Comparing Architectural Styles

In the works of Charles Edouard Jeanneret (better known as "Le Corbusier"), the elements of what is known as the International style in architecture are clearly visible. Le Corbusier's works often demonstrate enormous scale, rely on significant use of preformed concrete, and exhibit a purity that are all elements of the International style. His Villa Savoye in Poissy France clearly illustrates the use of these elements, but also Le Corbusier's typical style. Villa Savoye demonstrates Le Corbusier's typical style of raising a building on stilts, add a free-flowing floor plan, create walls independent of th

. . .
the laws of physics. In looking at Frank Gehry's design for the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, one can see how the element of playfulness reentered architectural design compared to the formal design of Villa Savoye (See Image II). The Guggenheim's whimsical nature includes enormous sculpted curves that show how seemingly disparate elements fit into a holistic unity. The design revolutionized architecture. According to Duffy (94), "When the exuberant, sensuous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, was finished in 1997, its architect ascended like a rocket into international celebrity." However, in contrast to Villa Savoye which stands apart from its environment, Gehry's design for the Guggenheim was to fashion a building that resembles a ship since it sits in a port city on the Atlantic coast. The titanium panels on the outside of the enormous waves reflect and shimmer in the sun in a way that mirrors the scales on the fish that swim nearby. In this sense, Gehry's design fits in with its environment in an organic way, in contrast to Le Corbusier's standing apart from environment. As Duffy (94) notes, "The architect's daring, outside-the-box buildings have revitalized urban spaces." Not only does this outside-the-box de
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Le Corbusier's, Villa Savoye, International Postmodern, Gehry's Guggenheim, Le Corbusier, Venturi Venturi, Guggenheim Museum, Corbusier Gehry, Museum Bilbao, le corbusier's, II Guggenheim's, villa savoye, le corbusier, international style, guggenheim museum, guggenheim museum bilbao, museum bilbao, gehry's design, 06 2008, architectural design, characteristic international, le corbusier's design, characteristic international style, le corbusier's designs, gehry's design guggenheim,
Approximate Word count = 1704
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Comparing Architectural Styles