ARCHITECTURE
This is our second Sunday on the History of Red. The color red carries many meanings—it represents power, love, anger, beauty, fire, and energy, among other things. In some cultures it serves as a symbol of good luck. In architecture, red is arresting.
The impression of a color and the message it conveys is of utmost importance in creating the psychological mood or ambiance that supports the function of a space. Color changes how we respond to a space.
[ SEE, HEAR, FEEL, THINK ] the enhancement of Red in Architecture.
During the time of the Egyptians and Phoenicians, a love for color began to develop. Various associations with red began to surface, ranging from a representation of danger to being a symbol of power and prosperity. Similar to Egyptians, the Romans were among the first to adorn their villas and tombs with red to symbolize wealth and power. These are Roman Soldiers’ Tombs in the city of Petra 200 BC – 200 AD. On the battlefield, the red tunic worn under the armor represented blood and strength. Certainly, the compact line of the Roman infantry, dressed in red, had a psychological impact on the enemy army, which perceived it as strong and valiant. The connection to the color red emphasizes human vulnerability, passion, strength and determination.
Being from Iowa, even though I did not grow up on a farm, I always wondered why barns were mostly red. In historically accurate terms, "barn red" is not the bright, fire-engine red that we often see today, but more of a burnt-orange red. As to how the oil mixture became traditionally red, there are three predominant theories. One belief is that barns are red so a farmer's cows can find their way through storms back home. Another theory was that farmers added blood from a recent slaughter to the oil mixture. As the paint dried, it turned from a bright red to a darker, burnt red. Another was that farmers added ferrous oxide, otherwise known as rust, to the oil mixture. Rust was plentiful on farms and is a poison to many fungi, including mold and moss, which were known to grow on barns. These fungi would trap moisture in the wood, increasing decay. As European settlers crossed over to America, they brought with them the tradition of red barns. In the mid to late 1800s, as paints began to be produced with chemical pigments, red paint was the most inexpensive to buy.
The Pacific Design Center (PDC), a build that began in West Hollywood in 1975 to house the West Coast’s premiere ateliers, continued to expand with the marquee architecture in 2013. This expansion, the Red Building, make the entire PDC 1.6 million square feet. It is strategically located on San Vicente Boulevard and Melrose Avenue. The unique red look and feel was birthed by Argentinian architect Cesar Pelli, who died six years after the completion, at 92.
Alexander Calder’s Flamingo, unveiled in 1974 in Chicago’s loop is a combination of art and architecture. This was the first work commissioned by the US General Services Administration under the federal ‘Percent for Art’ program, allocating a percentage of the project’s budget to public art. Visual art has always taken inspiration from architecture; from Michelangelo to Piranesi, and Gaudi to Le Corbusier, many of our most celebrated artists have explored designing structures. The closeness of this relationship is less surprising when we consider that the Royal Institute of British Architects only reclassified Architecture as a science in 1958, before which the subject was predominantly taught in art schools.
In recent years, the connections between architecture, art, and design have, in many cases, become inextricably bound to one another in a kind of symbiotic relationship. For some observers, architecture appears relevant to the twenty-first century only when it emulates an abstract sculptural presence. This is because of technical advances that allow for complex shapes to be designed and fabricated into large three dimensional forms. But for architecture to unite with sculpture in this way, the balance between its respective function and non-functional components requires the formative clarification of design….in other words, just because you can build any shape, does it mean you should?
Why Not!
Check out Frank Gehry (top) and Zaha Hadid (bottom), the queen of curves.
XO and stay tuned for next Sunday!
