Trans-World Flight Center, John F. Kennedy Airport (1956-1962)
Opened in 1962, the Trans World Flight Center of the John F. Kennedy Airport is one of the finest structures belonging to the Organic Modern Period that emerged in the mid-20th century.1 What makes this style truly remarkable was the fact that it is based on neo-futuristic designs as well as embodying strict adherence to geometrical proportions, the creation of functional space for the passengers, aircraft, employees, and maintaining harmonious interaction of the structure in its environment.2
The structure was designed by Eero Saarinen, a notable architect and one of the prolific figures that proposed designing the concept of futuristic designs as the symbol of the 20th century’s post-modernist period, a style wherein the structures no longer reflects the rigid hierarchy that prevailed in the past but instead of non-functional artistic designs, the majority of the buildings he designed provides a glimpse to the new styles that will follow later on, a trend combining the beauty of minimalism with the mathematical rationality of building structures based on reason and not simply on elaborate decadence.
The graceful curves of the roofs slightly upturned on the right and left sides, producing a shallow curved slope that mimics the structure of the wavelength. The right and left sides are the crests while the center part of the structure’s roof is the trough. Because of the inclination, the window structures also follow the same pattern based on the roof design. For instance, the thin steel window frames are aligned tightly and slanted to give the structure a style akin to a flying beetle’s wings. Wide circular door frames are located on the central part of the building; the structure was wide enough to accommodate the large passenger traffic.
Glass windows and door panels composed the main structure of the building. It is because of these materials that the structure gains natural lighting; in other words, despite its immense size, the rows of windows throughout the whole structure reflect the sunlight and allow the heat and light to pass through the glass and direct them inside. In a way, the organic design of the building makes it possible for the utilization of natural lighting source rather than using the artificial light in order to provide lighting throughout the facility. “The large panels of glass beneath the concrete are also supported with steel, and have a contemporary purple-tint. These glass walls are tilted towards the exterior at an angle as they reach the ceiling, as if intended for viewers to imagine looking out from a plane to the earth below. These windows also highlight the purpose of the structure, providing views of departing and arriving jets.”3
The functional spaces are present throughout the interior and exterior of the building. The roofs that imitate the wings can withstand the wind pressure making the structure resistant to possible wind-born calamities such as hurricanes. The artist also proposed the dual nature of the walls which can be converted into spaces that can help accommodate the passengers to walk within the premises of the airport. These walls are connected to each other, forming a vertex at the center where all roads converge. “In order to capture the concept of flight, Saarinen used curves to create spaces that flowed into one another. The exterior's concrete roof imitates a bird in flight with two massive "wings." The interior consists of a continuous ribbon of elements, all whisking themselves in from the exterior, so that ceilings continously [sic] run into walls and those walls become floors.”4
“The original structure has not yet undergone the necessary renovations due to aging of the structure and is still closed to the public. Other proposals include an addition of an aviation museum or a restaurant. Even so, the TWA Terminal represents a moment of optimism and ambition in the American economy and in architectural history, as well as an inventive interaction between engineering and architecture.”5
860-880 Lake Shore Apartment Complex (1948-1951)
Created by the well-know Mies van der Rohe from 1948 and completed in 1951, this tall apartment complex situated in the downtown Lake Shore Drive of the bustling Chicago metropolis provides an superb view of the vibrant fast-paced lifestyle of the city.6
The style of the building follows the High Modern as reflected in the symmetrical structures of the thin walls, clear glasses properly aligned to each other, straight rectangular skyscraper architecture, simple minimalist interiors, and reinforced steel columns. The style of the building is akin to the international styles popular in the early 1920s and even today.7
The main materials used in the building contributed to its minimalistic design and transparent interiors. Huge rectangular glass panes fitted and aligned across the rows of window frames providing ample illumination towards the interior of the building. Glass which is a transparent material is luminous and allows the passage of light to go through its surface and reflect inside the structure. In this case, the building only needs minimal use of artificial lighting since its design had already solved the lighting issues, a feat quite revolutionary at the time since the majority of the society was not yet open to simplified architecture. Yet Rohe proved that through the application of science of building and the use of new materials, anyone can build new structures that defy the limits of building construction.8
Additionally, steel and aluminum were also among of the chief materials used in the structure which was a great contrast to the buildings erected during that time. While the buildings in the past surely used traditional materials such as concrete for its walls and to cover the whole structure, what Rohe provided was a modernist perspective in logical building construction. Just like the Crystal Palace in London, the beauty of experimenting with new materials not only provides challenge but also it defines the aesthetic of the 20th century architecture as the one based from the emergence of the neo-capitalist societies and the repercussions of the rapid industrialization that occurred in the late 19th century. Rohe’s structure strongly puts an emphasis on the balance between the post-and-lintel constructions but with an added modern twist since instead of using thick blocks of concrete, he used new materials such as glass and metals in order to build the stronghold for the building such as the foundation and the walls. For instance, the grid-like design of the windows and their wide sizes maintains the flow of light throughout the surface. Functional space within the structure correlates due to the widening of the interiors since no obstructions such as columns can be found inside; hence, the interiors offer extreme relaxation as the design offers a great view of the outside metropolis even from the comforts of the room.9
“Mies’ concept of independent architecture is also seen in the rise of the ground floor of 860-880 Lake Shore Drive which make [sic] the towers appear as if they are floating above the ground. On the entrance level, a horizontal roof is the sole connector between the two high-rise apartments [sic] towers and does not have any function other than to “mark the spirituality of this specific place.”10
What makes the structure significant is the modernist design and style that evokes timelessness due to the materials used in the building reflects the same design like the contemporary architecture. The interior remains pure and unadorned. Rohe clearly focused more on amplifying the right construction based on geometric perspectives rather than creating design that are useless and stationary. The structure he built mirrors the building progress of the time influenced by new avant-garde art styles, the Lake Shore Complex is a historical and vibrant cosmopolitan haven for those who are found of exploring the grandeur of modernist architecture of the 20th century.
Adelyn Perez, “AD Classics: TWA Terminal / Eero Saarinen,” Architecture Daily, last modified July 2, 2010, http://www.archdaily.com/66828/ad-classics-twa-terminal-eero-saarinen
Lynn M. Zook, Allen Sandquist, and Carey Burke, Las Vegas, 1905-1965, (Chicago, IL: Arcadia Publishing, 2009), 73, https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=MrDckUPM0nIC&pg=PA73&dq=twa+terminal+jfk+airport+futuristic&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiA39zv2b_MAhVGlJQKHXBCBlgQ6AEIIzAA#v=onepage&q=twa%20terminal%20jfk%20airport%20futuristic&f=false
Adelyn Perez, “AD Classics: TWA Terminal / Eero Saarinen,” Architecture Daily, last modified July 2, 2010, http://www.archdaily.com/66828/ad-classics-twa-terminal-eero-saarinen
Ibid.
Ibid.
“860-880 Lake Shore Apartments 1948-1951,” Mies van der Rohe Society Illinois Institute of Technology, accessed May 4, 2016, http://www.miessociety.org/legacy/projects/860-880-lake-shore-apartments/#8
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Adelyn Perez, “AD Classics: 860-880 Lake Shore Drive / Mies van der Rohe,” Architecture Daily, last modified May 11, 2010, http://www.archdaily.com/59487/ad-classics-860-880-lake-shore-drive-mies-van-der-rohe
Sydney Opera House, Australia (1957-1973)
The Sydney Opera House is Australia’s iconic landmark standing majestically above the Sydney Harbor; it is a place for theatrical performing arts such as opera and many others. The structure’s roof mimics the wings of a bird that is about to fly. Repetition of the shapes makes it possible for the massive yet abstract evoking a sense of elegance on minimal designs.
First built in 1973 as on the banks of the Australian Harbor, its architecture was polished and follows the guidelines of symmetrical designs and that is three-dimensional with equal designs distributed on one side and can be actually felt. The massive reinforced concrete walls form the walls and the base structure of the Opera. Repetition of lines and shapes can be found on shell-shaped roof and the front façade of the theatre.
16 years were needed in order to construct the building. The style reflects the post-modern architecture that can surpass throughout the ages.11 When the Australian government commissioned a design for symphony halls; one architect named Jorn Utzon submitted his shell-inspired roof design for the hall. The beams were definitely made up of solid steel beams while the iconic shell-roof was given a windswept design enhanced by the curvature of the roof at the back forming a half-sphere when viewed on the side.12
About 1, 056, 066 glazed white ceramic tiles covered the shell roof to give it a smooth finish even when viewed from a far.13 This gives the structure the iconic pristine white appearance. Looking closely on the roofs, one can see the individual blocks of tiles fitted onto the surface of the roof aligned together in neat rows; those larger and wider tiles are located on the top most part of the shell structure while narrowing to smaller square shapes as it goes down to either sides.
Another notable trait of the Sydney Opera House was the clear glass façade facing the harbor. Just like the roof tiles, these wide glass panes are arranged in neat rows following the shape of the rectangular steel window frames. This gives the interior a clear and lighter ambience since the harbor is a great location where the structure receives enough sunlight. The clear glass windows amplified this by allowing the rays of the sunlight to pass through to give natural illumination.
According to the critics of architecture, states that the Sydney Opera House is a modern feat combining the simple structures based on geometry reduced the designs into something that was based on the planned sketched by Utzon comprising of a very complex arrangements of the tall slender, walls, and narrow walkways.
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (1987-1997)
Located on the banks of the Basque county in Spain the post-modern style of museum making was taken to its fullest potential when Gehry designed the abstract façade of the museum, a structure which is apt for a museum but its queer designs made it a popular tourist attraction for many years.
The queer abstract design is now known as the ‘Bilbao Effect’, a style coined by designers to describe the majestic irregular lines and the total destruction of the typical post-and-lintel structure. On its façade, rows of neatly arranged windows are located on the either side of the place.14
_____________________________________________
11. Kathryn Wells, “Sydney Opera House,” Australian Government, last modified June 24, 2013, http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/sydney-opera-house
12. Ibid.
13. Adelyn Perez, “AD Classics: Sydney Opera House / Jorn Utzon,” Architecture Daily, last modified June 23, 2010, http://www.archdaily.com/65218/ad-classics-sydney-opera-house-j%25c3%25b8rn-utzon
14. Brian Pagnotta, “AD Classics: The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao / Frank Gehry,” Architecture Daily, last modified September 1, 2013, http://www.archdaily.com/422470/ad-classics-the-guggenheim-museum-bilbao-frank-ggehry
The building was constructed using materials made out from titanium and limestone which are the two main materials locally produced in Bilbao. Furthermore, the smoothness of application on to the surface of the building made it possible for the entire structure to portray the metallic appearance outside due to its sleek polish. The combined materials of limestone and titanium react to the sun and therefore, gave the museum its iconic metallic color that can be viewed even from a distance.
The interiors of the museum are different from the interiors of other Guggenheim museums throughout the world. For instance, on a closer inspection the glass metal frames are constructed in a different style. The design for the windows has a thin horizontal metal railing dividing the sections to equal parts. However, inside these thin lithe metal frames, the rectangle no longer remained a rectangle but rather two joined right triangles. This can be seen on the clear glass panel while on the other hand, the doors are also following the same style like the window frames.
The intricate graceful curves and circles as well as the dynamic mathematical proportions evident on the work. One of the equipment formerly used to build this wonderful building was the surface was the CATIA, a software akin to AutoCad yet functions the same with its interactive features allowing to control the sizes, shapes, as well as gauge the distance of how the wall will be built.15
“The large, light-filled atrium serves as the organizing center of the museum, distributing 11,000 square meters of exhibition space over nineteen galleries. Ten of these galleries follow a classic orthogonal plan that can be identified from the exterior by a limestone finish. The remaining nine galleries are identified from the outside by swirling organic forms clad in titanium. The largest gallery is 30 meters wide and 130 meters long and houses a permanent installation called “The Matter of Time” by Richard Serra.”16 The interior decorations of the museum itself reflects the Minimalist influence as seen on the sleek polished oak wood panels, white paint to enhance airiness and width, as well as the large spacious environment which can accommodate many people. Aside from this, the large space allows each object to become prominent and attract attention from the viewers. Hence, the notion of space in the Guggenheim Museum promotes individualism.
Art Noveau was a decorative style dubbed as the ‘New Baroque’ which flourished in the late 19th century in Europe. One of the popular figures who worked under this style was the Spanish painter Antonio Gaudi known for his flamboyant architectures consisting of a thick ribbed vaulting with small spires imitating the illusion of height based from the Gothic churches constructed during the medieval period. However, unlike the Baroque architecture, the style was neither flamboyant that much nor excessive. Gaudi’s designs although actually resembling Baroque are not quite akin to it. The structures created by Gaudi are abstract and often evokes a dream world fantasy which provides people a rustic temporary haven for those who have been seeking a temporary refuge away from the hurly-burly of the modern city. The façade of the Casa Mila reflects the some elements of combined art noveau, futuristic, gothic, and Islamic designs. For instance, the interiors of the building were very elegant unnatural design of the period. The surface of the building is made up of huge blocks of stones giving it a medieval rustic appearance from the exterior.
“Casa Milà was built as two apartment blocks with independent entrances linked by two large inner courtyards and a sinuous common façade that conveys the rhythm of the interior. The structure of the house is made of pillars and contains an open plan floor with large openings on the façade. The building marked a break with the architectural language of Gaudí’s work in terms of innovation in both the functional aspects and the constructive and ornamental ones.”17
Throughout his career as an architect, the Gaudian style reflects the asymmetrical properties of nature that nothing in the natural world can replicate itself without having a single flaw on its surface. In this aspect, he created buildings that are based on this philosophy of asymmetrical design making his structures looked queer and at the same at the same time magnificent in its unusual design. The Casa Mila was originally a project commissioned by the wealthy merchant named Pere Mila i Camps together with his wife Roser Segimon i Artells in 1906.18 When it was first unveiled in public, the structure earned a lot of awe and criticism due to its façade. A typical Modernist architecture, Gaudi sought to eradicate the traces of hierarchical divide on all of his structures and focused more on combining the traditional Spanish designs with those elements borrowed from the Moorish culture. As a result, the end product became a palatial sand dune replica complete with its sculptures that imitate the wind whipped sand dunes in the desert. Curved flowing lines with repeated patterns combining geometrical and simplified versions of lines derived from the natural environment. The façade of the building resembles the post-and-lintel style of the natural cave formations such as the stalactites and the stalagmites forming their distinct columns. The evidence of this can be seen on the tall yet slender irregular columns found inside the building as well as on the façade of the structure. Gaudi’s style was naturalistic yet he altered these styles into something modern so that it can withstand the passage of time. Even today, the Gaudian style is hailed by many architects around the world as one of the finest designs ever created in the history of the creation. Perhaps one of the most prominent features of the Gaudian architecture on the Casa Mila is the cascading rooftops, although these are also evident on the outside; however, the better view of it would be inside especially in the rooftop gallery as well. On the bottom part of the building, the viewers’ will have a direct assessment of the building’s structure. The lower ground part have an elongated mouth would have to remain speaking. The ground floor has been covered with cloisters and with a central oblong shaped courtyard. Starting from the roof tops, the circular hallway leads to the central portion of the kingdoms of Europe. Aside from its Moorish influences, tall arches are aligned next to each other following the natural flow of the structures’ interior. The tall arches with its distinct keystone center point located on the top most part of the arch suggests a Gothic influence. Gothic buildings create the illusion of height and the addition of these arches exhibit the same characteristics making the structure look taller. However, the Gaudian style presents itself as a unique style, despite the fact that it used the elements from different periods; the artist never really copied all of them in the first place. For example, traces of Moorish influences are evident on the sculptures adorning the top of the temple; on the other hand, the Gothic elements found in the interiors do not converge and form ribbed vaults like in the typical Gothic architecture.19 These structures only support the building by adding reinforcements so that the interiors would remain spacious and tall. Scholars such as Lapunzina even commented that Gaudi’s ambitious style in architectural designing were all evident in the Casa Mila. The rough terrain of the location with its sun-baked soils and a nearby quarry site which had been the pride of the city enabled him to create an edifice that would rival Baroque in its gaudiness yet still followed the scientific principles of architecture design. However, in this building Gaudi manifests the essence of following the natural course of nature such as creating designs that do not really conform to what the society had been used to.
“This intricate design and the accomplished singularity of each apartment were only possible through the implementation of an innovative structural and architectural concept that excluded the use of walls as elements of support and, instead, employed a system of columns as structural skeleton, anticipating by almost a quarter of a century Le Corbusier’s influential “plan libre” (the free plan,” an idea based on the independence of the structural system from both façade and the interior partitions).”20
The similarity of this structure with the other Gaudian structures is the quality of the line which is a combination of straight and unnatural lines; these unnatural lines are something which cannot be rejected since these lines are based on the organic things seen on nature some of which have geometrical proper shapes while the others have irregular figures. The Gaudian architectures such as the Colona Guell another structure created in the early 20th century exemplify the decorative functions of the line in building construction. To be able to create a Gaudian masterpiece, one must have an excellent command especially in analyzing the every elements of art particularly the line. Both Colona Guell and the Casa Mila shares qualities of line which is a common trait of the Gaudi’s building. In a way, his works mimics the designs of the past and re-combines it to create new styles that are a hybrid of the two designs combined. Casa Mila’s unusual architecture comes from the fact that previous cultures of the Spanish people had a Moorish influence; naturally some of the designs in the long round. these in another language which apparently no people can understand since they loved in ancient China.
The path towards the modernism and yet, it can be the fact that the aura came back a special in the book and although I was surpassed schools taught by the master to his followers and the value of preserving the scape move the mountains but it can only be studied using democratic thoughts. The painting also attempts to explain the others concerning the Tasuki incident which was probably a thick towards isolation from the three. As a whole, the Casa Mila is an exceptional architecture done under the influence of the Modernism, a style that rejects the older styles of the previous era and focused more on the rational constructions of the building.
________________________________________
Ibid.
Ibid.
“Casa Mila La Pedrera,” Fundacio Catalunya La Pedrera, accessed May 5, 2016, https://www.lapedrera.com/en/catalan-modernisme-space
Ibid.
Jonathan C. Molloy, “AD Classics: Casa Milà / Antoni Gaudi,” Architecture Daily, last modified May 3, 2013, http://www.archdaily.com/367681/ad-classics-casa-mila-antoni-gaudi
Alejandro Lapunzina, Reference Guides to National Architecture: Architecture of Spain, (Westport, CT: Greenword Press, 2005), 13, https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=yDmR2i32cygC&pg=PA12&dq=casa+mila+architecture&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQoODVvcHMAhVGlJQKHXBCBlgQ6AEIHzAB#v=onepage&q=casa%20mila%20architecture&f=false
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Casa Mila La Pedrera.” Fundacio Catalunya La Pedrera. Accessed May 5, 2016. https://www.lapedrera.com/en/catalan-modernisme-space
“860-880 Lake Shore Apartments 1948-1951.” Mies van der Rohe Society Illinois Institute of Technology. Accessed May 4, 2016. http://www.miessociety.org/legacy/projects/860-880-lake-shore-apartments/#8
Lapunzina, Alejandro. Reference Guides to National Architecture: Architecture of Spain. Westport, CT: Greenword Press, 2005. https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=yDmR2i32cygC&pg=PA12&dq=casa+mila+architecture&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQoODVvcHMAhVGlJQKHXBCBlgQ6AEIHzAB#v=onepage&q=casa%20mila%20architecture&f=false
Molloy, Jonathan C. “AD Classics: Casa Milà / Antoni Gaudi.” Architecture Daily. Last modified May 3, 2013, http://www.archdaily.com/367681/ad-classics-casa-mila-antoni-gaudi
Pagnotta, Brian. “AD Classics: The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao / Frank Gehry.” Architecture Daily. Last modified September 1, 2013. http://www.archdaily.com/422470/ad-classics-the-guggenheim-museum-bilbao-frank-ggehry
Perez, Adelyn. “AD Classics: 860-880 Lake Shore Drive / Mies van der Rohe.” Architecture Daily. Last modified May 11, 2010. http://www.archdaily.com/59487/ad-classics-860-880-lake-shore-drive-mies-van-der-rohe
Perez, Adelyn. “AD Classics: Sydney Opera House / Jorn Utzon.” Architecture Daily. Last modified June 23, 2010. http://www.archdaily.com/65218/ad-classics-sydney-opera-house-j%25c3%25b8rn-utzon
Perez, Adelyn. “AD Classics: TWA Terminal / Eero Saarinen.” Architecture Daily. Last modified July 2, 2010. http://www.archdaily.com/66828/ad-classics-twa-terminal-eero-saarinen
Wells, Kathryn. “Sydney Opera House.” Australian Government. Last modified June 24, 2013. http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/sydney-opera-house
Zook, Lynn M., Allen Sandquist, and Carey Burke, Las Vegas, 1905-1965, Chicago, IL: Arcadia Publishing, 2009. https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=MrDckUPM0nIC&pg=PA73&dq=twa+terminal+jfk+airport+futuristic&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiA39zv2b_MAhVGlJQKHXBCBlgQ6AEIIzAA#v=onepage&q=twa%20terminal%20jfk%20airport%20futuristic&f=false
