ELEGANCE

Eleganceby Alise Ārgale

Didactic exerciseFall Semester2010

Interior worlds: “Elegance”

Main EditorGennaro Postiglione

Course of Interior ArchitectureFaculty of Architettura e SocietàPolitecnico di Milanowww.lablog.org.uk

EditorAlise Ārgale

only for pedagogic purposenot for commercial use

INDEX

00_Eleganceby Koenraad Van Cleempoel

00_ Glyptothek Museum

01_Interior with a piano and a woman in black

02_George H.Boke house

03_W.E. Martin house

04_Schlennger and Meyer depart-ment store

05_Glasgow art school

06_ Morgan Library

07_Casa Batllo

08_Coonley house

09_Robie Residence

10_Pennsylvania station

11_Adziogol lighthouse

12_Hotel Guimard

13_Goetheanum I

14_Glass Pavilion

15_Woman sitting in interior

39_Turku Cemetery Chapel

40_The G.Dorste House

41_

42_The J. Rodriguez House

43_Church of St Francis

44_ The dining room of Mr. Lundberg

45_Schindler’s Gold House

46_General Motors Technical Center

47_Farnsworth House

48_Walker Residence

49_Eames House

50_Crown Hall

51_Bavinger house

52_Walker Guest House

53_UNAM Library

54_Price Residence

55_Aalto Studio

56_Air Force Academy Chapel

57_Sydney Opera

58_Berlin Philharmonic Hall

59_Engineering Building

60_Dulles Airport

61_Fawcett House

62_Solar Telescope

16_ The J.B. Lee house renovation

17_Lister County Courthouse

18_Hallidie Building

19_Einstein Tower

20_The Aline Barnsdall house

21_King’s Road House

22_Watts Towers

23_Masion La Roche et Jeanneret

24_Schroder House

25_Stockholm Library

26_Van Nelle Factory

27_Melnikov House

28_Chrysler Building

29_Barcelona Pavilion

30_Tugendhat house

31_Villa Savoye

32_San Simeon

33_Municipal Museum

35_De La Warr Pavilion

34_Regents Park Zoo

36_Kun’s house

37_Wingspread

38_Museum of Modern Art

63_Beinecke Rare Book Library

64_Olympic Arena

65_Gateway Arch

66_New National Gallery

67_US Pavilion at Expo ‘67

68_History Faculty Library

69_College Life Insurance Co.

70_Design Research Headquarters

71_Republic Newspaper Building

72_Philips Exter library

73_A.I.A. Headquaters

74_Church at Bagsvaerd

75_Sears Tower

76_Azuma House

77_Sainsbury Centre

78_Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

79_Tampere Main Library “Metso”

80_Musee d’Orsay, Paris

81_National Commercial Bank HQ

82_La Grande Arche

83_High Museum of Art

84_City of Music, La Villette

85_Menil Collection

86_Bank of China

87_L’Institut du Monde Arabe

88_National Gallery of Canada

89_Pyramide du Louvre

90_ University of Minnesota Art Mu-seum

91_Sondica Airport

92_Allen Lambert Galleria

93_Camerata Music Studio

94_Kansai Airport Terminal

95_Gap Inc. Offices

96_Millenium Bridge

97_ Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

98_Gare do Oriente

99_Diamond Ranch High School

00_Elegance

This essay presents the word elegance as essential in any vocabulary of inte-rior architecture. The paper will argue that, despite the valuable momentum to move our discipline closer to academia and to infuse it with research, the crea-tion of elegant interior spaces remains an important competence. The coveted theoretical basis of our discipline can be found in the exploration of central con-cepts such as elegantia. We will describe its etymological source in Calepino first Latin dictionary (Cornucopiæ, 1502) and argue that it should not exclusively be associated to harmonious prose and correct language (eg. L. Valla’s De el-egantiis linguae Latinae, 1471). Indeed, its intrinsic humanist meaning can be linked to Leon Battista Alberti’s concept of concinnitas or beauty, as described in De re ædificatoria of 1452. In book 9 On

Ornament to Private Buildings, he writes: “Beauty is a form of sympathy and con-sonance of the parts within a body, ac-cording to definite number, outline and position, as dictated by concinnitas (…). This is the main object of the art of build-ing, and the source of its dignity, charm, authority, and worth.” It is indeed to the Renaissance period – and its foundation in antiquity such as Vitruvius’ notion of venustas – that the theoretical basis of our discipline can be traced back. The article will further aim to analyze the us-age of the concept of elegance in the written discourse of (interior) architects throughout the Western history, with particular emphasis on Andrea Palladio, Frank Lloyd Wright, Adolf Loos, Le Cor-busier, Hans Van der Laan, Louis Kahn and Peter Zumthor.

Eleganceby Koenraad Van Cleempoel

Abstract

In this contribution I want to argue that since avant garde, elegance and beauty are too often neglected in judgements of interiors. It was a valid criterium up to the 19th century that deserves a revaluation. We will describe two types of elegance:

objective – visual, formalistic, harmoni-ous proportions (Leon Battista Alberti, Palladio, Le Corbusier), Platonic and ori-entated towards an ideal world;

subjective – wonder and emotions/senses, relationship between interior space and happiness: Louis Kahn, Pe-ter Zumthor, Alain de Botton, Gaston Bachelard, orientated towards personal subject.

Elegance and beauty are often used to describe interiors, or parts of it that

please, enchant or fascinate its users or visitors. It expresses wonder, respect and admiration. Vitruvius’ concept of ve-nustas, alongsidefirmitas and utilitas, is translated in contemporary English as beautiful, and delight in Sir Henry Wot-ton’s Elements of Architecture in 1624. We all value its essential character, but sometimes fail to pronounce it in our curricula of interior architecture. When evaluating project work, it is usually not on our list of criteria to qualify the design of a student; it is perhaps even advised to avoid this scheme of considerations in order to be more “objective”. Yet in 19th century vocabulary on interiors there is no hesitation; in Robert Kerr’s description of The Gentleman’s House in 1864, for example: “The character to be always aimed at in a Drawing-room is especial cheerfulness, refinement of

Paper

elegance, and what is called lightness as opposed to massiveness.” (1) Indeed, “beauty is not a word readily found in the indexes of recent books on architecture, although it is a topic that seems to fasci-nate architects.” (2)

Do we still suffer from the functional-ist paradigm of modernism and are we really failing to catch up with venustas when we left it at the dawn of the avant-garde? Charles Jencks argues in What is Beauty? that “beauty is back. Architects are designing harmonious skyscrapers for London, artists are producing works on the subject, and evolutionary psy-chologists are presenting evidence that canons of beauty are hard-wired into the nervous system.” (3) Jenks opposes the idea that “beauty is objective” and puts excessive sensual patternapprehension, through one of our five senses as a foun-dation for the experience of beauty. This contribution will not enter the discussion of defining elegance and beauty, but will rather dwell on its notion and the relation to interior architecture.

Despite the valuable momentum to move interior architecture closer to academia and to infuse it with research, an impor-tant competence will still be the creation of elegant interior spaces. The coveted theoretical basis of our discipline may partly rest in the exploration of this con-cept of elegantia. In the humanistic tra-dition, one was encouraged to use Latin in a correct and “elegant” manner, e.g. in Valla’s De elegantiis Latinae linguae (1471). A similar formalistic interpretation was common to define and interpret ve-nustas. Most famously in this respect is Alberti’s attempt to describe the concept of concinnitas or beauty in book 9 of De

re aedificatoria (1452): “Beauty is a form of sympathy and consonance of the parts within a body, according to definite number, outline and position, as dictated by concinnitas(…) This is the main object of the art of building, and the source of her dignity, charm, authority, and worth”. His emphasis on harmonic scale and proportion clearly inspired Palladio’s concept of beauty, obtained, in his view with a set of seven harmonic proportions for desiging rooms – three of which he links to Pythagoras. (4) In addition to this classical legitimation, so characteristic for humanist argumentation, Palladio also links beauty with nature and its countless examples of embedded pro-portions and harmony. This is echoed centuries later in 1973 by Louis Kahn in a lecture at Pratt University:

When sight came, the first moment of sight was the realization of beauty. I don’t mean beautiful or very beautiful or extremely beautiful – just beauty, which is stronger than any of the adjectives you may put to it(...) It is like meeting your maker, in a way, because nature, the maker, is the maker of all that is made. You cannot design anything without na-ture helping you. (5)

The concept of geometry and proportion as a condition for beautiful architecture, revives also – including its neoplatonic connotation – with Le Corbusier’s modu-lar, stating that “Genius is personal, de-cided by fate, but it expresses itself by means of system. There is no work of art without system”, or “‘Regulating Lines’ showing by these one of the means by which architecture achieves that tan-gible form of mathematics which gives us such a grateful perception of order.”

(6) Another, less well known, proportion system of the same epoch is Le nombre plastique by Dom Hans Van der Laan. (7) Different from the Modular and its clas-sical precedents, this system is more akin to the spatial character of interior architecture because of its 3D character. By implementing his model, the monk-architect generated fascinating, mostly sacred, spaces. In these interiors “the visual beauty refers to the invisible beau-ty, the odor representing the spiritual enlightenment (…) what are these but natural forms obtaining a spiritual mean-ing?” (8)

These “formalist” approaches – albeit with a metaphorical dimension – suggest that beauty depends on lines, propor-tions or patterns and that its perception is partly cognitive: one has to “understand” the rational behind a certain design. But can seeing and knowing be separated to experience beauty, opposed to what Ernst Gombrich claimed? Louis Kahn and Peter Zumthor enrich the discus-sion by introducing, respectively, the concept of wonder and the link between spatial experience and one’s emotional state. They want to argue that there can be strong experiences of beauty with-out knowledge or hermeneutics. Kahn in the same 1973 Pratt lecture said: “Now from beauty came wonder. Won-der has nothing to do with knowledge.” (9) Zumthor believes that beauty lies in natural, grown things that do not carry any signs or messages, or that beauty manifests itself in vagueness, openness and indeterminacy because it leaves the form open for many different meanings. (10) He invites us to examine his spaces with our senses and our intellect:

We may wonder what it was we liked about this house, what was it that im-pressed and touched us – and why. What was the room like, what did it really look like, what smell was in the air, what did my footsteps sound like in it and my voice, how did the floor feel under my feet, the door handle in my hand, how did the light strike the facades, what was the shine on the walls like? Was there a feeling of narrowness of width, of intima-cy or vastness? (11)

The elegant combination of a contem-porary addition (1990-94) to an early 18th century Swiss wooden farmhouse, known as Gugalun House, shows well his intention to create a sensuous space to give its users memorable experiences.

Indeed, in his phenomenological dis-course on materials and perception the Swiss architect opens the architectural experience to all of our senses and he links it with our moods: “spatial situa-tions in which people instinctively feel good.” (12) This is also one of the con-clusions in John Armstrong’s The Secret Power of Beauty (2004), when he links the experience of beauty with finding spiritual value, such as happiness, in material settings, such as interior space. The French novelist Marie-Henri Beyle (1783-1842), known as Stendhal, coined it as beauty being the only promise of happiness. This paradigm forms the cornerstone of Alain de Botton’s Archi-tecture of Happiness, (13) who traces the link between beautiful interiors and moral status to early Christian and Is-lamic theologians who would argue that beautiful surroundings make us good as they reveal us something of the Crea-tor’s intelligence, good taste and sense

of harmony. It is the task of the architect to design spaces that contribute to hap-piness by incorporating values. As such we are able to communicate via our in-teriors, which can become projections of our – desired – self.

Absent in the Botton’s quest for materi-alized happiness in spatial language, is a reference to Gaston Bachelard’s Poetics of Space. (14) Yet, in his introduction the French philosopher develops a scheme of thoughts to frame his central concept on the phenomenology of dwelling and poetics. He explicitly refers to the love for felicitous spaces, which he likes to call topophilia: “they seek to determine the human value if the sorts of space that may be grasped, that may be defended against adverse force, the spaces we love. For diverse reasons, and with the differences entailed by poetic shadings, this iseulogized space.” (15) Refering to Carl Jung, Bachelard then develops the no-tion that the interior of a house can be-come a tool for analysis of the human soul. It would be worthwhile to explore this further in the context of the Japanese notion of beauty where elements such as imperfection, impermanence (wabi-sa-bi), asymmetry and patina are essential ingredients, just as the bond between beauty and memory and the imperfec-tion of one personal body. Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s Praise of Shadows (16) would be a good guide to contextualize the dis-cussion on beauty in western vs eastern tradition and how both blend in the work and discourse of various architects.

Elegance and beauty are complex no-tions without clear definitions, but we have tried to argue that it limits our

schemes of reference if we would ex-clude them from our criteria to judge interiors. To make it more complex, the historical link between moral values, such as happiness and elegant interiors confronts us with even more subjective aspects of our disciplines. If interiors are expressions, or projections, of ourselves – see Jung supra – they are also becom-ing images of our desired felicity. But can we still talk of topophofilia in our age and contemporary interiors, especially after poststructuralism? The increased atten-tion in popular magazines – but also from students – for concepts like “Fen Shui”, “cocooning” or “healing spaces”, seems to suggest an affirmative answer.

References

Alberti, Leon Battista. 1988. On the Art of Building in Ten Books (1486). Trans. Joseph Rykwert, Neil Leach, and Robert Tavernor. Cambridge Mass.: the MIT Press.

Bachelard, Gaston. 1994. The Poetics of Space (1958). Trans. Maria Jolas. Boston: Beacon Press.

de Botton, Alain. 2006. Architecture of Hap-piness. New York: Pantheon Books.

Jencks, Charles. 2001. What is beau-ty? http:////www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2001/08/whatisbeauty.(May 3, 2010)

Latour, Alessandra. 1991. L. I. Kahn: Writings, Lectures, Interviews. New York: Rizzoli Inter-national.

Joy MoniceMalnar and Frank Vodvarka. 1992. The Interior Dimension: A Theoretical Ap-proach to Enclosed Space. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Miller Lane, Barbara. 2007. Housing and Dwelling: Perspectives on Modern Domestic Architecture. New York: Routledge.

Le Corbusier, 1948. Towards a New Architec-ture (1923). Trans. Frederick Etchells. Lon-don: JohnRodker.

Johnson, Paul-Alan. 1994. The Theory of Ar-chitecture: Concepts, Themes,&Practices. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Van der Laan, Dom Hans. 1960. Le nombre plastique. Leiden: Brill.

------ .1985. Het vormenspel der liturgie, Lei-den: Brill.

------. 2005. The Play of Forms (1984). Trans. Richard Padovan. Leiden: Brill.

Zumthor, Peter. 1999. Thinking Architecture. Basel, Boston, Berlin: Birkhäuser.

Tanizaki, Jun’ichir. 1977. Praise of Shadows (1933). Trans. Thomas Harper and Edward Seidensticker. New Haven: Leete’s Island Books.

ATLAS

This interior would be something that would deserve to be called subjective beauty. Though it reaches its potential becoming elegant through small details that has natural harmony and proportions.

‘00/elegance/ Munich glyptothek

Painting astonishes with its naturalism and simplicity. It definitely doesn’t become el-egant, because of it proportions or artists dedication to show natures nano proportions. It takes breath away creating mystery and spiritual enlightenment around it.

‘01/elegance/ interior with a piano and a woman in black

George H.Boke house is very clear example where we can see how architect puts an em-phasis on material pattern. Letting its beauty to manifest itself. Leaving clear and simple lines in interior . Not making it complicated or spoiling its natural charm.

‘02/elegance/George H.Boke house

‘03/elegance/ W.E.Martin house

Obvious example of interior made by geometrical principles. Leaving materials to work the way they express themselves best. Partly keeping their meaning symbolic and their functions simple. Wood shows houses structure, combined with glass that brings light in to the room.

‘04/elegance/ Schlesinger and Meyer Department Store

Schlesinger and Meyer Department Store is wonderful example that expresses humans search for beauty and elegance. Combining two different patterns and materials - bricks and metal, but still letting them keep their identity.

‘05/elegance/ Glasgow School of Art

Charles Mackintosh and his work all is based on natural elegance, as is Art Nuevo. Glasgow Art school is one of his greatest works where we can see the try to reach divin-ity, beauty and elegance through natural materials and forms.

‘06/elegance/Morgan Library

Morgan library designed in clearly geometrical way, becomes a place that held’s not only great deal of majesty of old times, but also elegance of proportions. As well as a harmony of natural material and human paintings and ornaments.

‘07/elegance/Batllo house

Though at first Gaudi architecture might seem too complicated, it is based on natural proportions. It would be really hard to find someone who would not agree that Casa Batllo elegance really takes the breath away. Bringing us to conclusion that Gaudi has been master on making his architecture to touch thousands of human hearts.

‘08/elegance/ Coonley House

Coonley house seems to bring to live the idea of imagined felicity, creating opened space for thoughts and ideas to fly and place where to be together. It creates utopia and el-egance.

‘09/elegance/Robie Residence

Robie residence postulates formal way of creating elegant interior. Everything is the way it is supposed to be. Straight, clean lines opened space and simple material patterns.

‘10/elegance/ Pennsylvania Station

This picture of Pennsylvania train station creates nostalgic idea about old good times- old happyness. Creating inviting space and harmony between two colors- black and white, letting metal -heavy material create light, well lit place without loosing its nature and el-egance.

‘11/elegance/ Adziogol lighthouse

Adziogol lighthouse is very clear example of “objective” elegance. Its structure is so sim-ple and we might even use word poor, but at the same time its beauty lies in the fact that it leaves observer very strong impresion about clarity in forms.

‘12/elegance/Hotel Guimard

Hotel Guimard with its lissome interior creates imagine of desired happiness. It becomes simply subjectively elegant with its choice of colors and opened space. Letting people feel free and welcomed.

‘13/elegance/ Goetheanum I

Goetheanum I might not seem as the most perfect sample of elegance, but it postulates search of objective beauty very clearly with its natural forms, proportions and material. Though it doesn’t seem the perfect architecture, it definitely keeps in itself great deal of elegance.

‘14/elegance/ Glass Pavilion

Glass Pavilion creates wonderful interior with small glazed tiles, based on geometry unit-ing circular form with rectangular staircase. It is beautiful interior that has the Mediterra-nean culture impact- search of old and new venustas.

‘15/elegance/Woman sitting in an Interior

This painting creates wonderful image of happiness and peacefulness. Position of wom-an makes it more mysterious and spiritual. idea of looking for God and closeness of nature through created environment.

‘16/elegance/The J. B. Lee House renovation

The J.B. Lee house after renovation gained several features that creates new appearance through old traditional elements. It creates elegant way how to search for something new - new venustas.

‘17/elegance/ Lister County Courthouse

Lister Country house show us the great deal of search for a place of happiness - el-egance. It could have been just a regular county house, but it needed to be something more- create space that would bring nature in and let it play, through shadows and har-mony of form repeating.

Hallidie building seems to embody elegance through transparency and material inter-action. As well as through small detailed thread-lace recall memories and imaginative felicity.

‘18/elegance/Hallidie Building

‘19/elegance/ Einstein Tower

Einstein tower in itself personifies nature laws and its harmonious proportions. Also its openness to outdoors inviting light and creating great deal of lightness creates feeling of elegances ubiquity.

In the Aline Barnsdall House we can see clear influence from Frank Lloyd Wright, geo-metrical forms that fascinates and creates illusion of desired stress free environment. Through its logical appearance it becomes example of objective elegance.

‘20/elegance/The Aline Barnsdall House

‘21/elegance/Kings Road House

Kings road house find its way to elegance through it openness and links beauty with na-ture in a most obvious way - through materials and settlement. Also its permeability and connection with outside contributes to it.

‘22/elegance/Watts Towers

Watts towers are made taking simple element - line and creating structure, that at some point might seem random, but is in harmony with materials capacity. It creates wonder-land - happiness an elegant adult’s playground.

‘23/elegance/Maision La Roche et Jeanneret

As we can see Le Courbusier is fan of form and color simplicity. In Maision La Roche main role is played by geometry and color contrast. That allows to create space which is elegant and breathtaking.

‘24/elegance/ Schroder House

Schroder house embodies classical combination of three colors: red, white and black combined with strict geometrical rules. It creates interior that is interactive and elegant and definitely is way to find objective beauty.

‘25/elegance/ Stockholm Library

Stockholm’s library keeps a great deal of western understanding of elegance. In this photo we can see objective approach - white, empty wall is in absolute balance with book shelves - creating harmonious space.

‘26/elegance/ Van Nelle Factory

This photo though is a photo of Van Nella factory emanates glamour and elegance. It creates environment at night that fascinates and surprises. Clearly, this is an example of subjective elegance.

‘27/elegance/Melnikov house

Melnikov house stands far from perfection, but so does elegance. This interior creates noticeable harmony between chaos and order. It creates space with identity and place for artistic activities.

‘28/elegance/Chrysler Building

Chrysler building is fabulous example of architects trying to reach the new venustas and amaze spectators. Not only with its height (building was the highest in the world for 11 months), but also with its “jewel-like glass crown”.

‘29/elegance/ Barcelona Pavilion

Barcelona’s pavilion in 1929 imposes with its simplicity at the same time having great deal of details that makes it very elegant. It definitely creates illusion about happiness.

‘30/elegance/Tugendhat house

Tugendhat house is one of examples that are hard to be difanied as “subjective” or “ob-jective” elegance sample. Because it keeps signs of both types. It geometry is really clear and understandable.Creating interior that is inviting, unobtrusive and elegant.

Huge impact on Le Corbusier work was made by antic architectures proportions- that were based on Golden section. In Villas Savoye stair case we can read this proportion very well and even make parallels with shells inner structure. Coming out as something simply elegant through all times.

‘31/elegance/Villa Savoye

San Simeon taking risk of becoming cheesy has become place that revives the old ve-nustas and creates illusion about felicity. This is an undoubted certification of human search for harmony and elegance.

‘32/elegance/ San Simeon

‘33/elegance/ Municipal Museum

Municipal Museum builds an environment - space that is complicated with its details, but looking more closely we can see that it is based on simple geometry and therefore is nice example of objective elegance.

Regents Park Zoo penguin house has funny and elegant solution for slides. Created with two geometrical spirals it creates penguin play ground and illusion of desired penguin habitat.

‘34/elegance/Regents Park Zoo

De la Warr Pavilion staircase attracts attention with its unusual choice of colors and lis-some lines. It is creating interior which recalls picture from children book that contains great deal of adult elegance.

‘35/elegance/ De La Warr Pavilion

‘36/elegance/Kun’s House

Kun’s house stairway creates huge space which’s expedience is arguable, but it lets to keep clear forms. That in combination with choice of two colors for interior creates wide and elegant space - example of objective elegance.

‘37/elegance/Wingspread

Wingspread is example where form takes over without losing functionality. It makes mar-velous space and creates familiar utopia- wonderful elegant place where to be.

‘38/elegance/Museum of Modern Art

Museum of Modern Art in New York city absolutely astonishes and takes a breath away. Though it is based on clear geometrical principles it overwhelms people with its design and harmony with its surroundings therefore its objective elegance is taken by subjective.

‘39/elegance/ Turku Cemetery Chapel

Turku Cemetery Chapel is clean symbiosis between white color and form. It creates in-terior that clearly states elegance with its search of spiritual enlightenment through ge-ometry and light.

‘40/elegance/The G.Droste House

The G. Droste house has formalist approach on the search of elegance and beauty. Geo-metrical forms, strict lines and natural colors make this interior a good example of objec-tive elegance.

‘42/elegance/The G.Rodriguez House

The G.Rodriguez House creates cozy idle and illusion of long desired happiness. It cre-ates wonderful subjective elegance through natural materials and huge windows opened to woods.

‘43/elegance/ Church of St Francis

This church not even close to traditional understanding of fold, but it s dignity and el-egance lies in its closeness to natural forms and simple geometry. Those are the things that are obtaining spiritual meaning.

‘44/elegance/ The dining room of Mr. Lundberg

Painting The dining room of Mr. Lundberg of Alexandre Serebryakov is definitely search of old venustas creating realistic justification of dining room. It is tends to become the subjective elegance.

‘45/elegance/Gold house

In Gold house we can see how simple geometry with permeability brings us closer to the nature. Materials: light wood, glass and stone, are natural and creates feeling of light-ness, elegance and enjoyment.

‘46/elegance/ General Motors Technical Center

Staircase in General Motor Technical centre amazes with their lightness and decorative-ness. Simple choice of colors and easiness of construction creates beautiful illusion of elegance.

‘47/elegance/ Farnsworth House

Farmsworth House interior fascinates with lightness and openness. Elementary schools geometry in combination with natural materials and detailed furnishing brings us to won-derful, elegant interior.

‘48/elegance/Walker Residence

Walkers Residence is simply elegant with its clean lines, its choice of materials and har-mony with its surroundings. It creates wonderful desirable felicity that postulate being in balance with nature.

‘49/elegance/ Eames House

Eames House is simple example of objective elegance. Simple rectangular structure with big windows almost merges with its surroundings. It is becoming part of harmonized environment.

‘50/elegance/ Crown Hall

Crown Hall amaze with its illusion of elegance through its perfect geometrical symmetry. In this building perfection meets elegance and western understanding of bauety meets eastern traditions.

Bavinger house is wonderful example of formal approach creating building. Its plan is perfect copy of shells inner structure objective elegance with search for natures close-ness and search for desired happiness.

‘51/elegance/ Bavinger House

‘52/elegance/Walker Guest House

Walkers guesthouse are one of those experiences that surprises with openness, creat-ing space that clearly have been inspired by eastern cultures, space where people can meditate and become closer to nature.

‘53/elegance/ UNAM Library

UNAM Library has its own very specific identity, empowered by local culture. It embod-ies great deal of search for beauty and elegance through embracing cultural heritage in nowadays possibilities searching for utopia without forgetting our own roots.

‘54/elegance/Price Residence

Price Residence keeps great balance with being majestic and creating picture with very welcoming and desired space and life. In its foundations lies good geometry that is in deep harmony with architect’s idea.

Aalto studio as a place where to work and to be creative definitely holds a great deal of elegance. Letting architect and his ideas to take the lead role, but at the same time having unique style letting geometry live in symbiosis with search for divine.

‘55/elegance/Aalto Studio

Air Force Academy Chapel as a saint place with a very appropriate light becomes really elegant and spiritual. Reaching for spiritual enlightenment it becomes good example in which geometry intensifies people belief.

‘56/elegance/ Air Force Academy Chapel

‘57/elegance/Sydney Opera

Sydney’s Opera House so very famous for its shell also in its interior held’s large amount of elegance creating huge and very elegant space with wonderful covering. All made in natural colors and without too much decorations, keeping it simple.

‘58/elegance/ Berlin Philharmonic Hall

Berlin Philharmonic Hall is an example of objective elegance. It is created in asymmetry with geometrical principles, with sharp lines, that are emphasised by lightning techniques.

‘59/elegance/ Engineering Building

Engineering building at Leicester University has very appropriate facade. It is very techni-cal and is based on geometrical and natural laws therefore are a good example of objec-tive elegance.

‘60/elegance/Dulles Airport

Dulles airport created in several levels recalls living organism and its architecture with wide glazed openings and huge constructive ribs encourages this feeling. This combina-tion creates masterpiece of subjective elegance.

‘61/elegance/Fawcett house

Fawcett house definitely holds great deal of elegance. Giving clear vision how simple geometry can make environment very attractive. It creates place that are well lit and very cozy- creates illusion.

‘62/elegance/ Solar Telescope

Simplest geometrical form for Solar Telescope is the most formal approach to elegant architecture. It makes the most objective elegance without taking inconsideration its sur-roundings.

‘63/elegance/ Beinecke Rare Book Library

Belnecke Rare Book library already in its first appearance creates feeling of being some-thing special. Clearly interior with strong geometrical structure lets books rule the place and create rare elegant space.

‘64/elegance/Olympic Arena

This photo of Olympic Arena fascinates with a small interesting lit technical detail. No doubt that in its background is lots of mathematical calculations, but most impressive it becomes in symbiosis with light and space.

‘65/elegance/ Gateway Arch

Gateway Arch as simple line in landscape definitely enriches it, gives new proportion and new point of view and reaches for new horizons and harmony, elegance. In its basics it is based on nature.

‘66/elegance/ New National Gallery

New National Gallery is one of examples where are strong eastern cultural role. Simple geometry combined with natural elements- water and stone- creates elegant and spiri-tual place.

‘67/elegance/ US Pavilion Expo ‘67

US pavilion in Expo ‘67 - Fullers dome created in a way with basic geometry triangles that it can held incredible weights it also creates very pleasant and elegant pattern.

‘68/elegance/ History Faculty Library

History faculty library with huge well light reading room in several levels creates great space that reaches for spiritual enlightenment. That becomes familiar with objective el-egance.

‘69/elegance/ College Life Insurance Co.

College Life insurance company building is phenomenal example of objective elegance, it also embodies repeating element that emphasizes its geometrical base. Idea is made really clear and clean.

‘70/elegance/ Design Research Headqarters

Design Research Headquarters in this picture brings as close to nature as it is possible in interior. It held’s a great deal of eastern proportions and western traditions, creates very elegant subjective interior.

‘71/elegance/ Republic Newspaper Building

Republic Newspaper Building based on geometrical proportions creates simple facade, with obvious construction. This kind of glazed wall in combination with lights creates interesting and elegant street frontage.

‘72/elegance/Philips Exter library

In this library we can see how architect uses clarity of forms and different kind of materi-als that are not hidden to people’s eyes. Showing materials, the way they are, express-ing their natural beauty. We can see how artist reaches elegance through form – circles (nothing to add or take away).

‘73/elegance/A.I.A. Headquaters

A I.A. Headquarters creates cozy inner space that are several stories height with sym-bolic sculpture in the middle. Every levels facade is made with black reflective glass and clean white line.

‘74/elegance/ Church at Bagsvaerd

Clean white wavy ceilings creates place of spiritual enlightenment. It is elegant form that creates place where to be close to nature and God.

‘75/elegance/Sears Tower

Sears Tower is very clear form of simple geometrical architecture that we can describe as objective elegance. We can see that it is reachable with the simplest forms.

Tado Ando Azuma House is clear example where western traditions meets eastern cul-ture, these to components makes beautiful elegant space.

‘76/elegance/Azuma House

‘77/elegance/Sainsbury Centre

Sainsbury Centre is great example of subjective elegance that creates geat feeling of interpretation of nature.

Federal Reserve Bank’s of Boston building is the one of the clearest examples of geo-metrical and repeating element architecture. Light and material clarifies the forms and creates simple elegant building.

‘78/elegance/ Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

‘79/elegance/ Tampere Main Library “Metso”

Tampere Main Library “Metso” created with natural forms and simple principle. Creates very settle architecture that has its own identity and is a great example of objective el-egance.

‘80/elegance/ Musee d’Orsay

T his picture of Musee D’Orsay is very thoughtful comparing people with symbolic time, showing person as a part of nature. Bringing this picture a great deal of subjective el-egance.

‘81/elegance/ National Commercial Bank HQ

Look to National Commercial Bank HQ from up. Clear sight of objective elegance circular building with circular atrium creates elegant building. Clear influence of Mideast culture brings identity to it.

‘82/elegance/La Grande Arche

Le Grande Arch amazes people from all over the world with its clearness of form and its magnificent simplicity. This is an example in which we can see how geometrical forms and proportions create elegance.

‘83/elegance/High Museum of Art

High Museum of Art creates background for different art expositions, but holds it owns style with its wavy ceilings. And supplies space with indirect light creating atmosphere of spiritual enlightenment.

‘84/elegance/City of Music

City of music shows wonderful interaction between different geometrical forms. Light and shadows plays on their surfaces. Makes place of spiritual enlightenment and elegance.

‘85/elegance/ Menil Collection Museum

Menil Collection Museum was design so that it could be lit as much as possible with glazed roof and atriums it becomes place that creates illusion of nature’s closeness and spiritual enlightenment.

‘86/elegance/Bank of China

Building of Bank of China is famous for its geometrical facade solution. Color choice makes it even more appreciable and elegant - black and white as simple and elegant as it can be.

‘87/elegance/L’Institut du Monde Arabe

L’Institut du Monde Arabe has the one of the most amazing facades. It is creating even more amazing interior with light and shadows games, place for desired wonderland and happiness.

‘88/elegance/National Gallery of Canada

National Gallery of Canada is we can see how artist reaches elegance through some re-peating elements and geometrical forms It is creating pattern that not only itself amazes, but also its shadows on the walls and floor of gallery.

‘89/elegance/ Pyramide du Louvre

Pyramid de Louvre shows how simple, light construction basic geometrical form, can be-come the part of complex and create world known elegant place. It reaches its potential also through combining materials and letting them work together.

‘90/elegance/ University of Minnesota Art Museum

University of Minnesota Art Museum is complicated geometrical composition that would be good example of objective elegance, but because of it expressiveness it more looks like subjective elegance.

‘91/elegance/Sondica Airport

Sondica Airport using reflective flooring creates interior that makes light the most impor-tant thing of it. It also recalls some elements of nature, it creates simple elegant interior without anything unnecessary.

‘92/elegance/ Allen Lambert Galleria

Allen Lambert Galleria recalls the artistic complex in Valencia, which is based on fish anatomy. We can see that this motive also here. Definitely holding on to same natures principles, but at the same time breaking them with refusing to express any beauty of material, it is becoming very elegant and clear about vision.

‘93/elegance/ Camerata Music Studio

Camerata Music Studio being as geometrical and formal as possible is objective ele-gance, but it would be unfair not to admit that it creates wonderful harmony and place for spiritual enlightenment.

Kansai airport terminal ceiling is fabulous example how geometry and rhythm working together creates impressive subjective elegance. It even recalls illusion of desired happi-ness and spiritual enlightenment.

‘94/elegance/ Kansai Airport Terminal

Gap Inc. office has wonderful space where nature is invited in literally and also indirectly through glassed ceilings. It embodies recreation place where people can regain peace of mind. Logical geometry and thinking creates this place a good example of objective elegance.

‘95/elegance/ Gap Inc. Offices

‘96/elegance/Millenium Bridge

Millennium Bridge in London is wonderful example how architects are trying to reach na-ture and take people breaths away by creating something new. It becomes a subjective elegance through its expressiveness.

‘97/elegance/ Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao creates wonderful harmony and illusion of desired hap-piness and spiritual enlightenment. It is very structured architecture with nicely chosen materials that reflects light from its surroundings.

‘98/elegance/Gare do Oriente

Gare do Oriente is also one of Santiago Calatravas masterpieces. It shows much more geometry and construction then his previous works. But at the same time he still stays very loyal to his ideas letting his work to become good example as “subjective” elegance sample.

‘99/elegance/ Diamond Ranch High School

Diamond Ranch High School buildings based on diamond form and proportions creates environment that held’s great deal of objective elegance. Light and shadow games even more enforces this efect.

In authors interpretation Elegance is something complex and unique. Elegance is like diplomatic answer it has to held great deal of things. It has to have structure and it needs to be based on natural proportions, it has to have a background of our culture, so that it can be understandable and it can have an ability to take a breath away. Elegance is in a simple, possibly new way how to explain complicated things through material, so that it can be part of idea, be equal participant. Elegance is in our interpretation through materi-als that we have about our idea of the background that we share.

‘00/elegance/ Elegance

REFERENCES

‘00The interior of the Munich glyptothek mu-seumUnknown http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Munich_glyptothek_interior_1900.jpg

‘01Interior with a piano and a woman in blackVilhelm Hammershøih t t p : / / c h e u k w a n c h i . b l o g s p o t .com/2010/12/poetry-of-quietness.html

‘02George H.Boke house, California, USABernard Maybeckhttp://www.architectureweek.com/cgi-bin/awimage?dir=2001/0328&article=culture_2-1.html&image=11339_image_1.jpg

‘03W.E.Martin house, Oak Park, Illinois, USAFrank Lloyd Wrighthttp://www.luxist.com/2010/11/10/w-e-martin-house-estate-of-the-day/

‘04Schlesinger and Meyer Department Store, Chicago, USALouis H. Sullivanhttp://www.harboearch.com/getProject.php?projname=sullivancenter1899-1904

‘05Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, UK Charles Rennie Mackintosh

http://www.glasgowarchitecture.co.uk/glasgow_school_of_art.htm1897 -1909

‘06Morgan LibraryMcKim, Mead, and Whiteh t t p : / / b u t t e r f r e i d . t u m b l r. c o m /post/1433568640/kateoplis-the-1906-mc-kim-building-at-the-morgan

‘07Casa Batllo, Barcelona, SpainAntoni Gaudihttp://www.flickriver.com/photos/raclos/popular-interesting/

‘08Coonley house, Riverside, IllinoisFrank Lloyed Wrighthttp://hookedonhouses.net/2010/10/30/frank-lloyd-wrights-best-house-for-sale-in-illinois/1908-1912

‘09Robie Residence, Chicago, IllinoisFrank Lloyd Wrighthttp://uchiblogo.uchicago.edu/ar-chives/2009/08/robie_houses_pr.html

‘10Pennsylvania Station, New York, USAMcKim, Mead, and Whitehttp://artect.net/?p=381

‘11Adziogol lighthouse, near Cherssan, UkraineVladimir G.Schuchovhttp://www.shukhov.ru/deutsch.html

‘12Hotel Guimard, Paris, FranceHector Guimardh t t p : / / a r t d e c o b l o g . b l o g s p o t .com/2006/05/hector-guimard-htel-paul-mezzara-1911.html

‘13Goetheanum I, Dornach, SwitzerlandRudolf Steinerhttp://trevligresa.wordpress.com/page/2/

‘14Glass Pavilion, Cologne, GermanyBruno Tauthttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taut_Glass_Pavilion_interior_1914.jpg

‘15‘Woman sitting in an Interior’Peter Vilhelm Ilstedhttp://www.imagestate.com/Preview/Pre-viewPage.aspx?id=1343029&licenseType=RM&from=search&back=1343029&orntn=3

‘16The J. B. Lee House renovation, May-wood, USARudolf Michael Shcindlerhttp://trianglemodernistarchive.org/schindler.htm

‘17Lister County Courthouse, Solvesborg, Sweden Erik Gunnar Asplundhttp://www.erikgunnarasplund.com/eng/gallery4-listerharadsradhus.asp1917-1921

‘18Hallidie Building, San Francisco, USA

Willis Polkhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hallidie_Building.jpgPhoto: Lowe Jet

‘19Einstein Tower, Potsdam, GermanyErich Mendelsohnhttp://stevied1.wordpress.com/category/architects/page/2/1919-1921

‘20The Aline Barnsdall House A, Los Angeles, USAFrank Lloyd Wright, Rudolf Michale Schindlerhttp://trianglemodernistarchive.org/schindler.htm

‘21King’s Road House, West Hollywood, USARudolf M. Schindlerh t t p : / / r o l u . t e r a p a d . c o m / i n d e x .cfm?fa=contentNews.newsDetails&newsID=15809&from=archive1921-1922

‘22Watts Towers, Los Angeles, USASimon Rodiahttp://johngreene73.com/wattstower.html1921-1955

‘23Mason La Roche et Jeanneret, Paris, FranceLe Corbusierh t t p : / / w w w. m a i t r e p o . c o m / a r t i -cle-2240512.html

‘24Schroder House, Utrecht, NetherlandsGerrit Rietveldhttp://www.the-artfile.com/ArtFile/artists/rietveld/schroederinterior.shtml1924 -1925

‘25Stockholm Library, Stockholm, SwedenErik Gunnar Asplundhttp://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/chunhin/2/1287176859/inside-the-stock-holm-library.jpg/tpod.html1918 -1927

‘26Van Nelle Factory, Rotterdam, Netherlands Johannes Brinkmanhttp://www.mimoa.eu/projects/Nether-lands/Rotterdam/Van%20Nelle%20fac-tory1926 -1930

‘27Melnikov House, Moscow, RussiaKonstantin Melnikovh t t p : / / b l o g . i w a n n a g o t h e r e .com/2009/11/06/80-days-around-the-world-day-33-russia-%C2%BB-moscow/

‘28Chrysler Building, New York, USAWilliam Van Alenht tp : / /www.panoramio.com/pho-to/17375841928-1930

‘29Barcelona Pavilion, Barcelona, SpainLudwig Mies van der Rohehttp://www.spanish-architecture.info/A-HIST.htm1928-1929, demolished 1930

‘30Tugendhat house, Brno, Czech republicLudwig Mies van der Rohehttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/garden/22mies.html?_r=1

‘31Villa Savoye, Poissy, FranceLe Corbusierht tp : / /www.panoramio.com/pho-to/4788306

‘32San Simeon, San Simeon, USAJulia Morganhttp://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-en-tries/jeznkez/3/1251893486/tpod.html1922 -1939

‘33Municipal Museum, The Hague, Nether-lands, Hendrik Petrus Berlagehttp://www.holland.com/global/cities/the-hague/museums/municipalmuseum/1927-1935

‘34Regents Park Zoo, London, UKTecton Grouphttp://lanternslide.wikispaces.com/England+Slides1933-1934

‘35De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea, UKErich Mendelsohnh t t p : / / w w w. f l i c k r. c o m / p h o t o s /dct66/4355409302/

‘36Kun’s house,California, USA Richard Neutrahttp://www.abitare.it/out-in-the-city/5-i-cieli-modernisti-di-l-a/

‘37Wingspread, Wind Point, WisconsinFrank Lloyd Wrighth t t p : / / e r i c r e b e r . w o r d p r e s s .com/2009/05/28/the-architect-the-ameri-can-country-house/08d_495-086/

‘38Museum of Modern Art, New York, USAPhilip S. Goodwin, Edward D. Stonehttp://www.e-architect.co.uk/new_york/moma_new_york.htm1938-1939

‘39Turku Cemetery Chapel, Turku, FinlandErik Bryggmanhttp://dayoutinnz.blogspot.com/2009/07/bryggman-chapel-turku-cemetery.html1939-1941

‘40The G. Droste House, Los Angeles, USARodolf Michale Schindlerhttp://trianglemodernistarchive.org/schindler.htm

‘41

‘42The J. Rodriguez House, Glendale, USARodolf Michale Schindlerhttp://trianglemodernistarchive.org/schindler.htm

‘43Church of St Francis, Pampulha, BrazilOscar Niemeyerhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/sagamiono/galleries/72157623064673419/

‘44The dining room of Mr. LundbergAlexandre Serebryakovh t t p : / / d o v e c o t e d e c o r. b l o g s p o t .com/2010/08/this-july-while-visiting-new-york-my.html

‘45Schindler’s Gold HouseSchindlerhttp://www.abitare.it/out-in-the-city/5-i-cieli-modernisti-di-l-a/

‘46General Motors Technical Center, Warren, USAEero Saarinenh t t p : / / a r q u i n o i a s . t u m b l r. c o m /post/138242113/general-motors-techni-cal-center-warren-mi-eero1946-1955

‘47Farnsworth House, Plano, USALudwig Mies van der Rohehttp://www.moma.org/modernteachers/large_image.php?id=70Photo: Jon Miller 1946-1950

‘48Walker Residence, Carmel, CaliforniaFrank Lloyd Wrighth t tp : / /www.bmwmoa.o rg / fo rum/showthread.php?t=13092&highlight=Frank+lloyd+wright

‘49Eames House, California, USACharles Eameshttp://laplaces.blogspot.com/2009/03/eames-house-kappe-house.html1945-1949

‘50Crown Hall, Chicago, USALudwig Mies van der Rohehttp://nafsikag.wordpress.com/1950-1956

‘51Bavinger House, Norman, USABruce Goffhttp://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/71200/drawing/Forms/AllItems.aspx1950-1955

‘52Walker Guest House, Sanibel Island, USAPaul Rudolphhttp://www.trianglemodernisthouses.com/rudolph.htm

‘53UNAM Library, Mexico City, MexicoJuan O’Gormanhttp://worldheritagesites.tumblr.com/post/2483914077/biblioteca-unam-cen-tral-university-city-campus

‘54Price Residence, Paradise Valley, ArizonaFrank Lloyd Wrighthttp://pc.blogspot.com/2010/08/hc-price-house-frank-lloyd-wright.html

‘55Aalto Studio, Munkkiniemi, Helsinki, Fin-landAlvar Aaltohttp://thenorthelevation.blogspot.com/2009/11/creative-spaces-studio-of-alvar-aalto.html

‘56Air Force Academy Chapel, Colorado Springs, USAWalter Netsch, SOMh t t p : / / a e d e s i g n . w o r d p r e s s .com/2010/02/17/air-force-academy-cha-pel-colorado-united-states/air-force-cha-pel-inside-2/1956-1964

‘57Sydney Opera, Sydney, AustraliaJorn Utzonh t t p : / / m i k e b m . w o r d p r e s s .com/2008/07/06/architecture-for-music-sydney-opera-house/1957-1973

‘58Berlin Philharmonic Hall, Berlin, GermanyHans Scharounhttp://viewfromhere.typepad.com/the_view_from_here/2009/11/berlin-philhar-monic-in-chicago-once-is-never-enough.html1956-1963

‘59Engineering Building at Leicester Univer-sity, Leicester,UKJames Stirlinghttp://www.fl ickr.com/photos/ate-lier79033/2890861277/

‘60Dulles Airport, Chantilly, USAEero Saarinenhttp://arttattler.com/architectureeerosaa-rinen.html1958-1962

‘61Fawcett House, Los Banos, CA, USAFrank Lloyd Wrighthttp://arquiteturaconceitual.blogspot.com/2009/11/uma-casa-de-frank-lloyd-wright.html

‘62Solar Telescope, Kitt Peak, USAMyron Goldsmith/ SOMhttp://www.pbase.com/scorpius/im-age/45263346

‘63Beinecke Rare Book Library, New Haven, USAGordon Bunshaft/ SOMhttp://www.nephotoct.com/yale_univer-sity_post_cards.htmlPhoto: Thomas P. Benincas

‘64Olympic Arena, Tokyo, JapanKenzo Tangehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/claireshow-alter/sets/72157624357287199/1961-1964

‘65Gateway Arch, St. Louis, USAEero Saarinenhttp://www.igougo.com/journal-j63530-St._Louis-Under_the_Arch_-_Sightsee-ing_in_Saint_Louis.html1961-1966

‘66New National Gallery, Berlin, GermanyLudwig Mies van der Rohehttp://www.f l ickr.com/photos/sei-er/493961193/1962-1968

‘67US Pavilion at Expo ‘67, Montreal, CanadaBuckminster Fuller and Shoji Sadaohttp://www.pbase.com/sk1bum/im-age/103042497

‘68History Faculty Library, Cambridge Univer-sity, UKJames Strilinghttp://blog.quintinlake.com/2009/11/page/2/Photo: Quintin Lake 1964-1968

‘69College Life Insurance Co., Indianapolis,USARoche Dinkeloohttp://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM70PF_College_Life_Insurance_Com-pany_Indianapolis_IN1967 to 1971.

‘70Design Research Headquarters, Cam-bridge, MassachusettsBenjamin Thompsonhttp://observatory.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=14248

‘71Republic Newspaper Building, Columbus, USAMyron Goldsmith/ SOMhttp://www.greatbuildings.com/cgi-bin/gbi.cgi//cid_20031024_kmm_img_2861.gbi

‘72Philips Exter library, New HampshiresLuis Kahnhttp://edif icecomplex.tumblr.com/post/457934778/spatula-exeter-acade-my-library-louis-kahn

‘73A.I.A. Headquaters, Washington, USA

TAChttp://www.greatbuildings.com/cgi-bin/gbi.cgi//cid_2881987.gbi

‘74Church at Bagsvaerd, near Copenhagen, DenmarkJorn Utzonhttp://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/U4kQfoQrKFzaMXQ7UPuhww1974-1976

‘75Sears Tower, Chicago, USABruce Graham/ SOMhttp://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/sears-tower-goes-green.php1974-1976

‘76 Azuma House, Osaka, JapanTadao Andohttp://covblogs.com/eatingbark/ar-chives/2008/02/azuma_house.html

‘77Sainsbury Centre, Norwich, EnglandNorman Fosterhttp://www.sru.uea.ac.uk/

‘78Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Boston, USAHugh Stubbinshttp://www.earthinpictures.com/world/usa/boston,_ma/federal_reserve_bank_of_boston.html

‘79Tampere Main Library “Metso”, Tampere, FinlandReima Pietilahttp://retro-lounge-50-80.blogspot.com/1978 -1982.

‘80Musee d’Orsay, Paris, FranceGae Aulentihttp://www.easyart.com/art-prints/Paul-

Warner/Musee-D’Orsay,-Paris-250115.htmlArtist: Phaul Warner1980-1987

‘81National Commercial Bank HQ, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaGordon Bunshaft/ SOMhttp://abduzeedo.com/architect-day-som-skidmore-owings-merrillPhoto: Wolfgang Hoyt1981-1983

‘82La Grande Arche, Paris, FranceJohann Otto von Spreckelsenhttp://global.photobynight.com/en/pho-to/7/the-grande-arche-de-la-defensePhoto: Florian Gerus 1982-1990

‘83High Museum of Art, Atlanta, USARichard Meierhttp://www.iald.org/about/23annual.asp?PRINT=Y

‘84City of Music, La Villette, FranceChristian de Portzamparchttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1984-1995_The_City_of_Music,_Par-is_03.jpg

‘85Menil Collection Museum, Houston, USARenzo Pianoh t t p : / / w w w. p r i n c e t o n . e d u / p r /pwb/06/0417/3a.shtmlPhoto: Hickey and Robertson1982 -1986

‘86Bank of China, Hong Kong, ChinaI.M. Peih t t p : / / s e o w j i n - i s m . b l o g s p o t .com/2010/06/singapore-architectures.html

1982 -1990

‘87L’Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, FranceJean Nouvelhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/12178545@N03/favorites/with/2780782381/#photo_27807823811987-1988

‘88National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Can-adaMoshe Safdiehttp://www.ontariopics.com/Ottawa/Ot-tawa-National-Gallery-of-Canada-4258.html1986-1988

‘89Pyramide du Louvre, Paris, FranceI.M.Peihttp://www.flickr.com/photos/tahitip-ix/426020035/

‘90University of Minnesota Art Museum, Min-neapolisFrank Gehryhttp://www.greatbuildings.com/archi-tects/Frank_Gehry.html

‘91Sondica Airport, Bilbao, SpainSantiago Calatravahttp://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/spain/bilbao/calatravaairport/calatravaairport2.html1990 -1999

‘92Allen Lambert Galleria, Toronto, CanadaSantiago Calatravahttp://www.fl ickr.com/photos/f l ip-keat/2494114037/

‘93Camerata Music Studio, Heyri Art Village, Korea

Byoung Soo Korean Chohttp://abduzeedo.com/architect-day-bcho-architectsPhoto: Yong Kwan Kim

‘94Kansai Airport Terminal, Osaka, JapanRenzo Pianohttp://yvesrubin.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Yves-Rubin-Evostock/G0000MD-cOPMDsISI/I00001ZaUQosUI4UPhoto: Yves Rubin

‘95Gap Inc. Offices, San Bruno, USAWilliam McDonoughhttp://www.archnewsnow.com/features/Feature79.htm1994 -1998

‘96Millenium Bridge, London, UKNorman Fosterhttp://www.extrospection.com/ar-chives/2003/09/london_millenium_bridge_b.html1996-2000

‘97Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Bilbao, SpainFrank Gehryhttp://www.greatbuildings.com/archi-tects/Frank_Gehry.html

‘98Gare do Oriente , Lisbon, PortugalSantiago Calatrava http://www.flickr.com/photos/34027344@N06/3169546098

‘99Diamond Ranch High School, California, USAThom Mayne - Morphosishttp://blog.reflexdeco.fr/2010/03/prome-nade-a-los-angeles/1999-2000

‘00Elegance - Apollon Alise Argale

INTERIOR WOR(L)DS. Elegance is part of the book collection cre-ated by the students of the course “Interior Architecture” 2010-2011 and edited by Professor Gennaro Postiglione. Each stu-dent chose paper from IFW and selected 99 pictures for time period 1900-2000. Each picture for one year linked to their chosen paper. The 100th picture is students own interpretation of word.

Elegance and beauty are words often used to describe interiors and buildings. But what does it really mean? Is elegance humans 5th sense or is it based on simple mathematical principles? Paper has several arguments on both sides “objective” formal, mathemati-cal elegance and “subjective” sensual elegance. It becomes even more complex with our moral values and cultural background.

ELEGANCE