Phases of Modern Architecture- Prairie School

. Modern Architecture- Prairie School; Welcome student's ah to the online NPTEL course contemporary architecture and design, in the previous class we started discussing ah the Prairie school architecture style. And how it evolved after this, ah the Chicago world fair. And because it is the style of Chicago world fair was not ah the style they can relate with the ah USA. So, Prairie school of architecture style was evolved from the Prairie land of ah in in USA, and inspiration of the visual style was ah the Prairie land . Now if you look at they have also ah the Prairie school of architectture style ah has some connection the Chicago ah ha school of architecture style. And before that in Chicago ah ah ah city beautiful movement ah so, here is Chicago style and the Chicago style and the Prairie style, there some similarities, but then there was a little bit of dissimilarities as well as. And ah the main ah precursor of the Prairie school ah was ah the it started in the in the from the this movement of ah ah ah world symposium of this Chicago fair which was happened in the Chicago world world fair. And the style of white city which we were discussing which evolve from 200 ah temporary buildings ah they have created the world city. The architecture style was classical revival and the neo classical style and USA ah architects they thought this kind of architecture style was not, ah ah does not represent their ah own stylistic feature. All of this architecture style if you look at this is the European ah neo classical style. And they wanted to ah ah find out their own inspiration and own style there was a requirement to create their own style of architecture, for that they went towards their ah own native land. Which is the Prairie land, and that is how they have created their ah own style. So, this got criticized the Colombian exposition ah which happened in Chicago what criticized and because of the style of Colombian exposition there was a different opposite style which they wanted. And America did not should they thought that America should not adopt and they require a new style of architecture style, which ah ah where the inspiration was Americas vast tree less ah Prairie land. So, that was an American style and which was a opposing the European ah the emphasis of the ah ah neo classical European style, which was there in the white city of the Colombian exposition. So, here in the Prairie school of architecture style as we were disusing in the previous class there was a horizontal line was ah main and colour palette evolved from the Prairie flat land. We have seen the Prairie flat lands colour which is brown and then the brick was ah used to create the ah ah colour tone. And also there was a lot of asymmetry in the building ah building ah the building outer form was asymmetry, which was not there in the Chicago's school, but definitely Bauhaus adopted that. So, the functional ah attribute of the Bauhaus was also definitely there in the Prairie school ah school of architecture style. Evolved from function, but also the form was very important for them ah and they have taken in inspiration from the form as this kind of Prairie land. And this kind of horizontality and the linear feature we will see . Now, in architectural style as we were discussing that it has a low pitched roofs, which kind of ah connects the traditional architecture style of the traditional building which was also present in USA ah not only in Europe. And they have the ah deep overhang which is cantilever which creates ah the horizontality and the ah windows ah the long rows of window, which creates the void, and that is how they have when this kind of ah ah overhang will be juxtaposed ah by ah ah very fragile glass then the horizontality will increase because there is there is a rhythm of solid and void in the horizontal lines. So, it is creates more horizontal ah ah patterned and gives a more ah ah the building will look more ah horizontal, though it is ah in the same kind of building if we treat ah give more horizontal line and treated like this versus more vertical lines this building will look more horizontal. And this building will look least horizontal in nature and then native materials were used and the wood work we have ah we will see, and then the brick work was there, but it was never painted to ah ah show the natural beauty of the texture of and the material. And also we have seen some visual connection with the art and craft movement and how this kind of similar pitched roof was also there, and they have retained. So, this does not directly come from art and craft movement this comes from the traditional architecture style. Where pitched roof was there art and craft movement retained that style ah and the Prairie style also retained that style, thought they have changed the shape and form of the pitched roof in this becomes more horizontal in nature. And we will see will not see the similar kind of proportion here. Where the proportion will be changed because they wanted horizontality in the the visual style and also through the lines this white bead which is passing throughout the building will also create here in this case is black ah will create ah the horizontality of the building. Now, also we have seen the similarities with the Chicago style because some of the architecture of Chicago style ah was also there in the Prairie school of architecture style. Now, these are some of the examples of Prairie school of architecture style, which is ah the main architect was ah Frank Lloyd wright and Henry Sullivan there are other architects as well, but we will see lot of work of Frank Lloyd wright and Henry Sullivan. Here today we will discuss some of ah the buildings of Frank Lloyd wright, ah who was also a pioneering architect of Prairie school and ah organic and Frank Lloyd Wright's work also ah into into the different modernist movement he worked ah from his work was in different style of modernist movement, as he grew up. And you work ah style changed and he worked in the many different styles throughout his life . So, this is one of his ah ah building in Oak park which is ah Willits house, ah which is you can see the time frame which is in the just before modern it is almost modernist first phase ah started. So, here the Frank Lloyd Wrights building if you look at so this is also this is in Prairie style. So, lot of horizontal lines are there if you ah look the Prairie colour tone is there the traditional pitched roof is maintained, but got elongated and then in the similar kind of ah row of void through ah ha ah through and through windows, ah ah will be there and then the solid and void of the building will be achieved like this ah. Here if you look at the plan Frank Lloyd Wright's ah design have some kind of visual vocabulary, which is again if you start discussing Frank Lloyd wright we ah ah ah long discussion because his work is highly ah discussed, and he was one of the pioneering architect of modernist movement, but if you just clearly ah from if you look at ah in a very from outside and very over overall look and feel of the building. We will see a core and then if you look at this kind of treatment which goes in the 45-degree angle, and will come and get out from this ah his plan. And more or less this will have a strong horizontality, and 2 different access and then it will also be punctuated with the this kind of row windows which we were seeing in here in the elevation. And if we also look at this kind of form which is again asymmetric. So, this part is different, this part is different and when they approach that is also in ah ha ah in, but this still, has a some kind of balance some part is the here some part is here and this is the central access, but still it creates an balance with the ah ah play with the solid and void and the massing. So, if we look at clearly, as in this course where looking at more more towards the design element we will talk ah about design and visual ah ah design more ah and because there are many other planning aspects which is there in the Frank Lloyd Wright's ah ah design, which we will not discuss here. So, if we look at the design elements here ah this is a window of the Oak Park's house. And we have discussed we have shown the similar Frank Lloyd Wright's window, which has a Theo Van Doesburg's ah who was in De Stijl movement there is some connection. If you look at why the connection is there because again this rectangle it is broken in to rectangle ah ah rectangles and ah different vertical and horizontal line. Which is also there in De Stijl movements ah ah architect's designers have ah followed that even in Mondrian's painting, we see breaking the picture frame into horizontal and vertical line. And if you look at the colour used is yellow which is ah one of the primary colour and again you will see some part of red over here . So, here you will see the same kind of window this is the Frank Lloyd Wright's style of ah ah window design. Frank Lloyd wright used to design the outside of the building as well as the inside and all the furniture's ah ah many of the furniture's even the even the interior treatments were designed by the Frank Lloyd wright himself. So, here there is a that is why you can see a link from the outside ah ah treatment the window as well as the sky light, and even in the furniture everything is following a same design vocabulary. If you look at carefully this light is if you see the plan this has a square holder and then pure circle inside which is the light. So, this is again a pure geometry of globe and then which is confined by a square. Again it have some similarity with the Bauhaus as well, because these are the parallel movements happen in Bauhaus, Chicago, Prairie and organic all this movements are happening parallely. So, they have they have taken inspiration from each other, but they also their own stylistic vision and own philosophy, but also some visual ah elements ah got repeated in different ah style. And again if you look at the purity of material is there, but lot of solid horizontal line is there and these kind of ah ah design will be repeated in his Frank Lloyd Wright's other designs. So, this the vocabulary of Frank Lloyd Wright's ah window design and treatment of interior. So, if you look at ah ah if you look at this style carefully you will identity the Frank Lloyd Wrights of ah window design and the interior ah ah elements in interior design . Now, has we ah I was talking about Theo Van Doesburgs window design, ah he was Dutch painter and comes from the ah this De Stijl movement. Also you will see the similar works and again another Theo Van Doesburgs window, which ah we have shown earlier was broken into ah the triangle. And then same kind of colour palette was used this is Frank Lloyd Wright's building in oak park, but this is another ah building in ah which is Robie house, which we will discuss, but same kind of material you will see ah wooden panel. And similar kind of ah design vocabulary ah you will see and this is more of a solid and cuboid. So, cuboid ah in ah isometric and then ah this triangles will be there and yellow colour is used within the glass frame . And similar kind of treatment you will also see ah on the ah ceiling and ah light ah which is there on the sealing . Now, here if you look at Frank Lloyd Wright's ah ah painting and look at the other furniture design which is there, in ah ah ah De Stijl movement. So, we see some similarities over there though it is a very different movement and Frank Lloyd Wright's style of ornamentation was different, but Frank Lloyd Wright's painting talks about the similarity in the colour tone and similarity of circle, which ah ah and the use of circle along with line is there in his painting as well. And when he designing his interior. So, we see this circle ah circular globe as a light source and then squares and which got repeated here as well. So, here also we will see the this kind of lines and some visual connection with his paintings and and the window design . Now, this is Robie house one of the famous ah ah building designed ah by Frank Lloyd Wrights, it is designed for Frederick Robie that is what ah that is why it is called Robie house . Here also we see the similar kind of horizontality with the white bead and ah the Terracotta ah brick work ah creates a horizontal line. And also the asymmetric is there and these kind of roof which ah is cantilever is there. And then this roof is not this is a pitched roof this is also a pitched roof because it is stretched so much as a long huge cantilever to give the ah horizontal, horizontality in the design. So, this looks like a horizontal member, but this also pitched roof which is also stylistic feature of ah ah Prairie architecture. The pitched roof got got stretched in the in the horizontal direction and that that is why; the solid and void in horizontal direction was achieved to create a lot solid ah ah ah horizontality in to the design and also from the outside this building is absolutely asymmetrical and it evolved from the ha form evolved from the function , as the function was arranged and the the form evolved around it and that is why; the asymmetry which asymmetry will also be the followed in the later phases of architecture style. And modernism is more about the high modern style is more about asymmetry and geometric abstraction, which is ah which which is starting in the previous ah stages of modern modern movement; through the Frank Lloyd Wrights and other peoples work in this ah movement. In in in the Prairie style. So, also we will see ah a 45-degree triangular ah ah break in the ah ha in the plan. So, if you look at the plan this kind of same element which where there in the previous design of ah Frank Lloyd wright. And again the rows of ah series of window and in in center this kind of ah ah core also there. If you look at the plan ah which is there in the earlier building you will see the same elements. If you look at this element and the elements over here and core and the series of this glass, glass work and look at the Robie house plan. You will see the similarity series of glass work and similar kind of treatment you will see in the in his plan. That is how the visual vocabulary of Frank Lloyd Wright's style ah is coming in the ha in in the form . And here also in this slide you will see the interior which is again the same style of Frank Lloyd Wright's interior which is followed, this is Robie house interiors and oak park's design was also kind of similar. And series of straight lines which comes ah ah comes from the selling also goes in the in the wall is there, and pure wood work and similar kind of windows, ah and similar kind of illumination which is a combination of circle and square is is there . Now we have discussed the plan and then ah ah if you look at this ah another designer, he is also an architect ah. But most of his work in is in graphic design Owen Jones is there. And if you look at Owen Joness work and this is Chromo lithography this also has this similar kind of color and it is definitely more ornate, but same kind of colour tone and same kind of breaking it in the circle and square in there , but Owen Jones ah this is his own design, but he also have written a source book this is his design, but this is not ah upon something Prairie style or some like that ah . Because this is a grammar of ornament which is ah ah written by Owen Jones ah. He have talked about different it is source book of grammar of ornamentation of different style throughout the world. So, he have different templates of grammar. So, this is ah taken from Egyptians style so Egyptian, what will be the source of Egyptian styles ornamentation, he have paint in that it might be from some other style ah may be Saracenic style and the different styles were, ah they has this this book of grammar of ornament ornament, but Owen Joness own work this is his own work is also have some similar kind of ah ah pattern ah. In the if you look at the the window treatment over here this that kind of patterns are quite similar in his work as well . So, in the next class we will discuss more with the ah with the examples of organic architecture, which evolved from Prairie architecture style and ah mostly with the examples of ah Frank Lloyd Wright's work. Thank you .