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Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
SANTIAGO CALATRAVA
SANTIAGO CALATRAVA
The designer that I have chosen for my first case study is the modernistic”Da Vinci” Santiago Calatrava.
The well known Santiago Calatrava is one of the world’s best designers changing the globe drastically, from the old school era’s of Baroque and Byzantine architecture to the new modernistic eco abstract architecture. Santiago Calatrava was born in 1951 on the 28th of July in a little place, by the name of Benimamet which is on the coastline near Valencia. Calatrava was an aristocratic surname, it derived from the medieval times it was associated with the order of knights in Spain that time. The small town Benimamet was highly populated with Jewish people and his mother was from Jewish descendants and she converted to Spanish during the in quisition in the fifteen century.
Despite the fact of Santiago Calatrava’s personal high reputation, in that time his parents were also well known because of their family business in agricultural exporting trade. This factor calatrava and international look, he has a young child did take advantage of this situation later in his life. Calatrava attended school in Valencia; this is for primary and secondary schools. Since the age of 8 he joined the arts and crafts extra class and he did drawing and painting. He was then sent as an exchange student to Paris. At the age of thirteen he was given the opportunity because of his family’s reputation. As he was finishing high school he had the urge to study in Paris at “Escole des Beaux arts”. This happened in 1968, but his plan to further his studies in Paris did not work out.
He then went back to Valencia to further his studies in “Escuela Tecnica Arquitectura”. This was a new institution and it was quite an odd course too be in at the time. He then received a degree in the course as well as a post grad in urbanism. While Santiago was studying in Valencia he and some students took on independent projects that lead to write two books on vernacular architecture on Valencia and Ibiza. Calatrava had a very driven and determined personality and this lead him to always wanting success and achievements. He realized that knowledge would be the only way to take him through the level of successes he wants to obtain. This is when he left to Zurich in Switzerland to brighten his future with more knowledge by studying civil engineering where he received two PhD’s. The one was in structural engineering and then other was in technical science this was in 1975.For an architect to study civil engineering was unusual, but he was fascinated by the construction of large load bearing buildings.
Do you not think that Calatrava is untouchable according to his life talents? Imagine you had the experience of being a painter, artist, sculptor, potter, architect and civil engineer. If you could just imagine how he would have been things visually...his minds perception on visual expression. What would his design process look like? He has the painter’s eyes so he knows how to use tonal value…focus points and proportion. The hands of a potter, he probably could visualize a product internally and externally. An architect that would know how to design things and how to use them accordingly for either form or function or for décor. Civil engineer gave him the knowledge of materials and how they could change form to suite and support certain structures. Imagine the combination of all these characteristics. His mind and visual process was definitely on the next level. Giving us the sense of perfection.
Santiago’s first real challenge was when he was studying in Zurich. Where he and a few students wanted to solve unusual gravity and design challenges so what they did was they built a doughnut swimming pool in the school of Rotunda. They suspended the translucent pool with cables above the ground this made it able for spectators to see the swimmers from below. Calatrava received a PHD in dissertion which was titled ‘on the foldability of space frames”. Calatrava opened a architectural firm in Zurich by the name of Calatrava Valls S.A. He won his first major award for Zurich’s stadelhofen railway station in 1982 this was a competition he entered for architects to redesign the railway station. The changes that he brought upon the railway was unique and magnificent, his inspiration originated from an actual skeleton. They say, “”some of his sketches showed curved avenues leading to different modes of transport, which were for trains, cars, buses and pedestrians”. The entire building once completed resembled a human body’s rib cage and the curving spines of the rib cage were made from concrete but the way these spines looked still gave a bold yet delicate look. This is a new modernistic way of design and this make Calatrava unique in his design sense. He did not stop there as he entered more design competitions and received another breakthrough for fame in 1985 this is where he designed a concert hall in Suhr which was first a factory and is situated in Switzerland. Architecture was not the only love for Santiago. But as a civil engineer he was very fascinated by big bold structures which led him to bridge designs. This was quite unusual for an architect to design bridges but yet they brought him fame. In 1991 he then designed a building which was a multipurpose venue in Valencia which held a space for science museum and an opera house and many other venues. This is a sight for sore eyes. Santiago also became very famous for a telecommunications building that he designed in the year of 1992. It was in the summer Olympics for Barcelona and Spain. These buildings became a noted symbol for these countries. Both of these buildings brought him international attention. So now people were on the lookout for magnificent Calatrava designs. Santiago’s profile was uplifted when they held an exhibition of his work by the museum of modern arts in New York City. He then became well known throughout the 90’s and did impressive projects around the world. In places such as Liege (Belgium) – train station, Lyons (France) – Airport train station and then in Lisbon (Portugal) – oriente train station terminal. Calatrava’s philosophy he had about his architecture was “movement gives added dimension to forms, it gives forms a living sense” When I think about what he means I realize that he sees his building as a hole and not just raw materials put together. He wants to give the building a sense of life and living. So he rearranged and changed forms and things to suite this need. This way of designing and thinking is a whole new philosophy to visual expressions. His unique thinking and new design process ideas he became recognise around the world. He received many awards like the London institution of structural engineers gold medal in 1992 and still received lots of awards throughout his life till 2007 were he got awarded the Spanish national architecture award.
His designs mainly come from the skeletal forms and shapes of animals and human bodies which are fused with his organic and naturalistic forms. As I look as his designs his play on repetition and symmetry mixed with the organic flavour gives a sense of harmony but it also brings a visual of clarity and simplicity... that brings me to the factor of form follow his function, I see that the shapes are big and natural and his designs are not about décor or hiding structural factors…but in his designs he manipulates the shapes and structures accordingly to suit the designs needs..When he designs he designs the composition as a hole which makes it amazing…everything looks the way it does for a reason either to enhance the building or it is for structure. He designs so cleverly that he designs according to lighting as well, which makes the building look dynamic at night. I have noticed that in his work he likes the skeletal forms to be long thing lines that run your eye across the building vertically or horizontally which always leads you to something else. He seems to love the naturalistic colour of the materials...he uses a lot of steel Roding and see through glass. As that is his style. Calatrava is in my own words INSANE!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.adrianalan.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=6&tabindex=5&objectid=283260
http://www.artfact.com/artist/barbedienne-ferdinand-gqldadnej0
http://www.blogger.com/profile/14207881067856214460
http://www.chadelaud.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=6&tabindex=5&objecti=228090
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5166378
http://www.enamellers.org/ball.html
http://jewelryaccessories.com/jewelry-designers/446-david-webb.html
http://www.macklowegallery.com/education.asp/art+nouveau/Artist+Biographies/antiques/Jewelry+Artists/education/David+Webb/id/29
http://ruthballenameldesign.com/About.aspx
The designer that I have chosen for my first case study is the modernistic”Da Vinci” Santiago Calatrava.
The well known Santiago Calatrava is one of the world’s best designers changing the globe drastically, from the old school era’s of Baroque and Byzantine architecture to the new modernistic eco abstract architecture. Santiago Calatrava was born in 1951 on the 28th of July in a little place, by the name of Benimamet which is on the coastline near Valencia. Calatrava was an aristocratic surname, it derived from the medieval times it was associated with the order of knights in Spain that time. The small town Benimamet was highly populated with Jewish people and his mother was from Jewish descendants and she converted to Spanish during the in quisition in the fifteen century.
Despite the fact of Santiago Calatrava’s personal high reputation, in that time his parents were also well known because of their family business in agricultural exporting trade. This factor calatrava and international look, he has a young child did take advantage of this situation later in his life. Calatrava attended school in Valencia; this is for primary and secondary schools. Since the age of 8 he joined the arts and crafts extra class and he did drawing and painting. He was then sent as an exchange student to Paris. At the age of thirteen he was given the opportunity because of his family’s reputation. As he was finishing high school he had the urge to study in Paris at “Escole des Beaux arts”. This happened in 1968, but his plan to further his studies in Paris did not work out.
He then went back to Valencia to further his studies in “Escuela Tecnica Arquitectura”. This was a new institution and it was quite an odd course too be in at the time. He then received a degree in the course as well as a post grad in urbanism. While Santiago was studying in Valencia he and some students took on independent projects that lead to write two books on vernacular architecture on Valencia and Ibiza. Calatrava had a very driven and determined personality and this lead him to always wanting success and achievements. He realized that knowledge would be the only way to take him through the level of successes he wants to obtain. This is when he left to Zurich in Switzerland to brighten his future with more knowledge by studying civil engineering where he received two PhD’s. The one was in structural engineering and then other was in technical science this was in 1975.For an architect to study civil engineering was unusual, but he was fascinated by the construction of large load bearing buildings.
Do you not think that Calatrava is untouchable according to his life talents? Imagine you had the experience of being a painter, artist, sculptor, potter, architect and civil engineer. If you could just imagine how he would have been things visually...his minds perception on visual expression. What would his design process look like? He has the painter’s eyes so he knows how to use tonal value…focus points and proportion. The hands of a potter, he probably could visualize a product internally and externally. An architect that would know how to design things and how to use them accordingly for either form or function or for décor. Civil engineer gave him the knowledge of materials and how they could change form to suite and support certain structures. Imagine the combination of all these characteristics. His mind and visual process was definitely on the next level. Giving us the sense of perfection.
Santiago’s first real challenge was when he was studying in Zurich. Where he and a few students wanted to solve unusual gravity and design challenges so what they did was they built a doughnut swimming pool in the school of Rotunda. They suspended the translucent pool with cables above the ground this made it able for spectators to see the swimmers from below. Calatrava received a PHD in dissertion which was titled ‘on the foldability of space frames”. Calatrava opened a architectural firm in Zurich by the name of Calatrava Valls S.A. He won his first major award for Zurich’s stadelhofen railway station in 1982 this was a competition he entered for architects to redesign the railway station. The changes that he brought upon the railway was unique and magnificent, his inspiration originated from an actual skeleton. They say, “”some of his sketches showed curved avenues leading to different modes of transport, which were for trains, cars, buses and pedestrians”. The entire building once completed resembled a human body’s rib cage and the curving spines of the rib cage were made from concrete but the way these spines looked still gave a bold yet delicate look. This is a new modernistic way of design and this make Calatrava unique in his design sense. He did not stop there as he entered more design competitions and received another breakthrough for fame in 1985 this is where he designed a concert hall in Suhr which was first a factory and is situated in Switzerland. Architecture was not the only love for Santiago. But as a civil engineer he was very fascinated by big bold structures which led him to bridge designs. This was quite unusual for an architect to design bridges but yet they brought him fame. In 1991 he then designed a building which was a multipurpose venue in Valencia which held a space for science museum and an opera house and many other venues. This is a sight for sore eyes. Santiago also became very famous for a telecommunications building that he designed in the year of 1992. It was in the summer Olympics for Barcelona and Spain. These buildings became a noted symbol for these countries. Both of these buildings brought him international attention. So now people were on the lookout for magnificent Calatrava designs. Santiago’s profile was uplifted when they held an exhibition of his work by the museum of modern arts in New York City. He then became well known throughout the 90’s and did impressive projects around the world. In places such as Liege (Belgium) – train station, Lyons (France) – Airport train station and then in Lisbon (Portugal) – oriente train station terminal. Calatrava’s philosophy he had about his architecture was “movement gives added dimension to forms, it gives forms a living sense” When I think about what he means I realize that he sees his building as a hole and not just raw materials put together. He wants to give the building a sense of life and living. So he rearranged and changed forms and things to suite this need. This way of designing and thinking is a whole new philosophy to visual expressions. His unique thinking and new design process ideas he became recognise around the world. He received many awards like the London institution of structural engineers gold medal in 1992 and still received lots of awards throughout his life till 2007 were he got awarded the Spanish national architecture award.
His designs mainly come from the skeletal forms and shapes of animals and human bodies which are fused with his organic and naturalistic forms. As I look as his designs his play on repetition and symmetry mixed with the organic flavour gives a sense of harmony but it also brings a visual of clarity and simplicity... that brings me to the factor of form follow his function, I see that the shapes are big and natural and his designs are not about décor or hiding structural factors…but in his designs he manipulates the shapes and structures accordingly to suit the designs needs..When he designs he designs the composition as a hole which makes it amazing…everything looks the way it does for a reason either to enhance the building or it is for structure. He designs so cleverly that he designs according to lighting as well, which makes the building look dynamic at night. I have noticed that in his work he likes the skeletal forms to be long thing lines that run your eye across the building vertically or horizontally which always leads you to something else. He seems to love the naturalistic colour of the materials...he uses a lot of steel Roding and see through glass. As that is his style. Calatrava is in my own words INSANE!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.adrianalan.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=6&tabindex=5&objectid=283260
http://www.artfact.com/artist/barbedienne-ferdinand-gqldadnej0
http://www.blogger.com/profile/14207881067856214460
http://www.chadelaud.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=6&tabindex=5&objecti=228090
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5166378
http://www.enamellers.org/ball.html
http://jewelryaccessories.com/jewelry-designers/446-david-webb.html
http://www.macklowegallery.com/education.asp/art+nouveau/Artist+Biographies/antiques/Jewelry+Artists/education/David+Webb/id/29
http://ruthballenameldesign.com/About.aspx
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