EXPLORATIONS
In Unit 1 (Foundations), we learned about the basic rules of design, which were established millenia ago but still apply today. In Unit 2 (Reverberations), we thought about what those rules meant and how they might mean something else to another person. In this unit, Explorations, we saw what happened when people stared making their own rules, or trying not to follow rules at all. At the core of this departure from the rules--which is still ongoing--were a revival of old styles by means of a World's Fair (specifically the Chicago World's Fair of 1893) and the idea of sustainability. I believe that the Chicago World's Fair was incredibly beneficial to the field of design despite its Classical elements and that sustainability is the most pressing issue in the design world today.
THE WHITE CITY: THE CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR OF 1893
The World's Columbian Exposition, also called the Chicago World's Fair, was held in 1893 in Jackson Park. Intended to rival the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, the fair was designed primarily by a man named Daniel Burnham, an architect who had helped build the world's first skyscraper. The fair would become known as "The White City," and for good reason: Most of the fair's main attraction buildings were covered with a white stucco. They seemingly lit up at night, when the fair's electric lights came on, awing the visitors with its brilliance. The buildings themselves, however, were built in a classical style. This is initially puzzling to many: Why, during this time of great progress and innovation in American history, would the fair's architects not design buildings that reflected this ideal? Why would they use such old and familiar structures, when there were so many advances being made in every field? The answer is deceptively simple: The fair's designers chose a classical style to invoke a sense of nostalgia among the visitors. The fair was the celebration of Columbus' discovery of the New World (various issues delayed the fair's opening from its intended date in 1892 to early 1893). Yes, much progress was being made, but men such as Burnham wanted people to remember where that progress had got its start. The classical form served to remind people of their roots, as well as to inspire awe. Of course, not everyone agreed with this design choice--Louis Sullivan believed that the choice to build the fair in a classical style set modern architecture back by decades. But overall, the classical design of the fair was a major contributing factor to its splendor, and the success of the fair's design inspired the idea of modern city planning.
GOING GREEN: THE ISSUE OF SUSTAINABILITY
The issue of sustainability has been around for as long as the idea of design has been around; however, the term "sustainability" is fairly recent. The first modern attempt at sustainability is Le Corbusier and his idea of a garden on the roof of the home to replace the green space occupied by the house. Unfortunately, after Le Corbusier's death, designers seemed to stop caring about the land. The modern architecture that arises after Le Corbusier fails to take into account the environment, placing emphasis on the building itself rather than the ground on which it sits. In the defense of those designers, they were not necessarily to blame for this. Architects had been building structures with little regard to the landscape for many, many years, and Le Corbusier was a lone man operating with a radical new idea. After his death, it was easier for many to go back to the old way of doing things, rather than struggle to create a new earth-friendly design process. Now, however, the issue of sustainability as noted by Le Corbusier can no longer be ignored. The data we have is telling us that, unless we change our behaviors, the planet will be severely damaged, possibly beyond repair. Thus, it is our jobs not only as designers but as human beings to do whatever is possible to keep this from happening. In our case, this means designing more eco-friendly and sustainable buildings. Progress is already being made in this area but there is still a long way to go. We cannot hope to think about designing long-term, permanent structures if we do not first think about how to make them sustainable.
Image Sources
--http://www.albinocrowgallery.com/murals.html
--http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/chicago-world%27s-fair
--http://wsa.wesleyan.edu/2012/03/13/apply-to-be-sustainability-coordinator/
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