Week 14 Post-Modernism

 In our final week of class we learned about post-modernism that began in the 1980's.

Memphis Movement

The Memphis Movement was a movement that started in 1980 in Milan. The movement was a group of designers who wanted to abolish modernism and its strict design mandates. The designers part of this group were Ettore Sottsass(Founder), Michele de Lucchi, Michael Graves, and George Sowden. The movement was inspired by Art Deco and Pop Art.

Memphis Movement Group

Memphis Movement Designs




Robert Venturi (1925-2016)

Robert Venturi, a Princeton University-educated architect, was important in influencing Postmodernism through his famous books. In Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture (1966), he criticized Modernism's simplicity and logic, claiming that they limited architectural options. Instead, Venturi embraced historical precedents, ornamentation, and the belief that great architecture comes from complexity and contradiction, famously saying, "Less is a bore." In Learning From Las Vegas (1972), he studied Las Vegas' urban architecture and used it to demonstrate how ornamentation provides important meaning in urban design. Venturi had a exploratory design that considered historical precedent. Some of Venturi famous works include the Vanna Venturi House, and Chippendale chair.
                                                                                        Vanna Venturi House
Chippendale chair

New York Five

The New York Five were a group of postmodern and contemporary architects from New York City — Peter Eisenman, Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmey, John Hejduk, and Richard Meier — known for their influential, often minimalist and geometric designs that reinterpreted modernist ideas.

Michael Graves(1934-2015)

Michael Graves was a Harvard-educated architect and a member of the New York Five who became a leading figure in Postmodern architecture. Known for embracing decorative detail, strong colors, bold forms, and eccentric tastes, Graves believed design should be accessible to the masses. His Public Services Building in Portland, Oregon (1983) is considered the first major Postmodern building.
Portland Public Service building

Charles Gwathmey(1938-2009)

Charles Gwathmey, a Yale-educated architect and member of the New York Five, was a key figure in Postmodern architecture and education. His work was defined by geometric complexity, a blend of art and architecture, careful composition of geometric forms, and an honest use of materials.
                                                                            Gwathmey House
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Richard Meier

Richard Meier is a Cornell-educated architect and member of the New York Five, known for his Postmodern designs. Influenced by Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe, Meier’s work emphasizes geometric design, the merging of interior and exterior spaces, and careful consideration of the site. He is renowned for using white to enhance light and clarify architectural ideas, highlighting contrasts like opacity and transparency. His style features abstract forms and a refined sense of structure and surface.
                                                                            Getty Center


 High Museum of Art Atlanta                        Douglas House


Deconstructivism

Deconstructivism, a design style of the late 1980s, involved rearranging standard building parts to create new, unexpected forms. By taking structures apart and reassembling them differently, architects aimed to surprise and challenge traditional ideas of design.

Peter Eisenman

Peter Eisenman is a University of Cambridge-educated architect, educator, and theorist, and a member of the New York Five. Disinterested in "green design," he believed architecture does not solve human problems. His style is marked by fragmented exteriors and unpredictable, unconventional forms.

                                                                                   Wexner Center for the arts Ohio
  City of Culture Galicia                                                House X

Frank Gehry

Frank Gehry is a University of Southern California-educated architect, often called "the most important architect of this age." Known for his experimental style, Gehry's work features bold, unconventional forms and innovative use of materials.

                                                                      High Sticking Chair
Modernized High sticking chair


Wiggle chair                                                Modern Wiggle chair

One-Step Further

John Hejduk(1929-2000)

John Hejduk, a Harvard-educated architect and member of the New York Five, was a key figure in Postmodern architecture. His work featured a geometric, Cubist style, a strong use of the grid, and a focus on the psychological aspects of architecture. His Wall House in the Netherlands reflects this approach, using reinforced concrete, steel framing, wood stud walls, and a stucco exterior.
                                                                                      Wall House

  Kreuzberg Tower                        Jan Palach Memorial


































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