Less is More, and More is Great

Monocular, binocular; to see a building, try triocular vision. Millennia ago, Roman architect and writer Vitruvius determined that architecture has three solid qualities: “firmness, commodity and delight.” Firmness concerns the stability of a building, the necessity of shelter. Commodity is the budget of establishment, while delight covers aesthetics and enjoyment. It was not as much innovative thinking, but perceptive classification. Vitruvius found aspects that apply through today, ones that maintain a presence in the mind of an architect (and now hopefully in mine and yours).

My internship at Abell & Associates, Ltd. started only yesterday, but my brain has already flipped a few times. It’s been me, Mr. Abell, a lot of new jargon, quotes, theories, “I don’t know”s, and famous architects (who I didn’t meet, but hey, I learned about them). In short, it’s pretty incredible. Here are a few of the people and buildings I’ve learned about:

Spanish Santiago Calatrava created this science museum in Valencia. He is also responsible for the pavilion at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Both are stunning in steel in glass.

German Mies van der Rohe made the Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois in 1951. He was the person who first said, "Less is more," and his belief is evidently in his work.

On a more personal level, today Mr. Abell and I went on an outstanding “urban adventure” in downtown Tempe and Phoenix. Between the upside down pyramid of Tempe City Hall and the ornateness of the Orpheum theatre, Mr. Abell told me about the histories of the buildings and the structural features that were made to interest and help viewers. For example, the Wyndham Hotel, which grew from the historic Adams Hotel, has windows that were formed in a way that shields the rooms from the high sun of summer, and allows the low sun to warm the rooms during winter solstice. Basically, the architect seemed to go for a cheese grater.

(It’s a good thing we were walking so quickly, because I probably would have kept kicking myself for not having my digital camera. Hah, guess I’ll have to settle for the internet instead.)

The main reason we were in the city was to attend a talk by Don Ryden, one of his fellows at the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The presentation was "Mid-Century Marvels: Commercial Architecture of Phoenix," and it was a well-spoken call for historic preservation. After surviving the Great Depression and the World Wars, architects found a need for "Optimistic Architecture." Interestingly, this is in contrast to now, our "Age of Hope," because hope can have the subtext that something is wrong. In collaboration with the Phoenix Office of Historic Preservation, Ryden wants people to be aware of this history and to find the beauty that has clearly evolved over years and years. For instance, a modernist 1950s bank had features from Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West, which had inspiration from the Southwest Native American ruins. It is part of a study and love of the past. When it comes to historic preservation, Ryden seems to add nostalgia as a fourth leg to Vitruvius' "Three Legs of Architecture," which is not a bad attachment at all.

In conclusion, I have too much to talk about! All this history, philosophy and facts in just 2 days... can't wait until next week.

P.S. Excuse the strange appearance of this entry. Silly copy and paste.