Book Review: Two Monographs
O'Donnell + Tuomey: Selected Works by Sheila O'Donnell & John Tuomey. (Amazon)
VJAA: Vincent James Associates Architects by Vincent James & Jennifer Yoos. (Amazon)
These two recent monographs from Princeton Architectural Press feature two relatively young offices, one from Ireland and one from Minnesota. While far apart both geographically and conceptually, they both share a number of traits: a careful response to context, an appreciation of history, and fresh approaches that seem to belie the previous two traits. The tension between history and progress is easier to see in the Irish firm's work -- owing to the country's deeper history -- though it can also be found in the sensitive work of the Midwesterners.
O'Donnell + Tuomey was formed in 1988 in Dublin. From that inception to 2004 (the date of the book's most recent project), the firm realized the equivalent of one project a year, a quantity that may sound small but is in now ways insubstantial. While it is natural to overlay the quality of the work on top of this quantity, it's also interesting to look at these projects in their context, (something contributor Hugh Campbell does at the book's beginning). For example, the first three projects presented in the book are actually all on the same block in Dublin: a film center, photography gallery, and photography archive and school. Designed and completed within a nearly ten year period, the executed designs illustrate a way of approaching urban interventions, as incisions rather than clearance and renewal. It is a method that is gaining ground at a time when resources are scarce and local identity is used as a marketing tool, attested by the success of Temple Bar.
Even with twelve other projects that do an admirable job of building upon this interaction between history and progress, their Glucksman Gallery of 2004 is what most people think of when they hear O'Donnell + Tuomey. This recognition is justified, as the firm's creation is wonderful result of this tension, recalling Le Corbusier's Carpenter Center, but with a sensitivity and consideration of its place that would make Kenneth Frampton proud. It marks an important time for the firm, one that signals perhaps larger commissions in the coming years and the concomitant testing of their skills.
Across the Atlantic, the Minneapolis-based firm of Vincent James Associates Architects started years later in 1995. Like O'Donnell + Tuomey, VJAA's work is rooted in its place; in this case that place is the United States, a much different beast than Ireland. This difference is clear in the introduction to each thematic section of their monograph, from rallying against faux historicism or novelty for novelty's sake (Culture Wars: Context) to the irrelevance of style and fashion in architecture (Signs of Design). The designs presented tend towards the unfulfilled project end rather than the presentation of built works, but this does not diminish the firm's clear attempts to create a sincere architecture that is of its place in the United States.
Unlike O'Donnell + Tuomey's recognition, VJAA's came early in 1996's Type Variant House, a large assemblage of copper-clad boxes in Northern Wisconsin. The assured skill of the design signaled a new talent on the architectural scene, though it can be commended to Vincent James and his partners that their approach appears to opt for quality and stability over quantity and growth, the last a characteristic of the American Way in need of reevaluation.
An upcoming building that should cement VJAA's reputation as skillful architects sensitive to context is the student center (PDF link) at the American University of Beirut. The firm's decision to break up the program into discreet buildings for both environmental and social concerns, rather than grouping everything under one roof, is at once fitting for the place and unique in its composition, not appearing derivative. This project illustrates that context does not guarantee a successful building; having a design approach that respects context without sacrificing the program at hand is just as important.
VJAA: Vincent James Associates Architects by Vincent James & Jennifer Yoos. (Amazon)
These two recent monographs from Princeton Architectural Press feature two relatively young offices, one from Ireland and one from Minnesota. While far apart both geographically and conceptually, they both share a number of traits: a careful response to context, an appreciation of history, and fresh approaches that seem to belie the previous two traits. The tension between history and progress is easier to see in the Irish firm's work -- owing to the country's deeper history -- though it can also be found in the sensitive work of the Midwesterners.
O'Donnell + Tuomey was formed in 1988 in Dublin. From that inception to 2004 (the date of the book's most recent project), the firm realized the equivalent of one project a year, a quantity that may sound small but is in now ways insubstantial. While it is natural to overlay the quality of the work on top of this quantity, it's also interesting to look at these projects in their context, (something contributor Hugh Campbell does at the book's beginning). For example, the first three projects presented in the book are actually all on the same block in Dublin: a film center, photography gallery, and photography archive and school. Designed and completed within a nearly ten year period, the executed designs illustrate a way of approaching urban interventions, as incisions rather than clearance and renewal. It is a method that is gaining ground at a time when resources are scarce and local identity is used as a marketing tool, attested by the success of Temple Bar.
Even with twelve other projects that do an admirable job of building upon this interaction between history and progress, their Glucksman Gallery of 2004 is what most people think of when they hear O'Donnell + Tuomey. This recognition is justified, as the firm's creation is wonderful result of this tension, recalling Le Corbusier's Carpenter Center, but with a sensitivity and consideration of its place that would make Kenneth Frampton proud. It marks an important time for the firm, one that signals perhaps larger commissions in the coming years and the concomitant testing of their skills.
Across the Atlantic, the Minneapolis-based firm of Vincent James Associates Architects started years later in 1995. Like O'Donnell + Tuomey, VJAA's work is rooted in its place; in this case that place is the United States, a much different beast than Ireland. This difference is clear in the introduction to each thematic section of their monograph, from rallying against faux historicism or novelty for novelty's sake (Culture Wars: Context) to the irrelevance of style and fashion in architecture (Signs of Design). The designs presented tend towards the unfulfilled project end rather than the presentation of built works, but this does not diminish the firm's clear attempts to create a sincere architecture that is of its place in the United States.
Unlike O'Donnell + Tuomey's recognition, VJAA's came early in 1996's Type Variant House, a large assemblage of copper-clad boxes in Northern Wisconsin. The assured skill of the design signaled a new talent on the architectural scene, though it can be commended to Vincent James and his partners that their approach appears to opt for quality and stability over quantity and growth, the last a characteristic of the American Way in need of reevaluation.
An upcoming building that should cement VJAA's reputation as skillful architects sensitive to context is the student center (PDF link) at the American University of Beirut. The firm's decision to break up the program into discreet buildings for both environmental and social concerns, rather than grouping everything under one roof, is at once fitting for the place and unique in its composition, not appearing derivative. This project illustrates that context does not guarantee a successful building; having a design approach that respects context without sacrificing the program at hand is just as important.
Comments
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated for spam.