COLLECTION

01COLLECTION

Vanna Venturi House is the first example of Postmodern architecture. Going against the norm, Robert Venturi tested complexity and contradiction in architecture. By reintroducing elements traditionally associated with houses – from a gabled roof to an arch-framed entrance – but stripping them of their original functions, Robert Venturi laid the foundations for the entire Postmodern movement.

The house was completed in 1964, over a decade before Postmodernism got into full swing. It is perhaps best known for its facade – a monumental gable with an oversized chimney in its centre and an assortment of mismatched windows.

However, these traditional elements were applied in unconventional ways. Firstly, the gable has a vertical opening in its centre, and is located on the long rather than the short side of the building, completely distorting its scale. There is also no matching gable at the back – the element is purely decorative. A square opening creates a sheltered doorway in the centre of the facade, yet the door itself stands to one side. There is also an arch that serves no purpos

“Some have said my mother’s house looks like a child’s drawing of a house – representing the fundamental aspects of shelter – gable roof, chimney, door and windows,”“I like to think this is so.”

- Robert Venturi

BIBLOGRAPHY

Perez, Adelyn. “Ad Classics: Vanna Venturi House / Robert Venturi.” ArchDaily. ArchDaily, June 2, 2010. https://www.archdaily.com/62743/ ad-classics-vanna-venturi-house-robert-venturi.

Davies, Colin. Key Houses of the Twentieth Century: Plans, Sections and Elevations. London: Laurence King, 2006.

Amy Frearson. “Postmodernism: Vanna Venturi House by Robert Venturi.” Dezeen, June 27, 2016. https://www.dezeen.com/2015/08/12/ postmodernism-architecture-vanna-venturi-house-philadelphia-robertventuri-denise-scott-brown/.