CONTEXT AND BULDING II

CONTEXT AND BUILDING II

Is context today more important, less importance, or of the same importance as it was a century ago? Compare one contemporary case study and one case study from roughly a century ago.

Context has always been omnipresent in architecture throughout the past century, but has it been increasing in most recent era of architecture?

Let’s start off with a building that could represent architecture in the past century. The Johnson Wax Headquarters building by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Constructed from 1936 to 1939, it was completed by what was the end of The Great Depression. Befitting of the context of the time, America was kick-starting a new era of industrialization after the depression in order to rapidly rebuild the economy, where the building is located in the industrial zone at Wisconsin.

With the building set in industrial zone, the building was designed by the architect to create a sealed environment well-lit from above. The buildings design was also streamlined with the then popular Art Moderne movement in the 1930s, the modern architecture movement of the time.

The Johnson Wax Headquarters building exterior.

Along with the trademark section showing the sealed environment and well lit from above design.

Section resembles an industrial layout for the building.

Fast forwarding to recent times of architecture, is it fair to say an iconic building that represents the current era of architecture is as rich in context as the Johnson Wax Headquarters? It is hard to argue that there is indeed such building, with the constant images of starchitects buildings of Santiago Calatrava and Zaha Hadid’s ever radical and awing designs occupying the very spaces of our minds in the current times. Where we can see the rise to prominence of architects that pioneered and practiced “Deconstructivism” such as Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Daniel Libeskind, Bernard Tschumi, and Coop Himmelb(l)au.

Has the protruding, soaring “fish skeletons” of Calatrava’s structures or buildings ever represent the very context of the site it is built upon? Hardly ever, but it hasn’t ever stop the spawning of Calatrava’s spectrum of structures and design. It is because it has become an icon. The building that he designs, strives to become the face and icon of the site. In most of the western countries there has been a Calatrava building or structure, or at least a demand, as they will become the face and monument of the country as a sign of advancement and prestige.

Santiago Calatrava's famous protruding and soaring structures.
The Oculus, Samuel Deckett bridge, Sundial bridge.

With Zaha Hadid, you have the very definition of Starchitects. Where the building they design will become the face of the site they were built on.

For instance, those who aren’t familiar with Baku, Azerbaijan will be constantly reminded that the Heydar Aliyev Building resides in that state, and that is what Azerbaijan may be about to them. Is the building the result of the states current culture and social affairs? They hardly are, as the closest context the Heydar Aliyev building ties itself with Baku, is the commemoration of the former dictator and the current political landscape and economical advancement of the oil rich state.

The Heydar Aliyev Building.

The surrounding landscape and building typology differs largely from the addition of Zaha Hadid's latest structure in Azerbaijan.

Another example of context being pushed aside in favour of prestige is the extension of the Antwerp Port House, the second largest port in Europe. However may be relevant that the context the building is derived from the existing old port and site, it is clear that the new building brushes off aside the said historical particulars and asserts itself as the new icon of the port with at most the personification of that of a form of a ship. It forces people to recognise the port in a new light, as the chariman of the Antwerp Port Authority, Marc Van Peel rightfully puts it, “The architectural style of the original building, a replica of the former Hansa House, recalls the 16th century, Antwerp's "golden century." But now above this original, a contemporary structure in shining glass has been built, which I am sure, represents a new golden century for Antwerp.”

That is the current era of architecture, with buildings wielding the power to begin the golden century in any states that it lands upon. And the question begs, does context hold any place in the pinnacle of architecture? At the mean time, it seems bleak for context to be holding any strong relevance to become the face of architecture.