Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (March 27, 1886, Aachen – August 17, 1969, Chicago) was a German-American architect.[1] He is commonly referred to, and was addressed, as Mies, his surname. Along with Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer, he is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe’s work is very simple. He appears to tend to work on one floor and keep the shape very simple. The use of rectangles and squares potentially makes the building appear boring. To me i feel that when you look at the building you can automatically tell what is going on inside, this is because it is so open. i think this is why i think the building is so dull. the one thing i like about looking at buildings is at first you can look at the outside and be amazed by the shape, design and texture of a building. and then you can go inside and see it from a totally different angle, and a different design and feel
To me, location is just is important as the shape of the building. Van der Rohe’s buildings encourage us to look out of the interior to linger on the exterior environment. Inside merges with outside through large windows and open plan living.
i think that if you were to move this building and place it in a more structural place like a city the effect would be lessened greatly, it would seem a lot less peaceful, but i think because most of the buildings are on stilts and have little walls then it would still stand out in a crowded area. i think this is because even though it is very simplistic it is still completely different from any other building you would see in a city. but for full affect it needs to be placed in a natural environment.
see: http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Barcelona_Pavilion.html
Overall I think the effect is a nice and peaceful tranquil sort of feeling created through the simplistic style. In addition, the buildings seem to be very open, letting in lots of light. If you were inside one of these buildings you could still have a feeling of being outside.
Santiago Caltrava
Santiago Calatrava Valls (Valencian pronunciation: [santiˈaɣo kalaˈtɾava ˈvaʎs], born 28 July 1951) is a Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zürich, Switzerland. Classed now among the elite designers of the world, he has offices in Zürich, Paris, Valencia, and New York City.
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_Calatrava )
Even though I like these buildings, I find them to be very aggressive. There seems to be a lot of focus on angular shapes and piece that just fly out into your face and attract your attention, not to mention the light effect on the building. To me, the building with the light effect looks very alien, not only do the lights create this unusual style, but also the shape, it reminds me of a space ship. Something very futuristic, something that appears to have alot of movement for a stationary object.
This is the Quadracci Pavillion - part of the Milwaukee Museum.
To me the work of these two designers is very different. Van der Rohe can be seen to create work that satisfies only one person, making single floored (often residential) buildings that are small and are meant to be enjoyed on their own. In contrast, Calatrava’s work is very different, his buildings are large and extravagant. I think they are designed and built for many people’s tastes.
not only does the Quadracci Pavillion make a statement by being a complex and abstract shape in such an open and simplistic area, but it also has great impact to stand out in the crowd, this not only helps the community to enjoy the are more but can also attract lots on tourism to the area, many people will want to see this strange type of building and enjoy it, the building is trying to pull people from all areas. To me, this is why Calatrava’s work is so complex and abstract as it is trying to apply to everyones taste and to amaze a lot of people.
FURTHER READING
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW7xiPBYFB0 ….this link shows a video of the Brise Soleil wings closing on the Quadracci Pavilion, really good design, that somehow manages to change how you look at the building. it reminds me of a bird, but also a spaceship. it kind of strengthens my view of the pavilion looking very much alien
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