Lecture 19: Art Nouveau and Gaudi

Who is Gaudi? How do you describe his style?

•Idiosyncratic expression •Catalan influenced by the writings of Ruskin (Gothic Revival)

Viollet-Le-Duc

•Structural Rationalism •Provided moral argument: model and methods to free architecture from the eclectic irrelevancies of historicism.

Secession:

Austria

Modernismo:

Catalonia in Spain

Arts and Crafts:

England

Catenary curve

Excellent load-bearing properties!

Jungendstil:

Germany

Stile moderne, Stile floreal, stile liberte:

Italy

Importance of new materials and techniques (art nouveau)

Particularly those that could be cast or molded into sinuous ornamental shapes Emphasis on Craftmanship

historicism

Provided moral argument: model and methods to free architecture from the eclectic irrelevancies of ________

Entretiens

_____ which anticipated Art Nouveau, Viollet le Duc indicated the kind of architecture that would evolve from his principles of structural rationalism

Art Nouveau & La Belle Époque [beautiful era]

"Golden time" of beauty, innovation, and peace between France and its European neighbors

Art Nouveau: France and Belgium

- Architects are anxious for the evolution of a truly modern but nonetheless national style - Art Nouveau architects turned structural necessity into a language of organically derived curves. first stage of Modern - Architecture in Europe, if Modern Architecture be understood as implying primarily the TOTAL REJECTION OF HISTORICISM"

Two trends feed into the theoretical and aesthetic bases of the early modern movement:

- Curvilinear into expressionism. Remains an alternative line of experimentation into the 1920's - Geometric into trend that will emerge as mainstream early modern, the Bauhaus movement and International style ultimately

Victor Horta

- Hotel Tassel, Brussels, Belgium, 1892-93, Victor Horta. - Hotel Van Eetvelde, Brussels, Belgium, 1895-98, Victor Horta - Maison du Peuple, Brussels, Belgium, 1896-99, Victor Horta

Love of natural forms

- Particularly plant forms - Interest in the process of growth and depicting that process visually Interest in color

Two general trends within these movements depending upon the use of line and form:

1. curvilinear and free-flowing (biomorphic) 2. geometric, angular and stylized, with emphasis on straight lines, rectangular forms

Casa Milà (La Pedrera), Barcelona, 1905-10, Antoni Gaudi

organic not orgy

Eugene Viollet-le-Duc Praised Gothic for its

structural rationalism

Moorish (Mudejar) motifs were used to

suggest regional identity

Brick Parabolic/catenary arches

supporting the roof gardens

Art Nouveau indicated

the kind of architecture that would evolve from his principles of

Who is Victor Horta? How do you describe his style?

•Structure as Ornament and vice versa •The total work of art! •Integrated aesthetic •Hortawas one of the first architects to make an extensive use of iron in domestic architecture •Explored the tensile and ductile potential of iron