Modernism

I am not really a big fan of history but this book, From Bauhaus to our House by Tom Wolfe, really got my attention, as its contents are not that history. It is book that told about the author's, who is not an architect, perspective on modern architecture. I personally like architectures in international style ore other name modern architecture and I agree with what Mies Van Der Rohe said that less is more. International style is more of being less and minimal as much as possible. It is also about being honest to the building by not putting any decoration into to it. It is very practical and functional architecture. It is beautiful just the way it is. By having the frame structure, it allows us to have the lighter structure. We can put more glass into building because walls are no longer being load baring ones. They are just walls that serve as barrier or a building.

However, as I read through From Bauhaus to our House, I was reminded of some perspective that hidden in my mind for a long time. I once as a child thought the same as Robert Venturi that less is a bore. Yes it is a bore. But hey! Boredom can be very attractive, isn’t. So if a plain boring thing being among very ornamental things, it could become something interesting, beautiful and unique. On the other hand, if everything is plain and simple. That is a real boredom. Everything is the same. So what’s the point of having an architect to design a building? Buildings in modern era appeared to be only boxes with concrete, steel and glass.

At one point of the reading, I was thrilled after reading that Yale architectural students finally noticed that the building they designed and their instructors designed are all the same. They became in the same pattern. I am thankful for that. Or else, most of the same building in the present would look the same. Nothing is unique and fun. Everything will become super boring. So as the one who wants to be an architect, I think that being functional is great, it is something as the one who design have to stick with, and being decorative is also great. However, too much ornaments can be irritating and too little can be very boring. So, somewhere in the middle is the best.