Mies Van der Rohe
"Glass Skyscraper,Project, Elevation Study"
1922 - MOMA
The ability to sketch an idea is a timeless conceit in
architecture. The best sketches amplify initial thoughts about a concept, while
capturing and communicating thinking with clarity. In 1922, Mies Van der Rohe sketched
his “Glass Skyscraper,Project, Elevation Study”.
The bold power of his original image hints at ideas that would emerge
throughout his career. Simple charcoal marks, in a context,
represent Mies’ vision of a specific architecture.
The images that follow are a foray into a new type of architectural
sketching. Through my ongoing exploration of iPhoneography and
conversations about architectural representation with Pico|Little Architecture designer Andrea Panico, I began to explore the ways that
traditional architectural communication could be translated to a new media.
"Carbon Copy" - 2013
Carbon Copy, borrowing a conceit from Bertjan Pot’s study of the Eames fiberglass DSR chair, is a sketch using contextual
marks or “samples” as the starting point. The image conveys an architectural
concept with mobile technologies. The
initial sketch was a carbon copy in the literal sense; a copy of a charcoal
image, quickly cut and pasted while glancing at the original image.
A Proposal for a Wood Skyscraper emerged from this
study. “Bennachie Tower” proposes a
personal vision of a wood and glass tower, using the same techniques that
yielded Carbon Copy. Both images are hybrid photograph, drawing and collage.
"Bennachie Tower" - 2013
Bennachie Tower, utilizes a photographic “sample” of
Scotland’s Bennachie Forest from artist Kathryn Brown. Bennachie
Forest criticizes the traditional skyscraper renderings (often showing trees
growing from setbacks and other improbable details) which were flooding the
media at that time. The image
suggests a provocative use of context, detail, and technology to create a
sketch, and ultimately, the concept of using a mobile device as a sketchbook. The result is a collage of pixels: each
replicating charcoal, context, detail, and true “context”. These collaged pixels
are applied as marks, indicative of specific architectural context.
"Cut and Paste" - 2013
I was compelled to share these studies on Speaking of
Architecture after a visit to the Museum of Modern Art this summer. “Cut ‘n’ Paste: From Architectural Assemblage to Collage City” is a small but powerful
show that examines “early uses of collage to trace its evolution as both an
aesthetic technique central to architectural representation and a cultural
practice of layering, juxtaposition, and remix that configures the city.” The
exhibit was curated by MoMA’s Pedro Gadanho and assistant Phoebe Springstubb.
Don’t miss this exhibit! It runs through December 10, 2013.
