exterior with its surroundings. The interior of many prairie styled homes included a center fireplace, built in furniture, stained glass windows, unique light fixtures, and overall the design focused on family. Throughout his career he designed over 1,000 structures. He worked with Adler and Sullivan and created his own practice designing both residentially and commercially. Some of his famous works include the Winslow House, Prairie House Form, Robie House, Unity Temple, The Rookery, and the Johnson Wax Building. Some other homes I found interesting designed by Wright are the Coonley House, the Edward and Florence Irving House, and the Taliesin West. I recently visited the Edward and Florence Irving House and these are a few of my photos...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Past:

Taliesin West

 

 

Coonley House

 

 

 

 

Present:

FLW inspired home in Pinehurst, NC

 

 

 

Extra Credit:

More about the Edward and Florence Irving House...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keuiHtBBq8o

Protomodernism Peer Reviews

I liked that Amanda explained the Vienna Succession and the Deutscher Werkbund Movement. Both the succession and the movement effected the Protomodernism period greatly and the design that went into many of the homes she provided pictures of.

Angie's picture of Piet Mondrian's interior captures his artistic way of designing perfectly. She explains the De Stijl movement focuses on primary colors, shapes, and simplistic designs but are still functional. I think it's interesting that the beds are lowered to the ground which then creates a larger looking space throughout the rest of the room.

Protomodernism

The Protomodernism period was from 1897-1959 and began in Germany and Austria. The rejection from the past historical designs was transformed into a new beginning that changed the way critics looked at design. This movement away from the past is known as the Vienna Secession. A brand new style was introduced that included clean, white, geometric designs, that of course were always functional. Some of the main designers and architects during this period were Joseph Olbrich, Gustav Klimt, Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, Josef Hoffman, Gerrit Rietveld, Piet Mondrian, Frank Lloyd Wright. Many famous works of art came out of this period including The Kiss by Klimt and the Kubus Chair design by Hoffman. Although the protomodernism design was very prominent around Germany and Austria, Frank Lloyd Wright was an influential designer in the United States. Wright developed "American" architecture and many of his houses were "prairie style" which included sloping roofs and a dominant horizontal profile. Also on the exterior, Wright really integrated the house with the material and the landscaping. The interior of many of his homes focused on family. A center fireplace was present in the main living area with functional built in furniture surrounding it. He also created his own light fixtures which were very geometric along with stained glass windows. The Protomodernism design made its way from Germany to America incorporating white, clean, geometric, and functional designs. 

Past Photographs:

Exterior of the Robie House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Chicago, Illinois

 

Interior of the Robie House, Chicago, Illinois

 

Gustav Klimt, The Kiss

  

Present Photographs:

Proto-to-Go, Los Angeles, California 

Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles, California 

 

Extra Credit- Additional information on Frank Lloyd Wright

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvjv3QGeGX8
 

Art Nouveau Peer Reviews

I really liked the photos that Miryam posted. I didn't see many modern applications of painting the curves on the wall, so I really enjoyed the picture with the bed. Also the modern staircase was beautiful and that was one picture I considered using for my post as well!

Another blog I looked at was Alicia's. She had tons of pictures I never saw when searching for the Art Nouveau period which I found very interesting. Not only did she talk about the designers from Europe but also the inspiration that came from Japanese art.

Art Nouveau

The Art Nouveau period was from 1890 to 1910 with Belgium and France leading the movement. During this time, design was inspired by nature due to a rejection of academics that was so common in the past. Many vines and free hand curves were used in the Art Nouveau period along with birds, flowers, and insects. One of the main designers during this period was Victor Horta. Not only was he an Art Nouveau designer but also a teacher and an architect. As the most influential designer during this time, many of his techniques included stenciled walls and ceilings, large glass windows, and nature inspired curved lines. The Horta House in Brussels is an extremely popular tourist place that displays Victor Hortas designs including furniture, glass work, and mosaics. A few other designers throughout this period were Henry Van de Velde with many famous chair designs including the Side Chair, Kessler Diplomats Chair, and Villa Esche Armchair. In France, Hector Guimard also designed a side table and chair. Although there were many influential designers during this period, all of them kept the same look in their overall schemes.  

Past Photographs:

Henry Van de Velde Side Chair

Henry Van de Velde Kessler Diplomats Chair, detailed leg showing the free hand curve

The Horta House

Present Photographs:

Leiden Townhouse, Holland

Clapham House, London

Extra Credit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3zIIubmw_s