Monday, April 23, 2012

RR12

RR12
"After World War II, in the face of massive housing shortages in bombed-out towns and cities, most municipalities quickly adopted regulations that allowed for modernist housing blocks to be built, which fundamentally changed the urban landscape of Europe." -- (Ching p766)



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A good example (and one of the first examples) of this allowance and change of Europe's landscape is the structure known as the Berlin Philharmonic Hall.
  • It was designed in 1956 to 1963 by the designer, Hans Bernahard Scharoun.
  • Scharoun was a German architect that was known for his expressionistic style before the war, but had little experience aside from villas.
  • When commissioned for the job, Berlin's people were hoping that his design would stand out amongst the drab buildings springing up after the war.

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"Against the backdrop, a few big cities were able to create high-end commissions that allowed architects more freedom to experiment.  This engendered the prestige commission, an important driver of advanced architectural thinking." -- (Ching p766)
  • At first appearance, the exterior of the Hall looks to be several buildings compressed into each other.
  • The interior is organized symmetrically around the orchestra, yet the seating differs in that balconies face all directions and surround the musicians' platform.
  • Both have an expression of inward out and forward from within, both also appear compressed.

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  • The overall impression is of a ship, with golden-hued metal, diving sharply into the landscape.
  • It was treated conceptually like a large boat, elevated below from columns.
  • The entrance is through a conventional lobby, similar to a boat's hull, that then allocates distribution of the people to their designated places.
"The plan has had many imitators, the most recent being the projected design for the Elbe Philharmonic Hall in Hamburg, Germany, by the firm, Herzog &de Meuron." -- (Ching p766)
It is easy to see how the design of this building has inspired so many others, probably the Guggenheim and possibly the Sydney Opera house.   Immitation pays hommage to previous designers, but for the people of Berlin during this time it did something much more.  It provided something different and inspiring for a people that obviously needed exactly that.   This is what all design should attempt to do, even today.  This building, even today, should continue to inspire, at least designers, so that they can better the lives of those around.

Ching, Frank, Mark Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. Print.
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