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A look at post modern Architecture in California (Click to select text)
1. General Discussion Eric Owen Moss is in no way new to architecture. However, prior to the design and building of the Schnabel House Moss had designed few residential homes. Moss had always been associated with larger commercial buildings. This is a result of his close work with developer Frederick Norton Smith. Smith has designed a large portion of Culver City-an area located south of the Santa Monica Freeway-as the field of his endeavor. (Steele, 6) Moss's works include 8522 National Boulevard, Samitaur, Hayden Tract Company, and S.P.A.R.C.I.T.Y. "Eric Owen Moss has been able to explore what he has termed "emotive geometries' and the way these can apply to a new level of urban consciousness." (Steele, 6) Moss's past projects all allowed him to examine issues related to internalized environments which allow many people to work together in carefully determined surroundings, the final users are not know to him, and can change as the market allows. (Steele, 6) Eric Owen Moss has been described as a "Jeweler of Junk." More likely then not, Philip Johnson used this term to describe Moss for the way he combines different materials in his projects when he is exploring the complexity of his spaces. This term is not fully accurate; Moss merely wishes one to recognize or not to recognize the different materials in their functions and in their relationships to other materials. Los Angeles/Southern California is the bellwether region for architectural design. The residential home is a way for the architect and client to collaborate to create a functional, yet contemporary design. The Lawson/Weston House very distinctly and dynamically uses wood, steel, and concrete in the major part of the building. In this project, the materials used play a very important role in the way the spaces are created and how they feel. It is often interesting to see how Moss uses materials by overlapping them and removing parts of them. In this project, he removed sections of the glue lamb beams to theoretically connect the beams, yet still provide the transparency and the overlapping qualities that he desires. One example of this overlapping is the way many of the material puncture or grow out of the walls. In this project, the different materials played an important role in the forming of the building. Frank Gehry is Design Principal for the firm Frank O. Gehry and Associates, Inc., which he established in 1962. Before founding the firm, Frank Gehry worked with architects Victor Gruen and Pereira and Luckman in Los Angeles, and with AndrC Remondet in Paris. Gehry was raised in Toronto, and moved to Los Angeles in 1947. Gehry received his bachelor of Architecture for the University of Southern California, and studied City Planning at the Harvard University Graduate School of design. His illustrious career has spanned four decades and produced both public and private buildings in America, Asia and Europe. It was written about Gehry: "His buildings are powerful essays in primae geometric form and… materials, and from an aesthetic standpoint they are among the most profound and brilliant works of architecture of our time." (New York Times, 11/84). Gehry wishes his work to allow people to exist comfortably in his spaces and wishes his building to address the context and culture of their sites. " The Brentwood district in which the Schnabel House is located, lies north of Sunset Boulevard, towards its western end as it approaches the Pacific. Since it is only six miles from the coastline at Santa Monica, the air is crisp and clean, and free from the smog that plagues Los Angeles. This clear atmosphere, along with the moisture-laden mists that frequently move inland from the ocean, supports lush, semi-tropical vegetation on its slopes, making the architectural diversity of a wealthy residential neighborhood seen even more incongruous." (Steele, 1) The Schnabel lot is 100' by 250', and was purchased in 1986. Both of these architects are still designing today laying new ground and setting precedents for future architects. 2. General Description and comparison of each of the buildings chosen The first view of the Schnabel house is through the high double garden gate that shields the house from the street. The sculpture garden is a result of the collaboration between Gehry and the Schnabels. There seems to be no method to the distribution of each element of the garden. This look of random distribution is dispelled and one sees that each piece in the garden should be appreciated. (Steele, 3) "A straight pathway, paved with pale cream California sandstone, leads directly to a cruciform building that projects into the geographical center of the site, which it holds with singular authority, Along the way, this path, which is disarmingly axial in comparison to the seemingly disjointed forms surrounding it, leads past an olive grove in a pasture of uncut Bermuda grass on the right, and a drought-tolerant garden of palms and succulents on the left, before it abruptly ends at the front door of the living room." (Steele, 3) The lot is also covered with Olive Trees, which were once rare in Southern California, but now are very prevalent. There are thirteen-foot high copper clad columns flanking the double doors leading into the house. The plaster on the inner surface is left white to convey the idea of an infinite, demensionless space. The interior of the dome lacks a conventional frame of reference. The pendentive skylights between the bottom of the dome and the outer wall were added, as the house was already underway to add a perception of weightlessness of the sphere. As if the sphere was floating in the middle of the room. (Steele, 3) The living room is more complex than the central room of the home. " While the formal arrangement of box-like shapes connected to a central pavilion may seem to be simplicity itself, the spatial experiences that result are far more complicated than might first be imagined. The interior, which is finished in gypsum board painted white, has an exposed pine beam and plywood roof that is typical of Gehry's signature ennobling of commonplace materials." (Steele, 3) There is an idea of complexity and simplicity in this home, and it is enhanced by: keeping all the vertical surfaces plain and white to reflex the light, and all the solid roofs in natural wood to add contrasting shadow. The glazing over the front door, which is echoed across the space to allow for a distant view immediately after entering the room, also contributes to this contrast. (Steele, 3) The Family Area "A less formal grouping of banquettes around a fireplace is located in the southern arm of the cross, which is made to seem even more secluded by a drop in the level of the floor and the ceiling. Low windows, which are deliberately placed at eye level when one is seated, also give the room a more domestic sense of scale, as does the diminutive size of the fireplace which has a tall, slender copper mantle that projects up through the roof as a sharp metallic silver." (Steele, 4) There are French doors as well to add to the elegance of the room. The Kitchen is amazing with a long U-shaped granite topped island, with plenty of area to prepare food. The center of this wing provides a more homey area for the busy family to enjoy time together. This room also contains all the family mementos that seem quite appropriate in this room as opposed to other areas of the house. Marna Schnabel's office is a quite getaway for the lady of the house and can be further excluded by pocket doors. Mrs. Schnabel's desk is built into the wall to allow more floor space than would usually be seen in a room this size. Outside of the office is a stairway that leads to the bedroom of the Schnabel's daughters, which are upstairs. When one travels downstairs from the office they find themselves in the master bedroom. The master bedroom is a diamond shaped room that overlooks water on all sides. The water, which it overlooks, is a reflecting pool that contains ten inches of water. The pool is one foot ten inches below the floor level of the bedroom. (Steele, 7-8) The Lawsen-Westen House was designed by Moss with much feedback from his client. Both individuals for whom the house was built communicated their ideas to Moss many times prior to building. They created a "wish list' for Moss with many ideas prevalent throughout the process. The wish list was a conglomeration of stream-of-consciousness ideas of the future owners. Their ideas come from many past houses that they wanted to replicate. The task was not easy for Moss because of spatial limitations of the setting, and a rectangular plot. The main ideas conveyed by the clients was an emphasis on height and space, they wanted room to breathe. The clients wanted "Living rooms with high ceilings, crossed beams, skylights, and something up there, a construction that makes one look up, like a cathedral." (Steele, 5) The dominant soaring space was imperative, and the most important aspect of the house. The rooms were to stay as a conglomeration instead of a series of small rooms. The living room had to be: "spacious, truly lived in (and not a formal appendage), comfortable, appropriate for looking at art and listening to music, perhaps incorporating the dining area as well as the kitchen, seductive for parties and entertaining, even large gatherings." (Steele, 5) The word seductive was important to the architect. The relationship between the interior and the exterior of the home was a result of study and experience of the client. Philip Johnson's 'Glass House' in New Canaan, Connecticut was an inspiration. However, the Lawsen-Westen House could never fully have the same seclusion as the Glass House because of its location in Southern California. Therefore the clients adapted their plans and decided on a garden house in the middle of the city. Their image of a circular house with a garden on the outside and one inside was used. The clients wanted a house where one could view the two gardens, on outside and one inside from the house 3. The Architects concepts The concept of the Schnabel house was one that was dear to Gehry. "In fact, the design was one I had fantasized about for my own house. I had wanted to build it, but I did not have the money… The plan did not fit the Brentwood site, but I tailored it… I wanted to make it a kind of sculpture garden, with various pieces set around. Even though the lot was small, I was trying to make it look like a bigger estate by separating the pieces, the gardens and what was in between, I was trying to create an internal open space that was private, and I pushed everything out to the edges." Frank Gehry (Steele, 8) Moss's Lawsen-Westen home was less his ideas and concepts than the Schnabel home was to Gehry. Most of the ideas were sent to Moss by his client and were only transformed by Moss's expertise. The main concept in this house is that of space and the use of space. His clients were very specific in what they desired from Moss. The concept of space and a home that is livable were of most importance. High ceilings too, were a necessity. The main circular dome was necessary to satisfy his clients. 4. Historical Precedents The Lawson-Westen House was partially inspired by a famous historical building. "After reinforcing this second idea of a large and informal living area with a high ceiling that is combined with the dining room and kitchen, the clients then shifted their attention to the relationship they wanted to establish between the interior and exterior, citing desirable precedents from their own experience and reading including, most notably, the Glass House by Philip Johnson in New Cannen, Connecticut- a house which gains privacy only by its location in the middle of an immense, heavily wooded area. The curiously dichotomous condition that the Glass House represents, one of privacy through openness and the exaggeration of the principle of a free-flow of space which was formally adopted as a part of the unwritten credo of the Modern Movement, could not easily be recreated on a much smaller, rectangular lot on the west side of Los Angeles." (Steele, 5) The influence for the Schnabel house comes from one of Gehry's own works. The tract house of 1981 was intended as a commentary on a phenomenon that many other architects viewed as contempt. (Steele, 11) "…The concept in the Schnabel House doesn't just relate to 'objects in a landscape', but can more accurately be seen as the reconstruction of a utopian, mythical village in which each piece has specific institutional associations." (Steele, 13) 5. Basic Stylistic Elements of the buildings The two buildings are examples of contemporary architecture and therefore contain numerous stylistic elements. The fact the buildings are in wealthy Southern California as well makes these building quite unique. Since the buildings are stylistic in themselves and many times function is style in these homes, the focus will be on singular aspects of the respective buildings. Moss's doors in the Lawson-Westen house stuck me the most. Moss historically wishes doors to be artistic expressions, and unique. The doors are…"deliberately placed at a right angle to each other, the doors are an introduction to what Moss has described as a 'hedonism of assembly' indulged throughout the house." (Steele, 6) Moss said about the doors: "You could consider the front door as experimental in a small way; its combining pieces of wood door and glass door gives you aspects of both; it gives you something else. The door is not a Venturi joke; it raises the possibility that things could be understood in a different way." The Schnabel House has a unique dome that defines the style of this house. The dome rises high above the house and when one looks up he/she sees a work of light that makes the dome seem higher than it is. "…the interior dome lacks a conventional frame of reference. This has been borne out by the plethora of stories about confused workmen which have now entered into the construction lore of the dome, such as the tale about the hapless electrician installing the concealed uplighting in a trough around its base, who had difficulty staying on the ladder." (Steele, 4) The pictures of the dome, and the house are amazing. The construction is a work of art itself. The use of light and darkness is attests to Gehry's genius. 6. Critique and Comparison of Building Elements The relationship of the Lawson-Westen house is one that tries to relate to nature in an unnatural setting. The concept the home was built on was to bring a garden house into the city. Therefore, the home relates in an unnatural fashion to its surroundings. The Schnabel house uses manmade additions to try and adapt the Los Angeles environment into a more relaxing place to live. The reflection pool outside the master bedroom is a fine example of this. The owners wanted the master bedroom to have a view of water from every window, however the beach is six miles away. The architect brought water to the sight instead. Therefore, both homes used their unnatural settings to their advantage through imagination. The functional requirement of both buildings is to act as a home for a family. Gehry was able to use his own ideas more freely than Moss was. After all the original concept of the home was one that Gehry had wished for his own home. Moss had to satisfy his clients' particular needs. They had their "wish list" that Moss stuck to religiously. Moss's relationship with his clients was close and they shared ideas about what would be best for the property. Gehry masterfully uses light in the Schnabel residence. The house has clerestory windows, skylights, and a cross-axial pattern, which the sun moves across daily. "As the sun arcs across the long axis of this space during the day, it always seems to concentrate on the main sitting area in the center. The relatively formal style and symmetrical arrangement of the furniture here, which is enhanced by a pair of elegant leather club chairs that Marna Schnabel specifically designed for this area, all convey the sense of importance of the cross-axial point. The kitchen contains a custom made lighting fixture that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. The materials used in the Schnabel House as well as in the Lawson-Westen house include a wide array of materials; many used in unconventional ways. An example of this is in the Schnabel house and its use of lead. "Lead for example, has connotations of dullness, heaviness, and lack of value, and yet in this instance it is treated like a precious metal. The fact that it is a coating on top of the copper, which has a greater intrinsic value, compound this evaluation." (Steele, 14) The Schnabel house uses copper, lead, gypsum stucco, wood and glass for major surfaces. The house also contains plywood, composition board, and aluminum. These are all the unique elements as well the house has conventional building materials. Moss's Lawson-Westen house has most of the same materials except aluminum, and it uses bronze as well. The owners of both houses are very concerned with art and use art to enhance the natural beauty of their homes. The Lawson-Westen homeowners have an extensive art collection and they use their living room to entertain guests as well as to display their works of art so as to improve the aesthetics of the room. Mrs. Schnabel designed much of the furniture in her home. 7. Previous Architectural Critiques of the Buildings Denise Scott-Brown had something to say about Gehry's Schnabel house: "There was a time, not long ago, when many architects, perhaps most young architects, wanted to be housers. Architects of the modern movement saw social housing and architecture as virtually coterminous. Their plans for a brave new world figured mainly housing. Other components of urban life, when considered, were defined with much less emotional intensity than was housing…" (Steele, 13) Eric Owen Moss has been criticized as a 'deconstructivist and labeled a 'Jeweler of Junk' and sometimes considered a Nihilist from an architectural standpoint. (Steele, 30) The attacks are on his houses, and some see him as using his Los Angeles status to a dangerous degree. What this means is that because Southern California sets trends in everything, Moss is getting people to like garbage. Moss however has many influences which inspire him to create what others will not create. Moss and Gehry design in the same area. The two houses focused on in this essay are in the same neighborhood. The two architects are merely giving the eccentric buyers of Los Angeles what they truly want. These men are inspirations for young architects to create as they wish. The time these men are designing is now. Anything goes in the 1990s. Now is a time to design without many rules or guidelines that past periods have had. 8.Significance of the structures "Seen within the larger framework of Gehry's progress as an architect since his own house caused such an uproar in the press nearly fifteen years ago, the Schnabel House represents an important ideological watershed, marking the end of a search for a specific kind of architectural vocabulary, as well as the mixed blessing of national and international recognition. The opportunity to do larger buildings came with that recognition, which has prompted the re-evaluation of earlier formal positions." (Steele, 15) Gehry's work is a reflection of his feelings for Los Angeles, where his office and heart belong. He uses unconventional means to obtain building with the grandeur of the Schnabel house. "It is this specific aspect of Gehry's aesthetic, perhaps due to its historical connection with Constructivism, that has prompted whose who are more concerned with superficial appearances than content to label him as a 'Deconstructivist'." (Goldstein, 6) Eric Owen Moss uses his power to evoke significance to his structures. "Los Angeles, which is generally categorized as being a social barometer for the rest of a nation that consistently looks to it for new trends, the awareness of potential harm seems to be missing, with the debate carried out in the media centering around the question of public paranoia. While sociologists continue to discuss the extent to which such fear may be disproportionate-or not-architects must grapple with clients' perceptions of danger in a city that is a petri dish of cultural experimentation and racial mixtures. Eric Owen Moss has chosen to use the Lawson-Westen commission as a commentary on those perceptions. The dominant drum at the center of the house speaks to a similar, most basic instinct: the preservation of the best and most fragile parts of a cultural legacy-an intention which has historically been behind all great architecture." (Steele 30) 9. Illustrations
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