Beaux Arts + Neo Gothic

Beaux Arts and Neo Gothic, now this two are together since Beaux Arts, a part of the neoclassical era, and Gothic Revival or Neo Gothic were concurrent, meaning, this two styles were born at almost at the same time so it is only natural to be comparing them with one another.

Neoclassical is further subdivided into three periods but I will only focus on one which is incidentally the last one, The Beaux-Arts, it was essentially a style developed by the French between the 18th century and the 19th century. Parallel to this is of course was Neo-Gothic which was born in England at around the same time.

Now, Neo gothic is a movement that can be considered as a manifestation of Romanticism. Since it is evident in the works at that time the romantic inclination to medieval nostalgia and the nature of the Gothic Style. This movement is divided into two phases, the "decorative" and "authentic" phase, the decorative phase is somewhat a dream of noblemen, at that time, to live in castles and live like royalty. The authentic phase however veered into the achievement of structural authenticity during which the style was heavily employed on structures especially churches and public buildings. Example of this is one that would most of us would know since the Royal Family of Britain is all over the news, The Westminster Palace.

Beaux-Arts even though is at the end of the Neoclassical era it was still very significant, one could say that it finished of the Neoclassical era with a bang and confetti. A typical structure for this movement is that it is mostly a rectangular block with a ground story and a very tall second story and the second story would feature a repeating texture of towering columns and arches. Beaux-Arts movement had an exuberance on detail and variety of stone finishes. Outside France, Beaux-Arts flourished in the United States. A good example of Beaux-Art style is the Library of Sainte-Geneviève

Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution. This is a period where many achievements and innovations in technology were developed. However the Industrial Revolution did not happen by itself, it was a gradual process. First, were the arrival of the machines that replaced the work of hand, the use of steam and later other kinds of sources for power and finally the adoption of the factory system.

It is all due to industrial revolution that we have such luxuries today. An example would be electricity, television, radios, telephones, cars, airplanes and much more. All those that we think are so common now would all disappear if not for industrial revolution. It has brought man ways in order to produce more work in much more efficient way. Even though the Industrial Revolution happened only in such a short span of time, a lot of new innovations were made compared to how long most of the work was done manually. The revolution made it possible to use new and faster processes for manufacturing and transportation.

Now, If you're asking how this would have affected architecture. Well, in general, I believe that since manufacturing became faster and maybe much cheaper this provided opportunities for architects at that time to be not constrained on just a few number of materials, since delivery would only take days or weeks instead of months. So construction was a boom, and I can imagine that a lot of structures are being built at that time because of the innovations that Industrial Revolution has made. So, in conclusion, I think without Industrial Revolution, architecture and even other professions would not have evolved to what it is today and I think we would be still stuck in manual labor. 

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Pioneering Master of Modern Architecture

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe or most commonly referred to as Mies by colleagues, friends and students sought to establish a new architectural style that would represent Modern times. He created an architectural style based on his philosophy "skin and bones". He made use of materials such as industrial steel and plate glass in order to define interior spaces. He wanted his architecture to have minimal framework balanced against the freedom of free - flowing space. He is often associated with "Less is more" and "God is in the details"

Born in Aachen, Germany in 1886, he worked for his father in their family's stone carving business before joining the office of Bruno Paul in Berlin and afterwards the studio Peter Behrens. He worked at Peter Behrens from 1908 to 1912. Under the latter's influence Mies developed an approach based on advanced structural techniques and Prussian Classicism. He was also a supporter of the Russian Constructivism and Dutch De Stijl Group. He borrowed ideas from Karl Schinkel especially in the post and lintel construction for his designs in steel and glass.

The Magazine G which started in July 1923, Mies was a part of that and made significant contributions to architectural philosophies of the late 1920's and 1930's as the artistic director of Weissonhof project and as the director of the Bauhaus. Famous for his line "Less is more", Mies strived to create spaces that are contemplative and neutral through a style that is based on material honesty and the integrity of the structure. In the last twenty years of his life Mies achieved his philospohy of "Skin and Bone" his later works showed that he was really dedicated into creating works that have the idea of a universal and simplified architecture.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe died in 1969 at Chicago, Illinois

Frank Lloyd Wright, Greatest Of All Time (in America)

Regarded as the Greatest American Architect of all time, a feat that is no doubt worthy of praise. Frank Lloyd Wright believing that "space within a building is the reality of that building" became one of the most prolific and influential architect of the 20th century. As one of the founders of modern architecture in America . Frank Lloyd Wright harnessed the power of new technology in order to build last century's most influential and iconic buildings. A career that lasted for 70 years, those 7 decades were all productive for Mr. Wright designing over 1000 buildings of which over 400 were built. Frank Lloyd Wright is really the Greatest of All Time.

Completing works like the Falling Water in Pennsylvania and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. One can really see that Frank Lloyd Wright created a unique language of architecture that does not only commune with the people but also with nature.

The eldest child in the Wright Family with two younger sisters as siblings. Frank Lloyd Wright was not really a Lloyd but rather a Lincoln. His original name was Frank Lincoln Wright however due to the divorce of his Parents when he was 14. He never saw his Father again and instead chose to honor his mother's welsh family which were the Lloyd Joneses. Due to the separation of his parents and as the eldest and only male in the family, Frank Lloyd Wright assumed the mantle of responsibility for his mother and siblings.

At 18, Wright studied in the University of Wisconsin pursuing a degree in engineering however desperate to pursue another career which is architecture. He dropped out of Wisconsin and went to Chicago where he immediately found work in the firm of Joseph Silsbee however this was only for a short time since Wright's ambition took him to the firm of his soon to be mentor, Louis Sullivan of the Adler & Sullivan Firm. Louis Sullivan became a great influence on Frank Lloyd Wright, Wright's ideas was molded during his time with Sullivan who put him in charge of the residential projects of the firm. However in 1893, Wright was asked to leave the firm because he pursued to much private work and at the young age of 26 started his own practice.

Source: http://designmuseum.org

Wright developed the Prairie Style of Architecture in the next 16 years after he started his own practice. The Prairie Stye of Wright aimed to create the true North American architecture but Wright also drew inspiration from other sources such as Europe, The British Arts & Crafts, Japanese Architecture and Culture of Pre - Columbian America. By looking back at the roots of America, Wright was able to create work with a sense of national identity.

Wright most mature form of expression for the Prairie Style can be seen most especially in the 1906 Robie House in Chicago.  Wright also built the 1905 Unity Temple even with a scarce budget. He was able to create a space that intimate even though it had to seat 400 people. Not all were good times for Frank Lloyd Wright he also experienced downs in his life especially with his relationships, leaving his first wife for the wife of a client and then afterwards his wife was murdered by a chef who burned down their house but Wright even though experiencing this turbulence in his life was still commissioned to work for the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo and while in Japan, Wright also received work from Aline Barnsdell to create a house, shops and a theatre complex in Los Angeles however only the Hollyhock House, of which the design is heavily attributed to Mayan Temples hinting Wright's interest to it at that time, and Residences A and B were built.

By 1922, Wright returned to the U.S. and married again, his third, to Miriam Noel whom he has been with ever since the death of his second wife. After completing some work in the U.S. Wright decided that there is no future for him there and returned to Taliesin. However another fire destroyed much of Taliesin and put Wright into debt. He also ended his marriage with his third wife and remarried again this time with Oligivanna Hinzenburg. Wright used this period to establish an architecture school namely, the Taliesin Fellowship he taught his student to balance academics with working the land and helping out the community. With help of his students, wright was able to work on much larger scale work such as the Broadacre City project and Usonian House project. By this time Wright rephrased the words of his mentor, Louis Sullivan, from "form follows function" he changed it to "form and functions are one"also by this time the Herbert Jacobs House was completed showing that the Usonian House template has been perfected by Wright.

Wright most famous residential commission did not come from the Broadacre City project nor the Usonian House project but with the one the Kaufmanns commissioned him to do which was the Falling Water. The Falling water project showed how Wright can completely unify elements from nature with his structure. As Frank Lloyd Wright has said "A good building makes the landscape more beautiful than it was before the building was built." The Falling water was true testament to this quote, The falling water really made the landscape more beautiful than it was before. However this would not be his most famous work, he would still create one more that was for the history books and it was the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Wright envisioned this a continuous ramp circling around the center of the interior. However even at Wright's death in 1959 the building still wasn't built and it took 6 months before it was finished. Wright was remembered not because of his decades of work but because he was an ever evolving architect changing his style to adapt the time period he was on but he was most remembered because of his emotional response to unify architecture and its environment which makes Frank Lloyd Wright so relevant up until today.

Le Corbusier, Pioneer of International Style

Charles-Edouard Jeanneret or Le Corbusier as he is widely known was a Swiss, he was not necessarily French. He only became a full fledged French citizen during his thirties. His career lasted for five decades and his works can be found all around the globe, a testament to his skills and renown as a designer.

A pioneer in the study of modern high design. His ideal was to provide BETTER LIVING CONDITIONS for residents in crowded cities. Le Corbusier did not officially became Le Corbusier until the 1920's when he officially adopted this pseudonym.

Now a brief history for Mr. Le Corbusier; Already attracted to the visual arts in his early life he attended La-Chaux-De-Fonds Art School. There he met his first mentor Rene Chapallaz who had large influence on Le Corbusier's early designs most especially on his houses. In 1907 he found work in the office of Auguste Perret and by 1908 studied architecture in Vienna with Josef Hoffmann. Between 1910 and 1911 he worked for the renowned architect Peter Behrens. During World War I, He returned to his old school and taught there focusing theoretical architecture studies using modern techniques. Among these was a project called the "Domi-no House" this proposed an open floor plan consisting of concrete slabs supported by a minimal number of thin, reinforced concrete columns around the edges with a stairway on one side of the floor plan. This model would become the basis for his work for the next ten years. Soon after he would establish a firm together with his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, a partnership that lasted until 1940. During the 1920's this was the time he adopted his pseudonym of Le Corbusier reflecting his belief that everyone could reinvent themselves.

Le Corbusier was so influential that even his death had a STRONG IMPACT ON THE POLITICAL AND CULTURAL WORLD. Homages were paid worldwide and even powerful countries like the United States, Soviet Union and Japan gave tribute and acknowledging the greatness of Le Corbusier as an Architect.

Louis Sullivan, Father of the Skyscraper and Modernism

Louis Sullivan, was an American architect. Among his credentials are; Father of skyscrapers, Father of Modernism, Father of Frank Lloyd Wright, Oops! I mean Mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright, Inspiration for the Prairie School and many more to mention.

A Brief history on Louis Sullivan; Born on Sept. 3, 1856 in Boston Massachusetts. at age 16, he entered MIT or Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There he studied architecture under William Ware and Eugene Letang however after just one year he left MIT to go back to his grandparents to work for Architects Frank Furness and George Hewitt but left again after a dispute with Hewitt. In 1874, he went Paris, France to study at Ecole des Beaux-Arts but that too also lasted for a short time. He returned to Chicago one year after and became a draftsman at Johnston & Edelman while he was there he was commissioned  to design the interior of the Moody Tabernacle and this work of his was completed with critical acclamations. In 1879, Sullivan went to work for the office of Dankmar Adler and by 1883 the firm was renamed to Adler & Sullivan. The firm created 180 buildings during its existence and by 1887 Sullivan's prodigy would arrive, Frank Lloyd Wright, and the rest as they is history. 

Considered to be America's FIRST TRULY MODERN architect. He did not imitate styles, HE CREATED HIS OWN. As one can notice Older Architectural Styles were for wide buildings but Louis Sullivan was able to create aesthetic unity in structures that emphasized height. Sullivan's work could be easily recognized by the use of masonry walls with terracotta designs. This style was imitated by other architects and this style would later form the the ideas of his student, Frank Lloyd Wright.

Arts & Crafts

Arts and Crafts isn't a course or a subject actually it is a design movement that originated in England. It was a style that searched for authentic design and decoration and a rebellion against out-of machine production. Arts and crafts is simple in form and it often shows how they are put together. This style was also taken up by American designers however the style was called Mission style instead of Arts and Crafts.

This movement was inspired by Walter Crane and John Ruskin together with William Morris. They believed that in order to have a good design there must be a good society. The pioneers of this movement envisioned that the workers are not brutalized by working conditions but instead can work in an environment where they can take advantage of their craftsmanship and skill. The goal was to create and design that was by the people and for the people. This ideal produce very exquisite works of art however this works could only be afforded by the very wealthy so the ideal of "by the people, for the people" was lost. 

International Architecture

International style or International Architecture was a major architectural style that was developed during the 1920's and 1930's this decade was when modern architecture was beginning to form. International architecture was coined from the book by Henry Russell-Hitchcock and Philip Johnson.

For me International architecture is a great period in the history of architecture. It revealed only the essential, it showed that even with just simple lines and curves there is still beauty that can be seen and felt.  It was modern and even though it is decades old, it still looks as modern now as it was long ago.

International Architecture was mostly characterized by;

• Utilitarian materials
• Flat roof
• Flat, smooth, untextured surfaces; flat unornamented planes
• Rounded corners
• Ribbon windows often meeting at corners
• Metal casement windows 

Even though it was not ornamental the honesty in design brought out beauty from within. Honesty in a way that skeleton can be seen. Color was subtly used and black, grey and white were the ones mostly used. The greatest strength as well as the greatest weakness of international style was that its design was indifferent to the location, site and climate. Strength because the style doesn't make reference to its surroundings however it is also it's weakness since sometimes the design does not suit. But, for me it really doesn't matter since architecture is an ever evolving art and I think we as aspiring architects should not be limited to just one or two styles. We should be more open - minded and explore every possibility of  design that we might encounter.  

Rise of Europe

The rise of Europe especially Western Europe was largely accounted to the growth of European nations with access to the Atlantic and especially with nations that engage in ocean trade and colonialism.

Atlantic trade and colonialism had the largest impact on Europe both directly and indirectly. The most significant growth can be noticed on nations who checked the scope of power of the monarchy they didn't allow the monarchy to fully control the overseas trading activities this enabled more merchants to benefit from the Atlantic trade. This unprecedented growth of Europe was called the "The First Great Divergence". In a nutshell the growth of Europe is credited to the Atlantic Traders who were directly involved in the trade and colonialism. The Atlantic trade also induced major institutional changes among Atlantic nations and the rest of Europe this was because the profits made from the trade strengthened merchant groups and this paved the way for changes in political institutions this changes in turn encouraged commerce and production for the market and this enabled the emergence of new organizational forms and technologies

Colonial and Pre - Colonial American Architecture

Pre - Columbian  or Pre - Colonial American architecture consists mainly of Mesoamerican architecture and Incan architecture. The architectural character of this period varies from region to region this was due to the exchange of cultures all throughout the period. It was constantly evolving and changing since this was a span of at least a thousand years.   

American Colonial Architecture is not necessarily one period but it is named as such to summarize all sub periods under it. Since there were several design types that were developed during this period and those period were named after the colonizers. These periods were the French Colonial, Spanish, Georgian, Dutch, Saltbox, Cape Cod, Southern, New England, Garrison, Federal also there the New Colonial styles which are the Colonial Revival and Neo - Colonial.

Each of these sub periods have their own architectural character. French Colonial homes have stucco-sided homes with expansive two-story porches and narrow wooden pillars tucked under the roof line. The porch was an important passageway because traditional French Colonial homes did not have interior halls. Spanish Colonial were most commonly sided in adobe or stucco. The roofs were flat or slightly pitched and finished with red clay tiles. Some Spanish Colonial homes featured a Monterey-style, second-story porch. Georgian Colonists built sophisticated brick and clapboard homes that imitated British architectural fashion. Georgian Colonial homes were highly symmetrical with multi-pane windows evenly balanced on each side of a central front door. This façade was modestly ornamented with dentil moldings or decorative flat pilasters. Garrison Colonial homes imitated the houses of medieval England. Many of these homes had steep gabled roofs, small diamond paned windows, and a second story overhang across the front facade. Garrison Colonials usually were sided in unpainted clapboard or wood shingles. New England Colonial homes were two stories high with gables on the side and an entry door at the center. To conserve heat, a massive chimney ran through the center and sidings were not painted. Southern colonial homes were symmetrical in shape. The siding, however, was often brick and the chimneys were placed at the sides instead of in the center.
Cape Cod colonial houses had one-story or one-and-a-half stories with no dormers. They usually were sided with shingles or unpainted clapboards. Dutch Colonists  often built brick or stone homes with roofs that reflected their Flemish culture. Sometimes the eaves were flared and sometimes the roofs were slightly rounded into barn-like gambrel shapes. Colonial Revival Style is as is a revival of the Colonial styles while Neo Colonial was like mash up of the Colonial Styles but with improvements

Art Nouveau

In this period of architecture many European artists, architects and the like rebelled against the practice of art at that time which they believed to be formal and classical, they believed that true art can be found in nature and in nature can be found the greatest beauty.

"Art Nouveau" is actually French for new art, and it was popularized by the "Maison de l'Art Nouveau", a Paris art gallery operated by Siegfried Bing. Art Nouveau flourished in Europe between 1890 and 1914.
In the United States, Art Nouveau can be seen in the works of  Louis Comfort Tiffany, Louis Sullivan, and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Features commonly seen in Art Nouveau Architecture are Asymmetrical Shapes, Extensive use of Arches and Curves Curved Glass, Plant like embellishments, Mosaics, Stained Glass and Japanese Motifs. Structures that used the Art Nouveau Style are The Wainwright Building by Louis Sullivan, Parque Guell by Antoni Gaudi, Majolika Haus by Otto Wagner, The Marquette Building by William Holabird and Martin Roche and The Municipal House.

Art Deco

The term Art Deco was coined from the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs held in Paris in 1925. Robert Mallet-Stevens helped art Deco thrive in Europe and in the United States, Art Deco was practiced by Raymond Hood. At its best, Art Deco represented elegance, glamour, functionality and modernity.

Art Deco is loosely based on the Geometrical shapes, zigzags, trapezoids and jumbled shapes, influenced by a lot of sources, and was a form for stylish and elegant modernism. However I think Art Deco was mostly influenced by Egyptian Art and Architecture. Since most Egyptian art told stories about the past, Art Deco Style imitated this and designers often put symbolic images in their structures or their works. One good example of this is the Chrysler Building designed by William Van Alen. The skyscraper was adorned with abstract images such as cars, hubcaps and eagle hood ornaments.

Art Deco was basically and ornamental style and the lavishness was probably because of imposition made by World War I. Art Deco had many distinctive styles however its significant feature probably is the dependence on the use of a range of ornaments and motifs.

The Bauhaus

"Staatliches Bauhaus" or most commonly known as Bauhaus, a school in Germany that was for the crafts and fine arts. The school was founded by Walter Gropius. It was a union of Grand Ducal School of Arts and Crafts and the Weimar Academy of Fine Art. The roots of Bauhaus lay in the arts and crafts school founded by the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in 1906, this school was directed by a Belgian Art Nouveau architect namely, Henry van de Velde. However since de Velde was Belgian he was forced to resign in 1915. De Velde suggested Gropius, Hermann Obrist, and August Endell as would be successors. In 1919, after the delays cause by World War I and the lengthy debate on who should head the institution and socio-economic meaning of a reconciliation between the fine arts and the applied arts. Walter Gropius was chosen to head the institution. Gropius integrated the two ideas into which is now known as Bauhaus. Bauhaus was originally meant to be combined architecture school, crafts school and an arts academy.

The entry of Johannes Itten in the ranks of Bauhaus during 1919 to 1922 shaped the school according to his ideas and philosophies. He thought "Vorkurs" or preliminary course which was the introduction to the ideals of Bauhaus. Bauhaus even though its main aim is creativity through building was not offering architecture courses until 1927.