Your comments from the previous week when we discussed cultural diversity, cultural differences, imagined communities, and proxemics were terrific. Thank you. Almost all of you combined very smoothly one or more of these concepts with the way one of the buildings at Emory is structured and used: Emerson, Cox Hall, the Woodruff-Pec Gym, and the Carlos Museum, among others.
This week we are going to initiate our closer analysis of Atlanta. Beginning with the traditional way to study architecture laid out byRobert Craig, professor emeritus of Architecture at Georgia Tech, we will approach the ‘four conventional styles’ of Atlanta architecture. The objective will NOT be so much to memorize and repeat these four styles, but to interrogate this scheme so we can lay the foundation of a better understanding of the city of Atlanta and its architecture, and to ask if the element of style in architecture is a clear-cut as architectural handbooks lead us to believe.
On Tuesday we shall discuss the general frame of these four styles in Atlanta architecture, and will wonder about styles as elements of analysis of architectural evidence (primary / secondary). And on Thursday, we will proceed to dig further on the specific style of Art Deco, one of the most characteristic lines of analysis of Atlanta architecture.
By Friday, please post a comment in which you weigh pros and cons of using style in architecture by choosing a building from the pages of Craig’s chapter on “Deco” and agreeing, or not, with the author’s reading of that building. The post will be due on Friday at 5pm.
This text mentions four styles of Atlanta architecture in a time period of only thirty years. Each style is distinct and can be associated with a specific period of time in Atlanta. Therefore, each style is inherently associated with political and social events/movements. For example, the City hall is pictured on page 18 of Craig’s chapter on “Deco.” This highly decorated style reflects the end of the 20s and is juxtaposed with the events following Black Tuesday as pointed out by Craig. This highly decorative style can be seen as a pro because it represents a good time in the history of the United States where our economy could afford to create such an impressive building. A con to this is that upkeep with such an intricate and building must be very difficult, especially in the trying times that followed the completion of this building. Because this building is so highly decorated, it stands out against other styles of buildings from the periods of that followed. This can be a positive thing because it creates cultural differences within Atlanta. However this sharp difference in style can also emphasize the clear pathway to where government funding goes, because the building is a city hall. Style says a great deal about what was going on during the construction of the building, which can then give an idea about the intentions for the building. If the time period in which the building was built has a negative connotation, the style too will carry some of that stigma.
Craig refers to the Rhodes-Haverty Building as “a transition from a colorful historicism to a colorful progressivism” (30). Craig explains that several of the original plans for the building were changed halfway through that give the building a unique feel that blurred the lines between the (at the time) newer Art Deco style and the other contemporary architecture styles being used in Atlanta.
Having looked at pictures of the Rhodes-Haverty Building, I can agree with Craig the changes to the building plan allow it to stand out among other similar-sized towers being erected at the time, such as the Empire State building, which started construction only a year after the Rhodes-Haverty Building was completed. The larger frame built up to the second floor allows the building to appear a lot larger and more ornate than it actually is. For pedestrians walking, the second floor is usually where the peripheral vision ends for someone looking straight ahead at eye level. The emphasis on a beautiful first 2-3 stories is a common trend among buildings that utilize the style of Art Deco. This is one of Art Deco’s greatest strengths, and is appropriately utilized in the Rhodes-Haverty Building. The downside is that many times buildings like this seem a bit more bland when looked at in pictures because of how monochromatic and perfectly linear the rest of building looks, but that is just my own opinion.
The Art Deco era of design transcended style, material, and typical application. The use of surface pattern in many of Atlanta’s art deco buildings stood out to me because of the material used more than anything else. When one thinks of Art Deco construction, brick is the last material one would think about because of it’s simple properties. Gold, glass, and chrome embodied Art Deco. However, Robert Craig shows us otherwise. Ten Brown’s YMCA building is a great example of Art Deco brick buildings. The YMCA building marks a transition period between 2 different eras of architectural design. This place is in special position of style because of what Ten Brown was able to achieve. He created ornate brick work with patterns that reflected Byzantine and Islamic forms of design in the early 20th century American south. This brick work did utilize stereotypical Art Deco repeat patterns seen in other buildings. Unfortunately, the cons to this subtle use of brick meant that it would go unnoticed and eventually be demolished. It doesn’t stand out at first glance and the common eye may not assign any value to these building making them susceptible to destruction. Robert Craig does a phenomenal job of examining these buildings’ significance.
The Art Deco was a architectural style that focused more on designs, ornaments and the superficial part of a building. Craig mentions four different styles which all represent an era in history and each have a different depiction of that era’s reality. For example, the City Hall is an Art Deco building which is trying to make a point. After the Depression, everthing was downgraded, from people, to buildings, to politics, everything turned poor and weak. In order to make a statement of a certain “Renaissance” in the United States, it was imperative to construct new buildings in a prolific way. Buildings that give hope, that stand out of the others and this is how the City Hall makes a statement. City Hall has a type of modern, futuristic aspect for its colors, structures and material; but the designs on the main door and through the whole buidling is what really makes it stand out. Its pros are that it gave people a sense of hope, it started a new era of reestablishment in the country and it also became a very important place for the people. Its cons may be that it stands out of the already existent architecture and maybe it seems that it does not belong there. It also could be very difficult to maintain, and even more in such period of time. I believe Art Deco brought a style that gave the people a new perspective, hope and even interest. These buildings are beautiful for their designs and for the way they simbolize a new beginning.
The idea of style in architecture is important because architecture would not be art without style. Yes, buildings should be functional and useful, but they should also be something that can be enjoyed and aesthetically pleasing and this is what style does for architecture. In the W. W. Orr building, it can be seen how the art deco style and a building being more structurally sound can be combined. It was built with the most up to date fire proof materials. The art deco style uses brick often which was mostly influenced by the fact that a fire which had destroyed hundreds of buildings in Atlanta in 1917.
Art Deco is one of the four styles of modern architecture in this country and Deco seems to be the most popular due to its vibrant nature. The W. W. Orr building is made out of brick because brick is fire resistant which is important at the time because about three hundred acres and a 1,938 buildings were destroyed by fired in the 1917 Atlanta fire. The material of this building guarantees that it will survive a fire therefore it can last a somewhat long time. This building was made for doctors and other people in the field of medicine which means that this building was an important building for other people in terms of their health. This building was probably a place for people to go to for specialized doctors and specialized appointments since this building does not include the size of the hospital. This building used to be the Marlborough Apartments, but got burned down and revamped in tot he W. W. Orr building. The building is pretty elaborate and it is that way because the doctors are able to finance a building of this sort. This is one of the earlier skyscrapers to be built in Atlanta and I believe that this building was an important place for people because of their health.