Level of Abstraction in Architecture in Australia - Case Study Example

Running Head: Level of Abstraction in Architecture in Australia     Name       Course         Instructor           Date       This paper sets out to review how the works of Alexander Tzannes and Engelen Moore have contributed in changing the levels of abstraction in architecture (specifically in Australia), through the conceptual architectural creative thinking processes from the initial stages of design problem solving to the final implementation of results in order to achieve the best designs of architecture.  In essence, they apply the built environment concept.1  The paper closely examines the built environment concept that has been used by Tzannes and Moore in their practices and it is decisively characterized by their ability to design buildings of outstanding creative content.  Australia has revolted to a more sustainable continent with an exciting, extremely rich urban practice. It is being recognized as a great urban destination defined by its architecture, publicly accessible spaces, and structures/buildings that create cultural value.  Many of these works has been brought into being by great and famous architects like Alexander Tzannes and Ian Moore. Built environment are the man made surroundings that provides a place for human activities and it is characterized by three levels of abstractions2.  They include - Architecture & Environmental Psychology – which acknowledges majority of surroundings in a particular environment already exist, landscape architecture – which acknowledges that man made surroundings may posses qualities of a natural environment for example the opera house in Sydney have the looks and feeling of a natural environment but it is in fact a man made surrounding  and finally Urban Planning which acknowledges that man made surroundings are preserved or rather relies on the natural surrounding such as the sun for solar power, dams for hydropower and the like. For over ten years architects Moore and Tzannes have been of a major contribution in these levels of abstraction and modernization of architecture in Australia by applying the concept of built environment. The extent of their efforts ranges from designing single scale residential projects to large scale urban industrial projects. Their works in Sydney - Australia portrays great practice of professionalism in architecture in terms of developing and testing new ideas as well as reworking well defined methodologies and designs in built environment. Despite Alexander’s and Engelen numerous contribution and modernization to the levels of abstraction in Australia they have faced a lot of critics from various writers and historians. Architectural magazines portray buildings as exceptional by use of modern technology to exaggerate the buildings attributes. In this modern era, the manipulation of buildings using the latest technology ensures that buildings are of commercial value; after all, architectural products must be sold in the marketplace. This creates the impression of idealizing the subject without clearly assessing the factual value of the object. In most cases, photographers are given a commission by the architecture, and thus the photographer relation with the architecture is a business like relationship. Moore and Tzanne are therefore among architects who have been criticized for the symbiotic relationship between them and their buildings. That is, photographers require classic buildings to photograph and architects need the photographer’s services to promote and create demand for a new design. Naomi Stead is among the critics of Engelen Moore. According to her, Moore’s work is interesting not because it is gestural, expressive or idiosyncratic but because the Moore’s firm leans more towards the older idea in architecture that is less glamorous. The firm aims at refining and repeating patterns. The firm’s main interest is the planning of spatial arrangements which are tested on various projects which in turn gives the firm a level of inconsistence that is not usual. For instance, Naomi has a different view in regard to the New Rooftop Residential Apartment by Engelen Moore, which she says that “there are tucked behind the existing façade of the Oxford Foundry building”. According to Naomi, the ideas resemble with the Sydney developments and this further echoes her critics of Engelen Moore’s work that Moore’s architecture is less glamorous. This gives Moore’s work a feeling that it only has less local disparities3.   Another concern registered by Naomi in regard to Moore’s work is that his work is hard - edged and this will in most cases chase away the customers. While Moore may insist on designing his projects in a certain aspect that is too sophisticated and has high standards of constructing the project, the customer may on the other hand insist on the otherwise and has his/her own ideas of the project. Failure to include such customer tastes in the project by designing high class constructions will in most cases chase away the customer.  According to Wilson (2006), Ian Engelen Moore has significantly contributed to the continuance and development of abstraction.  This has been achieved through the AIR. Air is a thirty seven residential tower which was developed and designed by Ian Moore. According to Wilson, air is a stylish addition to the gold coast city skyline.  The galleries are said to present modeling to the frontage, while powered, vertical aluminum louvers are used to reduce glare.  The slanting views which are observed from the streets divulge the multifaceted slotted form of the crossbreed tower. When observed form the beach the tower is dissected from the platform.  This also to greater extent contributes to the continuation of the level of abstraction in architecture.  The stylish structural frames embedded in the building offer another layer of differentiation. The residential tower that is Air is the most stylish and innovative apartment development in the area. The building reveals that the when working the design outcomes should not at any one time be compromised. Very precise retorts to complex site environment, the vertical mounting of architectural program and infrastructure offers ideas to another kind of density that could probably make possible the projected population increase in the world. Thus Ian Moore work has to a great extent contributed to the continuation of abstraction in the architectural world4. Michael Walters has written about the 138 Barcom Avenue as one of Engelen Moore’s project that did not attract professionals to the apartments. The apartments as Michael writes were in an unfriendly neighborhood that did not have any views and had no exposure especially to the northern sun. However, in collaboration with John McGrath, they both transformed the 138 Barcom Avenue to adorable architecture work that did not just make maximum use of the units which were available. To effectively do this, they developed the apartments to suit the modern lifestyles where people need more space, spacious balconies and where the apartments could get the daylight sun. The 138 Barcom Avenue was an opportunity that Moore used to turn the problems that were facing the 138 Barcom Avenue to an advantage in such a way that people bought the 26 units that were residential before the actual construction began5. This is a clear indication of the way Moore’s work has led to the development of the level of abstraction in Australia such that people architects have to design impressive buildings for the buildings to sell of which failure to do so, results in people not buying the apartments.   Philip Goad defines Tzannes as a person who is in pursuit of fine details in architecture rather than a person who is interested in the images that are created by architectural designs. This he based his argument on the way his family home is designed in Sydney on Cooper Park. The house is described as one that responds to the site in which it is situated in. Philip does not criticize Tzanne rather he accords him respect for the way he has contributed to the development of architecture in Australia. He further demonstrates this by saying that continuity coupled with tradition cannot contribute to the “architecture wow” but the good taste of the architecture defines it all and thus, he defines Alexander Tzannes as elegant and sophisticated6. According to Rory, federation pavilion is located at a historic site in Australia. The pavilion contains evidence to sites magnificent past and it can aid greatly in understanding the history behind federation pavilion. The pavilion was designed by architect Alexander Tzanne as a centenary to his victory when he won a competition to design enduring headstone to a federation in centennial parklands. The plan of the building included the whole landscape of federation valley and was designed in form of a circle. A symmetrically planned marble was laid in the interior of the building to provide a solemn and calm setting for the inventive federation stone. The current pavilion portrays a marble hexagon sandstone ceiling mounted on top of the original sandstone obelisk. Every side of the pavilion is imprinted with a state and the data that the state was established. Elements of both European and aboriginal were used. The artwork which lines the base of the arena of the Pavilion is a tableau of 1,440 vitreous enameled steel panes.  Light is reproduced from both the middle overhead oculus and from water in the stainless steel channel hidden behind the emblazoned sandstone wall painting. The focal point of the wall painting inhabits only a small part of the auditorium7.  Thus with the consideration of the design of federation pavilion, Alec Tzanne Has contributed greatly to the continuation and development of abstraction. Bibliography Day, Norman. Sydney's Haut Gout: The High Flavored Taste. Architecture Australia 71, 1 (January1982): 27-33. Goad, Philip.Sydney Civility. Architecture Australia 89, 4 (September-October 2000): 86-89. Spence, Rory. The Federation Pavilion Competition. Architecture Bulletin (February 1986): 8-13. Stead, Naomi. Modern Composition. Monument 67 (2005): 82-88. Walters, Michael. 138 Barcom Avenue, Sydney. Architectural Record 192, 11(November 2004):208-213 Wilson, Andrew. Air. Architecture Australia 95, 4 (July-August 2006): 62-69. Read More