In the late 70’s while working in London I came across an architectural cartoonist called Louis Hellman. He was published regularly in the Architects Journal at the time. He was very witty and insightful; I’ve always found a sense of humor missing in American architectural discourse. Anyway, there was one particular cartoon that for some reason stuck with me all these years. It was an architect explaining why his clients should live and work in the scale-less high rise glass and steel tower blocks he designed for them, however the last panel shows him walking through the front gate of his CFA Voysey like home in a garden city. Do as I say not as I do.
By the way, if you are not familiar with Mr. Voysey’s work it is worth checking out – one of my favorites.
How many times have you heard architects and designers describe themselves as ‘modernists’ who can’t abide ‘style’ only to find out they live in an arts and crafts house? As designers, do we get on the high horse of cutting edge design in the office only to slip off it when we go home? I, for one, live in a Greek Revival Farm House in an historic district, an accident of house hunting. My wife and I were lured to our ultimate home town by a rather misleading real estate ad for a Walter Gropius house; it turned out to be an overpriced Tech House next to a mosquito infested pond. In fact our town has quite a few 50’s modern neighborhoods, if you can put up with large heating bills and tiny bedrooms. We finally settled for an 1840’s fixer upper with ‘potential,’ 20 years on we are still exploring that potential!
So, do designers have a built-in dilemma, we appreciate and enjoy good design regardless of the style or period. My wife and I have filled our old house with furniture from the 20th century, Aalto, Eames, Gehry, Venturi, rather than antiques that might be more in keeping with the period of the house. Our none designer friends who come over think it is ‘different’ or ‘interesting.’ My designer friends think of it as eclectic. But my Aalto tea table was designed in 1936, so how modern is that? It was new when I purchased it several years ago, so is it a fake of sorts? If it comes from the original factory 78 years later is it a reproduction or just timeless design? Can you select 30’s and 40’s modern furniture for a client and not be accused of picking antiques? Is our house just a pastiche of designer furniture from the 30’s through the 80’s; then what’s with that Pottery Barn leather sofa in the kitchen?
Where has your designer head been over the last few years? Did you buy a new Stickley piece of furniture in the 90’s, a Michael Graves tea pot back in the 80’s? How about a Thonet bentwood rocker in the 70’s? What about that lava lamp to go with your shag rug from the 60’s? Do we gravitate towards products that remind us of our youth? Hardly, Stickley and Thonet were at the height of their success in the early 1900’s, so why the attraction? Do they remind us of our grandparent’s house from our childhood, somewhere where there was always milk and cookies and a great big hug? Personal associations with certain products can drive one to buy/collect items that otherwise might not fit into our design aesthetic. Or maybe like the Aalto tea table, good design will always resonate regardless of when it was designed and or made. The lava lamp doesn’t quite stand the test of time, unless, of course, you are a Dead Head.
As designers, what is our tolerance for products designed years ago but reinterpreted? A VW Beetle is a perfect example of a product designed in the late 30’s by Fernand Porsche with notorious associations that nonetheless was a huge financial success and stayed production well into the 70’s, by which time it had become more than out-dated. The VW Beetle was then reborn in 1997 and bolted on top of a Golf, got to love the efficiency of platform sharing. A Frankenstein of a design idea created for aging baby boomers longing to relive the 60’s? Or, a classic design recreated with new technology?
In the performing arts we see many of our favorite bands from our youth touring with new members. Queen is on the road currently with a Freddy Mercury replacement, same old material with a new face. A creative expression reinterpreting familiar music, or pandering to old fans and dwindling bank accounts? If you are not a purist, who cares, just crank it up to 11! Check out a really great live concert of Freddy and the gang at Live Aid 1985 ‘Radio Ga Ga.’
So, what of old buildings? If we replace the old technology, the MEP infrastructure, with chilled beams, LED lighting, etc. but retain the existing exterior appearance to appease trustees and alumni, have we not created some sort of ersatz ‘thing’ just like the New Beetle? Or have we been sustainable and kept the embedded energy of the existing shell and core? Are we also retaining the existing fabric and character of the campus? Or should we just pull the whole thing down and started over, make it of our time, not some sort of hybrid. Never a black or white decision, which I guess makes architecture such an interesting profession.
Like picking a house, would you rather live in a modern cutting edge glass and steel building or the home you currently own? What does the style of the house you live in say about your design sensibilities? The car you drive, the dining room furniture you selected, the tie or shoes you wear? In the end, aren’t we all a bit schizophrenic, very rarely purists, designing in one world and living in another? Loving that Stickley rocker, driving that cute Beetle convertible or that classic Mustang, consuming good design regardless of the period. Or do you buy the least offensive sofa from Macy’s, drive the cheapest car you can find, buy your clothes at Kohl’s? No high design for me, except for the odd Aalto vase, it just shows up at the office. In the end we all come to terms with this dilemma in our own way, and maybe even design as we say AND as we do.
Image Resources:
Alessi Bird Kettle Alessi 9093 by Michael Graves for Alessi Italy
Thonet Bentwood Rocking Chair
Classic Stickley Chair
Lava Lamp
