Today’s 21st century architecture favors grand gestures, eye catching structures and gravity-defying buildings. In a growing consumerist society, more so in the digital age, where form dominates function, we’ve been taught to appreciate forms of creation as fleeting, momentary spectacles. From an architectural standpoint and regarding what is commonly recognized as “great”, a building’s potential should not depend exclusively on its exterior appearance, neither does it rely on the movement or stylistic tendency it belongs to. Rafael Moneo, one of the greatest 20th- 21st century architects and scholars, demonstrates architectural value, not by creating excitingly imposing buildings, but through a sensible approach towards historic and geographic contexts, giving close thought to materials and textures throughout the process. In this way, and without necessarily maintaining a visual signature style, Moneo was able to attend in a more specific manner each and every project, designing works such as the National Museum of Roman Art and the Kursaal.
Built between 1981 and 1985, the National Museum of Roman Art is both an architectural and historic homage to the Roman city of Mérida, located in Spain. The city, still standing in ruins, including aqueducts, bridges, and even a Roman theater, became a literal canvas for Moneo’s design: the city’s original ruins not only dictate the structure’s plan, but were also used to source the bricks used in the building. While essentially a museum, meaning the program responds to the curation’s order, the building maintains a colossal scale throughout its interior, a nod to the Roman Empire’s massive structures. Interestingly, the arch, a staple of Roman architecture and engineering, is repeated to create wide corridors that replicate the effect of immensity, perceived in Roman buildings such as the Pantheon and the Roman Colosseum. By abstracting upon the ancient civilization’s history, its materials and geometries, Moneo was able to embody a fusion between past and present; ancient and contemporary.
Another one of Moneo’s groundbreaking designs is Kursaal, an auditorium and convention center in San Sebastián, Spain. The complex, comprised of two main volumes, one larger and one smaller, was visualized by the architect as a geological intervention, a fact supported by the relationship between the cubes, both in terms of scale and position (at an angle), and their slanted faces, all of which suggest the qualities of organic geological formations. Although the building’s grid remains constant throughout all sides, the larger cube frames the scenery through three rectangular windows. However, the design’s greatest feat is its transparency, which further connects the building to its natural surroundings. The textured glass used, with its weightless appearance, creates contrasting effects on the building: by day it floods the interiors with glowing light; by night, it transforms the cubes into floating paper lanterns. Instead of designing a project following existing urban themes, Kursaal establishes a deep connection between natural versus man-made.
Both examples have a distinctive quality: neither of them were designed with the intention to follow a specific design movement. Instead, what matters most to Moneo is what already exists; historical or natural. Having these considerations in mind, the projects are then woven into their locations, as opposed to simply being imposed in their sites. Moneo may be generally recognized for his unconventional designs, but his vision of what design should essentially be, is, from a personal standpoint, what I consider to be his greatest strength. Evidently, the past is the force that ultimately shapes his buildings; although not in an outdated way. Both through abstraction and the continuation of cultural and natural themes in his designs, the Spanish architect is able to reflect, above all, a timelessness that challenges existing architectural and stylistic timelines.
References:
Conferencia Magistral de Rafael Moneo en la XX Bienal de Arquitectura de Nuevo León. (2020, January 02). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhut01ulC5A
Belogolovsky, V. (2020, March 04). Rafael Moneo believes good architecture must be innovative but rooted in its place. Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.stirworld.com/think-columns-rafael-moneo-believes-good-architecture-must-be-innovative-but-rooted-in-its-place
Netto, D. (2013, April 12). Lost in Translation. Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/12/t-magazine/lost-in-translation.html
Elogio de la luz - Rafael Moneo, coraje y convicción. (2013, January 03). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/elogio-de-la-luz/elogio-luz-rafael-moneo-coraje-conviccion/1525590/
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