Andy
Shepherd
4/3/2013
Geometry
Art and Architecture
Postmodern
Architecture
Postmodern
architecture is the newest style of architecture following modern architecture. Postmodern architecture first appeared in
the1950 in America and soon moved to Europe, but did not become a movement until the 70’s
when writer and historian Charles Jenks first coined the term postmodern in a
magazine.
The movement started as a result of
disappointment in the modernist movement.
People were disappointed by the fact
that Modernism striped building of ornaments that created eye appeal and left
only the functional parts of buildings. To solve this problem architects merged
aesthetics with functionalism.
One of the main principles of postmodern
architecture is “anything goes” resulting in no set outline for architects to
follow, but it does have common characteristics of pluralism, irony, paradox, and contextualize.
Postmodern architecture can be fairly
easily recognized. Although
there is no set visual outline, the most common visual theme is rounded edges and curve or
the absence of strait lines.
Other common themes are the use ornaments, objects that serve
no functional purpose at all only visual and the characteristics of pluralism, irony, paradox, and contextualize; for example a skyscraper
with Greek orders columns. The simplest way to
recognize is if you can’t recognize it,
this is because of the principle of “anything goes”.
The list of postmodern architects is slim, but the most famous of them is Robert Venturi. Robert Venturi wrote many books such as Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, which encouraged people to think about buildings differently. Venturi also modified Mies van der Rohe’s quote “less is more” to “less is a bore”. Venturi started an architecture firm that designed buildings for colleges and in buildings in London and Japan. Another famous architect is Aldo Rossi. Rossi was born in Milan italy, in 1931 and studied at Politecnico di Milano. HE designed many famous buildings in Italy like the Teatro Carlo Felice, an opera house utilizing iron in its design.
Some of the most famous postmodern buildings are: the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia designed by César Pelli and was the tallest building in the world from 1998-2004; The Wells Fargo tower in Minneapolis and also designed by César Pelli; and the Sydney opera house designed by Jørn Utzon.
Postmodern architecture can be described as the materialization of today’s diversity.
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