What would world art be if not for the philosophical teachings of leading thinkers of the past, present and future? According to some treatises, consciousness determines being and there is a very significant share of truth in this. A person’s worldview forms everything that surrounds him, starting with a cup of morning coffee and ending with masterpieces of painting, music and architecture.
The greatness of the baroque buildings, the mystery of Gothic temples, the severity and orderliness of the classic masterpieces of world architecture - all this can be called a legacy of various philosophical movements and views on the world. Deconstructivism in architecture is no exception. People far from art history are unlikely to be able to confidently define this phenomenon, but intuitively they can assume its key features and even more so highlight a building constructed in its best traditions.
Where the "legs grow"
As mentioned earlier, deconstructivism in architecture originates in philosophy, namely in the teachings of Jacques Derrida, an outstanding French thinker of Algerian origin. These are his main points that have helped to determine the features of this style, which differs from everything that was built earlier.
The most popular works of Jacques Derrida were in the United States, which explains the fact that it was the American architects who at one time took the first step towards a new phenomenon in world architecture. Despite the fact that the French philosopher considered himself a follower of Sigmund Freud and Martin Heidegger, his own views on the world were significantly different from those of Derrida's “teachers”.
The thinker considered the whole world around him as a text that needed not ordering, but deconstruction - fragmentation, the acquisition of sharp corners and outstanding details. The basic idea of his works was in full harmony with and continued the ideas of postmodernism, which dominated the whole world at that time. It is quite natural that leading figures of art instantly responded to such views, which challenged everything familiar and natural.
Not without Rossi
Oddly enough, deconstructivism in architecture arose largely due to the peculiarities of buildings actively being built on the territory of the USSR in the 1920s. Absolute symmetry, harmony and simplicity - that is what was appreciated in Russian architecture. Equally designed houses grew in every city, like mushrooms after a good heavy rain.
As you know, between the USSR and the USA there has always been some confrontation: the first space flight and landing on the moon, military power, literature, controlled territory - all this provoked a desire for excellence, which can be called one of the best catalysts for progress. It is natural that the monotony of Soviet architecture found a corresponding response in the States, which at the time gave rise to deconstructivism in architecture.
Chronological framework
Of course, the reaction to Soviet preferences in architecture was not instantaneous. The formation of a new trend required not only time, but also a corresponding impetus from the side of philosophy, which became the ideas of Jacques Derrida. The style of deconstructivism in architecture originated in the 80s of the twentieth century. World ideals and the pursuit of the Absolute were questioned, replaced by a tendency to mystery, breaking and the philosophy of "broken perfection."
The first steps towards the unknown
Peter Eisenman and Daniel Libeskind, American architects who worked in the late 80s, are considered to be the pioneers and legislators of this bizarre style. In particular, the victory of the Eisenman and Bernard Schumi project in the Park de la Villet competition is considered to be a significant milestone in the history of the development and establishment of this view on building construction.
Subsequently, deconstructivism in the architecture of the 20th century was reflected in the publications of the Dutch theoretician Rem Koolhaas. It was there that reflected the main ideas, properties and trends of this style for many years.
Rev set
An equally important event for adherents of disharmony was the exhibition of the Museum of Modern Art, held in New York in 1988. It was there that the main works belonging to this style were presented. The organizers of this event were Mark Wigley and Philip Johnson.
Then, in 1989, the signs of deconstructivism in architecture were examined and examined in more detail during the opening of the Wexner Center for the Arts, designed by Peter Eisenman himself.
One of the decisive events regarding the formation of a new style was the exhibition, held in New York a little later. Within its framework, the best works of architects such as Hadid Coop, Bernard Schumi, Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas and many others were presented. It is noteworthy that after this event, many leading architects distanced themselves from the ideas of deconstructivism, choosing for themselves other ways in their work.
However, this event did not hinder the popularity of this architectural style - until now, buildings are being actively built around the world in which characteristic disharmonious and bizarre elements are guessed.
Special signs
Despite the slightly mysterious and rather cumbersome name, the characteristic features of the style of deconstructivism in architecture and interior can be easily determined, even without being an art critic.
For example, one of the most striking and memorable signs can be called a special tendency to fracture, asymmetry of form regardless of the subject, whether it be a sculpture, a building or the most ordinary chair. Sharp corners and seemingly inappropriate bends, bold twists and piling up of elements - all this can be called the quintessence of deconstructivism. It is always a kind of challenge to habitual reality, flirting with the consciousness of the beholder.
Rickety corners, sloping walls and a roof set upside down are perfectly acceptable in the architecture of this style. Moreover, the more bizarre the form, the better, more correct the project will be, no matter how strange it may sound.
Ideals and manifestos
To affirm this or that phenomenon in art, its material representation is required. Deconstructivism in architecture is no exception. Photo of the Dancing House, located in Prague, or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology today is familiar, perhaps, to every connoisseur of non-standard art. A typical example of this style is the Guggenheim Museum, located in Bilbao.
Outside in
If the construction of buildings requires significant material investments, then the interior design of apartments and offices can be called more affordable. Deconstructivism in the interior of modern banks, treasuries and model houses is a very common phenomenon today. In the modern world, one of the main keys to success is the ability to impress, which furniture and accessories made with a special taste can cope with.
The interior in the style of deconstructivism implies the presence of fancy furniture, transparent walls or a convex floor, the completely unimaginable form of chandeliers and tables, or, for example, bulky niches hanging over the head.
Rooms that look like real labyrinths and seemingly broken bookshelves - all this is deconstructivism in the interior, which is very popular today. The eternal pursuit of originality and protest against the whole world - this is how this style can be characterized. Perhaps over time, humanity will get bored with experimenting with colors, shapes and textures, but so far it has been given an endless selection of options, among which there are the most daring and even unimaginable.