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I am collecting a list of the architects who have dared the most to think differently and go beyond the normal standards of form and structure. if you have any other architects to add to the list, please forward them (pictures of their buildings would be great too)!Antonio Gaudi (Spain) Frank Lloyd Wright (USA) Frank Gehry (Czech Republic) |
Antonio Gaudi – Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, Segrada Familia Catedral (Barcelona, Spain)
| Casa Mila (1910) The macabre curved walls of this building remind me of desert dunes. When it was made, this building was too ahead of its time for most people and therefore was given the nickname La Pedrera, “the quarry”. Today it is recognized as a landmark of modern architecture. |
Casa Batllo (1906) Another futurist work from Gaudi. In this building, there is no single straight line on its facade and even all the walls inside are curved. Each of the balconies also resemble the eye area of a skull. |
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Sagrada Familia (1883-1926-present)
This beautiful cathedral features a strong gothic style and its sheer size makes it an impressive landmark for Barcelona. Gaudà died before he could finish the cathedral, his biggest and most beloved project, and it is actually expected not to be finished until 2030. The cathedral’s front and back outer walls are adorned with images of Christ from his birth to after his death. Key objects of interest are the hollow centers within each of the spires, mosaic berries on the rooftop (mosaics are a trademark of Gaudi’s style) and pillars shaped like autumn trees.
Click here to see more of Gaudi’s awe-inspiring architecture or learn more about the famous architect.
Frank Lloyd Wright – (Chicago, U.S.A.)
I love learning about the ideas of people who think differently in new, interesting and progressive ways. As you can tell by his family motto “Truth Against the World”, Frank Lloyd Wright was destined to be rebel against society. You can take a tour to Oak Lake (a Chicago suburb) where he created his own home / studio and has built many homes and a church in the nearby neighbourhood.
Instead of aesthetics, Wright focused on the purpose of each room and each corner within a structure. Particularly, he always liked to (and excelled at) making rooms look larger than they were.
His Home/Studio, was an interesting place. With his office in the fore front, a visitor would have two doors from which to choose from to enter the building. So, even though both doors ended up in the same room, the visitors needed to make a conscious decision about which door to choose. They had to interrupt whatever they were thinking about and pay attention. Fantastic !
In front of his Studio Home is a sculpture of a crouching man which symbollizes “man” breaking through societal norms (Wright always seemed to enjoy symbols of rebirth and redefinition of life and the rules that drive it!).
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Wright was also the architect who invented the large prairie style houses (wide houses vs. tall skinny European formats which was imported when North America was colonized). Wright is well-known for using many geometric shapes in his designs. As you can see, Wright also was influenced somewhat by Japanes art and style structures.
Frank Gehry – Fred & Ginger Building (Prague, Czech Republic)
Officially named the ‘Rasin Building,’ soon after its conception it was named ‘Ginger and Fred,’ as it twists and dances like the famous couple Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. It is actually a commercial building (and not a tourist site at all) – I learnt this alas when I tried to walk in, but was stopped promptly by the security guard who stubbornly would not provide me with a tour. A strange organic structure.
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Click here to learn more about the historical significance of this building.