Modern architecture. Futurism of computer-aided house design
From time immemorial, architects have been searching for new architectural forms. Each historical period was characterized by different architectural styles, but only during the Enlightenment did the need arise to classify them. Ancient, antique (Greek and Roman), medieval (Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic) architecture, as well as New Age architecture, which gave the world the styles of Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo, Classicism and Empire, Eclecticism and Art Nouveau.
It was this period that became the brightest, and styles that belong to the New Age will never go out of fashion. Later, the chronological classification was added to cover constructivism, art deco, modernism, high-tech, postmodernism, as well as various modern styles.
Of course, such a classification system was abstract, since pure styles are practically never found in architecture. Each new style carries something from the previous and subsequent styles, and a trend that has gone out of fashion does not disappear without a trace.
The Modern Age period began in the 15th century with the Renaissance or Renaissance. By this time cultural center became Europe, which introduced a secular tone into world art. Then it was born New Age architecture, in which there was no Gothic aspiration to the sky. Instead of the complex, asymmetrical forms of medieval buildings, architects began to use balance and symmetry.
Finding inspiration in patterns ancient architecture, they used an orderly arrangement of columns and other elements.
This period, like architecture of modern times, was characterized by the emergence of new materials and technologies. Duration of the Renaissance in different countries was different. But historically, the crisis of the Renaissance began at the beginning of the 16th century. At the same time, the Baroque style arose in Italy, which was characterized by spatial scope and the use of complex curvilinear forms and sculptures.
Its continuation was the Rococo style, which did not bring anything new to architecture, but used Baroque techniques to achieve maximum decorative effect.
In the 17th century, Europe became “fed up” with the elaborate architectural forms of Baroque and Rococo. The architects again turned to ancient simplicity, severity and restraint. The era of classicism has arrived. Later, when Emperor Napoleon ruled France, the style of high or late classicism, called Empire style, was used in architecture. And at the beginning of the 19th century, the architecture of the New Age acquired eclectic features.
Eclecticism is characterized by the use of different architectural styles, but the forms of buildings began to be tied to their functions.
Finally, at the end of the 19th century, the Art Nouveau style began to be used in new architecture. Architects in Once again abandoned right angles and lines, using smooth, natural contours. At the same time, there was a surge of interest in new technologies, thanks to which, at the beginning of the 20th century, the architecture of modern times was born, which is still developing.
Architecture is the art of construction, the ability to design and create cities, residential buildings, public and industrial buildings, squares and streets, gardens and parks. In many cities of our country you will find ancient kremlins and churches, palaces and mansions, modern buildings of theaters, libraries, youth palaces, in front of which you will want to stop and take a closer look.
The same way you would stand in a museum in front of interesting picture or sculpture. This is because buildings and streets, squares and parks, rooms and halls with their beauty can also excite the imagination and feelings of a person, like other works of art. Masterpieces of architecture are remembered as symbols of peoples and countries. The whole world knows the Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, ancient Acropolis in Athens. However, unlike other arts, people not only contemplate works of architecture, but also constantly use them. Architecture surrounds us and forms a spatial environment for people's life and activities. These are the houses where you live; schools, technical schools, institutes where you study; in theaters, circuses and cinema - you have fun; in gardens, parks and courtyards - relax. Your parents work in factories and institutions; shops, canteens, train stations, and subways are constantly filled with visitors. It’s hard to even imagine how you can do without these and many other structures.
The diversity of architecture depends not only on the creative imagination of the architect (as the architect was called in Rus'), but also on the construction conditions: warm or cold climate, flat or mountainous terrain, the capabilities of construction equipment, wooden, stone or metal structures, aesthetic tastes of residents and much more. . Construction uses the labor of people of many professions - masons, designers, scientists and artists. They all work under the guidance of an architect. (Architect in Greek means "senior builder.") A person in this profession must have great technical and artistic knowledge. Admiring the Gothic cathedral, the Moscow Kremlin or the bicycle track in Krylatskoye, we admire not only the unique beauty of these structures, but also the work and skill of the builders.
Even in ancient times, the tasks of architecture were determined by three qualities - usefulness, durability, beauty. Each building must be useful and meet its intended purpose. This is manifested both in its external appearance and in the character of its internal premises. Residential building, theater and educational institution - three different types structures. Each of them has its own purpose, and each building must be comfortable: in one case - for housing, in another - for showing performances, in a third - for study. It is also important that each of them is durable and strong. After all, buildings are created not for one year, but for a long time. But architecture would not become art if the third important requirement was ignored - beauty.
The well-known human desire for beauty inspires the creative imagination of the architect to search for ever new unusual architectural forms, uniqueness of appearance and brightness artistic image structures. So we see a variety of buildings, both ancient and modern. Take, for example, multi-story residential buildings: one is tall, like a tower, another is in the form of a long straight plate, the third bends in a circle. They have the same purpose and similar designs, they are designed for the same climate, they are located in the same city, but the architect’s imagination for each of them has found its own form, its own color scheme. This is how structures arise with their own individual traits by which we recognize them. And each building makes its own impression: one has a solemn, festive appearance, another - strict, the third - lyrical. Architectural monuments related to different eras and countries, differ from each other in appearance or style, how living conditions differed and artistic tastes people of those times. Look at the pictures and you will see for yourself.
A bright period in the history of Russian architecture -mid XVIII V. This is the time of rapid construction of palaces, large temples, the heyday of the Baroque style. The largest architect, who largely determined the style of buildings of that time, was V.V. Rastrelli (1700-1771). The facades of its buildings, painted in white, blue and gold, are unusually elegant. The enfilade of halls, richly decorated with stucco, and the wooden mosaic floors of rare beauty are magnificent. The best buildings of V.V. Rastrelli - Catherine Palace in Tsarskoe Selo (now the city of Pushkin), Winter Palace and Smolny Monastery in St. Petersburg, Grand Palace in Peterhof. On the island of Kizhi in Lake Onega, the wooden Transfiguration Church (1714), the bell tower (1874) and the Intercession Church (1764), built without a single nail, have been preserved. Eiffel Tower in Paris. It was designed in the mid-19th century. engineer Gustave Eiffel. Originality, boldness of design and architectural form made the tower famous.
Modern architecture is diverse and amazing, it is difficult to place it in a clear framework and give it an exact definition, but it is alive and rapidly developing, like technical progress and perhaps that is why it is so difficult to comprehend and not always loved by critics. But we will still try to formulate its main trends, principles and goals.
Text: Diana Muromtseva
The German philosopher Friedrich Schelling called architecture frozen music, and, probably, we will not be mistaken if we add that this is jazz improvisation, always unique, with history, mood and soul. No two cities are identical, just like no two individuals are identical, and just like people, we may fall in love with some cities and hate others. And architecture is something more than art, because it is what creates the spaces and scenery in which our lives take place. She dresses each era in a specific style, reflecting the values, priorities and aspirations of humanity. Walking through cities, we can read this chronicle of the world from the facades of old buildings, and this is how our cultural traditions, taste and ideas about the familiar. But life does not stand still, it is constantly changing, improving, and with it our needs and demands are growing. The frozen melodies of the past gradually fade into history, becoming the foundation of a new, relevant modern reality architecture that can create the best spaces for work, leisure and human life.
Architecture of our days
When it comes to modern architecture, the question immediately arises of how it changes the existing appearance of cities and improves the lives of their inhabitants. Architect and designer, winner of numerous professional awards, Hadi Tehrani, believes that modern architecture fails when it does not correspond human existence and its integrity. It should give a person all the components of his well-being in life, which, like a puzzle, is made up of different and equally significant details, such as ecology, economic aspect, adequate living space, light, texture of materials, form and emotions. Mr. Teherani also notes the importance for people of such a factor as identifying an architectural structure with its utility, not only from the point of view of comfort, but also aesthetics. Indeed, it is quite difficult for buildings made in the ultra-modern style, like anything new, to gain universal love and recognition. Modern buildings in the urban area always have their fans and opponents, so they must justify their existence by utility, functionality and beauty.
But if we talk about the commercial demand for residential properties, then managing partner of SESEGAR Investment Group Irina Zharova-Wright puts aesthetics a step higher: “The question of the dependence of the external appearance of a building on its demand initially assumes a positive answer. After all, aesthetics “sells”. You can talk for a long time about the beauty of the soul, and in the case of real estate, about its functionality, but people are greeted by their clothes and appearance" It is also interesting that a new building, attractive in its architecture, will not become beautiful in our eyes if it is dissonant with the surrounding landscape. Therefore, in addition to functionality and aesthetics, the architecture of our days must be skillfully and harmoniously integrated into the existing style of the area and at the same time look fresh and attractive.
“I believe that contemporary urban architecture becomes exciting when it incorporates both innovative design and respect for historical context, while also building on the architecture of the future,” says architect and managing director of HBA Architectur Jeffrey Michael Williams. By the way, such successful architectural compromises can be seen in the examples of new and popular city hotels. “The fact is that the main trend in the architecture of modern city hotels is the creation of full-fledged iconic objects within the urban context,” explains Jeffrey Michael Williams. – It is also important to fully comply with the lifestyle of the guests and reflect it in every detail, because positive and vivid impressions, which will further shape the demand for temporary residence.”
All of the above tasks must be performed by the architecture of private houses, even if they are located outside the city. But there is another task here - to realize the client’s wishes and not destroy the established appearance of the area. “An architect always tries to integrate his project into an already existing environment. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t. Balance can be maintained with continuous and working together architect and customer,” comments Svetlana Lagutina, head of the Svetlana Lagutina Architectural Bureau.
Who creates trends?
Whatever one may say, trends always exist in everything, but if architecture is designed to serve humanity, creating the most comfortable and prosperous environment for all aspects of life, then it is interesting to understand how fashion is born here. “Globally, new world trends are determined by generally recognized architects, Pritzker Prize laureates and, of course, world heritage, says Svetlana Lagutina. – It is impossible to say which country has greatest influence for the development of architecture. If we talk about the architecture of private houses in Russia, then certain elements and principles are borrowed from France and Italy, where when designing, close attention is paid to the unity of the interior spaces and the harmonious planning of the area around the house.”
Hadi Teherani says the following about the birth of trends: “For a long time, humanity has been concerned about issues such as energy saving and environmental friendliness. And in this area, German architects now occupy leading positions in the world. Irina Zharova-Wright believes that guidelines depend on the specific situation in each city: “If the chief architect of the city is a fan of everything German, then we will see the embodiment of his taste in stone, glass and concrete,” explains Irina. “If you are interested in the classics, then Italian architects will participate in the development of project concepts.”
And if we talk about trends in the hotel business and its demand, Jeffrey Michael Williams notes that the design standards for city hotels around the world are always set in countries with the greatest economic growth.
Needs
If we talk about the demand for real estate among buyers, Irina Zharova-Wright notes that the liquidity of the property and the feasibility of investing in it are important for people: “Order architecture or classics is the best-selling form of architecture in urban areas and in the Moscow region. Muscovites explain their choice by saying that if you invest money in real estate, then only in something eternal, like Rome, and this is only a classic.
Svetlana Lagutina, in turn, adds that in addition to the classics, such styles as modern, chalet and minimalism are becoming popular among Russian customers: “Bold experiments with forms, materials and mixing styles have been replaced by a pragmatic calculation and the desire to create a house that is not just memorable, but convenient and comfortable for life.” And this is in tune with the global trends of modern architecture, about which Hadi Teherani says the following: “The main trend of our time is the creation of the best and most comfortable environment for human life. And this is achieved through the implementation of its basic needs: functionality, competent organization of space, emotionality, aesthetics, efficiency and concern for the environment. All this creates positive perception environment, be it a home, a hotel or an office, and does not cause the need to leave it in search of something better.”
In conclusion, I would like to add that modern architecture is a completely new philosophy, whose global meaning is based not on the creation of eternal monuments to someone’s Ego, but on the service of Humanity and its needs, which represent a complex quintessence of functionality, comfort, convenience, beauty, emotionality, economy and environmental friendliness. Now, both in design and in architecture, the definition of “beautiful” has received an additional meaning, namely the expediency of its existence in each element. That is, the beautiful is the ingenious, and everything ingenious is simple and not littered with unnecessary details. Therefore, ideal works of modern architecture are intended to be not just beautiful monuments, but vessels for our life, turning it into “the unbearable lightness of being.”
Read the full material in issue of Elite Interior magazine No. 05/101 May 2014.
Almost 30 years have passed since the birth of one of the most controversial styles of architecture, deconstructivism, but today it still causes a lot of controversy. We present short review 15 world masterpieces of architecture of deformation and destruction that will help you understand how the future was seen in the 80s of the 20th century.
1. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain
The author of the magnificent and memorable at first glance Spanish branch of the Solomon Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art is the Canadian architect Frank Gehry. The museum building, made of glass, titanium and sandstone, is recognized as one of the most spectacular deconstructivist buildings in the world. Gehry's main goal was to give the museum, located on the embankment, the appearance of a futuristic ship.
2. Seattle Music Museum, USA
15 years ago, one of the most amazing structures in the world was opened in Seattle, America. Famous museum music is unusual not only for its incredible external forms, inspired by the guitar of the legendary Jimi Hendrix. The very ideology of this temple of music is unique - the huge building contains almost the entire collection American rock and pop music.
3. Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, USA
The family of the creator of the cartoon empire, Walt Disney, has long wanted to build a building worthy of the highest ratings in his honor and donated $50 million for its construction. As a result, with the discovery of another masterpiece from Frank Gehry in 2003 main city California has found its new symbol. It is worth noting that in addition to its external expressiveness, this concert hall has acoustic properties that are in many ways superior to the most famous venues in the world.
4. "Dancing House" in Prague, Czech Republic
"Dancing House
A house in Prague that resembles a dancing couple is an office building. Designed in the deconstructivist style, the complex consists of two cylindrical towers: normal and deformed. The dancing house is an architectural metaphor for a couple coming together beautiful dance. Almost immediately after construction, the house acquired the humorous nickname “Ginger and Fred” in honor of the famous American film actor couple Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.
5. Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada
The Royal Ontario Museum has been in operation since 1857, but 150 years later it appearance was radically changed by the architect Daniel Libeskind, who transformed the old museum building into an incredible structure in the form of a crystal. According to him, it was the real mineral crystals that were exhibited in one of the halls of the museum that became the prototypes of its new building. It is interesting to note that the first sketch of the reconstruction of the museum was made on an ordinary napkin in one of the restaurants in New York.
6. Northern Imperial War Museum in Manchester, UK
The Manchester branch of the London network of museums dedicated to war themes was built in 2001 on the territory of England that suffered most from the horrors of war. The author of the project for the new museum was Daniel Libeskind. The main motive for creating such an important cultural object was the desire to show our planet, destroyed as a result of numerous wars, but then pieced together.
7. Denver Art Museum, USA
The history of the Denver Art Museum began back in 1893 - then the museum was known as the Denver Artists Club. Modern building The museum was opened to visitors in 2006. The design of the building, reminiscent of a huge rock, was developed by the Libeskind studio in order to highlight the features of the local nature.
8. Seattle Central Library, USA
The futuristic Seattle Central Library building was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhasami and completed in 2004. The main goal of constructing this futuristic complex is to attract true book connoisseurs. The building consists of four facades decorated with metal mesh and glass. Interestingly, it lacks right angles and parallel lines.
9. Cinema UFA-Palast in Dresden, Germany
The incredibly deformed cinema building in Dresden is a project from the Austrian architectural bureau Coop Himmelb(l)au, famous throughout the world for its philosophy of destruction. The cinema center consists of two inextricably linked objects - the cinema itself with 8 halls, capable of accommodating 2,600 visitors simultaneously, and a “crystal” made of glass shell, which serves as a foyer and public area.
10. " in Munich, Germany
Multifunctional exhibition center "BMW World"
Multifunctional exhibition center "BMW World"
Winner of the construction competition exhibition center auto giant BMW, carried out in the early 2000s, became the Himmelb(l)au bureau. In their project, the architects proposed the concept of a space that would become both a “showroom” and a place for negotiations between representatives of the concern and its clients. The main architectural feature of the project was a huge funnel consisting of glass blocks. Visitors get the feeling that the roof floating in the sky seems to be sucked into this funnel.
11. Hotel Porta Fira in Barcelona, Spain
The spectacular tower of the Porta Fira hotel, located in the capital of Catalonia, was designed by the famous Japanese architect Toyo Ito and completed in 2009. Tourists and local residents The organic shape of the tower and the incredible texture of its facades, which is a consequence of the use of red aluminum pipes, are striking. It is these metal elements that give the hotel walls the effect of vibration and serve as blinds.
12. Stata Center in Cambridge, USA
The buildings of the Stata Center, located on the Cambridge campus, look as if they could collapse at any second. The walls of numerous buildings, located at terrible angles, seem to rotate and collide with each other. They are made primarily of brick and corrugated steel. Many criticize this construction by the architect Gehry, while others, on the contrary, consider it almost best project Canadian.
13. Museum of Contemporary Arts in Cincinnati, USA
The building of the Museum of Contemporary Arts became the first American project world-famous architect Zaha Hadid. It is worth noting that although the building's façade is not typical for Hadid, its incredible interiors are consistent in style with most of her work. The walls, floors and ceilings of the museum repeatedly merge into each other, which corresponds to the main principle of the architect - the dynamic flow of spaces. This building is the most important achievement of the legendary architect in the field of deconstructivism.
14. Holocaust Museum in Berlin, Germany
The museum ensemble, dedicated to all Jews who suffered from the Holocaust regime, consists of two buildings - the old one, in the Baroque style, and the new one, built according to the design of the Berlin architect Daniel Libeskind in 1998. The modern building's plan is a long zigzag gallery, made in the author's signature style. Unexpected for most visitors is the fact that the floor in the museum is located on a slope, so that literally from the first steps it is necessary to make some effort in order to move forward.
Deconstructivism in architecture has become popular thanks to the few masters working in this style. Among them, Frank Gehry occupies a special place, whose work can be found in more detail in the article. And you will learn about how you can use this style in the interior of a private house from our material.
Ferrari World- the largest closed thematic object in the world. Its length reaches 700 m, total area - 176 thousand sq.m. Located in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates).
Burj Dubai- the world's tallest structure, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Located in Dubai (UAE). At the official opening ceremony, it was renamed Burj Khalifa in honor of Sheikh and at the same time President of the UAE Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
- In his best! The project was presented by Kobi Karp. Construction is planned on Watson Island (USA, Miami). The announcement of the project states that this tower, which has a height of 975 meters, will be able to easily remove the crown from Dubai. According to official data, the 160-storey eco-city of Miapolis will be more than 183 meters higher than the famous Dubai giant Burj Khalifa. The building will include countless entertainment and residential spaces.
The Cleveland Clinic is the Lowe Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Original name - . The unusual building is located in Las Vegas (USA). The author of the project is Frank Gehry. The project consists of two blocks and is estimated at $100 million. The research center is located in one wing, and the patient rooms are in the other.
- skyscraper-waterfall, “Sunny City” tower. It is being built for the 2016 Olympics, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). The project was developed by the famous Swiss bureau RAFAA Architecture and Design. It pledges to become the "eighth wonder of the world." The tower's function is to provide clean electricity to the nearby Olympic Village along with the multimillion-dollar city. Moreover, at an altitude of 105 meters, Solar City Tower will house cafes and shops. The roof will be equipped Observation deck, where you can admire the panorama of Rio de Janeiro along with the prostrate bottomless ocean. For lovers of extreme recreation, there is a platform for bungee jumping.
- house designed by Senosiain Arquitectos bureau. Located in Mexico. Built in bio-architecture style at the request of a young couple. The house has, thanks to which young people with two children now live in a fabulous “underwater kingdom”.
- one of the most luxurious hotels in the world, which was built in Singapore (South-East Asia). The hotel has the most large casino world, worth about eight billion dollars. Marina Bay Sands consists of three vertical towers, which in turn are connected by an amusement park in the shape of a ship. The park ship extends 340 meters in length and can accommodate 3,900 guests. The project is being implemented by Las Vegas Sands.
- National Museum, which is located in Abu Dhabi (UAE). The museum project was created by Foster + Partners and is dedicated to the President of the United United Arab Emirates, How historical monument, timed to coincide with socio-economic changes, the initiator of which is considered to be Zayed bin Sultan al Nayyan himself - the Sheikh and the President of the UAE rolled into one.
- the most extreme observation deck in the world, which is located on Mount Osterfelderkopf (Alpspitz, Germany). The AlpspiX site offers breathtaking views. A kilometer altitude, two mutually intersecting steel beams, the feeling of free flight over an abyss...
Although the observation deck was built not so long ago - in October 2010, nevertheless, over these few years tourists have fallen in love with it and even became a kind of Mecca for lovers of extreme sensations.
located in Dubai (UAE). Meydan City is a development project of Meydan Group LLC, the area of which reaches 18.6 million sq. square meters. The project consists of a horse racing complex, a hotel and a number of premises for entertainment events.
Unusual modern architecture, designed by the SAMOO design studio, is an eco-project of the South Korean National Institute Ecology. The territorial area is 33 thousand square meters. The architectural structure honorably bears the title of the country's nerve center.
Chicago Spire- project of the famous architect Santiago Calatrava (Chicago, USA). The height of the skyscraper reaches 609 meters (150 floors). The Chicago Spire is shaped like a drill and contains 1,193 apartments, which feature three-meter ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Eco roof project for a market located in Seoul ( South Korea). Developers: Samoo Architects & Engineers. The goal of the project is to eliminate unpleasant odors and constant noise created by cars scurrying past.
- underground station (London, UK).
- TV tower, which is located in the city of Guangzhou (PRC). The height of Canton is 610 meters. To date, this is a record height among television towers. The record-breaking tower broke the record of the tallest CN tower (Toronto, Canada).
- energy passage performed in best traditions modern world architecture. The project, located in the Italian city of Perugia, was developed by the Coop Himmelb(l)au bureau. What you see here is not just a fancy roof that shades the city's famous pedestrian street, but also an energy turbine powered by the sun and wind.
is a center of contemporary art. This gigantic building was designed by the famous architect, a woman whose work is revered in all countries of the world. Location: Cagliari, Italian region of Sardinia.
- an architectural project by the Dynamic Architecture team, presented in the form of a rotating tower (Dubai, UAE).
The central office of the famous giant automobile manufacturing company BMW, which is located in Munich (Germany). The authors of the project are the team of the Coop Himmelb(l)au bureau.
- gallery located in the administrative center of Edmonton (Canada). The project was created by Randall Stout Architects.
Bella Sky Hotel- a designer hotel that embodies original modern architecture. Located in Copenhagen (Denmark). The tilt of the towers of the largest hotel in Scandinavia is 15 degrees. Note: Just imagine, the famous leaning tower of Pisa leaned 3.97 degrees.
- Hamburg Philharmonic (Germany), project by Herzog & de Meuron. The building, built on the banks of the Elbe, includes 3 concert halls, a hotel, 45 apartments and a public area called the Plaza. The latter is located at a height of 37 meters above the water. 360° panoramic view.
From year to year, leading architectural bureaus delight us with such bright and multifaceted projects. I think it's like this modern architecture on a global scale only brings you positive emotions, but not the other way around. Of course, there is something to envy when looking at these unusual architectural masterpieces modernity and the near future. Be that as it may, the project bureau team wishes you inspired architectural and design ideas and, of course, their implementation!
