Great minds DON'T think alike- ‘Less is More’ Vs. ‘Less is Bore’

Human minds, even the great minds, have a belief that is true to just ONESELF. While the facts and quotations from them undergo wide acceptance (and an equal share of criticism), they face mixed reviews from the audience. This appreciation along with the criticism is highly dependent on the era of living, like-mindedness of people in the fraternity and much more, altogether bringing the famous quotes not as debates but as an understanding of the distinguishing factors around the idea.

Decoding the ‘actual intent’ of the phrases-

1. The Timeline

The postmodern architecture that was brought forth by industrial revolution, saw the mix if evolving culture, lifestyle, urban issues and more that lead to intrusion of ‘new architectural solutions’ to the society. While Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s works were revolutionary, Robert Venturi’s works were counter-revolutionary. The former focused on the efficiency of urban life, the latter focused on the richness of urban life. Being in the era that was at the peak of getting its architectural styles beyond boundaries with International architects, both these architects created usable, living pieces of art that added the diversity to the metamorphosis of the cities of the 19th century.

2. The Context of Placement

Robert Venturi went to experiment with the complexity of architecture with various theories across his written works such as “Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture” that communicated the art of creating harmony in juxtaposition. With the revolution having taken in culturally significant places too, he believed in doing justice to artistic richness of existing context with an equal cultural expression with the built structures.

Mies van der Rohe preferred experimentation with materials and technology that could be bold pieces of expression with rigid surfaces that were simply ‘straightforward’. It focused on treating the buildings with equality rather than peculiarity.

 

Robert Venturi’s New Castle County set in rural north Delaware expresses the experimentation of the architect.

Mies van der Rohe’s Townhouse at Lafayette park that displays the richness of material choices by the architect.

While Mies van der Rohe met the need for the emerging culture, Robert Venturi tried doing justice to the existing culture.

 “The main street is almost alright. “ - Robert Venturi

“Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space” - Mies van der Rohe

3. The Typology of Creations

The preference over ‘less’ or ‘more’ differs with multiple building typologies while catering to various functions. A public place that must take into account the cutural expression across its faces would go for the ‘more’ since ‘The more it encompasses, the more it has to build a language with the user’. While the commercial spaces that focus on the economic efficiency and low-cost alternatives go for the strength of emphasis with ‘less’.

Left: The house of Robert Venturi and his wife, architect Denise Scott Brown that is user specific offered opportunities to explore the artistic play with the user experience.

Right: The Pavillion Towers apartment at Detroit, Michigan, designed by Mies van der Rohe, that incorporates a wide range of urban users under the space restrictions of the city, brings the need of openness and ease in the design.

4. The User Nature

The spaces created by Mies van der Rohe such as apartments and skyscrapers were capable of creating the ease of circulation with then ‘open’ nature. The transparent facades and maximum daylight intrusion created expression not through the profile spaces but through the transparency if user movement that in turn reflected the experience. It gave way for the user to communicate with the outside.

Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois, by Mies van der Rohe

Robert Venturi’s works designed a pattern, creating a story with the user circulation. This created a strong ‘sense of place’ that had its way to the ‘memory’ of the users.

Chapel at the Episcopal Academy, Newtown Square designed by Robert Venturi.

5. PAST.PRESENT.FUTURE

Robert Venturi strived in keeping the ties with the past intact while Mies van der Rohe strongly focused on the correspondence with the forward vision, in the aim to create a better tomorrow. The future vision of Utopia is definitely an amalgamation of the past and the present, bringing a blend of contradicting ideas. And likewise the success of the present scenario lies in the connection with both the ‘near past’ and the ‘near future’.

6. Individual likes and dislikes

The thin line between the take on the individuality of the architects is that Mies van der Rohe believed in making the rules while Robert Venturi believed in breaking the rules.

Above: Children's Museum of Houston, Texas, by Robert Venturi

Below: The NeueNationalgalerie (New National Gallery) at the Kulturforum by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Museums designed by the architects express their individual approach towards creating the ambience of a museum.

Just as the great minds had their views designed as spaces, every budding architect who grow their vision from inspirations, have the mental liberty to connect with their personal affinity to styles and architectural personalities.

In the end, there is no end. The endless debate would face its constantly fluctuating acceptance & appreciation, along the evolving living scenarios and the conformity to them in every phase of evolution.

"Architecture should speak of its time and place but yearn for timelessness." -Frank O Gehry