ARTICLE READING

Is context today more important, less importance, or of the same importance as it was a century ago? Compare one contemporary case study and one case study from roughly a century ago.

LECTURE 11

Contemporary architecture is a range of style of architecture appropriate to the current time period. It is an

evolution of modern architecture that connects the internal space and external contexts. Modern architecture

tend to be different and not influenced from the traditional style, architects want to create something

extraordinarily form the site to create the ‘boom’. I believe, context are still as important as the past, context are

influencing contemporary architecture design. To understand the local context are important to produce a good building design. Context determine the architecture style, building material selection and layout.

’master planning starts with an assessment of the ecology of the site and its context; we need to know what is

there before we can insert’

The Frederick C. Robie House is located in Hyde Park in Chicago, Illinoi. It was design by Frank Lloyd Wright and

being build in 1910. The house is much consider about the human behavior and the site context that affect the

human activities and designs. The Robie House creates a arrangement of public and private spaces, distancing

itself from the street in a series of horizontal planes. By creating overlaps of the planes. With this gesture, it allowed

for interior space expanded towards the outdoors while still giving the space a level of enclosure.There is also

a strong visual connection between the interior and exterior spaces.

The sun angles were calculated so perfectly with this cantilever that a midsummer noon's sun hits just the

bottom of the entire facade while still allowing light to flood in to warm the house during the spring and

autumn months.

Vitruvius mention “healthfulness,” determined by the local geography and climate, above aesthetic and spatial

matters. I think Frank Lloyd Wright did a ‘healthy’ design with all the consideration for the environment, weather

and climate, privacy with sweeping horizontal lines, extensive overhangs for the view , warm well the

interiors andthe balance of public and private spaces made the Robie House. Frederick C. Robie "...the most

ideal place in the world."

Although many may argue in contemporary architecture does not consider the context, and many architect

neglect context. Even some architects come out ideas such as Daniel Libeskind and Frank Gehry creating bold

structures and being criticize not respecting the site context. But I think that in architecture today the site context

are still being consider in the design.

In recent years, Kengo Kuma design a pieces of multitonal stone used to construct a spa resort in southwest China,Tengchong, Yunnan. Tengchong spa resort has a complex pixelated appearance by using varieties of locally

quarried stone, which are fitted together like a mosaic to form the walls and roofs of each of the spa

complex's buildings. Using the local stones helps to express the power of the earth in the architecture designed.

(local material)

"There is a mountain called Yunfengshan to the west of the site, which is known as a sacred place of Taoism," said Kengo Kuma. "So we arranged the buildings as if to follow the current of the 'spirit' coming down from the

mountain." It reflect what Vitruvius mention on the sites for public building, positioning and arrangement of the

building. For this Resort located in the mountain site is suitable for Chinese ‘spirit’ which is often related to spa

for creating the ‘qi’ (wind) on the mountain site. (positioning and arrangement)

Shrubs and trees are planted in front, helping the building blend with the heavily forested mountains that surround it

(nature)

In conclusion, contemporary architecture and architecture century ago is always influence by many factors, but

these factors are the main context for the architects to design a building. Design should not only fulfill the architect desires but the surrounding context must be consider locally and globally. Context become a communication

between buildings and people. Thus, the context of topography, climatic, culture, economical, environment and etc. cannot be denied as a very important in contemporary architecture and a century ago.