Have you ever wondered how anyone could have built something like this, or this,
or this? It’s not something we are used to seeing in the history of architecture, right?
In today’s episode, we are going to learn about DECONSTRUCTIVISM, an architectural style that
forever changed the course of architecture. If you’d like to see more episodes on
Architecture, be sure to give us a like and tell us which topics you want to learn about next.
Everyone knows that architecture is a conservative discipline.
Since the beginning of time, it has demanded order, stability, and logic.
However, the 1980s saw a rising architectural sentiment that challenged all of that.
It wasn’t a radical new movement but rather a
concept of architecture shared and practiced by forward-thinking professionals worldwide,
namely Peter Eisenman, Bernard Tschumi, Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, Daniel Libeskind,
Coop Himmelb(l)au, and Zaha Hadid among others. They were called Deconstructivists,
although many of them rejected the label. Their up-and-coming, emerging style came
to the world’s attention with the 1982 Parc de la Villette design competition in Paris,
and the MoMA’s 1988 Deconstructivist Architecture exhibition in New York, organized by Philip
Johnson and Mark Wigley. The announcement of the exhibition explained it perfectly:
"....Deconstructivist architecture, however, is not an architecture of decay or demolition. On the
contrary, it gains all of its force by challenging the very values of harmony, unity, and stability,
proposing instead that flaws are intrinsic to the structure." Deconstructivists deliberately
replaced harmony with discord, unity with fracturing, and clarity with mystery.
The architects featured in the mentioned exhibition felt that architecture had
fallen into monotony and aspired to go beyond the traditional modernist
vocabulary by deconstructing familiar architectural concepts.
No more “form follows function,” “purity of form,” or “truth to materials.”
Deconstructivism developed alongside yet apart from postmodernism,
which was a movement that emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the formality of modernism.
While both approaches shared a combative, confrontational attitude toward the order,
purity, and rationality found in modernism, deconstructivist architects instead rejected
the architectural history that postmodernists wholeheartedly and happily embraced.
Deconstructivism sprung from the philosophical theories of “deconstruction”
from French philosopher Jacques Derrida, who suggested a radical rethinking of tradition.
Deconstructivist architects attempted to translate his ideas and principles by dramatically altering
or blatantly rejecting age-old architectural forms and spaces. They called into question the
shapes and structures of buildings in favor of design that creates a sense of movement
while provoking strong emotions. These attempts have taken shape
in structures characterized by paradoxes, fragmentation, distortion,
rejection of symmetry, linearity, continuity, and a radical break of the form-function relationship.
Some architects, like the legendary Frank Gehry, focused on deconstructing dual concepts such as
function and structure, beauty and ugliness, and interior and exterior.
So, what do Deconstructivism creations look like? The finished buildings appear unstable, confusing,
while lacking any visual logic with conflicting abstract forms. They shock the eye with risky,
perplexing forms that challenge the visitor. Yet, despite this confounding first impression,
the buildings still have consistency. They serve a purpose and possess unconventional beauty in
their wild flaws and chaos. This makes the stay in their space an experience worth remembering.
Almost all Deconstructivist buildings have distinctive architectural elements called
“Follies” or “Eyecatchers.” In fact, buildings are not accepted as Deconstructivist architecture
without these key features. They are parts of a structure primarily found in the exterior and
constructed not only for decoration but also to help visitors gain a sense of direction
and navigate through sometimes-perplexing spaces. Besides deconstruction philosophy, architects
also found inspiration in other art movements, particularly Russian Constructivism, Futurism,
Analytical Cubism, Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, and Post-Modernism,
which all showed tendencies toward the radical treatment of form and perspectives.
The advancements in technology and architectural software programs allowed deconstructivist
architects to unleash their creativity and communicate their unorthodox message
through unconventional buildings. Some have criticized the movement as “inhuman” and elitist.
Despite that, the style gained institutional support and social acceptance over time, and it
seems that it will not go out of fashion any time soon. Deconstructivism is still very much alive,
moving architects around the world to invent and dream up the buildings of tomorrow.
It may well be fashion, but one thing is for sure: deconstructivist architects
have changed the course of architecture forever. How do you find this style? How does it make you
feel? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube and Instagram for
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