The Evolution of Modern Design

An architecture that I find so simplified yet, attractive to it's twentieth century modern, elegant, structural shape is the famous Farnsworth House by the well known German-American architect, Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969).

The structure is located to a very quiet, peaceful, relaxing and enjoyable ambient, where one can rest and appreciate the beautiful surrounding of nature. The construction that is coloured in white gives a clean and a higher definition to its connection with the association of greenness, it gives a glance of a simple, stylized and luxurious place, with large glass installed along with wide open spaces.

Mies van der Rohe, Farnsworth House 1951.

Another significant building that was first constructed for the Barcelona's International Exposition in the 1929, was of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. which was unique and extraordinary at the time, since it was the beginning of the new architectural movement. It is where he displayed strong lines, form and design in this beautiful construction, built from glass, steel and different kind of marbles that expresses luxury and richness in its material. As one can notice the chosen colours are also based on earthy pigment, that until today that vogue is still being used, verifying from all these junk mail magazines, TV advertisements, bill boards and web pages adverts that we see of furniture, products, interiors and fashion. 

Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona Pavilion 1929

An example of modern to contemporary to classical home furniture design, found in one of the junk mail magazines, using natural and earthy blended colours. Thinking and relating the quotation that Mies van der Rohe used to paraphrase, is that ''less is more'' in use of the minimalism in characterising simplified, massive forms.

Looking at the picture below, I can tell how the dining pendent lighting is made with such a simple shape and form, including the chairs, the TV unit handles and the rest of its light coloured cabinetry furniture, leaving the natural wood vein showing, observing the book shelve that is placed at the top of the TV, it has a geometric, squarish and straight lined shape.

Studying the rest of the room I can also spot that as wall decorations, it has become a trend using typographic font frames as well with wall stickers, which some you find that are designed using different fonts and type, like the Sans Serif and Serif fonts that has come from an old century style (look at the picture on the right).     

Home furniture magazine,
spring-summer 2016 

Wall Typography Decal Sticker 

The only furniture objects found within that building is the famed Barcelona chair, that the German government has requested to Mies van der Rohe to add in the building as a showcase for the world affair. The intrigue of van der Rohe was to place just two chairs and that they will be intended there as thrones for the King and the Queen of Spain. The materials used were leather combined with modern chrome frames. 

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Rache, Barcelona chair 1929

Mies van der Rohe was one of the first creators that started establishing modern architecture in the twentieth century, along with other important master pioneers that are; Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Gropius. Together they started this new era of a modern style that states simplicity, clean lines, smooth and a sleek trend. 

I relate my work that I have manipulated using the 3Ds Max software, to the Barcelona chair of Mies Van Der Rohe and Lilly Rache. Through my findings of the off white leather material at the beginning was a bit hard only until I found the right match. I did my best to find the right reflection gloss and colour of the stainless steel.   

3Ds Max Manipulation, 2016

References:

Barcelona Tourist Guide, 2016. 'Barcelona Pavilion: A Guide to Barcelona's Mies Van Der Rohe Pavilion'. [online] Available at: <http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/attractions/barcelona-pavillion.html>  [Accessed 22nd April 2016].

Fundacio Mies van der Rohe, 2015. Pavilion, documentation. [online] Available at: <http://miesbcn.com/the-pavilion/> [Accessed on 22nd April 2016]

Strizver, I., n.d. A typographic foundation: Serif vs. Sans Serif for text in print. fonts.com blog, [blog]  Available at: <http://www.fonts.com/content/learning/fontology/level-1/type-anatomy/serif-vs-sans-for-text-in-print> [Accessed on 22nd April 2016]

Burns,M., 2016. What we mean when we say ''less is more'',[blog] Available at: <http://theothersideofcomplexity.com/what-we-mean-when-we-say-less-is-more/> [Accessed on 22nd April 2016]

Post 1# General introduction

Seeing the world from an outer perspective, one would notify how design changes when travelling from one country to another, what would mostly be notable is the culture. The creation and construction of the quality of life, cultural behaviour, norms which all influence the circle of design in architecture, furniture, products, fashion, art, traditions, and so much more that all this represent the fruitfulness of the historical and contemporary connection and there also, one could understand how the trend of design by time has changed and been developed to a more sophisticated and simpler way for the human being's comfort and taste of liking.


Something that I wanted to highlight about, is the contrast and definition between the difference of Art and Design. Although many people link the two words together, the terminology behind them is signified differently and according to my recent research on design vs art states that ''art asks questions, while design answers them'', (Addison Duvall, n.d.). I found that phrase very easily explained and straight forward to understand.


Detailing about all these small significations by means of when discussing about the profession line of design, one would note how one thing is alluded different from another and on how one thing could lead to another.


To begin with in the blog I will be introducing how design is reflecting the world to nowadays and how it got influenced by the old system or technology, the historical and contemporary connection. Design can mean and imply different things, it also implies with how things work. There one could understand how and why designers has informed all this knowledge from ideas, inspirations and developments taken from opinions or suggestions. All this would be underestimated through the understanding formal analysis of the principle of design.


Throughout the years design has got simpler in shapes, forms, space and use of materials, all this can be surveyed at the recent modern style in architecture, interiors, industrial designs, fashion, graphic design, and so much more... In addition to the advanced technology that we have now, developments went into overdrive. To the contemporary world the representation of models and visualisations are being made with the computer aided design (CAD). This software generates graphics and resolves the mathematics automatically, such like; scale, proportions, dimensions, curvatures and so much more. CAD enables the designer and their clients to see virtual models of their outcome design result.


Coming up with an extraordinary and a modern building structure that fascinates me so much is the Sydney Opera House that is found in Australia (1957-1973).

The Opera House, backed by the Sydney harbour bridge 1973. 

This masterpiece building was made by the Danish architect Jorn Utzon, it's where he was mostly notable for his late modern architecture that with its performing art, it has become a symbol of both Sydney and the Australian nation.

The building is constructed mostly with excessive roofs, comprised with sets of interlocking vaulted 'shells' and led to other multiple strands of creativity, in architectural form and structural design. One of its special feature of the structural design is that it glints along the day and glows at night, another element about the building is its location which helps the whole structure to blend  naturally with surroundings. Additionally, the design is able to stand out due to its  contrasts.
The architect as any other professional has encountered and influenced himself by many other great people.

There was a time where Jorn Utzon worked with the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, which was considered as an architect, designer, sculptor and a painter. Pointing out his characteristics especially on the profession line of the product design, I could notify that he also had used curvatures on chair constructions and another work of his that he came up with on the architecture is the Riola Church and Parish Centre that is found in Italy, I related the arches with the ones of the Sydney Opera House. The difference is that the ones in the picture at the bottom are straight and employ ordinance whilst the ones constructed on the Opera House are placed distinctively.

Alvar Aalto, Beehive Pendant Lamp A 331 

Riola Church and Parish Centre in Italy, Alvar Aalto (1975-78)

The modern characteristics of the structure have evolved from the forms of Alvar Aalto's lamps that he designed himself, along with the intention of letting light going into the interior that was built with vertical, asymmetrical ribs. This was intended to create a closer community and a closer relationship with the presence and functioning of the mass in the church. The exterior of the building that is formulated with asymmetrical arches is built in concrete, with windows that are made in silver glass.






References:

A.Duvall, n.d. Design vs art -The difference and why it matters, [blog] Available at: <http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/design-vs-art/> [Accessed on 17 April 2016]

J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011. 'Understanding formal analysis on principles of design'. [image online] Available at: <https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/principles_design.pdf> [Accessed on 17 April 2016]

Sydney Opera, n.d. 'Sydney Opera House'. [online] Available at: <http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/about/house_history_landing.aspx> Accessed on 17 April 2016.

M. Robinson, 2012. 'Riola Church and Parish Centre in Italy, Alvar Aalto'. [online] Available at: <http://the189.com/furniture/riola-church-and-parish-centre-in-italy-alvar-aalto/> [Accessed on 17 April 2016]

Great Buildings, 2013. 'Riola Parish Church'. [online] Available at: <http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/riola_parish_church.html> [Accessed on 17 April 2016]

S. Edwards, 2011. 'Ad Classics: Riola Parish Church / Alvar Aalto' [online]. Available at: <http://www.archdaily.com/161448/ad-classics-riola-parish-church-alvar-aalto>[Accessed on 17 April 2016]

The Hyatt Foundation, 2016.'Biography of Jorn Utzon '. [online] Availale at: <http://www.pritzkerprize.com/2003/bio> [Accessed on 17 April 2016]

Glancey, J., 2006. Architecture. Norfolk, Cobaltid: DK, pp. 484-485.