Wednesday, January 19, 2011

ArtEd 252 Post 1

I wasn't sure where to start doing this post; I wanted to do something with the designing of modern cars, but I have to be honest and say that modern cars are somewhat of a bore to me. And the cars of 40 years ago, the ones I would want to talk about, aren't exactly a product of computer design. So I started elsewhere, using the references supplied in the blog prompt. After some random clicking I stumbled on the website of Eric Owen Moss Architects. Architecture isn't normally my thing, but some of the photos on the website caught my attention. At first glance, the structures seemed either incomplete or to be falling over; yet they were simply designed that way. I thought it was an interesting and unique style of design, so I looked on.
Samitaur Tower
Culver City, California
This building was the one that made me want to read further. According to the architects website, the tower is an information center in Culver City, California that was designed to only allow people inside it to see specific parts of the surrounding areas to bring attention to those areas. The "walls" are actually screens meant for displaying artwork and advertisements for local events. Each story has walls at different angles, giving the appearance that each is sliding off the next despite all the floors being level. The building appears to be on the verge of toppling over.
Vienna University of Economics and Business
Vienna, Austria

This building continues the trend of seemingly unstable structures. In fact, the design is meant to do just the opposite; the layout creates a triangular pattern within the structure that allows for using less material with the same structural strength. And yet, the outward appearance makes the building look weaker than a normal building. 

3585 Hayden
Culver City, CA


And finally, this unique office building, also in Culver City. The building was designed by starting with a simple cube-shaped structure, then altering it by twisting the cube to make the building looked warped and wobbly. The building looks almost like a cube of Jell-O, wiggling back and forth.

All of the above buildings are not special on paper; they use typical steel, concrete, and glass just like any other building. They are mostly grey and industrial looking. Yet the use of angles and odd shapes give these buildings character; some people might not even be comfortable going in these buildings because they appear unstable. They are almost oxymoronic in that, as buildings, they are made to be strong and long-lasting, but appear just the opposite. Plus, and maybe most importantly, they look really cool.

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