NEW ARCHITECTURE REFLECTING CONTEMPORARY LIFE EXPLORED IN MAJOR EXHIBITION AT THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
First Project in Auchincloss Series of Thematic Architecture Exhibitions
EXHIBITION
The Un-Private House
DATES
July 1-October 5, 1999
ORGANIZATION
Organized by Terence Riley, Chief Curator, Department of Architecture and Design
This is the first project in the Lily Auchincloss Series of Architecture Exhibitions, named in honor of the Museum's longtime trustee and patron of MoMA's Department of Architecture and Design, who died last year at the age of 74. The series will explore major issues in contemporary architecture.
CONTENT
The Un-Private House examines 26 recent homes by a roster of international architects whose designs reflect the transformation of the private house in response to changing cultural conditions and recent architectural innovations. Among the social phenomena--and subsequent and architectural responses--that Mr. Riley examines are changing demographic patterns, shifting definitions of privacy in light of the proliferation of various types of media, and new concepts of work and leisure. The exhibition includes some 25 models, along with computer generated and digitally enhanced photographs and drawings, and interactive digital displays developed jointly with MIT Media Lab that allow visitors to take a virtual tour of several of the projects. A complete list of projects included in the exhibition is attached.
The radical transformation of the "family" since World War II--rising numbers of couples without children, people living alone, and families with children from previous marriages--has resulted in new domestic requirements that differ from those of the nuclear family. For example, many families or individuals without children have adopted concepts of loft-style living. Among the residences that share the open-floor plan of the loft are Winka Dubbledam's Millbrook Residence in New York and Michael Maltzan's Hergott Shepard Residence in Beverly Hills, both built for couples without children; and the Shorthand House, designed by Francois de Menil for a retired woman. Addressing another trend, 64 Wakefield in Atlanta, designed by Scogin Elam and Bray Architects, and Farjadi Farjadi's BV House consider the needs of parents with children from previous marriages. In each case, a separate space for the children was constructed adjacent to the main house to afford the children, as well as the parents, a sense of autonomy and privacy within the newly constructed family circle.
The rapid growth of new media has been also catalyst for architectural innovations. Today's home is a permeable structure, receiving and transmitting images, sound, text, and data. To cite just two examples: in Herzog and de Meuron's Kramlich House and Video Collection, the interior walls of the living space function as screens onto which the owner's collection of video art is projected, creating a virtual gallery space. Both the interior and exterior surfaces of Hariri & Hariri's Digital House are conceived as a "smart" glass skins that perform various functions to assist or enhance daily living. Images and information providing advice on food preparation appear over the kitchen counter while digital guests appear in the living room for a virtual visit.
The effects of media on daily life have caused the concept of privacy to evolve in new directions. Interactive technologies allow us to be physically alone and yet still be connected to people through the Internet, for example. Even in a physical sense, the shifting boundary between public and private is evident in such projects as Rem Koolhaas's House in Bordeaux. A moving platform in the center of the house may be raised or lowered to create different spatial arrangements, creating a sense of fluidity between the public and private floors of the house. MVRDV's design for a row house in a dense area of Amsterdam inserts a public path between the house and its neighbor, exposing its interior behind a sheet of glass. Also situated in a heavily populated area, Shigeru Ban's Curtain Wall House in Tokyo has an exterior made of glass panels and large fabric curtains, both of which may be adjusted to achieve various layers of transparency.
Rather than being an escape from work, today's home often merges work space with living space, as exemplified by Frank Lupo and Daniel Rowen's Lipschutz/Jones Apartment in Manhattan. With the globalization of business, the owners, both traders on Wall Street, no longer have fixed work hours. Digital screens visible throughout the loft display financial information about international currency markets. An additional seven screens are situated throughout the home, allowing the inhabitants instant access to the changing markets. Rather than merging work and living spaces, projects such as Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa's M House and Clorindo Testa's House on a Slope incorporate offices into residential homes while limiting them to distinct areas.
PUBLICATIONS
A fully illustrated catalogue by Mr. Riley will accompany the exhibition.
