Sustainable Design

Sustainable design is concerned with minimizing waste reducing consumption of energy and materials. It is the intention to cause little or no damage to the environment. This concept can be applied across all aspects of design such as designing buildings or products.  A sustainable design, regardless of the application, will seek to incorporate environmentally-preferable outcomes such as lower energy and water consumption. Also minimizing the impact on climate change is important thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions or mitigating them through carbon neutralizing activities. We all need to limit resource consumption through waste-free manufacturing which preference is given to renewable resources, and an emphasis on recycled materials. One should also reduce or eliminate waste by minimizing consumption, reusing when possible, and recycling when necessary. It is also vital to minimize the impact on the local ecosystem and look for ways to incorporate biomimicry principles where possible. Most of all, giving preference to non-toxic materials and those that will contribute to the health and well being of humanity. Last but not least, emphasize quality and durability over price.

I have researched how today’s energy is being consumed and how it relates to our environment. In 1988 the environmentalists have warned us that the global warming was arising so many industries and urban areas had to emit much less fumes in the air in order not to pollute the atmosphere. Since then climate has changed a lot, sea level is constantly rising, glaciers are melting and oxygen is deteriorating. So industries are relying more on renewable energy sources such as wind turbines designed sustainably although it has the disadvantage of sound pollution. Then there is solar energy and wave power as other means of generating power since oil, natural gas and coal are running out and they are polluting the environment.

Moreover, a step forward was also made in lighting where traditionally we used the candescent and fluorescent bulbs which emit more thermal energy rather than light energy. Oleg Losev was a scientist in the Soviet Union who worked with semi conductor junctions and discovered the p-n junctions which is the main working circuit of any LED bulb. In the 1920’s, in Russia the LED’s where invented giving the advantage of more light energy conversion since thermal energy was being wasted. Hence, they are more practical and conserve energy. Nowadays LEDS in the market have reduced in price and are more affordable to customers.

Looking back, these primary sources have been consumed unwisely. The atmosphere has been polluted long enough but now we are more conscious and educated of the consequences so we are working for a better sustainable development coming up with new technologies that are reliable, conserve energy and sustain the environment. 

Reference

Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.

Circuits Today, 2011. Invention History Light Emitting Diode LED by Henry Round,Oleg Losev. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.circuitstoday.com/invention-history-of-light-emitting-diode-led.> [Accessed 29 January 2015].

Michigan State University, 2015. Sustainability challenged as many renewable resources max out. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2015/sustainability-challenged-as-many-renewable-resources-max-out/.> [Accessed 29 January 2015].

Ergonomic Design

Nowadays society has become more aware of problems regarding heath and safety. Designers are taking action about designing more ergonomic products which relate the worker and the environment intended to minimize fatigue and discomfort. It has become very important in today’s life that all the products, materials and energy that we use are also sustainable causing little or no damage to the environment.

After Charles Babbage invented the computer, today’s work places such as offices rely mostly on computers which bring other aspects of ergonomics and the environment we work in.

We can mention the first armchair designed by Emilio Ambasz which was the first chair to accommodate the ergonomic requirements of the worker since at that time, the awareness was arising and there were back pains and other issues regarding health. Today’s companies and designers such as Herman Miller, Jeff Weber, Yves Behar, and Studio 7.5 design office furniture like desks and swivel chairs for the betterment of seating, tackling posture, back rest, arm rest and seat height.

Apart from the office work one we can also mention other fields of work such as workshops where one can find many tools to work with and machinery. Teams Design which was founded by Professor Hans Eric Slany is now contributing much more to the ergonomic aspect of its products. Robert Bosch has made the household tools out of plastic to reduce incidence of repetitive strain injury and reducing chances of electroshocks. Also plastic is a lighter material than metal.

One can also mention inclusive design where products are designed for everyone including or visually impaired or disabled people. This example by GrabCADr Quinn Turner shows a design which helps people who are shakey so when writing they hold firmly to that design.

This is another example which shows a clear disability of handling cutlery properly so Isabel Heubl Design designs cutlery for people who suffer from dexterity.

Today’s society is much more aware of these problems and it is important to help people with such needs so they would still contribute to their own lives and feel valuable.

As for cutlery in general, with today’s sophisticated machinery and tools we are able to produce cutlery which accommodate the needs of the human body ergonomically. In fact, a British popular designer David Mellor and his company have contributed in this field making cutlery out of stainless steel and top quality. Going back, cutlery used to be made out of silver which today is an expensive material. Improvement is also evident in the handling which is mostly acrylic. In previous time wood was more common since it was a cheaper and common material.

 

 

Taking everything into consideration, ergonomic design has given many opportunities to society and in the future, designers will continue experimenting with new techniques in order to develop ergonomic products which would accomodate the users needs

References:

David Mellor Cutlery and Kitchenware. 2015. David Mellor Cutlery and Kitchenware. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.davidmellordesign.com/dmCutlery.php.> [Accessed 29 January 2015].

Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.

GrabCAD, 2015. Pen Holder to help those with disabilities write - STL - 3D CAD model. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://grabcad.com/library/pen-holder-to-help-those-with-disabilities-write.> [Accessed 29 January 2015].

Pinterest, 2015. Isabel Heubl Design ( product design / lighting design ) [ONLINE] Available at: <https://www.pinterest.com/heubl/isabel-heubl-design-product-design-lighting-design/.>  [Accessed 29 January 2015].

Post-Modernism

Post Modernism started after Pop Design and Radical Design which changed some cultural aspects regarding design and its sake. It took off in the late 1870’s and led to another perspective of approaching art and design. The fact was that previous designers had over polished design from decoration thus giving it a sense of inhumanity. Robert Venturi argued that modern architecture was becoming meaningless due to the fact that it was too clean and lacked ‘character’.

The idea of Semiotics was also coming though; this means the significance of signs and symbolism in society. The importance of different systems of communication was rising together with language gestures and clothing. In fact, today when we go out, we don’t dress without thinking. We wear clothes depending on where we are going. Even our gestures; an example is the difference between being at the work place and being home with your family or friends.

At the time there was also the Menphis group which consisted of Ettore Sottsass, Michele De Lucchi, Marco Zanini, Mateo Thun, Nathalie du Paquer and George Sowden. Sotsass had become an important figure in the Radical design movement and later, decoration in his work led him to Post-Modernism while being in the Memphis group. There was also Studio Alchima which consisted of Alessandro Mendini and  Sotsass.

An example from post modernism can be the ‘Tea and Coffee Piazza’by Michael Graves, 1983.

We can notice once again decoration and some aesthetic beauty; the shapes and materials interpreted in new, unconventional way, and all of this has aspired to create a new, exceptional product together with others. It may not be functional even though if it is a tea or coffee service. In fact, Post modernism had rejected the Bauhausian functionality. What they mostly endorsed was historicism, emotional designs, electisicm, favoured and pluralism. Post modernism bound together an eclectic combination of historical styles.

There was also another designer which contributed to the post-modern movement. This is Charles Jencks and his work ‘Sun table and chairs clearly reflects historical movements. This product is made of elements which are hybrid. It can be seen that apart from the sharp bold edges of Art Deco as decoration, we have an interpretation of Egyptian leaf motifs which also reflects works from Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

The Alessandro Mendini Zabro Table Chair for Zanotta 1984 also is also clearly inspired by other previous historical movements such as De Stijl and Constructivism, the use of black, bold lines and geometric lines

To sum up, Post modernism is sill going on today together with Organic design and it is still evolving through time. In the future other designs will overtake what we have today but that does not mean that it would not be influenced from contemporary design.

Reference:

Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.

News & Stories at STYLEPARK. 2015. Tea, coffee and architecture - [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.stylepark.com/en/news/tea-coffee-and-architecture/337394.> [Accessed 28 January 2015].

Radical Design

Radical Design knows its origins from Italy in the late 1960’s. It was a movement which came after by Pop Art which had lasted only a few years. It rejected rational principles of Modern movement thus being more politicized and theoretical. It fact by this time, the real values of design were being extracted out of its previous meaning. It was more informal and criticized development made on technology and consumerism.

Ettore Sotsass was the key of anti-design who designed the Carlton room divider, designed in 1981 made out of wood and plastic laminate. It is not that functional but at least, it has some aesthetic value due to its geometric structure and use of colours.

There was a designer Claes Oldenburg who designed soft sculptures which does not blend with nature, not at all. Here are some examples of his works.

In 1966 he also designed the ‘Soft Toilet’ which in my opinion has no meaning an value in design. It is just a toilet made out of textiles and lacks both functionality and aesthetic beauty. Here one can point out the absence of design, maybe this shouldn’t have been called a design movement in the first place. It is made with no purpose or other reasons. It is just there to express the ‘creativity’ of who designed it.

Groups which contributed to this design movement were Archizoom Super Studio and also Gruppo Strum. These groups brought the fact of what was actually ‘good taste’. Other groups such as the Vitra also came up with such designs for example the Miniature Selene Chair by Vico Magistretti. In my opinion, it does not contain aesthetic values, with its bright colour and it looks like it is melting.

On the other hand there was another design Gatti Paolini, Pietro Gatti and Theodoro who at least did something which can be used and has a function ‘The cushion Sacco" chair, made in 1968. It is made with modern material and can be counted as a ‘chair’; the radical ‘chair’ since a real chair is one which usually has legs and arms rests (if any) but this cushion is there and when you feel like, you just lay down and make yourself comfortable.

 

Nowadays, radical design can still be felt but it was diminished due to Post-modernism. I believe it was more of a meaningless phase in time with non-sense designs however still making part of design history since it effected today’s designs and artistic values. 

References: 

Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.

Final project by leo989. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at: <http://leo989.github.io/final-project/.> [Accessed 28 January 2015].

Pop Design

Pop design gave birth in the 1950’s and gave a new way of seeing art and design. The impact on American consumer culture paved the way to get inspired from low art. It is still art/ design but instead of being used as it should be, it is just there and society is making use of it for example the magazines become glossy and in theatres they started wearing paper dresses. So this new motto was coming through ‘use-it-today, sling-it-tomorrow’. Posters where also gaining popularity although they had generated heated debates since they were being used also for propaganda and politics.

Significant designers which contributed to Pop design are Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. It was a time where functionality was questioned. They questioned the role of designed in society. They kind of like rejected what was making sense in life and in fact the promoted movements against functionalism. Some of these movements include the Hippies, pop music, flower power and also society was undergoing issues regarding drugs other rebellious attitudes from teenagers. Plastic was a material which is synthetic property and is very unnatural. I can bring out these aspects and compare them with how society was behaving as if they did not care any more about the real values of art and design. Even the designs of Marcel Breuer and Mies van der Rohe were rejected and considered to be in human. In my opinion this sort of judging was a consequence of such rebellious manners against art and its sake. Also, color and ephemerality (which means buying something which does not last forever) where the new aspects of design.

 Kitsch:

Pop Design was influenced from various movements mainly from Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Futurism, Surrealism, Psychedelia, kitsch (which means incorporating art on things with other stuff ex: a T shirt with a print of the Monalisa) and others. This culture also rejected principles of the Modern movement and promoted individual creativity and expression such as graffiti and pop music. Society changed the whole perspective of art and turned it into a consumerist marketing activity. In fact Pop design was also the anti-thesis of the motto ‘less is more’

At a later stage, Pop design diminished and paved the way to Radical design which was also a similar movement leading to post- modernism. Design was even being applied and graphic design was evolving. We can mention the classic Tomotoe Soup can by Andy Warhol which was a remarkable jewel of Pop art.

Nowadays, Pop art is still effecting our society and aspects which grew in the Pop design left an impact on art and design but most of all, they we think what art and design, the real meaning and what we understand by art and design.

References:

Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.

Food Republic, 2015. A "Condensed" History Of The Campbell's Tomato Soup Can. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/07/10/condensed-history-campbells-tomato-soup-can.> [Accessed 28 January 2015].

Organic Design

Organic design started in the 1930’s by two prominent designers Frank Lloyd Wright and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Organic design was about using natural materials which can contribute for the functional and psychological needs of the user. This design started first being seen in architecture. It was about making something harmonious with the natural environment by making it look similar to its natural surroundings. This could only be done by using natural materials, and organic forms, choice of color and other aspects.

In fact nature was the centre point of architecture and Frank Llyod Wright shows us such design in his one of his marvelous architectural works in ‘Falling Water’. From first glance we can see that the building rhymes with nature and is connected to it by different means. It almost looks like there is no architecture; like it makes part of it and this is what organic design is all about.

Falling Water by Frank Lloyd Wright

Another important designer to be mentioned is undoubtedly Alvar Aalto. This designer was to first one to implement real organic design by using organic forms and this time moving from architecture to other interiors such as furniture. Some characteristics which promoted its design in his work were the soft flowing curves in his method of bending plywood such as the below example.

Paimio Chair by Alvar Aalto

Apart from furniture, there are also interiors such as technologies for example computer hard wares. In today’s designs, keyboards are being manufactured with organic design forms so they would not only compliment the interior of the place but also contribute to ergonomic aspects. The extended part we see coming out of it from the front view which reflects fluidity, serves mainly for these two purposes. A designer who specializes in this field is Ross Lovegrove and his work ‘Surf Collection computer accessories for Knoll International, 1992’ proves such organic design. The thing is that designers are making objects look organic and they are using mostly plastic which is the least natural material but on the other hand it is the best one to express such design and brings that out that abstractive beauty which is also found in nature. For example, as said above the plastic form incorporated with the keyboard is like fluid coming out of it. We can also see organic design in lighting. In fact, Lovegrove was currently into a concept called ‘Florensis’ which focuses on the convergence of light which and how it flows through the organic forms which reflect flora.

Organic design was pretty much appreciated between the 1930 and 1960 but then again flourished back in 1990 and until today it is still being manipulated. We can almost notice organic design in everything starting from household goods, furniture design, modern technologies and other stuff.

 References:

Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.

Ross Lovegrove, 2015. FLORENSIS – New Lighting . [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.rosslovegrove.com/index.php/florensis-new-lighting/.> [Accessed 27 January 2015].

Streamlining

Streamlining took off in the 1930 in America. It was launched officially in the New York world fair named ‘The World of Tomorrow’. It was a consequence of the The Great Depression and also related to the Wall Street Crash in America 1929. Competition was growing at a fast pace and manufacturers sought ideas of how to make customers buy their products. In fact, what they did was re styling what they already had instead of coming up with innovative ones. At that time America, wanted a style of its own which differs its products from European countries.

Early in the 20th century, there had been some design changes on transportation to improve aerodynamics and hydro dynamics. What they was making the design in teardrop shape, smoothing the edges and  rounding the corers so air would flow easily reducing air resistance and other opposing forces. It was very common in trains, aircrafts and ships and this brought to the advantage of saving time and fuel.

So the manufacturers grabbed this idea and applied it to all of their products to make it look appealing and which prompts the customer to buy it. The advantages of making such stylish products were both economically and industrially. They were able to be mass produced since streaming consisted of flatting the surfaces and removing any ornamentation from the design. Another advantage was that since they could be mass produced and customers were interested in buying such products, the price was affordable even for the middle class. In fact, by buying a streamlined product, the middle class felt like they were buying a high class product due to its attractive style which captures the eye. Everyone wanted streamlined products and due to this, other stuff such as vacuum cleaners and sharpeners and also fridges were being designed in a streamlined manner. In fact, one would buy such a product even if he doesn’t need it since it was worth it. Therefore at that time, people from all over the world, were looking for products marked ‘Made in America’ and even nowadays, we can still here this echoing, maybe not fully understanding why but on TV programs it can still be hared. On the other hand, nowadays people seek to buy goods from China since they are affordable and good quality products.

Designers which were popular in their streamline design were Henry Deryfuss, Raymond Loewy, Noman Bel Geddes and Dorwin Teague. We can take an example of a streamlined motor cycle by Ben Bowden with his work ‘Bicycle of the Future’ We can notice the curvy shapes and the designs which flows all over it showing movement and speed.

 ‘Bicycle of the Future’ by Ben Bowden, 1946

To some up, Streamlining helped American manufacturers regain strength and boosting the economy. Nowadays streamlining is still very popular in our designs. Although its peek was between 1930 till 1950, it is still essential for us to design objects which save fuel and are efficient so some streamlining principles are to be incorporated for sure.

References:

Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.

Industrial Design History, 2015. The Streamline Era: A Personal View Budd Steinhilber. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.industrialdesignhistory.com/node/1022.> [Accessed 27 January 2015].

International Style

This term was seen first in the catalogue of Alfred J. Barr, the museum of modern art in New York 1931. It is more or less a collection of mutual characteristics, methods, techniques, materials and events which happened concerning designers like Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, Mies Van Der Rohe. There had been many changes going through at the time. After WW1 we can see an advance in technology, lots of migration and designers moving from one culture to another. People were building houses again and industry was being given more attention.

During the time of the 1930’s, the International Style was best described as the style with use of industrial materials like glass and steel, geometric forms. Later, Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen promoted contrast between geometric and organic forms which expanded mostly in furniture and products with function.

Eileen Gray was a designer of rational furniture like for example Transat chair and the E-1027.

She was vey much inspired from the geometric lines of De Stijl and modern principles from the Bauhaus. Also, awareness about the ergonomics can already be felt since the chair incorporates textiles. In addition,  people wanted their designs to be industrialized and functional, they had to make the design as simple as possible with flat clean surfaces.

Mies van Der Rohe was a designer, exponent of the International style and also the last director at the Bauhaus. In fact he worked close to Walter Gropius, and Le Corbusier. He designed his own versions of tubular steel such as the MR10 and the MR20 armchair. The black surface is clearly evidence of early influences of Modernism. The International style continued on elaborating on the function aspects of designs and reducing decoration. Natural materials were being used in an innovative way such as bent wood. Ray and Charles Eames had worked and developed initial techniques and we can see some examples from their works.

Eame’s Molded Plywood Chair

Max Bill has also contributed to this style. He studied silver smiting and was inspired by Cubism and Dada. Like Walter Gropius, he was related to the Bauhaus were he valued the belief of approaching function to design. He also founded the School of Design where he emphasized Bauhaus characteristics of geometric forms and believed that works based on Maths laws, endorsed an aesthetic purity. From his industrial designs, there is a particular one of his popular works which are his wall clocks. We can see some examples such as the one of 1957 with Model No. 32/0389 .  The clock gives the impression of formality and is simple with geometric lines and shapes. Nowadays, designers are sill producing similar clocks with a more dynamic approach. Black, white and silver are the key colours which make the work look formal and give it a sense of standard and discipline.

Reference

International Style of Modern Architecture, 2015. Origins, Characteristics. 2015. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/architecture/international-style.htm.> [Accessed 27 January 2015].

Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.

Art Deco

Art Deco emerged from the ‘International Exhibition of Modern and Industrial Decorative Arts’ which too place in Paris in the 1925. The exhibition was meant to commence in 1915 however due to the World War 1, it had to be postponed later in 1925. The aim of this exhibition was mainly to promote and put forward French design. In fact it was vey affected by the Russian Ballet companies and the French culture was exposed to exotic materials and trends.

The style very focused on decorative motifs and ornamentation thus rejecting industrialized production. In fact, it didn’t focus much on the function but looked more at its aesthetic beauty. It was influenced by Asian and African cultures and designers started to experiment with different new materials such as ivory, shark skin, exotic woods, mother of pearl and shagreen. Different techniques were also coming through such as lacquering and ceramic glazing.

Here we can see an example of a well known artist Eileen Gray in ‘’Blocs’’ screen in black lacquer, 1922-1925. Gray creates furniture which best describes today’s society and modern interiors with unusual furniture.

Blocs by Eileen Gray

Another designer which also experimented with such materials and techniques, is Renne Lalique. He moved from the Art Nouveau to a highly stylized and bulky Art Deco glassware. In fact, his work ‘Pierrefond vase’ is a proof of this and we can notice such features.

Pierrefond by Renne Lalique

In fact, Art Deco was also influenced effected by Cubism and geometry and designers were coming up with abstractive forms in order to produce something decorative. It took over from Art Nouveau and was very inspired from by Egyptian civilization, tribal art, geometric abstraction, Surrealism and Constructivism and over all Modernism. A prominent designer which contributed to Art Deco is Jacques- Emile Ruhlmann.

Other materials which became popular such as chromium, colored glass, painted concrete and Bakelite. This material can be molded, marbled and made translucent. On the other hand, people at that time still wanted to buy something mass produced without too much decoration such as the works from the Bauhaus. The Great depression was also affecting this aspect since products were becoming cheaper. After the second world war, everything had to be built from its foundations and people had to buy affordable things to build houses and decoration was not the aim any more. Also, during the war new technologies paved the way to make design more adaptable, informal and cheaper products which could be easily mass produced.

Art Deco deteriorated in 1939. The impact of Art Deco nowadays is very significant, it is still an inspiration for some interior designers. We can mention decoration in tiles which is popular in bathrooms. Tiles are also made on walls with patterns. The Chrysler Building in New York was also inspired from this style and other similar architecture is still being built today with extensive use of glass and other materials.

References

Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.

 Art Encyclopedia, 2015. Art Deco. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/art-deco.html.> [Accessed 27 January 2015].

Bauhaus

The Bauhaus was an educational institution established by Walter Gropius whose key principle was mainly to endorse art into industry. The meaning of Bauhaus is ‘building house’ and the aim was to reform some design aspects while educating the students to achieve goals and be able to work in various workshops. Of all the lecturers that taught in the Bauhaus we find artists like Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee.

The main inspirations of the Bauhaus were taken from the Arts and Crafts Movement and William Morris beliefs, Henry Van de Velde and influences from Constructivism and De Stijl which were concurrent Modern movements at that time. Later in 1925, the Bauhaus moved from Weimar to Dessau where Gropius had to rebuild the school and this time showing clear Modernism through the architecture. This could be seen in the materials he used and methods applied to build this school from its foundations. The Steel-frame construction and glass curtain walls make the building look rational and of high standard which could be distinguished form the previous one in Weimar.

 Bauhaus in Weimar

 Bauhaus in Dessau

Marienne Brandt is also a significant figure in the Bauhaus due to the fact that she contributed in the metal worshop. Brandt is in fact the first women that had ever worked in a metal workshop. Women were considered fragile and vulnerable at that time so they just contributed to the textile workshop. Brandt based her principles on industrial forms and promoted functionality in her work.

The following are some examples of her work whose attention is deviated on its function and simple forms.

  

In fact, the major attention on this tea/coffee set is more given to the function and ergonomics rather than on its aesthetic beauty and ornament. This was the goal of the Bauhaus not to rest attached with the traditional craftsmanship but to be able to create designs which are possibly mass produced in industry.

Another important figure was Marcel Breuer who also was a lecturer in the Baushaus. He produced 3D designs, mostly chairs such as the Slatted Chair in around 1924. The inclined seat which is also elastic, was aimed to contribute for the ergonomic aspect of the posture but still, compared to nowadays chairs, many other aspects of ergonomics lack in this design although it is a good development. We can also point out some influences from De Stijl which is almost similar to the Red and Blue Chair by Rietveld due to the fact that it is made out wood (the same material) and geometric forms.

Sletted Chair by Marcel Breuer 1922-1924

  

Today’s furniture designers are more aware of the health issues concerning our back and neck pains since we spend so much time working sitting down in front of a computer or desk. Hence, they are entirely focused on the ergonomic aspect and its function which accommodates the human needs. People are being educated and aware in keeping a good posture especially when working which has become a very important issue nowadays.

Reference

Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015. The Bauhaus, 1919–1933 [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bauh/hd_bauh.htm.>  [Accessed 23 January 2015].

De Stijl

De Stijl was a Dutch movement concurrent with Constructivism and Bauhaus which started roughly in 1917 in Holland. Theo Van Doesberg is the main founder of the De Stijl movement together with other artist members and architects such as Piet Mondrian. It was the time when World War 1 was coming to its end and this style sought to bring order again in society especially in the aspects of design. It lacks decoration and is a reaction against Art Deco.

Of all the inspirations which contributed to this movement, one can mention Cubism, Dada and Suprematism. De Stijl is also a contributor of the International Style which can be very felt in the aspects of architecture mentioning the use of black and white, pure shapes, flat colours and geometric lines. In fact, the main characteristics of De Stijl endorse the use of primary colours (red, yellow and blue) black and white and constant geometric forms. It did not only affect art and design but also left an impact on typography, industry and also architecture. One of the main aims in this movement was to combine form and function and this can be seen in many furniture designs which were manufactured at that time.

We can mention the 1917, Red and Blue Chair by a Dutch designer Gerrit Rietveld which is a clear example of De Stijl furniture design. It is made out of beech wood and rectangular prisms. It consists of two arm rests which does not look very comfortable. In fact, the chair is hard to sit on due to the fact that the material used is just wood which is a stiff material. The chair is a clearly inspired from the paintings of Piet Mondrian which reflect dynamism created by the strong bold lines. In 1923, the chair was lacquered with matt black, red and blue for its major surfaces and yellow for its minor surfaces.

Red and Blue Chair by Gerrit Rietveld

There is another chair by Marcel Breuer named the Model B3 made in 1926. This chair was also later manufactured by Thonet and given the name of the Wassily chair related to Wassily Kandinsky who was a lecturer at the Bauhaus. It is made out of black canvas and tubular steel which was gaining popularity and that time. It was being mass produced and made available for mass production. It was inspired by Adles Bicycles and Mart Stam and from the Bauhaus.

Model B3 by Marcel Breuer

If we can compare and contrast the two, Rietveld’s chair is much less comfortable than the one of Breuer since the materials used are different and also the style. Tubular steel is bent while wood is just cut, joined and painted. Similarly, the use of black is a common tangent between the two and this reflects the fact that Bauhaus and De Stijl collided at some point with mutual ideas and influences.

The impact of De Stijl is still being felt in today’s design and architecture. A witness of this is the Schroder house by Gerrit Rietveld, built in 1924. Some restorations were made in the 1980’s so as to preserve the original furniture of this valuable historical icon.

Reference


Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.


Financial times, 2015. Design classic: the Red-Blue Chair by Gerrit Rietveld.  [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/81122958-3a3f-11e3-9243-00144feab7de.html.> [Accessed 23 January 2015].

Pinterest, 2015. Furniture | Red Blue Chair by Gerrit Rietveld [ONLINE] Available at: <https://www.pinterest.com/jakubsochor7/furniture-red-blue-chair-by-gerrit-rietveld/.>  [Accessed 23 January 2015].

UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 2015. Rietveld Schröderhuis (Rietveld Schröder House). [ONLINE] Available at:< http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/965.> [Accessed 23 January 2015].

Constructivism

In spite of the German Werkbund which led to Modernism, many movements and styles were born after the 1917 such as De Stijl, Bauhaus, Constructivism, International Style and others which followed. Constructivism started in Russia 1917, the time when the Bolsheviks came to power and led to the Russian revolution. There had been severe political issues and after the dead of John Lenin, Joseph Stalin took over with his new ideas and reforms.

Constructivism was inspired mainly from Cubism, Suprematism and Futurism. The characteristics are geometric shapes, formal order, flat colours, and use of black, clean lines, photomontage and the use of Sans Sherif typography. It was a time where industry was being given more importance than decoration itself. New technology was coming through and industrials were adopting different methods and ways of producing furniture and other goods. Rodchenko and El Lissitzky were contributing in typography and graphic design. In fact, Sans Sherif was born at this time featuring both use of bold lettering and less line width in the font itself.

A very popular designer which had a great influence of this movement is Vladimir Tatlin. He played an important role and contributed much especially when he made the ‘Tatlin’s Tower’ for governmental purposes. Consequently, this had brought the movement further to its highest level between 1919 and 1920. He also formed part of the Russian avant-garde art movement together with Kazimir Malevich. Malevich was more concerned with Suprematism and geometric abstract. We can see how his works relate with Suprematism and also some evidence of Cubism as well.

 The Knife Sharpener

Looking through the lens of design we can talk about some inventions such as the cantilevering which was very popular in furniture design. This had brought advantages mainly in reducing use of the materials, gaining more space and making furniture somehow different and unreal. Marcel Breuer experimented this method in his chairs and used tubular steel which was gaining popularity at that time together with plywood.

We can see an example of his works which prove the use of materials and the method of cantilevering

Model B32 Chair by Marcel Breuer

Talking about materials, the constructivists wanted to change the mentality of expression. Usually art and design expresses feelings and aesthetic beauty but now it was time focus on how materials behave together, how would they contribute to the function of the product and accommodate the users’ needs.

We can also make reference to Gerrit Rietveld’s Zigzag chair made in 1934 which also reflects the method of cantilevering together with its simple design of just straight lines and rectangular forms. We also notice the use of steel which paves the way to Modernism, new materials and innovative methods. Rietveld has also contributed to the De Stijl movement which will be later discussed.

Zigzag Chair by Gerrit Rietveld

Nowadays, we make use of cantilevering mainly in the building and construction field mentioning bridges, road works such as fly-overs and others. As for architecture, we can take a look at some very interesting extended areas of the architecture itself mainly to bond the interior with the exterior; bringing nature inside and feel part of it.

Extended architecture and bridge

References:

Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.

Design Real, 2015. Cantilever Chair. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://design-real.com/bench/.> [Accessed 22 January 2015].

The Art Story, 2014.Constructivism Movement, Artists and Major Works [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.theartstory.org/movement-constructivism.htm.> [Accessed 22 January 2015].

Deutsche Werkbund

The German Werkbund was basically an association of scientists which raised reforms in architecture, social aspects, design and industry. It paved the way to the era of Modernism and endorsed many designers, architects and artists which later had contributed to design history such as Walter Gropius and Peter Behrens.

Peter Behrens had also contributed to Jugendstil with close connection to the Arts and Crafts. Like Morris, he had the idea of reforming society. In fact, he was one of the leaders of architectural reforms and became a prominent designer of buildings and factories. He used mainly brick, steel and glass as materials. Late in 1907, he joined Hoffman, Riemerschmid, and Joseph Maria Olbrich and formed the German Werkbund together with other companies. This was an organization with principles of the Arts and Crafts but given a twist. The aim was to standardize and rationalize forms for machines, produce machine made good quality products similar to that of Craftsmen and enhance the level of taste in German academies. Later became an artistic advisor for the AEG (general electric company) where he taught Ludwig Mies Van der Roche, Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier.

Walter Gropius who is a very well known architect, who is also the founder of the Bauhaus school, had also designed the Fagus shoe factory in Alfeld together with Adolf Meyer. This building is a clear example of the outbreak of modernism mainly because of its cubical form and the extensive windows which bring the exterior in the interior. The materials used were mainly bricks, glass and steel. The design is clean, flat and simple with geometric lines and shapes without any ornament or decoration.

  

Fagus factory by Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer in 1911

In fact, the Deutsche Werkbund had been organizing a number of exhibitions to promote these ideas in order to rationalize the style of architecture especially after World War 1.

Just to mention a few, ‘Modern Factory’ and ‘Form without Ornamnet’ where made by Walter Gropius in Berlin of the 1924. During the 1933, there was a debate where the national socialists decided to suspend this organization. It had contributed much to design development and later influenced the Bauhaus as Walter Gropius itself was one of its founders as said above.

In today’s design and architecture, much of this was absorbed. We are still endorsing the ideas of the extensive windows for lighting and design purposes. Some geometric shapes are still visible in architecture but today many designers seek to build higher extravagant, dynamic architecture challenging the extremes and exploring different ways of how to minimize space consumption but still being comfortable enough for the user and in the mean time sustaining the environment.

The impact of the German Werkbund on contemporary architecture

References

Fiell, C. and Fiell, P. (1999). Design of the 20th century. Ko¨ln: Taschen.

WOKA. 2015, Deutscher Werkbund – Design.  [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.woka.com/en/design/designer/deutscher-werkbund/>. [Accessed 22 January 2015].

Architectuul, 2015. Architectuul. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://architectuul.com/architecture/fagus-factory>. [Accessed 22 January 2015].

Ketterer Kunst, 2007. Deutscher Werkbund (German Work Federation). [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.kettererkunst.com/dict/deutscher-werkbund-german-work-federation.php.> [Accessed 22 January 2015].