Complexity of Abstraction Zaha Hadid’s works through Venturi’s idea by otto1126

Complexity of Abstraction

Zaha Hadid’s works through Venturi’s idea 1155134236 Chung Ho Yin

ARCH5321 Architectural Theory and Criticism

1155134236 CHUNG Ho Yin

ARCH5321 Architectural Theory and Criticism

1155134236 CHUNG Ho Yin

Abstract After the publication of Robert Venturi’s books that urges the world to re-think architecture in complexity rather than abstraction and simplicity of Modernist. One of Deconstructivism architects, Zaha Hadid started fragmenting architecture and broke down the orthodox planning of Modernism. However, there are also voices of criticism from general public and professionals from academia that disagree with Hadid’s approach because of the alienation of her work to the contemporary context. The question becomes even more critical when we ask ourselves whether the complexity of Hadid’s work only exists in physical form. Furthermore, if this statement is true, did Hadid’s architecture actually has a connection with Modernism in terms of their abstracted expressionism and persistance in creating new reality that excludes other unrelated matters? Through revisiting Venturi’s points in ‘Complexity and Contradiction’ and ‘Learning from Las Vegas’, it is hoped that we can understand the meaning of complexity and provide a possible answer for the controversy of Zaha Hadid’s work.

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Content Abstract

Content

Bibliography

Introduction

Lack of Context

Expressionism

New Reality

Conclusion

Reference

Reference Image

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Bibliography 18.

Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour. Learning from Las Vegas (Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2017)

Juhani Pallasmaa. The Thinking Hand Existential and Embodied Wisdom in Architecture. (Chichester: Wiley, 2015)

19.

Kazimir S. Malevich, Xenia G - Prus and Arnold Mcmillin, trans. “The Problem of Art and the Role of its Suppressors,” in Essays on art 1915 1933 Vol.1 (London: Borgens Forlag A - S, 1969)

Milton Stricker, and William Allin Storrer. Design through Abstraction: the Wright Source to Art & Architecture: an Apprenticeship with Frank Lloyd Wright. (Traverse City, MI: WineWright Media, 2017)

20.

Phillip Johnson, and Mark Wigley, Deconstructivist Architecture, (New York: The Musuem of Modern Art, 1988)

21.

Nikos Angelos Salingaros, and Christopher Alexander. Anti-Architecture and Deconstruction: the Triumph of Nihilism. (Kathmandu, Nepal: Vajra Books, 2014)

22.

Secret Knowledge, “The Russian Revolutionary: Zaha Hadid on Kazimir Malevich,” BBC four, 30 minutes, September 9, 2014, https:// www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04h8kpt.

23.

Dalibor Divided

24.

CI-Arc Media Archive, “Zaha Hadid (February 21, 1985)”, February 21, 1985, Video, 1:00. https:// w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = M q x 3 u V J e N h g .

25.

“Vitra Fire Station”, Zaha Hadid Architects,accessed on May 10, 2020. https://www.zaha-hadid. com/architecture/vitra-fire-station-2/.

26.

“Architecture is not a medium of personal expression for me says Zaha Hadid”, Dezeen, accessed May 10, 2020, https://www.dezeen.com/2016/02/03/ architecture-not-medium-personal-expressionfor-me-zaha-hadid-riba-royal-gold-medal-2016/.

Hans Ulrich Obrist, Zaha Hadid - The Conversation Series, (Koln: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther Konig, 2007)

Alan Yentob, Zaha Hadid, “Who Dares Wins • Zaha Hadid,” You Tube video, 12:46, posted by “Ark1 T3CH,” Jan 1, 2013, https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=9n0EQBa7dQI&t=1174s

Charlotte Douglas, “Kazimir Malevich (London: Thames and

Achim Borchardt-Hume, Zaha Hadid, “Zaha Hadid and Suprematism | Tate Talks,” You Tube video, 54:10, posted by “Tate,” Oct 30, 2014, https://www. yo u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = G F _ q P Kn r r H o & t = 1 6 9 6 s

Rem Koolhaas, “Zaha,” in Reflections on Zaha Hadid, 2016, ed. Amira Gad and Agnes Gryczkowska (London: Serpentine Galleries Koenig Books, 2016)

Simon Hatterstone, “Zaha Hadid¬: ‘I’m happy to be on the outside’ theguardian, October 9, 2010.

Franceca Serrazanetti and Matteo Schubert, “Interview with Zaha Hadid,” in Zaha Hadid Inspiration and Process in Architecture (Dongguan: Moleskine art, 2011)

10.

Kasimir S. Malevich, Xenia G - Prus and Arnold Mcmillin, trans. “On New Systems in Art,” in Essays on art 1915 - 1933 Vol.1 (London: Borgens Forlag A - S, 1969)

27.

Detlef Mertins, “The Modernity of Zaha Hadid,” in Zaha Hadid Early Paintings and Drawings, 2006, ed. Amira Gad and Agnes Gryczkowska (London: Serpentine Galleries Koenig Books, 2016)

Florian Heilmeyer. “Shooting Zaha a photo essay and interview with photographer Hélène Binet”, Uncube, Interview October 01, 2015, accessed May 10, 2020. http://www.uncubemagazine.com/blog/16064993.

28.

Macel Otakar, Architecture,” in C. Papadakis

Kazimir S. Malevich, “From Cubism and Futurism to Suprematism The New Realism in Painting,” in Essays on art 1915 - 1933 Vol.1 (London: Borgens Forlag A - S, 1969)

29.

John Seabrook, “The Abstractionist - Zaha Hadid’s unfettered invention”, The New Yorker, accessed May 10, 2020. https://www.newyorker. com/magazine/2009/12/21/the-abstractionist.

30.

Rowan Moore, “Zaha Hadid: A visionary whose ideas don’t always make sense”, The Guardians, September 27, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/ ar tanddesign/2015/sep/27/zaha-hadid-profile-

31.

Hannah Ellis-Petersen, “Rome’s Maxxi art museum aims to build creativity out of crisis”, The Guardian, December 19, 2014, https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/ dec/19/rome-maxxi-art-museum-gallery-exhibition.

11.

12.

13.

14.

Malevch,” in Hudson, 1994)

“The Black Square and Malevich, 1989, ed. Andreas (London: Academy Group)

Patrik Schumacher, “From Composition to Communication: Organisation, Articulation, Signification,” in Zaha Hadid - Early Paintings and Drawings, 2016, ed. Amira Gad and Agnes Gryczkowska (London: Serpentine Galleries Koenig Books, 2016) Lebbeus Woods, “Drawn into Space Zaha Hadid,” in Architectural Design Vol 78 No 4: Protoarchitecture Analogue and Digital Hybrids, ed. Bob Sheil, (London: John Wiley and Sons, 2008)

15.

Kazimir S. Malevich, Xenia G - Prus and Arnold Mcmillin, trans. “Suprematism. 34 Drawings,” in Essays on art 1915 - 1933 Vol.1 (London: Borgens Forlag A - S, 1969)

16.

Kazimir S. Malevich. World. 1st ed. (Chicago:

17.

Robert Venturi, Complexity and Contradition in Architecture (New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1998)

The Non-Objective P. Theobald, 1959)

Vesely, Architecture in the Age of Representation. (London: MIT, 2004)

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ARCH5321 Architectural Theory and Criticism

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Introduction Modernism has been regarded as the age of abstraction and simplification that was forged by industry. Many has believed that the downside of Modernism lies in over simplifications. Such argument can be seen in Robert Venturi’s book ‘Complexity and Contradiction’, which he claims that the contemporaries should embrace complexity in representation to suit the rapidly changing landscape.1 Post-Modernism cannot be regarded as particular style and representation method, and Venturi urges architects of the era to rethink how architecture can better communicate with human and landscapes. Venturi did not argue that the simplicity and abstraction of Modernism as a total failure, but it simply did not suit the contemporary context by then.2 Towards 21st Centuries, although no longer an international style exists to dominate the world, abstraction still plays an important role in architecture design. Architecture always starts with abstraction, imagining space that are yet to be constructed.

1 Robert Venturi, Complexity and Contradition in Architecture (New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1998) 2 Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour. Learning from Las Vegas (Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2017), 139.

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A composition of a few lines can represent walls, openings and furniture in plan and section. These lines are then further developed and implied with form, meaning, scales and materiality to achieve a sense of spatiality. Therefore, abstraction always exists in our field of design as a driving force and it is only through the progression of design stage that it can be further contextualized and so there is sufficient context for interaction among people and space.3 Yet, the underlying problem of abstraction is the lack of acknowledgement of context and over empathizes on form creation. As Venturi also points out in his book that Modernist always creates ‘Heroic’ form of architecture but neglects other aspects that help to shape architecture into a space that make sense to people and the environment. He refers this abstracted approach as ‘Exclusion’.4 In the years following Venturi’s published book, architects like Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind and Zaha Hadid responded to the problem of Modernism with Deconstructivism. Their creations were deprived from 3 Milton Stricker, and William Allin Storrer. Design through Abstraction: the Wright Source to Art & Architecture: an Apprenticeship with Frank Lloyd Wright. (Traverse City, MI: WineWright Media, 2017) 4 Venturi, Complexity and Contradition in Architecture, 16.

Upper:

Zaha

Hadid’s

Sketch

Left: Zaha Hadid, Malevich Tectonik, 1977.

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abstracted lines yet results in complicated form and geometry. As architecture, they are alienated in urban context and assemble spatial experience that people found difficult to perceive. Although Deconstructivism responded to the pure form of Modernism with impurity,5 there is no doubt that the focus of ‘form-driven’ approach can still be found among Deconstructivist’s works. As Nikos Angelos Salingaros criticises Deconstructivism in his book, Anti- Architecture and Deconstruction, ‘Deconstructivism is just another phase in the creation of the inhuman world dreamed of by Modernists.’6 That is why this essay tries to explore this certain dogma of Deconstructivism through the work of Zaha Hadid. Zaha Hadid was one of the most celebrated female architects in our industry in 21st Century. Back in the 1970, Hadid was a candidate in Architectural Association, when she rediscovered early Russian Suprematist artist: Kazimir Malevich’s works and further developed into architecture through paintings. 5 Phillip Johnson, and Mark Wigley, Deconstructivist Architecture, (New York: The Musuem of Modern Art, 1988), 11. 6 Nikos Angelos Salingaros, and Christopher Alexander. Anti-Architecture and Deconstruction: the Triumph of Nihilism. (Kathmandu, Nepal: Vajra Books, 2014), 18.

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She was fascinated by the abstracted expression of Suprematism and once mentioned in her lecture: ‘I was very fascinated by abstraction and how it really could lead to abstraction plans, moving away from certain dogmas, about what architecture is…’7 Deprived from total abstraction, she has created some of the most complex spatial experience that no one has ever thought of in 21st Century. Vitra Fire Station for example, represents abstracted tectonics on the fields of Weil am Rhein, Germany. The architecture and fields become interwoven, blurring the boundary of build form and landscape in her drawings. However, it is difficult to define whether Hadid has repeated the intention like modernist, viewing architecture as objects that are irrelevant to our eyes and minds, difficult for user to refer to any existing experience. As Venturi has quoted Pugin in his conclusion in ‘Learning from Las Vegas’, ‘It is alright to decorate construction but never construct decoration.’8 Did Hadid’s architecture achieve the complexity of architecture representation like Venturi said in his 7 Secret Knowledge, “The Russian Revolutionary: Zaha Hadid on Kazimir Malevich,” BBC four, 30 minutes, September 9, 2014, https://www.bbc. co.uk/programmes/b04h8kpt. 8 Venturi, Learning From Las Vegas, 163.

Upper: Museum of 21st Century Arts (MAXXI), Rome in context and comparision.

Left: Heroic vs Ugly, Duck vs Shed by Venturi.

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book? Or whether this complexity is only restricted in the fragmentation of physical form that has little concerns of the complexity of society? This essay is not a criticism on Zaha Hadid’s works but as an opportunity to explore whether Deconstructivism representation of architecture is relevant in the current urban landscape and social context. At the same time, whether the exploration of fragmented forms in architecture is a continuation of a new Modernism, which as Venturi refers as ‘Duck’. (FIG) This essay will also focuses on three major projects completed by Zaha Hadid in her early career, 1. The Peak, Hong Kong, 2. Vitra Fire Station, Germany, 3. National Museum of 21st Century Arts (MAXXI), Rome. Through the analysis of her sketch, drawing and architectural space with Venturi’s points of architecture to prove that the complexity of Hadid’s work is only restricted in physical level.

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Lack of Context The first issue in Zaha Hadid’s work is the lack of context. Regardless of the complexity of form in her architecture, this is a problem deprived from the reductive nature of abstraction. The fascination of representing every matter abstractly in modernity is a result of our belief in logical, mathematical and scientific thinking which was developed since the seventeenth centuries.9 In statistical analysis, human tends to resolve complex problem by simplified mathematical solution in numbers. In one hand, abstraction helps us to reduce our thoughts and focus on a narrative and resolve problem in simpler ways. In architecture, abstracted thinking also leads us into focusing on certain narrative. As mentioned in introduction, certain kind of abstracted thinking is necessary in the process of design. However, this ‘Exclusion’ of other matters as Venturi mentioned also lead architecture design into the lack of context.10 Before moving onto discussion on how Hadid’s

9 Dalibor Vesely, Architecture in the Age of Divided Representation. (London: MIT, 2004) 10 Venturi, Learning From Las Vegas.

Upper: Zaha Hadid’s Sketch

Upper: Zaha Hadid, Malevich Tectonik, 1977.

Upper: Museum of 21st Century Arts (MAXXI), Rome in context and comparision.

Left: Heroic vs Ugly, Duck vs Shed by Venturi.

Top: Window of Guild House by Robert Venturi (Right), it is the conventional window

frame,

with

plastic

flower

pots that provoke sense of residences compare to Crawford Manor’s ‘handsome’ structures (Left). ‘Their structural purity never punctured by holes for windows or distorted by exceptions in the plan… The architectural elements for supplying exterior light into Guild House is frankly windows.’ 6.

Left: Venturi thinks that the age of heroic archtiecrure is no longer, whereas economy, society becomes primary aspects for architect to react with.

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abstraction leads to the lack of context and thus a disembodied relationship between people and space. We must understand what ‘Context’ means in this essay. Most of us acknowledge it as urban landscape or surroundings physical features. However, it is also important for us to view context beyond its physicality. As Venturi mentioned: ‘We do know, however, that the chief resources of our society go into things with little architectural potential; war, electronic communication, outer space and too much lesser extent, social services. As we have said, this is not the time and ours is not the environment for heroic communication via pure architecture.’11 For instance: Cultural context, where architect considers how people can relate themselves with space through a common understand of culture or even through the latent quality of materals. Therefore the context that the essay covers does not only concern physical context but context that relates to all aspects. Zaha Hadid’s architecture is complex in its physical form and it can be argued that her architecture is only reacting to the physical context but little that has 11 Venturi, Learning From Las Vegas, 162.

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reached the complexity that allows people to refer themselves to any context and background that they familiarise with. Simply speaking, Hadid’s abstracted space looks too different from any existing space that people encounters in their past experience and thus causes an disembodied relationship between people and architecture. As Venturi said ‘it looks like what it is not only because of what it is but also because of what it reminds you of.’12 (FIG.1) The lack of context can be seen in Hadid’s project of Hong Kong Peak club. From her sketch, there is always a constant focus on the physical context and its transformation to architecture, which she mentioned her work as ‘Man-made mountain’, where the hills were surveyed and excavated to form different levels of slabs.13 She even explained the intention of the project in her 1985 lecture: ‘They are really drawings to tell the story of certain projects so this shows the character of Hong Kong skyline… the building itself, the program of the peak is not seen as a kind of a country club removed from the city but it has a direct link to the city 12 Venturi, Learning From Las Vegas, 93. 13 CI-Arc Media Archive, “Zaha Hadid (February 21, 1985)”, February 21, 1985, Video, 1:00. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqx3uVJeNhg.

Top:

‘Man-made mountain as Zaha

Hadid mentioned and how the geology progressively 8.

becomes

the

building.

Left: Drawing of the The Peak, Hong Kong.

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15 9.

Right: The vibrant life style of Hong Kong in context, almost can be portraited as Las Vegas in Robert Venturi’s book.

10.

Left: The final render of Hadid’s imagination of the The Peak, Hong Kong with little reference to any social condition.

and they said that it has a metropolitan program so it had a direct link to density of Hong Kong…’14 Yet the club house is informed by the cityscape and emphasis on the idea of fragmentation, where space fragmented and superimposed to create interconnected programme. Yet, the context of the city was never acknowledge by the architect, the streets , noise and smell of the bustling places in Hong Kong can never be seen in her drawings.(FIG) Therefore, Hadid’s design for Hong Kong Peak only assembles an architectural form that adapted the concept of superimposition of slabs to represent the chaotic and complexity of Hong Kong that rarely reference the depth of social context of Hong Kong. In one of her final renders, it can be seen that the view she imagines is rather calming and silence, (the view with people diving into waters) which further suggests a contradiction between spatial atmosphere and architectural concept.(FIG) Therefore, the complexity of Hadid’s works are usually constrained in its physical form and representation of geometry which lack any cultural context and the actual imagination of how

14 CI-Arc Media Archive, “Zaha Hadid (February 21, 1985)”

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ARCH5321 Architectural Theory and Criticism

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people can inhabitat space. Lack of context can be seen across all projects from Zaha Hadid. It is almost possible to found that all matters can be simplified into planes of colour through abstraction. In all her paintings, we always see landscape and streets becoming lines and planes that orbit in the air. For Vitra Fire Station, we can see that Hadid has again emphasized on the exploration of abstracted forms.(FIG) Fields and roads are depicted as simple geometries that slowly evolves into the station itself, these planes superimposed across the fields and convey a sense of movement on the existing landscape.15 The transformation of form, in reality are working fields and bustling road with vehicles that simply become plane of colour suggests the common problem for abstraction in architecture. Although Hadid achieved to explore the complex relationship between the superimposed space and geometric of the context, she has failed to connect with the most essential aspect of the richness of material or the social context of the area. 15 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vitra Fire Stationâ&#x20AC;?, Zaha Hadid Architects,accessed on May 10, 2020. https://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/vitra-fire-station-2/.

11.

Right: Vitra Fire Station drawing to show the idea of movement of space on the fields.

12.

Upper: Satilitte photo of Vitra Fire Station and the surrounding site.

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13.

Upper: The lack of material context and social context of MAXXI in Rome. The contrast of venacular archtiecture and Hadidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work.

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The alienation of Zaha Hadid’s architecture is always a controversy and debated timely by public and academics. However, it is very clear that this controversy is not only originated from any subjective or stylistic comment. The reason of this controversy is a result of the lack of context and thus losing a common ground of understanding by the majority of people. In her University of Oxford interview during 2017, when she was questioned by the host whether her work is considered to be developed with no reference to context. She admitted her drawings are abstracted ideas only but denying her design as not contextualized as the design intention of architecture form, such as MAXXI in Rome, responds to the surrounding geometries of public squares.16 However, 16 OxfordUnion, “Dame Zaha Hadid | Full Q&A | Oxford Union”, March 15, 2016, Video, 0:50. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0gLhcPOtd M&t=658s

it can be argued that Hadid has pushed her idea of abstraction into an extreme that is too difficult to relate to any understand of culture, historical background and the physiological context other than a visual stamina. 14.

Upper: Sketches of the MAXXI against the context of Rome.

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Expressionism Although abstraction has an exclusive nature as discussed in last chapter, there is always a focus in abstracted architecture. In Zaha Hadidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case, she has focused on developing the abstracted expression of form in her project. Most abstracted works contain expression of the artist, as the author usually excludes elements that are considered as redundant and focuses on exploration of a single aspect of their interests. Therefore, to design without reference or little reference, abstraction emphasis an overwhelming force of personal expression. However, this expression is usually just an abstracted meaning that does not create any impact on the actual function of space. One of the first projects by Zaha Hadid is the Vitra fire station in Weil am Rhein, Germany and by examining this work, we will discover the problem of expression in abstracted architecture. The form of Vitra fire station is elongated along the road between the fields. In Hadidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drawing, abstracted tectonics on the fields of Weil am Rhein, where the architecture and fields become interwoven, blurring the boundary of build form and landscape in her drawings. Visually, Vitra fire Station does not reassemble an

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architecture for fire service, its spatial quality does not suggest function of fire service or an explicit representation of what a person think of a fire station should be. The space within is narrow and irregular with angled walls projecting towards different direction. The space does not suggest adaptability or flexibility for inhabitation. However according to Hadid’s intention, the building compositions represent movement and informality thus implicitly represent speediness of fire services and the constant alert of the nature of this building.17 The fire station were never seen in any action as it was further converted into an exhibition space not soon after. Expressionism becomes one of the most common problem among all works for Zaha Hadid. This results in Hadid’s architecture can rarely be refer to any existing experience in people’s mind and further becomes an object of decoration instead. During Hadid’s Royal Gold Medal lecture in 2016, Hadid defended herself from criticism of individual expression on her works. She explained that ‘Buildings and programmes need to break open and embrace each other, even interpenetrate… This requires the 17 “Vitra Fire Station”, Zaha Hadid Architects.

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15.

Upper: Photo of Vitra Fire Station interior, narrow and elongated space verus flexible and open plan space for fire service.

16.

Left: Plan and Section of Vitra Fire Station.

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17.

Upper: Hadid’s Sketches of expressive geometries and lines that reassemble the

18.

site

Vitra

Fire

Station.

Left: Paul Rudolph’s sketch of structural expression of Crawford Manor.

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spatial complexity and openness.’18 However one might criticise whether the true purpose of an idea or concept can be fulfilled when it is driven by form. As Venturi also states that Modernism is over idealistic in terms of form creation, where the expressive nature of form becomes more important than its actual functions of space.19 In Learning from Las Vegas, Venturi comments on Paul Rudolph’s Crawford Manor ‘It (Crawford Manor) provided layers of meaning beyond the “abstract expressionist” messages derived from the inherent physiognomic characteristics of the forms…’20 He then continues ‘Modern architecture’s expression has become a dry expressionism, empty and boring – and in the end irresponsible.’ 21 Hélène Binet, who specifically photographes Hadid’s architecture also attracts to the expression of Hadid herself than the building itself. Through the lens of Hélène Binet, the fire station becomes even more 18 “Architecture is not a medium of personal expression for me says Zaha Hadid”, Dezeen, accessed May 10, 2020, https://www. dezeen.com/2016/02/03/architecture-not-medium-personal-expres sion-for-me-zaha-hadid-riba-royal-gold-medal-2016/. 19 Venturi, Learning From Las Vegas. 20 IMiDs, 93. 21 IMiDs, 103.

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27 19.

Right: Vitra Fire Station Photograph from Hélène Binet.

20.

Upper Left: Vitra Fire Station Photograph from Hélène Binet.

21.

Bottom Left: Photography of Crawford Manor.

expressive and obscure in its spatial representation. The fire station become an object of its own or shards that form a fragmented geometrical composition. These photos become an abstracted canvas that emphasis on light and shadow, positive and negative space. In her interview regarding to photography taken for Vitra fire station, she explains she always views Hadid’s work as object in details rather than a building in any context and focuses on the essence of the building.22 Although the form of Zaha Hadid’s architecture achieves physical complexity. The nature of abstracted expressionism is deep rooted in its form as if Modernism before her time. The expressive architectural form of Crawford Manor symbolises technological advancement, structural exercise that progressively becomes outdated and less recognisable throughout time,23 whereas Vitra fire station symbolizes the emergency of fire service but have never seen any fire service before. Both architecture communicates the architects expression through form but fails to fulfil their primary functions of buildings. 22 Florian Heilmeyer. “Shooting Zaha a photo essay and interview with photographer Hélène Binet”, Uncube, Interview October 01, 2015, accessed May 10, 2020. http://www.uncubemagazine.com/ blog/16064993. 23 Venturi, Learning From Las Vegas.

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New Reality In the previous chapters, we have explained how Hadid’s abstraction causes a lack of context and reference in her architecture. At the same time, the essay also explore how complexity is form physically in Hadid’s work but similar to Modernism in terms of the nature of abstracted expressionism in architectural form. From her early works of Suprematism inspired architecture to spatial form that are immaterial, seamless and fluid, her works always stand out from her contemporaries. This chapter will discuss not only Hadid’s architecture but also her approach towards totality of design, a harmony that she tried to achieve and represent in her personal life and other fields of professions. The persistence of totality in design can be seen not only on Zaha Hadid but also her inspirational artist, Kazmir Malevich. Zaha Hadid once commented on her Kazimir Malevich of his persistence towards creation of new Suprematist reality.24 As Kazimir Malevich also said ‘I transform myself in the zero of form and emerged from nothing to creation, that is 24 BBC four , Secret Knowledge, “The Russian Revolutionary: Zaha Hadid on Kazimir Malevich,”

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Suprematism, to the new realism in painting- to nonobjective creation.’25 The Black square represents the most abstracted painting, (FIG) as a symposium of the start of his proposed universe of Suprematist reality that breaks free from any traditions and conventional matters. In his career of artist, not only he paints and found Suprematism but also design dramas to daily life items and even design his Suprematism funeral. (FIG) Zaha Hadid has surely worked in a very similar way as Malevich, her designs can be seen in fashions, furniture design and also art installation with a very similar representation. In fact, Hadid herself is an embodiment of her architectural representation. Although she lived in an ordinary loft in London, she designed all her furniture and down to every details, for example: a fruit bowl.26 It is possible this strong belief has driven her to achieve the impossible for others throughout her life. 25 Kazimir S. Malevich, “From Cubism and Futurism to Suprematism The New Realism in Painting,” in Essays on art 1915 - 1933 Vol.1 (London: Borgens Forlag A - S, 1969), 19. 26 John Seabrook, “The Abstractionist - Zaha Hadid’s unfettered invention”, The New Yorker, accessed May 10, 2020. https://www.newyorker.com/ magazine/2009/12/21/the-abstractionist.

22.

Black Square, Kazmir Malevich, oil on canvas,1915.

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In Zaha Hadid’s work, the extreme white and fluid form refer to very little of our known world that is diverse in culture and be able to adapt different methods of representation. It seems that Hadid’s architecture on one hand, visually striking and atmospheric in its spatial communication with user, on the other hand being very intolerant to other elements from our reality and also clearly not adaptable to intended programme or intention of changes. In MAXXI, artists always find difficulties on adapting to Hadid’s museum architecture. According to Guardians, MAXXI in Rome is criticized ‘It(MAXXI) is exceptionally challenging to anyone who might want to display art there, with sloping walls, and cavernous spaces interrupted by obtrusive ramps.’27

27 Rowan Moore, “Zaha Hadid: A visionary whose ideas don’t always make sense”, The Guardians, September 27, 2015, https://www.theguardian. com/artanddesign/2015/sep/27/zaha-hadid-profile-.

23.

Upper Left: Photo of Kazmir Malevich’s Suprematist Funeral.

24.

Upper Right: Suprematist Tea pot, Kazmir Maleich, Cermic.

25.

Right: Photo of Zaha Hadid and her appartment in London.

26.

Bottom Right: Flame x Zaha Hadid shoes

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27.

Upper: A work by Moon Kyungwon and Jeon Joonho, artists appearing in the Maxxiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Future Is Now exhibition in MAXXI.

28.

Bottom: Interior Exhibition space in MAXXI, canvas are hanged on wall with a extra furring.

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Moreover, The Telegraph reported that ‘Hadid has even banned the mounting of work on the building’s walls (just in case a curator gets the wrong idea, they are frequently tipped off plumb) and has instead restricted them to adjustable partitions that are suspended from the ceiling.’28 In 2014, the artistic director of MAXXI, Hou Hanru even proposed to redefine the nature of exhibition in the museum from physical, permanent art to intangible sound installations.29 Therefore, in Hadid’s architecture, there is always a ‘Top-down’ design approach, enforcing new reality (spatial condition) the people to adapt her space, rather than designing according to the needs of society. (Bottom-up) Although Deconstructivist like Hadid responded by breaking free from purity of Modernist form, she has unconsciously replaced Modernism itself. The plurilism and impurity which Phillip Johnson mentioned before is merely an expression of fragementation compare to the modulated form of Modernist architecture. As Venturi 28 Hannah Ellis-Petersen, “Rome’s Maxxi art museum aims to build creativity out of crisis”, The Guardian, December 19, 2014, https://www. theguardian.com/culture/2014/dec/19/rome-maxxi-art-museum-gal lery-exhibition. 29 IMiDs.

has denounised Le Corbusier’s Purism that demands all architectural representation to be unified and harmonized in one style. The true purity of Deconstructivism can be seen in Hadid’s work, in the totality of design that is influenced by the designated form.

ARCH5321 Architectural Theory and Criticism

Conclusion Both Robert Venturi and Zaha Hadid embraces complexity and respond to the abstraction and simplicity of Modernism. However, both of them has taken a very different approach. On one hand, Venturi looks back into historical precedents and re-introduce symbols and ornaments into architecture, which then forms building that achieve complexity by the meaning through communicating these symbols to people and thus to consolidate the relationship between people and space. Venturi approach is built on a solid foundation of history, a complexity of knowledge and common understanding of people for thousands of years. On the other hand, Hadid has reacted against Modernism with the physical fragmentation of space which is driven by early Rusisian Suprematist, Kazimir Malevich, who suggested abstraction and break free from traditionalism. The problem is that the form created by abstraction, where the neglection of existence of tradition causes weaker references to Hadidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architecture for people and cannot be related to any of their past experience, thus it is harder for people to perceive their ideas through spatial experiences. Therefore, the essay firmly believes that Zaha Hadid

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did respond to the failure of Modernism by break down the orthodox and simplistic planning of her Modernist, but only at the level of physical complexity. The complexity that Venturiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mentioned in his work presents a complex relationship of different matters beyond physicality. It can also be found that the abstraction origin of Modernism and Hadidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work have very similar approach in their obsession to create a new reality base on the focus on form creation and believes in perfecting architecture form alone can benefit society. Hadidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s complicated form that was created to be interwoven and break down programme progressively becomes inadaptable architecture that services little to the community. However, one might also further question whether the fragmentation of form of architecture alone can facilitate the need of the progressively diverse community and complex landscape. Therefore, this essay believes that in the near future, abstraction will still play an important role in design progress, in order to narrow down our focuses. Whereas architecture still needs to be built on a foundation of common understanding, and create ideas by referencing and continuing traditions.

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Reference List 1.

Robert Venturi, Complexity and Contradition in Architecture (New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1998)

Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour. Learning from Las Vegas (Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2017)

Milton Stricker, and William Allin Storrer. Design through Abstraction: the Wright Source to Art & Architecture: an Apprenticeship with Frank Lloyd Wright. (Traverse City, MI: WineWright Media, 2017)

Phillip Johnson, and Mark Wigley, Deconstructivist Architecture, (New York: The Musuem of Modern Art, 1988)

Nikos Angelos Salingaros, and Christopher Alexander. Anti-Architecture and Deconstruction: the Triumph of Nihilism. (Kathmandu, Nepal: Vajra Books, 2014)

Secret Knowledge, “The Russian Revolutionary: Zaha Hadid on Kazimir Malevich,” BBC four, 30 minutes, September 9, 2014, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04h8kpt.

Dalibor Divided

CI-Arc Media Archive, “Zaha Hadid (February 21, 1985)”, February 21, 1985, Video, 1:00. https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqx3uVJeNhg.

“Vitra Fire Station”, Zaha Hadid Architects,accessed on May 10, 2020. https://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/vitra-fire-station-2/.

10.

“Architecture is not a medium of personal expression for me says Zaha Hadid”, Dezeen, accessed May 10, 2020, https://www. dezeen.com/2016/02/03/architecture-not-medium-personalexpression-for-me-zaha-hadid-riba-royal-gold-medal-2016/.

11.

12.

Kazimir S. Malevich, “From Cubism and Futurism to Suprematism The New Realism in Painting,” in Essays on art 1915 - 1933 Vol.1 (London: Borgens Forlag A - S, 1969)

13.

John Seabrook, “The Abstractionist - Zaha Hadid’s unfettered invention”, The New Yorker, accessed May 10, 2020. https:// www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/12/21/the-abstractionist.

14.

Rowan Moore, “Zaha Hadid: A visionary whose ideas don’t always make sense”, The Guardians, September 27, 2015, https://www. theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/sep/27/zaha-hadid-profile-

15.

Hannah Ellis-Petersen, “Rome’s Maxxi art museum aims to build creativity out of crisis”, The Guardian, December 19, 2014, https:// www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/dec/19/rome-maxxi-artmuseum-gallery-exhibition.

Vesely, Architecture in Representation. (London:

the Age of MIT, 2004)

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Reference Image 1.

Zaha Hadid, Ordrupgaard Museum extension 1, 2005, Pencil on paper, Zaha Hadid Architects, London.

Zaha Hadid, Malevich Tectonik, 1977, Acrylic on cartridge paper, 244.4 x 177cm, Zaha Hadid Architects, London.

Iwan Baan, MAXXI, Photo, Iwan Baan Photography B.V, Amsterdam.

Peter Blake, God’s Own Junkyard, 1964, Photo.

28.

Robert Perron and William Watkinsn, Crawford Manor (detail) and Window detail. Photo.

Robert Venturi, Lower Strip, looking north, Photo.

Zaha Hadid, View from Library of Landscape and Void, 1982-1983, Acrylic on cartridge paper, 42 x 55 x1.5cm, Zaha Hadid Architects, London.

Zaha Hadid, Blue Slabs, 1982-1983, Acrylic on Canvas, 260 x 150 x 5cm, Zaha Hadid Architects, London.

Unknown, Photo of Hong Kong streets. Photo. Unknown,

10.

Zaha Hadid, The Divers, 1982-1983, Acrylic on cartridge paper, 181 x 99 x 6.5cm, Zaha Hadid Architects, London.

11.

Zaha Hadid, Painting of Vitra Fire Station, Zaha Hadid Architects, London.

12.

Google Map, Satellite view of Vitra Fire Station, Photo, Google.

13.

Unknown, Photo of Vitra Fire Station, Photo, Vitra, Germany.

14.

Unknown, MAXXI, Photo, Unknown.

15.

Zaha Hadid, Sketch. Pencil and Ink on paper. Zaha Hadid Architects, London.

16.

Zaha Hadid, Plan and Sections, Pencil on paper, Zaha Hadid Architects, London.

17.

Zaha Hadid, Sketch, Pencil on paper, Zaha Hadid Architects, London.

18.

Paul Rudolph, Sketch, Pencil on paper,

19.

Hélène Binet, Vitra Fire Station 01 (Architecture by Zaha Hadid), 1999, Photo, 60 × 50 cm, Hélène Binet, London.

20.

Hélène Binet, VITRA FIRE STATION, 1999, Photo, Hélène Binet, London.

21.

Reproduced by permission of Verlag Gerd Hatje GMBH, Stuttgart, from Schwab, The Architecture of Paul Rudolph, Robert Perron

22.

Kazmir S. Malevich, Black Square, 1915, Oil on Canvas, 80 x 80cm, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

23.

Unknown, Funeral of Malevich, 1935, Photo, Unknown.

24.

Kazmir S. Malevich, Teapot, 1923, Ceramics, unknown.

25.

Miles Aldridge, Hadid in her home, a loft in Clerkenwell, London, 2009, Photo. Unknown.

26.

Zaha Hadid, Flame shoes with Zaha Hadid, Photo. United Nude.

27.

Unknown, A work by Moon Kyungwon and Jeon Joonho, artists appearing in the Maxxi’s The Future Is Now exhibition. Photo. Unknown. Unknown, Interior of MAXXI, Photo. Unknown.