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Post Modern Architecture Presentations
Background:
Like Postmodern art, Postmodern architecture is a reaction against the Modernist movement that preceded it rather than a unified stylistic movement. Postmodernist architects share many of the concerns of contemporary artists: a desire to be more inclusive, to reflect the needs and concerns of the community, to express pluralism and complexity. Postmodern architecture is eclectic, meaning it embraces numerous styles from many periods and cultures. It is often decorative, in defiance of the Modernist dictum “less is more,” which dictated austere exteriors and minimalist interiors.
Instructions:
Review the Vanity Fair article, “Architecture in the Age of Gehry,” and do a quick web-search on the list of 15 contemporary architects (see back of this handout). Consider which architect’s work appeals to you, and find two to three like-minded enthusiasts. Collaborate with your partners to produce a presentation on your chosen architect, coordinating the following elements:
Preliminary Research:
- Biography of the architect with an emphasis on his or her curriculum vitae
- Overview of the architect’s thematic and/or stylistic concerns
- Close study/analysis of three buildings (see analysis sheet attached)
Fact Sheet typed, 1-2 pages max
- Brief biography (one paragraph, max)
- List of important works (include function/purpose, location and date completed)
- Three highlighted buildings (include photograph, plan and bullet point list of significant features)
SmartBoard Presentation may be PowerPoint, Prezi, Google Slides
- Introduction to architect and body of work
- The architect’s vision, preferably captured in a quotation
- Images, plans, identification of three highlighted buildings
- List and/or images of other significant works
- Connection to other architects/buildings (i.e., what works/architects influenced your architect? What are other influences has the architect noted, such as archaeology, sculpture, literature, engineering, sociology, etc.? Has he/she collaborated with other architects to produce certain works?)
Your presentation should be 5-10 minutes in length. Please be prepared to present on the block day next week. You must have 35 copies of your fact sheet, your PowerPoint and all of your partners present. You do not need to turn in your preliminary research, but you should be well-versed on the architect’s work, and prepared to answer questions from me or your classmates.
The Architects:
- Frank Gehry
- Renzo Piano
- Peter Zumthor
- Norman Foster
- Rem Koolhaus
- Sir Richard Rogers
- Zaha Hadid
- Tadao Ando
- Daniel Libeskind
- Toyo Ito
- Richard Meier
- Santiago Calatrava
- I.M. Pei
- Robert Venturi
- Jean Nouvel
Online Resources:
http://www.pritzkerprize.com/
http://www.archdaily.com/
http://library.artstor.org/library/welcome.html
Biographical information and news articles- Infotrac
Artcyclopedia.com - links to museum websites