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Frank Gehry: Deconstructivism

Frank Gehry is known for his deconstructivist architectural style. Some key works include the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, which features an irregular metal exterior inspired by sailboats, and Santa Monica Place, an outdoor shopping mall with open spaces and pedestrian connections. Gehry experiments with materials and forms, removing walls and adding elements at odd angles to create a sense of movement. While his works defy categorization, they are consistent with California "funk" art and often incorporate elements of deconstruction.
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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
657 views24 pages

Frank Gehry: Deconstructivism

Frank Gehry is known for his deconstructivist architectural style. Some key works include the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, which features an irregular metal exterior inspired by sailboats, and Santa Monica Place, an outdoor shopping mall with open spaces and pedestrian connections. Gehry experiments with materials and forms, removing walls and adding elements at odd angles to create a sense of movement. While his works defy categorization, they are consistent with California "funk" art and often incorporate elements of deconstruction.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

FRANK GEHRY

DECONSTRUCTIVISM

AIM : TO ENACT A MEMOIR OF FRANK GEHRY’S ARCHITECTURAL WORK


OBJECTIVES
• TO PORTRAY FRANK GEHRY’S ARCHITECTURAL WORK
• TO UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION TO DECONSTRUCTIVISM
• TO COMPARE FRANK GEHRY’S CONTRASTING WORK
• TO ANALYSE FRANK GEHRY’S GENERAL APPROACH TO DESIGN
FRANK GEHRY
• Gehry was born Frank Owen Goldberg[1] on February
28, 1929, in Toronto, Ontario
• A creative child, he was encouraged by his
grandmother, Leah Caplan,[8] with whom he would
build little cities out of scraps of wood
• His family immigrated to the United States, settling in
California. Gehry graduated with a Bachelor of
Architecture degree from the University of Southern
California in 1954.
• He moved his family to Cambridge, where he
studied city planning at the Harvard Graduate School of
Design.
• Gehry's left-wing ideas about socially responsible
architecture were under-realized, and the final straw
occurred when he sat in on a discussion of one
professor's "secret project in progress"—a palace that
he was designing for right-wing Cuban
dictator Fulgencio Batista (1901–1973).
CAREER
• Gehry returned to Los Angeles to work
for Victor Gruen Associates, to whom he
had been apprenticed while at the USC
School of Architecture. In 1957 he was
given the chance to design his first private
residence at the age of 28, with friend and
old classmate Greg Walsh.
• He moved to Paris, where he worked for
architect Andre Remondet
• In 1962, Gehry established a practice in
Los Angeles, earliest commissions were all
in Southern California, where he designed
a number of innovative commercial
structures such as Santa Monica
Place (1980) and residential buildings such
as the eccentric Norton House (1984) in
Venice, California.
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
• Said to "defy categorisation", Gehry's
work reflects a spirit of
experimentation coupled with a respect
for the demands of professional
practice and has remained largely
unaligned with broader stylistic
tendencies or movements.
• Continually working between given
circumstances and unanticipated
materializations, he has been assessed
as someone who "made us produce
buildings that are fun, sculpturally
exciting, good experiences", although
his approach may become "less
relevant as pressure mounts to do more
with less".
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
• Gehry's style at times seems unfinished or
even crude, but his work is consistent with
the California "funk" art movement in the
1960s and early 1970s, which featured the
use of inexpensive found objects and
nontraditional media such as clay to make
serious art.
• His works always have at least some
element of deconstructivism
• Gehry has been called "the apostle of
chain-link fencing and corrugated metal
siding".[58] However, a retrospective
exhibit at New York's Whitney Museum in
1988 revealed that he is also a
sophisticated classical artist, who knows
European art history and contemporary
sculpture and painting
DECONSTRUCTIVISM

• Deconstructivism is a movement
of postmodern architecture which appeared
in the 1980s. It gives the impression of the
fragmentation of the constructed building,
commonly characterised by an absence of
obvious harmony, continuity, or symmetry
• Its name is a portmanteau
of Constructivism and "Deconstruction", a
form of semiotic analysis developed by the
French philosopher Jacques Derrida.
• Besides fragmentation, deconstructivism
often manipulates the structure's surface
skin and deploys non-rectilinear shapes
which appear to distort and
dislocate established elements of
architecture. The finished visual appearance
is characterized by unpredictability and
controlled chaos
Modernism and Post
Modernism
• The term Deconstructivism in contemporary
architecture is opposed to the ordered
rationality of Modernism and Postmodernism.
• Deconstructivism took a confrontational stance
to architectural history, wanting to
"disassemble" architecture.
• While postmodernism returned to embrace the
historical references that modernism had
shunned, possibly ironically, deconstructivism
rejected the postmodern acceptance of such
references, as well as the idea of ornament as
an after-thought or decoration.
• One example of deconstructivist complexity
is Frank Gehry's Vitra Design Museum in Weil-
am-Rhein, which takes the typical unadorned
white cube of modernist art galleries and
deconstructs it, using geometries reminiscent of
cubism and abstract expressionism
DECONSTRUCTIVIST PHILOSOPHY

The presupposition is that architecture is a language capable of


communicating meaning and of receiving treatments by methods of
linguistic philosophy. The dialectic of presence and absence, or solid
and void occurs in much of Eisenman's projects, both built and unbuilt.
Both Derrida and Eisenman believe that the locus, or place of presence,
is architecture, and the same dialectic of presence and absence is found
in construction and deconstructivism.
CONTEMPORARY ART

COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN


CRITICAL RESPONSES
• Critics of deconstructivism see it
as a purely formal exercise with
little social significance.
• Kenneth Frampton finds it "elitist
and detached“
• Nikos Salingaros calls
deconstructivism a "viral
expression" that invades design
thinking in order to build
destroyed forms
GEHRY RESIDENCE
• Gehry actually kept the old Dutch colonial
house, but not in a conventional manner, the new
residence was built around the old
• Holes were made, walls were thrown and were
rebuilt and the quiet old house became a loud
cry contemporary
• The architect’s experimentation with new
materials is very noticeable, like the new look
experienced in a simple two-story bungalow
• The Santa Monica home is not a new house built
by the architect, but a modification of an
existing building, changing the shape, extending,
adding new materials and completely changing
the appearance.
“… I loved the idea of ​leaving the
house intact… I came up with the
idea of ​building a new home
about. We were told there were
ghosts in the house… I decided
they were ghosts of cubism.
Windows… I wanted to make
them look like they’re dragging.
At night, since the glass is tilted
reflect light… So when you are
sitting at this table all these cars
are passing by, you see the moon
in the wrong place… the moon is
there but it reflects here… and you
think it’s there and do not know
where the hell are you… ” Frank
Gehry
SPACES
• Gehry used corrugated layers of metal boxes
Cubist skylights and windows to create a
larger sense of space and movement implied
in the kitchen and dining room.
• He removed the walls to expose the wooden
structure, which is the method of
construction of the building
• Before starting the process, Gehry made a
list of the positive and negative qualities of
the building:
• Exterior Positive: A giant euphorbia in the backyard

• Interior Positive: plywood walls in the studio, narrow plank


floors oak paneled windows

• Negative: the neighborhood is occupied by buildings.


• Gehry covered outside the house
with a new and unusual skin, used a
wrapping process, a montage of
fences around construction.
• Used for the outer layers of
corrugated sheet metal, with new
walls that stand in odd angles and
awnings that continue beyond the
house to partially enclose a private
courtyard.
• Two wired glass cubes form a link
between the old house and the new
layer.
Along Washington Avenue, a large
glass cube looks momentarily
interposed between the old and the
new structure of the house, its form
echoes the overhead trellis
• The cube light flooded kitchen
space while maintaining privacy.
SANTA MONICA
PLACE
• Santa Monica Place is an
outdoor shopping mall in Santa
Monica, California

• The mall spans 3 levels and is


anchored by Nordstrom. The mall
also features a movie theater,
called ArcLight Cinemas.
• The new Santa Monica Place
changes an obsolete, enclosed, multi-
level mall into a dynamic urban heart
that celebrates the cultural and
geographic openness that makes
Santa Monica a great place to live,
work, play and visit.
• The Jerde Partnership set out to
create a vibrant and intimate public
setting rather than a shopping center.
Blending timeless urban principles
that predate conventional malls with
its organic approach to retail design,
Jerde carefully and intricately wove
the project into the existing city
fabric.
• The firm opened up the mall by
removing the roof, creating generous
open spaces, and establishing pedes-
trian connections that extend the
famous Third Street Promenade and
strengthen the surrounding city core
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
• The Walt Disney Concert
Hall, designed by the
architect Frank Gehry,
opened in 2003 after many
years of gestation.
• The design represents the
style of their creator,
architect Frank Gehry,
could be considered a work
of art in itself. The
extravagance of its forms
seems to defy any rules of
harmony and symmetry.
The forms are external
inspired by a boat with sails
drenched.
• Inside the corrugated metal shell and the
seeming disorder, is developing the program
in four functional levels
• The main access is via a large public space
that is generated in the same spot. The main
entrance connects with the existing facilities
of the Music Center. A secondary access,
located at the corner formed by the streets
Second Street and Grand Avenue, provides a
direct access to the gardens.
• The hall is accessible from the street. From
there we reach the various spaces of the
complex. At the field level is located an area
of 3,000 m2 for exhibitions, along with a
restaurant and service areas.
• On the north side of the level of access and
forming a volume that stands out the set, is
located the Founders Room, a space with
lounge and cafeteria.
• Towards the south side, on a volume
prismatic lengthened, the offices are located.
The park has a capacity of almost 2,200 cars
and is distributed in 7 levels. From there you
can directly access the interior of the
building via escalators.
• The most important space
within the complex is the
auditorium for 2265 people
• This room was designed with
extreme care in the acoustic
quality.
• Designed to look like the hull
of a ship, the curved wood
ceiling evokes the sails of the
boat.
• The auditorium is equipped
with natural light, through
lucarne and a wide window on
the back side of the room.
• The curves of the ceiling and
the provision of internal walls
improve the acoustics spreading
the sound and producing more
thoughts, adding warmth and
resonance.
ANALYSIS
• Venturi called for architecture that is hybrid, diverse, messy, and
compromised, architecture that imbodies unity of inclusion rather
than exclusion.
• At that time, the Canadian architect Frank Gehry was just starting his
professional private career, with having his pre-qualities and the filed
freely wide open for contributions, as a result, Gehry succeeded to
set a new dimension of postmodern architecture.
• Gehry’s works lay under de-constructivism, which is a late
postmodern approach in architecture that has developed from
Semiotics by the French philosopher Jacques Derrida.
• Further, it encourages radical freedom of form and the open
manifestation of complexity in a building rather than strict attention
to functional concerns and conventional design elements such as
right angles or grids
• Deconstructivist architecture requires the existence of a definite
archetypal construction, so that it can be deconstructed.
• The best example of this technique that can be seen in Gehry designs
is Gehry’s Santa Monica Residence
• Another approach which is very obvious in all Gehry designs is the
absolute rejection of an ideal form or a perfect shape for a particular
activity
• Gehry uses the free play approach, creating and designing curvy
unconventional gravity-defying buildings, combined with the use of
strange unordinary materials such as corrugated metal, stainless
steel, special types of glass, and even titanium.
• The issue of history and place was an important consideration by
Gehry in the creating and designing of The Bilbao effect

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Gehry's architectural works manifest tension between tradition and modernity through his integration of traditional forms with avant-garde expressions. His renovations often maintain elements of the original structure while infusing them with modern materials and deconstructivist shapes, as seen in his Santa Monica Residence . Gehry respects traditional construction techniques but simultaneously employs innovative design strategies that challenge conventional aesthetics, such as non-linear forms and non-rectilinear shapes . This juxtaposition of preserving historical context while embracing modernist innovation highlights the dynamic interplay between past and present in Gehry's portfolio .

Frank Gehry's architectural style embodies the principles of deconstructivism through its embrace of fragmentation, unpredictability, and the manipulation of surface skins. Gehry's works often lack obvious harmony, continuity, or symmetry, reflecting a departure from conventional architectural norms . His design approach includes non-rectilinear shapes that convey a sense of controlled chaos, consistent with deconstructivist themes . Gehry's buildings, such as the Vitra Design Museum, deconstruct traditional forms to create complex geometries reminiscent of cubism, aligning with the deconstructivist objective to challenge architectural conventions .

Material selection in Frank Gehry's projects is crucial to his architectural expression and aligns with his philosophy of innovation and experimentation. Gehry frequently utilizes unconventional materials like corrugated metal and stainless steel, which contribute to the raw, unfinished aesthetic of his structures, reminiscent of the California 'funk' art movement . This choice of materials supports the deconstructivist principle of complexity and unpredictability, allowing Gehry to deconstruct traditional building forms and create visually dynamic designs . His use of materials supports both aesthetic interests and functional requirements, contributing to the distinctiveness of his architectural works .

Gehry's design philosophy reflects broader postmodern trends through its rejection of modernist purity and embrace of complexity and contradiction. Unlike postmodernists who use historical references often with irony, Gehry deconstructs these elements to challenge aesthetic conventions . His work incorporates diverse, often conflicting materials and forms, aligning with postmodernism's hybridity and inclusivity . Gehry’s architecture disrupts traditional linear forms, opting for radical freedom of expression that mirrors postmodernism’s embrace of complexity and deviation from functionalist design, making his work a distinctive part of the postmodern discourse .

Gehry’s Santa Monica Residence exemplifies deconstructivist architecture through its embrace of fragmentation and anti-conventional structures. Gehry retained the original house and built around it, creating a drastic juxtaposition between old and new . He used new materials like corrugated metal and glass cubes that connect different parts of the structure in asymmetrical and unexpected ways . By altering typical components, such as windows and walls, in unusual angles and with an unexpected skin of materials, Gehry challenges traditional residential design, fully embodying the deconstructivist principle of rejecting architectural norms .

Criticisms of deconstructivism include accusations of it being a formal exercise with little social significance and elitism in design . In Gehry's work, such criticisms manifest as views that his structures prioritize aesthetics over functionality, sometimes at the expense of broader environmental or social contexts . Gehry's designs, like the Walt Disney Concert Hall, are seen as prioritizing artistic form over considerations such as cost efficiency or environmental impact, illustrating the tension between artistic ambition and practical utility inherent in deconstructivist architecture .

The Walt Disney Concert Hall epitomizes Frank Gehry's architectural philosophy of creating forms that defy traditional harmony and symmetry while embodying artistic expression . The concert hall's exterior resembles a ship with sails, showcasing Gehry's preference for curvaceous, complex shapes over conventional design elements like right angles . The interior is designed for superior acoustic performance, reflecting his commitment to functional expertise while challenging aesthetic norms . This combination of rigor and creativity exemplifies Gehry's deconstructivist approach, integrating complex forms with practical utility .

Frank Gehry's early experiences, such as building miniature cities from wood scraps with his grandmother, nurtured his creativity and experimental approach to architecture . His education at the University of Southern California and his exposure to social responsibility in architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design contributed to his unique design philosophy that favors innovative, non-traditional materials and forms . These experiences laid the groundwork for his later embrace of deconstructivism, reflected in his rejection of symmetry and conventional structure .

Gehry's educational background and early career experiences significantly shaped his architectural approach. His study of architecture at the University of Southern California and city planning at Harvard provided a foundation in both technical skills and social awareness . Working under Victor Gruen and later Andre Remondet exposed him to modernist principles and European art influences, respectively, which informed his unique take on deconstructivism . His exposure to the 'funk' art movement in California infused his work with an experimental edge and a preference for unconventional materials, which became a hallmark of his distinctive style .

Frank Gehry incorporates historical and cultural context in his buildings by considering the location and history of the site in his designs, as seen in his concept of 'The Bilbao Effect.' This approach emphasizes a transformative impact that a striking architectural piece can have on a location's cultural and economic vitality . Gehry's design for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao integrates the city’s industrial heritage through the use of materials like titanium, which resonates with the location’s aesthetic and cultural history, while simultaneously breaking conventional architectural boundaries to attract international attention and stimulate tourism .

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