ABPL30048 WEEK1 JOURNAL

ARCHITECTURE AS DISCOURSE WEEK1 JOURNAL

ABPL 30048 ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO: AIR TUTOR: FINNIAN WARNOCK STUDENT:XIANGMEI XU [351338]

Personal:

State of Arts 1:

Church of Light, Tadao Ando

Edgar Kaufmann house (Fallingwater), Frank Lloyd Wright

Tadao Ando designed the Church of Light in 1989. The small Christian church located in a residential area in the suburbs of Osaka. This building has replaced the existing wooden structure. Ando tended to keep the design simple with no frills, just the basics, soil, walls, ceiling and openings for light.

The space of the church is an incredible job made by Ando. It is defined by light, and the strong contrast between the light the shade.

The light enters the church from behind the altar. (Fig.1) There is a cruciform cut there in the concrete wall, and it extends vertically from floor to ceiling and the horizontal side is from wall to wall.(Fig.2) The light become abstract in this cruciform shape and it also seems to be floating on the concrete wall. At the same time, its rays will be extend and receding with the change of the sunlight overtime during the day. Also in the freestanding concrete wall, the light is able to seep into the interior area from the slicing of the volume.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed the residential house for Edgar Kaufmann in 1935 and he gave a beautiful name “Fallingwater” to this most famous private house. (Fig.3) The house is located in rural southwestern Pennsylvanina, United State and it was built partly over a waterfall. The Hailed by Time has described it as a ‘most beautiful job’ after Wright has completed this building, and it is also listed among Smithsonian’s Life list of 28 places ‘to visit before you die’.

FIG.1

Ando applied the natural light in the building to show the variety between the light and shadow and it has changed the way I was thinking about the architecture. We should really use the natural resource to connect FIG.2 with the building. Although sunlight seems to be a simple and normal element, the - Fig.1 : http://lightsimages.com/church-of-light-4/ - Fig2: http://www.google.com.au/imgres?q=church+o shadow it made can be like ‘million’ types f+light&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1920&bih=1070&tbm=isch& prmd=imvns&tbnid=ofn24DNzOERdLM:&imgrefurl=ht by the shape it reflects. Therefore, in fact tp://sites.google.com/site/chokchai493113/assingmentthe form and exterior surface of the building 01&docid=nKugJWvvRUITIM&imgurl=http://www.galinsky.com/ buildings/churchoflight/church%252520of%252520light-interiormight not need to be very complex, it will be chapel-2.jpg&w=430&h=375&ei=LVFXT5aCKaOUiQfKkeWoDQ more special and attractive if the amazing ef- &zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=155&sig=114081858751705350579& page=1&tbnh=158&tbnw=181&start=0&ndsp=65&ved=1t:429

FIG.3

FIG.4 - Fig.3: http://www.google.com.au/imgres?q=Falling+water&hl=en& biw=1920&bi - Fig 4: http://www.google.com.au/imgres?q=Falling+water& hl=en&biw=1920&bih=1070&tbm=isch&tbnid=0aMMeCD1 DN_w8M:&imgrefurl=http://www.wright-house.com/frank-lloydwright/fallingwater-pictures/c4-living-room-windows-fallingwater. html&docid=74Far28aNU7ueM&imgurl=http://www.wright-house. com/frank-lloyd-wright/fallingwater-pictures/large-fallingwaterphotos/high-resolution/c4-living-room-windows-fallingwater-L. jpg&w=800&h=600&ei=P1RXT6WQJqqYiAemmazIDQ&zo

It can say that it is impossible to construct a house now to have the glen with its cascading water and overhanging branches without the building wedded to it. The stone-paved floor slabs are fixed into the sides of the canyon ledges and the cantilevered rooms, terraces and balconies reach out into the branches of the neighboring foliage. Furthermore, this building also got an extraordinary interior. There is a huge living room inside, and a stairway leads people down to the stream below directly. At the same time, a natural spring drips water which is then channeled back out was within the connecting space of the house.

The house has given out an expression of quiet and serene. Indeed, it had created a peaceful connection with the nature. It is hard to believe that a house can be connected with the waterfall and even looks very suitable with this connection. It just likes a part of the surrounding natural environment.

State of Arts 2: Lake Shore Drive Apartment, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Mies designed this high-rise apartment building in Chicago’s Lakefront and it was built between 1949 and 1951. The facades of this building was made of steel and glass and this kind of new material that put on the building was highlighted at the time as most of the residential apartment still used brick as the main material during the period. (Fig.5) The apartment was simply using rectangular form with enclosing a non-hierarchical wall. The lobby of it is set back from the columns which were exposed around the building above.

And it also creates a modern arcade for the apartment which is unlike those of the Greek temples. This apartment is one of the famous works from Mies and the configuration of it had given out a feeling of light, openness and freedom of movement. And during that time, some historians had discussed that this new approach is an expression of the American spirit.

The way Mies normally express on his building was using a simple form and also the steel and glass for the main material, and it is exactly what this residential apartment look like. It has led to a very popular way for architect to apply on their design in the modern architecture time.

FIG.5

FIG.6 - Fig5: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30982458@ N00/866294230/- - Fig6: http://www.google.com.au/imgres ?q=Lake+Shore+Drive+Apartment,+Ludwig+Mies+van+der+R ohe&hl=en&biw=1920&bih=1070&tbm=isch&tbnid=Zszabey loJ_xmM:&imgrefurl=http://cribchatter.com/%3Fp%3D3511 &docid=ya4jrm8OWDrcNM&imgurl=http://cribchatter.com/ wp-content/uploads/2008/05/860-n-lake-shore-_1.jpg&w=4 25&h=319&ei=l1ZXT7jBH6KkiAeOmLXNDQ&zoom=1&iact=r c&dur=148&sig=114081858751705350579&page=1&tbnh= 108&tbnw=148&start=0&ndsp=68&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0&tx= 96&ty=51,r:1,s:0&tx=166&ty=58