Road Trip

Roots: Congruence: Concept: Materiality: Compression/Release

Entering the modern era of architecture and design, there was much to be put into consideration. Designers did not really know in which direction to go since they could easily pick between many. The rules were being written, erased, re-written, and so on. As a result to all the architectural styles that were already out in the world, concepts about how to incorporate them together emerged. Chicago became a city that would be one to first show these new concepts in a new and modern way. One of the buildings that was set apart among all of the skyscrapers that came into fashion within this era was the Trinity church in New York. This building, with its gothic style, shows that it is important to tap into the past every once in a while. In an area where buildings are very sophisticated, it is nice to see a structure revert back to Gothic roots.

Richard Upjohn: Trinity Church, New York 1846-49

Having the courage to be able to choose as well as mix and much with different styles gave designers and new direction within architecture. This also gave designers an opportunity to lay down roots of their own as professionals who could establish styles they would be known for. Just as Henry Upjohn did with the Trinity church, using both Gothic and Romanesque styles (usually separately) in many of his designs. This also gave the public a feeling of ease about what they could expect from these architects. It was easy to see that all the pasts could be connected together to form something totally refreshing in a time that was definitely evolving.

With the abundance of materials, there was now an even greater number of designers who wanted to use these resources for their designs. Glass was used extensively with the rise of skyscrapers. Along with that steel and concrete were also important in the structural impact of the modern era. With these materials, designers now had a ball figuring out how to use them in unique and interesting ways. For instance the home Insurance Building in Chicago was solitary in the way that its façade supported only its own weight. I guess we could say that the skeleton of the structure was separate from the skin and could hold its own without the surface.

Combining many styles has proved to be both difficult in some cases but also beneficial in most. When buildings are constructed or when they are just starting out as a design, there are certain pressures that come with how it’s going to go up. There are things that should be symmetrical; the building should be warm and inviting, and sometimes even cold and excluding. There are details within the design that should be addressed and those that should be considered. With many artists these days, they are very picky about how they want to convey their composition to the world. This is where congruence plays a somewhat important role. For example, shapes often pop in my head when I think about congruence just because it’s all about those geometric aspects. However, for architecture I don’t think it’s about the congruence of shape as much as it is about the ideas that are put forward. The idea must go hand in hand with the design and the design should show some if not most of the congruence when compared to the actual structure. There should be a certain flow present.

Commissions are usually stressful in their own right. This is a point where a designer has to use his craft in order to show the public what their interpretations are all about. The compression that the designer may feel from the public is most times released around the time of the final product. This is something that all producers deal with whether its dealing with architecture, music, medicine, etc…It’s important to know that one’s ideas are not always easy to put out into the world, especially when some of them may not be fully accepted by the majority. However it is crucial to understand that this compression/release idea is everlasting among many artists.

REFLECTION:
In the modern era concepts are not anything of news. It is expected of designers to have plans and thoughts about their ideas will affect the environment in which they will enter. These concepts are usually part of the root ideas that generate the construction of any design. The materials that are used to make these concepts come alive are very important to its outlook. A buildings use of detail and the sustainability of its materials will inevitably tell how its future will look. I don’t think that everything has to be completely congruent but I do believe that it should show congruence by interpreting fluidity within the design. It should show compression and release by how well the building works within the environment as well as the climate of the area. Not every building is going to be perfect; however its agreement with its environment has a lot of influence within society.

citations: photo-Howe, Jeffery. (1996) A Digital Archive of American Architecture. 4.12.09.

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/talltrin.html