Wednesday, March 31, 2010
FINAL WEEK - VILLA MULLER - ADOLF LOOS
The atmosphere surrounding life, culture and politics was in a state of upheaval at the time of the Muller house's conception. In Adolf Loos' revolutionary publication Ornament and Crime, Loos postulates what is essentially the very embodiment of modernism. The elimination and abandonment of unnecessary ornament to generate a sense of evolution of culture led to a pure functionalist way of thinking.
Which leads me to the essence of the Muller House and that is the sense of progression. Now progression is personified at many levels in the Muller House. The white cubical mass with unassuming window openings plays false piety towards the traditional surrounds.
Spatial explorations are carried out in the variation of floor heights through out the house. The overt use of stairs brings forward a strong vertical unification of space. The richness inherent in the interior provides depth and scale. The use of marble without mouldings plays at a 'poor aristocratic class'. It is an introduction of materials that were previously destined for the noble being available in a normal person's house exemplifies his Ornament and Crime essay.
There is a symbolic progression in the journey through to the top floor, where the occupant can observe through a carefully placed window, the Prague Cathedral. The pathway to this sacred view is a symbolic suggestion of the progression to a higher place. The spatial planning demonstrates thought over rigid tradition. The idea of framing this view to give a sense of place would not have occurred in the traditional sense. In a classical building the windows are set to a stringent grid, whereas here the place dictates placement of elements.
The Muller house represents a geode. That is the out side is very plain where the inside is quite decadent. This idea of spatial transitions and journey can be seen in historical precedence. Take the Alhambra Mosque in Granada for example, here you are presented with a very plain exterior, but as you enter the complex you are overwhelmed with beauty and astonishment. This is giving you a sense of journey which in parallel is happening in the Muller House. The surprising and unexpected complexity of the internal spatial arrangement is an extract of the diamonds inside the geode.
The Raumplan composition which consists of asymmetrical, vertically changing floor plans is a revolutionary proposal. Theses spaces were not designed from plans and sections, but were actually composed from volumetric spaces. More important living spaces were granted larger volumes. Each program of each room had tailored ceiling heights. For example the living room has a greater requirement for light and area than a less important room such as a food preparation room.
Which leads me to the essence of the Muller House and that is the sense of progression. Now progression is personified at many levels in the Muller House. The white cubical mass with unassuming window openings plays false piety towards the traditional surrounds.
Spatial explorations are carried out in the variation of floor heights through out the house. The overt use of stairs brings forward a strong vertical unification of space. The richness inherent in the interior provides depth and scale. The use of marble without mouldings plays at a 'poor aristocratic class'. It is an introduction of materials that were previously destined for the noble being available in a normal person's house exemplifies his Ornament and Crime essay.
There is a symbolic progression in the journey through to the top floor, where the occupant can observe through a carefully placed window, the Prague Cathedral. The pathway to this sacred view is a symbolic suggestion of the progression to a higher place. The spatial planning demonstrates thought over rigid tradition. The idea of framing this view to give a sense of place would not have occurred in the traditional sense. In a classical building the windows are set to a stringent grid, whereas here the place dictates placement of elements.
The Muller house represents a geode. That is the out side is very plain where the inside is quite decadent. This idea of spatial transitions and journey can be seen in historical precedence. Take the Alhambra Mosque in Granada for example, here you are presented with a very plain exterior, but as you enter the complex you are overwhelmed with beauty and astonishment. This is giving you a sense of journey which in parallel is happening in the Muller House. The surprising and unexpected complexity of the internal spatial arrangement is an extract of the diamonds inside the geode.
The Raumplan composition which consists of asymmetrical, vertically changing floor plans is a revolutionary proposal. Theses spaces were not designed from plans and sections, but were actually composed from volumetric spaces. More important living spaces were granted larger volumes. Each program of each room had tailored ceiling heights. For example the living room has a greater requirement for light and area than a less important room such as a food preparation room.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
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