Task 4 -Essay

The Maltese designer that I interviewed is Kurt Vella. From his interest of style Kurt specifies on the Modern style, ''even though the contemporary style is coming into fashion'', he said. 

I was surprised by his answer after asking him if there was anyone that influences his own practice, and he replied ''my work is inspired by the client''. As he finds it very challenging and of an inspiration to contribute what the client wants from his or her habits and needs. After discussing all the needs and wants of the client he works on the distributed responses to create the clients desires. 

One of his most exciting works he mentioned was when he needed to design the offices of the AppleCore Foods. 

Since the requested theme of his client's project was based to be on music he designed the style of the place modern, it's where he included large formatted prints all over the place.

The characteristics adapted on this particular project were; to take good care of great details within costings, the chosen range of the furniture's quality was between low to medium, yet it still has a good sustainability... He said that from all the money he saved from the furniture, he spent them on large inspirational music murals. The ceiling was left raw, leaving the equipment and services shown, sprayed in dark grey. 

He concludes saying: that the colours from the mural and furniture, it created a very fun atmosphere to work in.

The photos shown below represent the project that Kurt Vella has designed. 

#1. 'AppleCore Foods' offices by Kurt Vella, 2013

#2. 'AppleCore Foods' offices by Kurt Vella, 2013

#3. 'AppleCore Foods' offices by Kurt Vella, 2013

#4. 'AppleCore Foods' offices by Kurt Vella, 2013

Observing the space and balance of the interior design and analysing certain elements that are combined with the chosen chairs and lighting colours, with different styles of furniture, floor tiles, use of large glass panels and large music murals, I could understand how the designer has put together the modern/ contemporary style, in addition with the traditional furniture, that reflects the classic European decor.

I am associating the frame work of the white seated chair design of picture no. #4 with the cantilever model of Mart Stem that was designed at the time of the Bauhaus era, where there were two other important designers that have designed other cantilever chairs, like Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer.   

This chair was made of out chromium-plated or lacquered metal frame, with seat, back and armrest that are made out of saddle leather. Comparing both models, one could assume that there has been more development on comfort and luxury to the recent cantilever chairs.   

Cantilever armchair by Mart Stem, 1926

I could see and understand that the use of large glass panels were used to avoid the enclosure of the space and yet as an office one can still discuss and talk things in private. The large music murals have become really outstanding with the rest of the surroundings, as it featured the place with its characteristics that are in colour and music instruments included in the murals, they really gave a life to the place. 

Looking at the overall interior design style of what Kurt Vella has designed for a company, this may show that the design is being popularized for its aesthetics and function, on keeping the place clean with simplicity.    

References:

Dwell Candy, 2014. Traditional Interior Design. Dwell Candy. [online] Available at: <http://www.dwellcandy.com/interior-design-styles-2/traditional/> [Accessed 31 May 2016]

Classicdesign.it, 2016. Mart Stam chair. [online] Available at: <http://www.classicdesign.it/productDetails_lng-1-product-43-category-3-Mart%20Stam%20chair%20Chairs.html> [Accessed 31 May 2016]

Art Deco in 1920's

Art Deco flourished from France in the 1920's after world war I. The style consists lots on ancient revivals, it also incorporates certain styles such as Cubism, Russian Constructivism and Italian Futurism with abstraction, distortion and simplification in use of lines, particularly geometric and angular shapes and highly with rich colours, lavish ornamentation, technology and the streamlining that reflected the magic of speed. In the pictures found below, there are lots of design examples that interpret the style of Art Deco.

A clear and black elegant perfume bottle at the times of Art Deco style in the 1920s with a shape of a fan.

Art Deco Perfume bottle 

Bob hairstyle trend:
Colleen Moore was an American film actress, until one day she became one of the most fashionable stars at the era, it's where she helped popularizing the bobbed hair cut. The young western woman in the roaring twenties used to call it flappers. Basically it was a new breed to them at that time, where young energetic youths used to listen to jazz music, drink and dance. Ladies used to wear excessive make up and some other ladies that had short curly hair used to wear bob wigs to keep the trend ongoing.

Colleen Moore, actress 1899-1988 Bob hairstyle trend 

This is a crafted, daring nude tulle with a daring deep V-neck, inspired by the art deco movement, it is decorated with black beading adorns, the dress is perfectly balanced between refine and risque.

Deco Beaded Gown by Zuhair Murad  

As one could notice, the flapper dress shown in the image below is art Deco, yet one could also recognize that the golden collar that the model has around her neck and up the waist with black stripes reminds us of the Egyptian style. Art Deco is a style where it involves a mixture of styles in it, until it enriches its splendid classic decorative style. 

Flapper Dress

The Great Gatsby (2013) which was a romantic drama film, established the style of art Deco. In the picture below we could see one of the main actresses wearing a long classy dress that is made with clear transparent beads, with a mini fur shoulder poncho and another round fur neck scarf on top of the other, along with a metal round head band and elegant pearly bracelets in each hand.

The Great Gatsby film inspired dresses

Chrysler building is a masterpiece in Manhattan representing a classic example of  Art Deco style. Art Deco artists used vertical lines and geometric shapes on using arcs, circles, triangles, squares, rectangles and more in repetitive patterns.

Chrysler Art Deco Building, 

This is an American streamline design coffee table that was retailed in 1930's by the Modernage Furniture Company in New York City. The coffee table has two curved supports in brown lacquer combine with the top flat rectangular black lacquer and the shorter rectangular black base, with two brown lacquer table rest feet.  

Modernage American Art Deco Streamlining design Coffee table 

Art Deco is considered to be popularized in its elegance, sophisticated architecture and objects made from exotic materials to mass production. 

References:

Polyvore, 2016. Zuhair Murad Deco Beaded Gown. [online] Available at: <http://www.polyvore.com/zuhair_murad_deco_beaded_gown/thing?context_id=149773105&context_type=collection&id=129528765> [Accessed 28 May 2016]

dress?, W., 2015. Dress: the great gatsby vintage 1920s flapper art deco new year's eve 2015 2016 new year's eve party. [online] Wheretoget. Available at: <http://wheretoget.it/look/332969> 

[Accessed 28 May 2016]

Regent Antiques. (2016). Art Deco Style Clear and Black Crystal Perfume Bottle. [online] Available at: <https://www.regentantiques.com/itemDetails/S0010-Art-Deco-Style-Clear-and-Black-Crystal-Perfume-Bottle#> [Accessed 28 May 2016]

Artdecogown.tumblr.com, 2016. Art Deco Gown Art Deco Dress. [online] Available at: http://artdecogown.tumblr.com/ [Accessed 28 May 2016]

Vam.ac.uk, 2016. Art Deco - Victoria and Albert Museum. [online] Available at: <http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/art-deco/> [Accessed 28 May 2016]

Luhrmann, B., Luhrmann, B., Pearce, C., DiCaprio, L., Mulligan, C. and Edgerton, J., 2016. The Great Gatsby 2013. [online] IMDb. Available at: <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343092/> [Accessed 28 May 2016]

1920-30.com, 2016. The Bob Hairstyle. [online] Available at: <http://www.1920-30.com/fashion/the-bob.html> [Accessed 28 May 2016]

Modernism.com, 2016. Modernage American Art Deco Streamline Design Coffee Table Modernism. [online] Available at: <http://modernism.com/items/39/coffee-tables/198-135-modernage-american-art-deco-streamline-design-coffee-table> [Accessed 28 May 2016].

Task 3 -Infographic

Infographic:

POST MODERNISM

Early 20th Century Bauhaus, De Stijl, and Constructivism

Constructivism began in Russia after the revolution, in 1917 and lasted until the 1922. Many contemporary international constructivist designers made paintings and sculptures, dating back to 1911. There was an influence from the modern European styles such as the Cubism and the Italian Futurism.

One of the prints that have appeared for the first time on the catalogue for the exhibition in 1922, stated that all artists should now 'go into the factory, where the real body of life is made', (Julier and Julier, 2005).

Constructivism -Promotional poster, designed to promote Amo-Bek Nazarov's 1927

Constructivisim has heavily impacted the traditional art, however besides painting and sculpture, constructivism influenced architecture, poetry, theater and even the consumer market. At the second half of the 20th century Social Realism generated an artistic movement where it depicted social and racial injustice and the economic hard worship through pictures of life's struggles.

Socialist-Realist Sculpture in Vilnius 

This is a Vladimir Tatlin's constructivist design. The geometry, diagonal and vertical lines shown in the model represent the Russian Constructivism. Practically the constuctivist design was a design proposal to be constructed in Moscow city, Russia. (Passportmagazine.ru, 2016)

Vladimir Tatlin's Constructivist design
for the monument to the third international 

The movement of De stijl, that means The Style, initiated in 1917. The style of this movement represents ultimate simplicity and abstraction, due to the reduction of work after world war 1, it was a way of how they wanted to express a Utopia idea of harmony and order . The associated artists within this movement are Theo Van Doesburg, Piet Mondrian along with the architect Gerrit Rietveld.

This is to show the influences taken from paintings of Piet Mondrian.

Tableau 1, oil on canvas, Piet Mondrian 1921 

This is one building that was released completely according to the principles of De Stijl. Simple, use of primary colours along with black and white.

The Rietveld Schroder House, 1924

This was one of the first explorations of De stijl, by Gerrit Rietveld. In the picture there is a red and blue chair.  One could see the simplicity in the constructed design of the chair, the solid painted colours and overall the geometric lines that are evidently shown with rectangular framing. Yet looking at the table that is beside the chair, it has its own particular abstraction, made with different geometric shapes and altered surfaces. All characteristics shown in this chair, were influenced and applied differently on other furniture and products.

Red and Blue chair by Gerrit Rietveld, 1917 

There are lots of products that were and still are being influenced by the movement style of De stijl, such as the Modrian table by Bernard Vuarnesson has been influenced by Piet Mondrian and the principles of De Stijl itself. Again the strong black border line splits up the primary colours, that are shown: blue, red and yellow, along with a white colour.

Mondrian/ De Stijl influence, table by Bernard Vuarnesson, 2011

Bauhaus is a school of art and design that opened in Weimar Germany in 1919, by Walter Gropius. The Bauhaus moved to Dessau then Berlin and finally it closed down by the Nazis in 1933. The definition of Bauhaus is Home Construction. It's where teachers had given lots of ideas and creativity to inspire students and let students free to experiment and do whatever they had in mind. Architects, sculptors and painters all were getting the manual labor of the craftsmanship. (En.wikiarquitectura.com, 2016) European Art academies have thought each design subject separately. The Bauhaus offered many training foundations in art and design disciplines, they believed in variety.

Bauhaus School in Weimar, Germany 1919

Gropius has put together the ambitions of the design process and unite art, techniques and aesthetics, continuing by developing new materials and technology without neglecting the legacy of the craftsmanship, gather all the ideas and create functionality.

With the contribution of what Walter Gropius altered in the legacy of teaching and the design processes that has put together in Bauhaus, has effected the world and from then until today, we still follow his way of how he divorced art and the industrial production on one side and the other between art and crafts. In Bauhaus they kept on developing new materials and technology without neglecting the legacy of craftsmanship.


Marcel Breuer is perhaps best known for the design of his famous tubular steel Wassily chair. The design of the chair which was inspired from the bicycle construction, might have been new at that time, because it stands on two bent u shaped design that is made out of tubular steel and fabric. At the time of Bauhaus such materials like: glass, bent wood, tubular steel or chrome plating and leather were new. So the approach of the public, when seeing such designs, were being astounded.

Wassily Chair Model B3,by Marcel Breuer, 1925

Another tubular chrome chair with comfortable black leather seating.

Chrome Cantilever tubular Bauhaus style chair 

I relate the bending technique, form and materials of the chrome cantilever tubular Bauhaus style chair with the contemporary Girdo cantilevered dining chair that was launched in 2016.  Although the model chair that is shown down below in the picture is made out stainless steel, leather and round bent wood, the features of the chair reminds me of the above picture that was made at the time of the Bauhaus.

 Clean plain surfaces, with simple modern luxurious form, leaving the wood grain shown, and the use of leather covers representing more softness and comfort in the material. The model itself since its a cantilever chair reminds me of the saying of form follows function.

Girado Cantilevered dining chair by Team7, 2016

Reference:

YouTube, 2016. Architecture in the Early 20th Century, Modernism, Bauhaus, DeStijl and International Style. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUb1ficeiD8> [Accessed 27 May 2016]

Moma.org, 2016. MoMA | Inventing Abstraction. [online] Available at: <http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2012/inventingabstraction/?work=226> [Accessed 27 May 2016]
Christies.com, 2014. Collecting Guide: 19th and 20th century posters. [online] Available at: <http://www.christies.com/features/Collecting_Posters-5054-1.aspx> [Accessed 27 May 2016].

Passportmagazine.ru.,2016. An American Architect in Moscow: Frank Williams. [online] Available at: <http://www.passportmagazine.ru/article/1311/> [Accessed 27 May 2016]

YouTube, 2016. What Is Social Realism?. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soJ2BKXqGKQ> [Accessed 27 May 2016]

Abicontextualstudies.blogspot.com.mt, 2016. Contextual Studies: Social Realism, Constructivism, Abstract Expressionism. [online] Available at: <http://abicontextualstudies.blogspot.com.mt/2013/01/social-realism-constructivism-abstract.html> [Accessed 27 May 2016]

Flask, D.,2016. De Stijl : Design Is History. [online] Designishistory.com. Available at: <http://www.designishistory.com/1920/de-stijl/> [Accessed 27 May 2016].

Tetraktysmag.com.,2016. Modrian table by Bernard Vuarnesson. TETRAKTYSMAG by Peris Christou & Angie Kazana. [online] Available at: <http://tetraktysmag.com/?p=1114> [Accessed 27 May 2016]

En.wikiarquitectura.com, 2016. Bauhaus building in Dessau - Architecture of the World - WikiArquitectura. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Bauhaus_building_in_Dessau> [Accessed 27 May 2016]

www.sienweb.com, L., 2016. Girado cantilevered dining chair. [online] Wharfside Furniture. Available at: <http://www.wharfside.co.uk/dining-furniture/detail/luxury-cantilever-dining-chair-girado> [Accessed 28 May 2016].

Janssen, H. and White, M., 2011. The story of De Stijl. New York: Abrams.

Julier, G and Julier, G. (2005). The Thames & Hudson dictionary of design since 1900. London:Thames & Hudson.

The highlight of the Arts and Crafts Movement

The Arts and Crafts Movement was one of the most influential periods, it began in Britain around the 1800 and continued spreading in North America and Europe until the 1910. Later it continued emerging in Japan in the late 1920's or 1930's. It's what they call it Mingei, meaning that it's the Japanese folk art movement.

Detail from a season ticket for the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society,
                by Walter Crane, England, UK, 1890. 

Three most important reformers of the Art and Crafts movement were; A.W.N Pugin -who's a designer and wrote the provided of the foundation of the later development of the Arts and Crafts Gothic Revival, then there's John Ruskin, Owen Jones and William Morris. Yet, the most two influential figures were Ruskin, who was a theorist and a critique that was based on art, society and labour. Then there's the famous William Morris who was a designer, writer and an activist.

Morris has put forward the philosophies of John Ruskin into practice, in order to put forward great value of work, dedication and appreciation of work in the craftsmanship and lastly the result of the natural beauty of the material itself.

William Morris also had a company called the Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. where he used to produced decorations in every home. He started from producing furniture, wallpaper and stained glass.


With all the success in design and manufacture, Morris had been renowned internationally and people (guilds and societies) began to get inspired from his ideas, and I must say that his original stylistic designs are still ongoing in nowadays trend.


The most astonishing and most beautiful hand printed designed textiles, that have an inexhaustible resource of patterns applied on fabric. The pictures shown down below are authentic versions of Morris, original designs and alongside, new interpretations are being created up to date on fabrics and wallpapers.

Achantus sofa 1875 and Branch armchair 1871 Tapestry designs

Other few of more astonishing original hand printed patterns, applied on cushion covers of William Morris.

William Morris hand printed patterns, on cushion covers

These are Morris's original and fashionable wallpaper designs, that began in the 1860's and were being hand printed by Jeffrey & Co. N

 

William Morris, Artichoke wallpaper, 1898

As one can see Morris did not only design leaves and flower gardening designs but also fruit and trees.

William Morris, Fruit wallpaper, 1864

William Morris & Co. The Brook 

Nowadays wallpapers has become a second option when it comes to make a feature wall, but when I stay browsing or approach such decorative feature wall designs (suchlike the picture down below) or fashion trends at some particular shops, automatically my mind heads straights to the patterned and flourished wallpaper designs that William Morris produced, yet from my personal point of view the contemporary designs won't beat Morris's style.

Denisbrott -Floral Feature Wall, 2016

Other contemporary examples of feature walls that are being designed in homes are the cladding tiles that will be installed on one wall. There are tiles that come out in many different materials, such as; stone, wood, exposed bricks. Others like using an aesthetic and functional wall that serves them to install more on shelving's to decor with their own taste of style, that can be books/ plants/ vintage objects and more.

Stone cladding wall

This is one of Pugin's Gothic architecture designs that was built in Manchester, 1839-42. Clearly the pointed arches show a good significance of the Gothic revival style and the rose circular window is also symbolizing as part of the Gothic architectural style.

A.W.N. Pugin. St. Wilfrids. Hulme, Manchester 1839-42

This shows the influence of the huge impact of John Ruskin's theories.

John Ruskin has pleaded on how the hand craftsmanship had decreased year by year. As a consequence it had increased the isolation of the designer of an object from its maker, due to the scale of the commercial production.

Study of a hand-carved relief of John Ruskin, 1882  

This is the Crystal Palace that was structured in glass and iron and designed by Joseph Paxton in the 1801-1865, which was purposely built to display other exhibitors work.

An important figure to involve, is Prince Albert who have decided to conceive the first international exhibition, it's where over six million people have attended to this event. With that grand opportunity lots of artists and designers from different places falling under the British empire that have exhibited and shown their work, continued on building up their inspirations from every different kind of field of work. Including the observations of strength, durability, utility and quality of the iron and steel, machinery or textiles materials.

The Great Exhibition -Crystal Palace, 1851 

References:

Home Designing, 2008-16. Three striking modern home designs. [online] Available at: <http://www.home-designing.com/2014/02/three-striking-modern-home-designs> [4th May 2016]

. Faux painting ideas -Faux marble. [online] Available at: <http://interiordesign.lovetoknow.com/Slideshow:Faux_Painting_Ideas#9> [4th May 2016]

 JesseWa, 2013. Arts and Crafts Movement. [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko3EM2ioGfs> [4th May 2016]

ou Learn on YouTube, 2013. Arts and Crafts: Design in a nutshell. [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBq73yxha0o> [4th May 2016]

Victor & Albert Museum, 2016. 'The Arts and Crafts Movement '. [online] Available at: <http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-arts-and-crafts-movement/> [4th May 2016]

BBC, 2014. 'Joseph Paxton'. [online] Available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/paxton_joseph.shtml> [4th May 2016]

Morris & Co., 2016. 'The Original William Morris & Co.'. [blog] Available at: <https://www.william-morris.co.uk/> [4th May 2016]

Verma. S, 2016. 9 feature wall ideas to dress up your home. [blog] Available at: <https://nestopia.com/blog/9-feature-wall-ideas-to-dress-up-your-home/> [4th May 2016]

 Pinkney. T, 2012. The William Morris Society in the United States. [online] Available at: <http://www.morrissociety.org/index.html> [4th May 2016]

King & McGaw, n.d.. Jersey and Guersey, Malta and Ceylon stand at the Great Exhibition, 1851. [online] Available at: <http://www.ssplprints.com/image/97634/jersey-and-guernsey-malta-and-ceylon-stand-at-the-great-exhibition-1851> [4th May 2016]

Post Modernism - Unique and Individual

Looking at buildings that were built in the postmodernism times, I could identify the repetitive use of forms and primary colours, that were being used from one building to another and spot a lot of geometrical shapes, in use of; cylinders, rectangles, triangles and circles, in use to make round arches, building blocks, that most of them will be identified from the pediment that will be at the top.

Going back at the time of the 1960's, people got tired of seeing modern designs and following the term of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe saying ''Less is more'' rather, by time it turned to be ''Less is a bore''. So, in art Picasso came out with a new style in using geometrical shapes and primary colours in his paintings to express certain predetermined principles of art, which that may have influenced some of the architects and designers in such way that post modernism would enhance more than one method of style, such; collages, anarchy, repetition, chants and much more. (ouLearn on youtube, 2013)

This is one example of Pablo Picasso's paintings, representing the strong elements that influenced the post modernists from geometrical shapes, primary fun colours, strong lines, disordered block shapes.

Pablo Picasso's Painting 'Les Femmes d'Alger', 1955

One architect that I observed from his architectural design work and that is based on post-modernism is the Maltese architect, Richard England.

His work in the early sixties, evolved and re-interpreted traditional forms within a modern manner. More in depth, some information that I found, I identified that England's architecture was put together from the modern technology, combined with traditions of the past to produce an architecture that relates to the living contribution of the present.


As one could easily detect on the Qawra st. Francis Church 1988-98 building, has strong geometric forms in its own architecture, including cylindrical shapes that are being combined within and next to each other, with hollow small squares and the use of the blue primary colour painted on some of the individual walls to create or rather bounce out the attraction of the constructed building. From a viewpoint looks like there's a unit form on how they are situated in the space around. In spite, England has put in consideration and planned on how to handle the volumes and sizes of the shapes created, keeping a strong sense of the sacred. (England, R., 1998)

Church of St. Francis Qawra, Malta.
Richard England, 1988-98

Another example from England's architectural designs, is the 'Dar il-Hanina Samaritana', that is found in Santa Venera, Malta. They were designed with a Baroque entrance doorway, with a surreal triad of over lapping applied with warm yellow primary colour, behind it once again one could notify that at the doorway entrance there are two slabs which are designed with repetitive small blocks with glass installed. The design is deriving from the period of where they used to build lots of block buildings with lots of square window designs. This design technique was also an easier and faster way to build the buildings.

This is a building of Aldo Rossi to show an example as an influence to the post modernism buildings that have small squares included.

San Cataldo Cemetary, Aldo Rossi

Dar il-hanin Samaritan entrance

Dar il-Hanin Samaritan
Santa Venera, Malta 1996, Richard England

This is another clear picture of the same location area representing a clear example, in use of geometrical shapes built in concrete blocks, there's use of symmetry, in use of red, blue and purple colours. Again at the top part of the cylindrical shape of the architecture there are shown the small hollowed squares.

Dar il-Hanin Samaritan 
Santa Venera, Malta 1996, Richard England

This is a building by Philip Johnson, found in New York City, 1984. It's a construction built with a form of a rectangular, boxy block with a classical broken pediment at the top of the building.

Sony building, 1984
  

Another example of this large exterior building brings in the neoclassical style with the postmodern. Again according to the post modernism style, this building represents shapes and forms that are being on the building. The top classical pediments have a wide symmetrical gable and a split in the center. Has a sense of repetition, classical columns that are around the building and circle shapes are on the front of the building under the pediment. As noticed the scales vary, the building is built in a long rectangular shape along with another complimentary building that is at the front, is built with two or three lower floors.  

Espaces d'Abraxas a' Noisy-le Grand, Ricardo Boffill, 1983 

Here we can see one of the first post modern houses that was dedicated for Robert Venturi's mother. Robert Venturi was one of the first American Modernist architects, where he was also one of the first architects that started to destroy the elements and characteristics of the modern style to bring in the post modern style. In point of fact Robert Venturi had an award of the Pritzker architecture prize as an honour to a living architect who has built work that demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent. As a reward he was given a bronze madillion that costs $100,000 US dollars.

The design of this architecture has an important aspect, it was built between the 1962 and 1964. Whereas he tested complexity and contradicted by going against the norm in architecture.

So what we can see here Venturi designed a shelter through its exterior with its wide symmetrical gable like a classical pediment, which at this case is split.

Vanna Venturi House with its split gable, 1950's

Here one can also detect the exaggerated manner of the chimney poking out. The Vanna Venturi house has a comosition of a rectangle, curvilinear and with diagonal elements combined together. It is set to an inarguable that creates complexity and contradiction.

Vanna Venturi House with its split gable, 1950's

Here there are three pictures of the interior staircase, its where we could see an unusual twist. The fireplace is placed next to a stair that competes with the fireplace as it is installed in the center of the heart of the home. The stair is solid and has both vertical elements with an unusual shape, this was designed to make room for the other.  The second floor rises up at an ingenuity angle, its function was completely useless to its sleep slope, while on the other level serves as a ladder to c lean the high windows. (Perez, 2010)

Vanna Venturi House,1950's interior -staircase view 




Another room that serves to be as a bedroom, is found to be on the other side of the house. It is representing the exterior as a layering system, to make the exterior walls with both walls and screens. 

The functional and formalized shapes of modernist movements are replaces by aesthetic, playfulness, unusual surfaces and kitsch style.




Reference:

OuLearn on Youtube, 2013. Post-Modernism Design in a nutshell (6/6). [Video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKomOqYU4Mw> [Accessed on 5 May 2016]

Mainetti. D, n.d. Richard England. [Blog] Available at: <http://paradisebackyard.blogspot.com.mt/2013/08/richard-england.html> [Accessed on 5 May  2016]

England, Richard., 1998. Richard England. L'Arca Edizioni, Bergamo: Franca Rottola.

Perez.A, 2010. AD Classics Vanna Venturi House/ Robert Venturi. [online] Available at: <http://www.archdaily.com/62743/ad-classics-vanna-venturi-house-robert-venturi/> [Accessed on 5 May 2016]

Task 2 -Report

Critical reflective writing of the Group work;

In my group we are five; Bernard Callus, Gino Ellul, Liam Borg, Keith Demanuele and myself Martha Debono. Each and one of us had his own role to find his individual information that was needed for the group work. Everyone had to find his own information and visited places that were needed to be found according to their source of interest. 

Everyone in the group has put his own effort to look around and discover what is left as post modernism style in Malta. To start off with our own research, firstly what Gino and I considered best to do, is to ask Omar Caruana, who we thought that he could give us a good understanding and knowledge about what we could find as postmodernism buildings in Malta. When we asked him in person he gave us a good tip to start our own research by looking at Richard England's architecture that he designed in Malta and has also mentioned a proficient study dissertation that we could find at the University library made by Godwin Vella.  

As considered I started researching from books to see what I could find about the design of Malta's Post Modernism Architecture and the following day as a whole group, agreed to go around and have a look at the architecture of the University of Malta, the Mater Dei Government Hospital, from its exterior and its interior, since they had such strong concept elements of the post modernism design. As we were there, we discussed and pointed out the obvious forms, colours, repetitions, combinations, materials, techniques and influences on how these might have evolved in time.  

Then the following day Gino and I planned to go and visit the architecture found Valletta, such as the the St. James Cavalier and the Central Bank, we also visited the chapel of Dun Gorg Preca that is found in Blata l-Bajda, also visited Pembroke since we were looking for the Chapel of St.Andrews   but then after asking an old man that was sat on a bench with his dog and I was notified that the post modern chapel of St.Andrews was demolished. More places that we have visited are the La Vallette Resort hotel where we couldn't enter since it was closed under refurbishment, visited the Millenium chapel that is found in St. Juliens and last the Krea, that is located in Hal Qormi. 

Keith visited Dar il-Hanin San Maritan in Santa Venera, meanwhile Bernard looked in shops such as; Casa Nova, The Atrium, Contemporary Design Homes to find products, it wasn't an easy task regarding to find products because the designs found were more artistic rather than following any function. Liam has gone around Naxxar and Mosta area to look for any relevant information that links to our design style.

In the group, I was the one who took in charge of the plan and organisation, made sure to keep in contact and see that everyone is collaborating with the information found and to make sure that no one would miss lead. As a group work we have discussed about the information that we have found individually in terms of the taken pictures, style, such as; the architecture of its interior and exterior, products, their influences and cultural aspects and at the end Liam has took interest on taking the role to gather all the information and put it on the PowerPoint, when meanwhile within the group, we were discussing who would take his part and what would be discussed in the presentation to collaborate well in terms of the subject of the Post Modernism. 

As a disadvantage I should say that we didn't have much of time to look more for a stronger and more effective information and something else that I have notified when asking sales persons that are selling such valuable products from shops, the moment we asked about what we were looking for about the style, they did not have a clue of what it was.  

On the whole I should say that everyone in the group has giving his own participation and collaboration, as it should be done.

Documentation of my observation study;

Through my research, visiting different places to look for the Post Modernism style has not been that easy yet not so hard, since to what I could notice is that many places such as churches or chapels, houses, shops, hotels and more, are being renovated or have been demolished.

This is a picture of the back entrance of the Mater Dei Government Hospital which has been designed by Richard England.

Lots of England's designed buildings show same forms, yet using different structure. Looking at the back of the building one could notice lots of small blocks installed with glass, triangular large window and and round shaped windows and rectangular block shapes. Since the building has geometrical forms, it also has a sense of symmetry, what on one side there's the same on the other side. The colours used for the glass is green and some walls all painted in pink. This reflects the style of the post modernism, since the style has lots of combined and influences designs, I could picture and remember from where the shapes could have been stemmed from.    

Back View of Materi Dei Government Hospital, tal-Qroqq Imsida, Malta

Looking at another side of the Mater Dei building, I could see cylindrical shapes, one coloured in pink and the other in blue. These remind me of the colours that the artistic movement of De stijl were used. Then the blocks remind of the building blocks that Le Corbusier designed, back in the early 1950's.

Back View of Mater Dei Government Hospital, tal-Qroqq Imsida, Malta 

This is the Central Bank in Valletta, also designed by Richard England. I could see a block with a round window and the cylindrical shape beside it. Itself it represents long rectangular windows with crossed black metal steel, which I have seen the same inside the chapel of Dun Gorg Preca, located in Blata l-Bajda. Again the colours used remind me of the style of De Stijl, since they used to include the black and white colours, and in the picture below on could see same use of characteristics. 

Central Bank in Valletta, Malta

This is another one of Richard England's Architecture that exposes such strong elements of the post modernism style. This chapel is not more existing, since it has been demolished.

As I have been at the place where this chapel was built, I talked to a men that was from the same location and asked if he maybe remembers the chapel before they rebuilt a new exterior Parish church and opened up his suggestions about the style of how it was, he said that he found it very unlikely and that the primary colours applied on basic shapes was very unpleasant to the eye of the people.

St. Andrews Chapel, Pembroke, 1988

This is the interior chapel of Dun Gorg Preca in Blata l-Bajda, its where one could see the arcs and use of the same colours that are applied on other post modern architecture in Malta. The grid at the back represents the style of the post modernism, the squarish shapes that are used frequently as windows. 

Dun Gorg Preca Chapel in Blata l-Bajda, Malta

This is another building located in Bugibba, the Empire Cinema. I could notice the triangle at the top and the long arc in the middle of the building, the relation of the large arced windows on both sides remind me of the building blocks that Le Corbusier designed in the early 1950's.

 Empire Cinema Building in Bugibba, Malta

This is the Krea block building, it's where I spotted the top triangle on the building with the circle in the center. The way it constructed is taken from something classical combined with modern. The  vibrant magenta has its own unique way to attract the eye of the viewer.  

Krea Malta, Qormi Architecture

Boat shoes design, that has been stemmed from the mainstream cutting thread rubber shoes that were made for sailors, fishermen and all of those who work on seas, that it also needed to have a good grip on slippery surfaces, these began to be mainstreamed at the times of the 1980's and still being in fashion nowadays.

It seems that there's a re-birth of strong colours, style and the shoe itself. I combine the applied colours; black, white and red with the style of De Stijl's, since there are lots of simplified visual compositions.

indhouse -Maltese TV Program, Advertisemt/ Sponsorship of Ara shoes, King Shoe Shop, Malta 2016

''Post Modernity conceives of it in terms of consumption'' Oatley, 2011

The picture below is representing one good example of mixture between punk and elegance. The leather jacket was stemmed from motorcycle style that before used to have its unique style and still is very attractive and worn at this era. 

Malta Fashion Design week, 2016

Since this was a Revolution Fashion show in 2013, from the design concepts I could see that the designs were being stemmed from the past history and been renovated and given a different perspective of definition in material. In picture #1 the design and material used, takes us back to the Ancient Roman military times, where they used to wear those dangled leather rectangular strips over their hips, as part of their ornament clothing design and so in the costume shown in the picture has that manipulated in brass sheets of metal and bent brass wire exposed out of her neck and lower hips, in a humouristic way I resemble it to the egg whisk beater.

                                                   #1. Mcast Art and Design Fashion Show, Revolution 2013

Keeping in mind, the post modernism has a blend of cultures and results with a hybrid form. 

Alexander McQueen

Including the style of Lee Alexander McQueen, I resemble the picture above with the bottom picture number #2 that has the same flaws in the garment and fabric used. The curvatures incorporated in the dress, seem to be taken from the Victorian era, as well as looking very similar to Alexander's McQueen's work. Additionally the dress, the model is wearing seems to have the same characteristics to today's short dungerees. 

                                                          #2. Mcast Art and Design Fashion Show, Revolution 2013

What was in the inside became on the outside:

This dress has the bottom skirt design made out of metal strips and shaped in a squarish design as well, since most of the architecture visits I have seen included the square shapes, they were reminding me as an interpretation of the style of Le Corbusier buildings blocks.

To break down the context and show how the style of the post modernism is still on going and as designers we are still linking historical styles combined to the current styles.

#3. Mcast Art and Design Fashion Show, Revolution 2013

Although this is a product design made by George Sowden for Memphis Milano group was called as the ''savoy'' cupboards and produced at the highlight time of the post modernism in 1983, I link this cupboard cabinet with the shape of the Mcast fashion show picture #4 costume design. they have the same particular shape of a hexagon and both have the transparent glass included.

''Savoy,'' Memphis 1983
HPL Print laminate, wood and glass  

#4. Mcast Art and Design Fashion Show, Revolution 2013

References:

W. Fred Van Raij, 2016. Post modern consumption: architecture, art and consumer behavior [online] Available at: <https://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=11634> [Accessed 16 May 2016]


author anonymous, n.d. Pembroke. [online] Available at: <http://www.malta-canada.com/churches-chapels/Pembroke.htm> [Accessed 16 May 2016]

Charlton.R, 2014. The story behind the popular boat shoes.[blog] Available at: <http://www.mainlinemenswear.co.uk/blog/2014/the-story-behind-the-popular-boat-shoe> [Accessed 16 May 2016]

MediacastMT, 2013. Mcast art and design -End of year Exhibition -Revolution 2013 [video] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnMWfUEnDJ0> [Accessed 16 May 2016]

 Oatley.A ,2011. Post Modernism and Fashion. [online] Available at: <https://www.notjustalabel.com/editorial/postmodernism-and-fashion> [Accessed 16 May 2016]