Thursday, February 19, 2009

Building Selection + Justification

Building Name: Farnesworth House

Designer: Mies Van Der Rohe

Date of Construction: Idea conceived in 1945, building completed in 1951, restored in 1972 back to it’s original appearance in 1951, and restored once more in 1996 due to flood

Location: Plano, Illionis [US]

“In its simplest form
architecture is rooted in entirely functional considerations, but it can reach
up through all degrees of value to the highest sphere of spiritual existence
into the realm of pure art.”

- Mies Van Der Rohe

The Farnesworth house was originally built for a place of relaxation for Dr. Edith Farnesworth. The house sits alongside the Fox River raised above ground five feet three inches, making the structure appear to be floating in air. Its quadratic shape along with its contrasting design that goes against its surroundings gives this design a sense of boundaries within its environment. Marked by surrounding glass as an exterior, the building allows nature to be seen through it from all angles. This integration of natural views helps define habitation in its simplest form. The Farnesworth house is a dominant piece of work completed by Mies Van Der Rohe, in which he chose to experiment with different building types. This building type was one that had begun in Europe that encompassed modernist ideals in which the Farnesworth House brought to America.


[Pictures Provided By: http://www.farnsworthhouse.org/]

No comments: