20th Century Architecture

20TH CENTURY
architecture
anilustrativezine

2OthCenturyArchitecture-AnIlustrativeZine

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE,AUSTRALIA,(1973)
TheSydneyOperaHousewasdesignedby
DanishArchitectJørnUtzon,afterhisdesign
wonacompetitionin1957.Thishighlycontroversialprojectatthe
time came to
defineAustralia.TheSydneyOperaHouseis
amodernexpresionistdesign,withaseries
oflarge precastconcrete "shels",each
composedofsectionsofasphere,forming
theroofsofthestructure,setonamonumentalpodium.TheSydneyOperaHouse
openedthewayfortheimmenselycomplexgeometriesofsomemodernarchitecture.Thedesignwasoneofthefirstexamplesoftheuseofcomputer-aideddesign
todesigncomplexshapes.
Apartfrom thetileoftheshelsandtheglas
curtainwalsofthefoyerspaces,thebuildingsexteriorislargelycladwithaggregate
panelscomposedofpinkgranitequaried
atTarana.Significantinteriorsurfacetreatmentsalsoincludeof-form
concrete,Australianwhitebirchplywoodsuppliedfrom
Wauchope innorthernNew SouthWales,
andbrushboxglulam.

BURJALARAB,UAE(1999)

TheBurjalArab(translation:ArabianTower),isa
luxuryhotelthat
standsonanartificialislandnearly
300m from theJumeirahBeach
inDubai,UAE.Standingat321m,
itisthe third talesthotelinthe
worldandoneofthemostexpensive.Led
by the architectTom
Wright, Atkins designed a
high-tech building to resemble
the bilowing sailofa traditional
Arab‘dhow’oryacht.
Thebuilding’slayoutisintheform
oftwowingsspreadinaV-shape,
creatinga‘mast’andenclosinga
masive atrium.The façade is
coveredwithtwolayersofarchitecturalfabric,separated
by60
cm,inordertofilteroutexcesive
heatand sunlight.The building
also features an inverted steel
conesuspendedneartheroofat
aheightof210m (689ft).
Having decorated many
high-profile hotels around the
world, the Chinese designer
KhuanChew wascommisioned
todesigntheinteriorbasedonthe
fourelementsoftheancientworld
– water,fire,wind and earth.
Waterispresentthroughoutthe
hotelinaquariumsandfountains,
while fire isincluded in an entrance
fountain, together with
steam representingair

INDIAN INSTITUTEOFMANAGEMENT,AHMEDABAD,INDIA (1974)

SALK INSTITUTEFOR BIOLOGICALSTUDIES,USA (1960)

THEFALLING WATERS,USA,(1936)
Perchedaboveamountaincataract
onarockyhilsidedeepintherugged
forestofSouthwesternPennsylvania,some90
minutesfrom Pitsburgh,isAmerica’smost
famoushouse.ThecommisionforFalingwaterwasa
personalmilestonefortheAmericanarchitectFrank
LloydWright,sinceitclearlymarkedaturningpointinhiscareer.
Afterthislate-careertriumph,thesixty-sevenyearoldwouldgo
ontocreateaseriesofhighlyoriginaldesignsthatwouldvalidatehis
claim as“Theworld’sgreatestarchitect.”
“Thenaturalsetingissointegratedinto
thehousethatinoccupyingitweare
constantlyremindedofwherewearebythesoundof
thewaterfal,”McCarterwrites.“theflowofspaceand
movementinsideandoutsidethefloorsandteraces,givesthehouseasenseofrefugewhiletheviews
andsunlightareframedbysteelwindows,whichact
asspatialnetsorwebssimilartoweavingstained
glasinWright’searlierhouses.”
Yet,whilethebuildingmarksachangeinthearchitect’spractice–mostnotablyinhispioneeringuseof
concrete,which,atthetime,wasseenasdangerouslymodern
bythe consultantengineers–the
housedeservesitsplacewithinarchitecturalhistory,
notjustbecauseofitshistoricalimportance,butbecauseofitsundoubtedperfectio

THEFALLING WATERS,USA,(1936)

THEGUGGENHEIM MUSEUM,NYC (1959)

madebyaishwaryanath
sem 10/b.arch./MAHE