Architecture of the Modernist Period - Essay Example

MVRDV-WoZoCo, Amsterdam architecture as urban design in the 20th century Introduction This research paper is focused on modernist architecture of the 20th century. On the example of MVRDV-WoZoCo, Amsterdam architecture theories on modernism in architecture are considered further on. There is the following outline of the paper: Modernist concepts and theories overview; Modernist trends in WoZoCo’s housing for elderly people; Typological and technological features of the selected building; Design evaluation; Contribution to the modern architecture. Modernist concepts and theories The modern context of globalization requires more space and time. It is desirable to create and design such kind of buildings, where ergonomic concerns, social ideas, economic and architectural needs of the contemporaries are reflected in the innovative buildings. MRDV organization is presented further on as a group of innovative and creative designers and architects, which are named after the capital letters of their names. We can claim that MVRDV is the organization, showing the outstanding reflection of modernism in architecture. Starting from 90s this organization creates its innovative ideas and spreads them all over the world. There are two basic pillars in the philosophy of MRDV: these are density and space. Consequently, architectural masterpieces produced by this organization can be seen in different parts of the world. The unique constructions and buildings are really impressive and people are fascinated by a huge scope of ideas reflected in innovative vision of the organization’s founders. There is an interesting modernist approach, practiced by the developers of this organization. It implies that city is everywhere. In other words, we can claim that the buildings designed by the architects should be perfectly fitted into the urban landscape. It is an interesting vision if we locate a newly-created building into a three-dimensional relation. The audience around the building as a rule has a chance to complete the picture of a holistic vision of a newly designed building. We can also use a specially developed term for it, KM3 studies (MVRDV). In the modern world, where there is an overall density and there is a lack of space, the idea of vertical suburb cannot be left unmentioned (Architectural Review, 2005). There is a need to bring in something monumental in the modern architecture and buildings. Even social houses should be monumental, reflect modernist theories and innovative design ideas. In the result of KM3 theory 3D city emerges in the urbanism. It is a kind of an extensional design. The additional space can be found within newly created buildings. Therefore, MRDV promotes the idea of a creation of space-friendly innovative buildings. There is a need to combine different materials, shapes and colors in order to reach a specific harmony. In accordance with the theories of modernism in the architecture, it is relevant to generate space and be creative and innovative. MRDV is responsible for design and development of unique buildings and we are able to appraise these huge and immense building, full of space and airiness. The audience is impressed by the huge and impressive constructions and it is rather impressive to be a part of the modernity, when the most striking architectural ideas are brought into life. Modernist trends in WoZoCo’s housing for elderly people MRDV design group is rich with innovative ideas and modernist vision of architectural and real reality of the world. It is rather interesting for the contemporaries to take into account 3D architecture in order to position airy architecture and design as the dominant feature of the modern world. WoZoCo housing for elderly people in Amsterdam is a unique reflection of architectural modernist interpretation of urban building: “Thus the overhang volumes [in the building]: all the apartments that couldnt fit into the linear volume where hang on the northern side, with a east-west orientation” (MRDV). This building combines a social function and that is why it should reflect both the trending architectural ideas and social needs of its dwellers. A spirit of innovation is reflected in every balcony of this building, on every floor, in the materials and colors of it. Protuberant units are the supportive constructions, which are the basic ground elements for the building. It is rather intriguing and risky, but it is very attractive for the contemporaries. 11m long cantilevers are united in 100 apartments for elderly people. The main slab is supposed to be very strong, because the safety of other accommodations depends on it (Blobs, 2005). The most noticeable tendencies in the modern architecture are reflected in the following way: the main goal is to position humans in the interaction with universe. It is a kind of a mutually dependant relations, where a modern architect is free in his own space and is able to generate the most striking ideas. The constructional metamorphoses are relevant to the modern architectural context. There is a supposition that the “vertical suburb” has its roots in the DNA structure. We can also see the hanging units, which are often correlated with the ideas of the hypercube from Boolean algebra (Architectural Review, 2005). We can see that elderly people housing is authentic and unique. Color and materials are unique. We can see that the building looks alive and dynamic. Moreover, a rich color palette cannot remain unmentioned. The surrounding landscape is grey and there is a need to contribute much to developing a brighter picture of the environment. This building is a bright spot in this grey landscape, which was unattractive since 60s. There are deep and historical ideas in WoZoCos profile. The inventor of the core ideas was Cornelis Van Eesteren in 20s. In the former historical project, 87 apartments were supposed to emerge in an innovative architectural building. It was impossible to build 100 apartments, because in such a way the additional airing and space was endangered. WoZoCos did not steal space and air, but it managed to locate apartments for 100 people having preserved space and air. There are 13th units on the top of the building and it is rather hard to differentiate them from real parallelepipeds. The Boolean hypercube again appears in our minds. It is very interesting to trace the trends from different fields of science, which occur in the modernist architecture. The blurring of different trends and tendencies is the most noticeable feature of the modern world. These hanging units are also compared with hanging chessboards (Oddo 2005). Protrusion of units creates a dynamic nature of the building and there is an air of motion in this building. We can also see that colorful windows and balconies in the building are various in their styles and shapes, materials and structures. They are united by the common feature, which is protrusion. There is a different depth in the protruded units. The idea to save space “has turned Wozoco into one of the most original buildings in the panorama of contemporary architecture: the thirteen "surplus" units were literally hung from the facade north of the main body, like large projected boxes, and in this way avoided occupying even more land” (Amsterdam. Netherlands by MRDV).  Technological characteristics of the building Otto (2005) provides us with comprehensible data on technical characteristics of the building for elderly people. The size of the building is 10000 m². This building is attractive both for elderly people and the potential younger dwellers. There is a bright colorful palette of the building, as we have already mentioned, and we may suppose that reflection of geometrical innovations and other creative implications from different sciences are harmoniously reflected in this building. The dwellers of buildings around this housing are surely protected from a lack of sunlight. There is an initial intention to make the apartments brighter. In spite of numerous challenges and complexities in the process of architectural developments, there was an intention to forbid construction of north-facing living units. Oddo (2005) provides us with an apt description of the modernist trends reflected in the building: “The resulting design is ingenious, plastic, brightly coloured. It might remind one of a Mondrian painting in which the geometry of the coloured planes abandons the two dimensions to take on volume, or a chessboard with raised squares, all at different offset heights. The jutting girders are fit and connected with the main block inside the walls of these "extruded" volumes, which were built 8 cm thicker than originally planned for acoustic reasons” (Oddo 2005). The compositional vision of the loaded building structure is “decorated” with windows and balconies. We can trace incredible, light, colors and materials, which reflect immense and remarkable colors plasticity and variability of the designed building for social living. There is an evident north-south orientation of the building and we can see that this choice is justified in terms of the modern demands of the modernism in architecture and reflections of the urban style. There is a single-loaded corridor (Refer to Scheme 1, Appendix I). In such a way, sunlight is always available for the inhabitants of the building. It is very important for elderly people and thus the designers and architects reflect their main goal to comply with the needs of the inhabitants and reflect the interconnections with the different ideas of different fields of science. Moreover, we can correlate the idea of the building with a modular approach (Otto, 2005). There are standardized and monolithic units, but they look like disperse and dissolved units (Otto, 2005). There is a unique design decision, because the wooden protuberant units are the main basis for the building. There is an interesting interpretation of the modernist tendency in the architecture. Characteristics of the design Located: Amsterdam, Netherland The basis of Construction: armored concrete, steel beams Construction Type: 9-Storey apartment Completed: in 1997 Total Number of Apartments: 100 Architected by MVRDV Latitude/Longitude of the project is 52°2150N 04°4738E (Weber) Technological features of the construction Building developed for elderly people A monolithic building unit A concept of protuberant units A one-corridor building Modular concept of living units Air and space building (Weber) Suspended units are fitted by means of the cantilever beams. The designers used to make a sound isolation and walls were 8cm thicker. With the help of inexpensive and simple materials the designers managed to create a unique building (Wozoco’s Apartment, Westelijke Tuinsteden). As far as we can see, it is necessary to claim that economic, social and aesthetic issues were taken into account in the design process (Housing for the Elderly, 1997). A combination of modular apartment units and protuberant units is a modernist decision of MRDV. A masterpiece of urban design occurs and we can see the most striking moments of architectural decisions developed by MRDV (WoZoCo Amsterdam Apartment + Housing for Elderly by MVRDV, 1997). The building is within the street. The world is in it and it is in the world. There is a perfect interrelation and reflections of the housing and ergonomic features of the modern architectural context (See Appendix I, Scheme 2). Furthermore, we should mention that a monolithic block with the basis made of protuberant units is an economically safe design decision and a reflection of modernist ideas of the urbanization. It is on behalf of the architects to underline their ability to make a modernist architectural contribution, and comply with the social and economic concerns. In order the modern dwellers were satisfied with the newly designed buildings, it is desirable to combine various features and trends of architectural nature, issues of different sciences etc to reach the best result. It is necessary to reflect the relation of space and urban needs of the society and to make a dignified contribution in the modern architecture. To correlate a pretentious nature of a newly-erected building with pragmatic wants and needs o the contemporaries is the best way to counter-balance architectural and social needs of the modern world context. The urban needs and extraordinary character of the building for the elderly people resulted in its pretentiousness nature and modern architectural developments and trends. We live under conditions of decreasing space and that is why it is interesting to find the ways of preserving space and air in the world. WoZoCo has initiated a project, which is the source of a new space. There is an evident originality in design project of WoZoCo and the public interest in the architecture is on the rise. There is no need for linear building. It is more relevant to develop vertical and hanging units. MVRDV is an organization of courageous trendsetters and brave innovators. To build economically and environmentally friendly building is the perfect way to promote architectural innovations of modernism. Works cited 1. Amsterdam. Netherlands by MRDV. Web. [Accessed 03 March 2012]. 2. Bling, Blobs. Burgeoning: Problems of Figure; Architecture Has Become More and More Gestural in Its Searches for Monumentality and the Race for Iconic Status. The Architectural Review 217 (1297) (Anon. 2005), p. 72+. 3. Housing for the Elderly. Architecture & Urbanism 8 (323) (Anon. Aug 1997), pp. 45-57. 4. MVRDV. Official site of MVRDV. [Accessed 03 March 2012]. 5. Oddo, F. WoZoCos Apartments for Elderly People. Web. [Accessed 03 March 2012]. 6. Weber, J., 2009. MIMOA Amsterdam Projects. Create Guide. Web. [Accessed 03 March 2012]. 7. WoZoCo Amsterdam Apartment + Housing for Elderly by MVRDV. 9 Oct. 2009. Web. [Accessed 03 March 2012]. 8. WoZoCo. Web. [Accessed 03 March 2012]. 9. Wozoco’s Apartment, Westelijke Tuinsteden. Amsterdam, Netherlands. Web. [Accessed 03 March 2012]. 10. WoZoCos Apartments for Elderly People. Web. [Accessed 03 March 2012]. Appendix I Scheme 1. Fifth floor plan (MVRDV). Scheme 2. Contribution to streetscape (MVRDV). Picture 1. WoZoCos Apartments for Elderly People (MVRDV). Read More