Mondrian & Architecture

Many years ago while still studying architecture I had attempted designing a building based on Mondrian’s composition. It didn’t quite turn out as exciting as I thought it would. I think the error was in understanding philosophy behind these compositions. I was superficially copying the proportions and applying primary colors. Though the design looked proportionate, it lacked soul.

Recently I saw pictures of this wonderful mock up designed by students from Frank Lloyd Wright Architect’s studio at Taliesin West, Arizona[1]. The first impression was that it looked like a Mondrian painting. Straight lines, block colors and a beautiful balance of closed and open spaces put together.

I thought of generally exploring this connection of Mondrian’s paintings and architecture. I was pleasantly surprised to find multitude of art inspired by Mondrian’s paintings. From furniture, office interiors, exhibition pavilions, lampshades, curios, foods, nail arts to clothes by YSL. There are hundreds of buildings painted in the same style too.

Check out
http://mylittledesignbox.blogspot.in/2012/11/tasarmda-mondrian-etkisi.html

What is it about Mondrian’s paintings’ that inspires so many people even 70 years after his death?

Personally I just think his compositions give a feeling of stability. Minimalist design removes clutter and the spaces though seemingly clearly defined, look easily interchangeable. There is no symmetry in the composition which allows for expansion.

It is kind of spiritual. Negative and positive exists together while the white is like a pause, breathing space for assimilation. 

Mondrian says ,"New life" could be found in the free space opened up by reason and thought. The empty plane at the centre of the small painting on the easel reflects the absence of the artist [2].

Isn’t it wonderful? This clearly reflects ‘De stijl’ [3]. movement’s philosophy that Mondrian advocated. ‘De Stijl’  strove to create universal harmony by removing individualism of the artist. They rejected decorative art and pushed cubism to the purest form, minimalizing it by using only pure forms like rectangles, squares, horizontal and vertical lines and primary colours.

Gerrit Rietveld was an artist who translated these ideas into 3-dimension. He built Schröeder House on these principles. This house remains the only building based on pure ‘De Stijl’ principles.

There are abundant paintings and a handful buildings boasting ‘De Stijl’ genre’ But many modern architects were influenced by these ideas. They created their own styles by using these principles. Mies Van Der Rohe was one such architect who created beautiful buildings. Here’s one famous example of his creations, The Barcelona Pavilion.

Isn’t it awesome? Clean and elegant!

Mondrian and ‘De Stijl’ philosophy resonates with our modern sensibilities because of the simplicity of design. It ‘s design principles appeal to us as they strip pretension and use basic forms. This aversion to ostentatiousness in design creates a beautiful connection with the surroundings. The inside flows into outside without making it look deliberate.

Here’s a beautiful patio inspired by ‘De Stijl’ designed by architect Andre Hodgskin in New Zealand.

Musings on deconstruction sometime later.

References:

[1] http://inhabitat.com/mod-fab-by-taliesin-west-studio/

[2] http://greg.org/archive/2013/08/07/all_the_worlds_a_stage_set_by_piet_mondrian.html

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Stijl