By michael-leonard creditor / flexible fotography
This month’s A Photographic Look is dedicated to architect Robert Venturi who died last month at the age of 93. While a vocal proponent for what became known as Post-Modern architecture, he (along with his partner Denise Scott Brown) made good buildings in other styles, too. I just hope he doesn’t try redesigning the pearly gates.
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While I have a definite partiality for Art Deco, I enjoy and appreciate all types or categories of architecture. For me, a structure just has to make design sense no matter what form or style the design might take. (Not being out of place in its location also helps a bunch.)
What I mean is that whatever form the design had in the architect’s mind, must have a reason, a functional basis in reality—not just be something different for its own sake, or something added-on just for the adding of it. I am not fond of Post-Modern architecture for this reason. Go look at The Aventine in La Jolla for an example. The tiny windows I understand (it’s more the perspective of the large wall area), but why are those little adornments there? That doesn’t mean a building can’t have some feature that is intended just for decoration. Just that it should be done well, not simply added-on as if from a catalog.
On the other hand, the fancifully-conceived structures in Antonio Calatrava’s Cuidad de la Artes y Ciencias in Valencia, Spain all serve their functions before being astoundingly beautiful designs. Another example is the classic, traditional step-up design on many (millions of?) buildings, the architecture is functional first, then the design takes over to make some of them good, others bad… and a few extraordinary.
Notice all those swooshy, upswept rooflines around town? A nice little addition when they were new, the swoop roof shows how something good isn’t good anymore when you see it just added-on everywhere. Same with their geometric opposite: the arc-roofs that were very popular a few years ago. They were everywhere, especially on sports-themed buildings.
San Diego architecture gets bashed a lot, mostly with good reason. But there are also many buildings—and parts of buildings—that I think successfully realize their designer’s ideals. Of course, beauty being where it is, you may not agree that all (or even any) of these illustrates good architecture. But, I hope it gets you thinking about it. Comments are welcomed. Oh, and here is the first Orchids & Onions report.
I hope it gets you thinking about it because my birthday is next month and I’m gonna celebrate it here by showing off a bunch of just some of my own personal favorite architectural images of all kinds, from all over.
I chose to limit this collection to structures still standing; I didn’t think it’s fair to delve into history to show that there is good architecture in town. And, I’m not mentioning the designers of these buildings because I don’t want to write that much. Also, I am omitting the two — that’s right, only two — San Diego buildings that have actually won major national awards for their design and architecture. Brownie points if you know which buildings they are.
All photos © michael-leonard creditor / full-size images @ flexible fotography
Micporte says
architecture, must be from some Greek words meaning how to fuck the environment with ego, studied architecture at Berkeley in the 70’s, dropped out because I did not want to design housing developments to the edge of the horizon, or industrial parks most boring or rich people’s ridiculous ego trip homes…or inner city redevelopments exclusive to rich people… let us please NOT pay excessive money to architect dramas..like I have seen for decades, and studied in school, they will just fall apart, new unstudied materials, ego ego ego, and no sustainability, and that goes for Frank Lloyd Wright, nice vision, no sustainability… keep it simple, and small is beautiful, oh ye architects…
Micporte says
You know how when you close your door to a crack you generate a more powerful air courant ?well, I would say design a wind electric generator in every door edge to help power the home…