How can Rem Koolhaas’ Casa da Musica be understood in relation to its architectural focus on skin, surface and ornamentation?
In the past, there has always been a dedicated focus on the design of a building's facade. Today, however it is very clear that this focus has changed, from intricately detailed plane to present an historical tale or to convey a message, to now being merely superficial surfaces or 'skins'. To many this asks the question, 'has this change in detail caused architecture today to lose its aesthetic appeal, or even lack in depth?' Constructed by a well known architect Rem Koolhaas, the Casa da Musica in Portugal (2005) is a direct product of this theory, as this music hall is known for its simple form and abstract interior. The aim of this paper is to thoroughly investigate different points in detail on the skin, surface and ornamentation of the Casa da Musica in order to fully understand the decisions behind the simplicity in modern architectural design. Various sources are explored in order to understand the fundamental importance of these aesthetical design factors. Using the source "Curtain as Architecture" by Petra Blaisse published in 2004, an understanding on the reason behind some of the architectural decisions of the Casa da Musica is gained, which assists in the critical analysis of the concert hall. Modern architecture is often characterized as simple and abstract in form and interior decor which can be proven to work quite well functionally, however this absence of immense detail in monumental buildings today, does cause these structures to lack meaning and depth. Evidently, 'simplicity' is now a prominent theory for architecture today.
Historically, there has always been a strong focus on the design of a building’s aesthetical features where structures used to be completely covered with extremely intricate carvings or paintings on both interior and exterior facades. In architecture today however, that focus has completely changed, from architects designing immensely detailed planes to which provides a narrative or imparts an important historical event, to now being quite simple and often abstract. In The Aesthetics of Space, Filip Mattens explains that this change in focus occurred when the "forerunners of architectural modernism" wanted to move away from creative autonomy and "preserve their artistic uniqueness" in order to claim a new mission for themselves, where the aim of architecture today is "space".[1] This change in architectural focus has caused a lot of monumental buildings and even residential houses today, to define their spaces with merely superficial surfaces.
Modern architecture today can be understood as simplified, unornamented building styles which is often free of clutter and so called "unnecessary elements."[2] When comparing this architecture style to that of past times, it is even more evident just how simple this style has become in terms of form and design. Instead of covering with ornate designs, modern architecture tends to rather celebrate the structures and materials used within a building[3]. Some may consider these simple, bare facades and abstract interiors as something rather sophisticated or serene, whereas others will consider this shift in architectural focus on aesthetical details as somewhat of a loss. When it comes to the ornamentation, surface or skin of a building, architects today tend to turn their attention on designing these factors for mostly aesthetical or abstract reasons. This ultimately means that the decorative styles of modern buildings aren't nearly as meaningful or momentous as that of historical structures where facades and/or planes weren't just designed for superficial reasons, but to communicate important narratives. It appears as though the aim of architects today is to design something so different, yet a lot of modern buildings share a big design technique in common; simplicity and abstract. Therefore, modern architecture can be identified as a style designed to trend.
Rem Koolhaas' Casa da Musica in Portugal (2005), is a large white angular grand auditorium (seating around 1,300 people) which houses the National Orchestra of Porto along with rehearsal rooms, recording studios and various other smaller public spaces.[4] This structure is a perfect representation of this idea that modernisation has completely changed the focus behind aesthetical design decisions, where instead of creating meaningful historical pieces; the building is comprised of superficial surfaces and ornamentation. The concert hall is described by many as an almost futuristic structure from outer space[5], as there is no familiarity but rather something out of this world. Most of the structure ranging from the outer skin of the building to the decor of the interior, is almost designed to be completely for aesthetical reasons. This leaves one with the concern that this change in focus of aesthetical detain in modern architecture leaves significant structures such as the Casa da Musica to be absent of deep and meaningful architectural features, as there are almost no visible or clear messages to be conveyed.
Architectural aesthetics can be broken up into various different sectors, but is most commonly identified through the skin, surface and ornamentation of a building. To be able to truly understand the fundamental importance behind these factors, various sources are explored. The skin of a building can clearly be understood through the work of architect and researcher from the United States, Maria Lorena Lehman as she clearly explains the idea behind 'skin' in Sensing Architecture.[6] Andrew Benjamin talks about the essential reasoning behind the surface of a building in the paper he authored; Surface Effects: Borromini, Semper, Loos.[7] The reason for architectural ornaments is thoroughly explained by Sharat Sunder Rajeev in his paper called History of Architecture[8]. These sources assist in applying these architectural factors to the Casa da Musica in order to critically analyse this concert hall and the way in which it represents the downfalls of modern architecture. Petra Blaisse thoroughly explains in the article, Curtain as Architecture the main reasons for a lot of Koolhaas' architectural design decisions. Furthermore, various other articles, including interviews with the architect himself is explored in order to gain a further understanding.
The skin of a building can be described as the 'cover' or the membrane of a structure. Researcher Maria Lorena Lehman explains that much like the human skin, the exterior plane of any building is what inhabits and keeps the 'organs' (the interior) covered and protected [9]. Modern architecture has definitely taken on a whole new meaning on the design of such skin, changing the initial focus of what used to be used as a canvas for ornamentation in historical architecture (more specifically Gothic architecture, fig.1) to architects ridding of these "unnecessary details" on the exterior facades. This ultimately leaves these modern structures appearing as rather simple or minimal forms.[10] Rem Koolhaas is one of the many influential architects in the built environment today that adopts this idea of designing very plain exteriors. Koolhaas firmly stands by this idea of simplicity, as he himself wrote in one of the novels he authored, Delirious New York, that "Bigness" is an important part of architecture. By bigness he refers to the idea of architecture not being a spectacle about "details," but rather a spectacle about "massiveness." [11] This is clearly expressed in the Casa da Musica's distinctive angular form which is built entirely of white concrete with a few "hollow cut outs" that's covered with curtain glass walls. [12] There is no visible fine detail or carvings that perhaps narrates a past tale, but instead a structure which appears to be this large, simple "stranded body from outer space."[13] So why these simple exteriors and not greatly detailed facades? Modernists seemingly shies away from the idea of having both the exterior and interior facades be immensely detailed and ornamented, as architects these days seemingly want to create an element of surprise. This suggestion is proved through the Casa da Musica , as the simple concrete skin of this concert hall is deceiving the onlookers from realising the quite complex interior.[14]
Gothic Exterior
Casa Da Musica Exterior
Figure 1: Historical buildings expose interior decor, whereas modern facades act as a shell. Unlike the Casa da Musica, historians exposed the interior by adding such detail to the skin of a building, that there's no surprise to the busy organs of the structure.
Andrew Benjamin from the University of Technology, Sydney states that the "creation of surface in architecture (interior walls or facades) organises a programme, which allows for the reading of the space."[17] Architecture today has definitely expanded upon the idea of surfaces allowing people to read the rooms/space, as the focus isn't just on creating surfaces from walls or facades, but on creating surfaces from various other materials in order to define a room. Although Koolhaas didn't include any intricate detailing to the exterior facades of the Casa da Musica, he did pay close attention on creating really interesting internal surfaces.
Koolhaas came up with this idea of incorporating curtains into the design as a "counterpoint to the clean, sculptural form of the white concrete building." [18] Blaisse suggests that the idea of a "Curtain as a surface" were one of the initial design decisions Koolhaas had when first planning the interior of this concert hall. The large glass facades on both ends of the hall requires screening from the glare, therefore "light and transparent" 13m long "grey voiles aligning these windows, were incorporated. Not only does this "hanging wall" provide one to look at something other than a regular wall surface, but it also reflects the sun and effortlessly sways into the wooden walls. [19] Opposing "black out curtains" are also installed over these large glass panels, one layer (facing inward) made of thick wool to "secure the right acoustic absorbance" and the other layer which faces outwards is made of a "dense, coated cloth" in order to block out any daylight. [20]
Just like the idea of human skin covering or preventing outsiders from being exposed to the inside of the body; Koolhaas evidently designed the large white facade in order to surprise the visitors with the colourful and busy interior when entering the building (refer to Fig.1) There is however, some exception to this theory as Koolhaas broke up the monumental facade with panels of glass which discretely exposes the interior of the grand auditorium. [15] This is done to allow a "sea of daylight" to enter the concert hall and at the same time to create a cityscape view for the audience.[16] For the most part, the Casa da Musica does appear as a simple form with a bare exterior, as most modern structures do, but it does slightly adopt the historical idea of exposing the interior of a building but in a complete different way and for complete different reasons.
In addition to these modern surfaces, Koolhaas wanted to add another plane which "filters" the "view" of the audience. He represents the common modern architectural trait of exposing structure through incorporating a large weightless, open structure that appears as a "giant piece of lace"[21]. Unlike a lot of other modern design decisions, this specific concept was not just used for aesthetical purposes but was "inspired by the lace voiles that Portuguese women wear". Even in saying so, it still doesn't clearly depict this tradition of Portuguese women as it appears just as another artistic creation within the concert hall. Unlike the other two curtains, this specific design wasn't exactly planned from the very beginning, as Blaisse talks about how this curtain "was meant to be used randomly".[22] This statement in some sense insinuates that although there is a level of cultural meaning behind this surface; the fact that it doesn't directly impart the Portuguese practise to the viewers; it further proves that modern architecture isn't as deep and meaningful.
This abstract space within the Casa da Musica evidently is decorated with superficial surfaces and appears to be more of something exciting for the viewer to look at, rather than communicating important messages as apposing historical buildings often did. However, due to Koolhaas shifting his focus to the idea of creating something beautiful for the audience, these curtain materials are definitely successful in that retrospect. He was able to move away from the idea of complete simplicity and design surfaces that appear intricate from a far, but also quite detailed from up close (see fig.2).
Figure 2: "enlarged lace" curtain study
Up- Close Detail
Far-Away Detail
In architecture, ornamentation often refers to the idea of some form of decoration used to embellish parts or the whole building. This 'surface modulation'[23], as referred to by historian Sir John Summerson in his paper History of Architecture, is exactly what architects use to bring character to a structure. It has been evident throughout time, since the very beginning of architecture, ranging from "Ancient Egyptian architecture to the apparent lack of ornament of the 20th Modernist architecture".[24] Today architects have evidently shifted the focus on the initial idea behind ornamentation, where instead of being used to represent something meaningful and symbolic, it is often now being used for superficial reasons.
This theory of architecture today lacking depth, shines through the work of Koolhaas when looking at the Casa da Musicas' ornamentation. One of the biggest or outstanding forms of 'decoration' that is incorporated within the concert hall can be seen in Fig.3, where the large golden imprints of wood grain embellished onto the wooden walls of the grand auditorium. Petra Blaisse suggests that this beautiful carving as such, was purely added because something seemed missing from the large "wooden, monochrome walls" during the construction of the building.[25] Although these "shimmering layers of organic shapes" is an effective decor that reflects light beautifully, it lacks deep meaning as it's mostly designed to add a little sparkle to this large room, as oppose to something that's filled with rich history or imparting an important message. Other than to fill a gap, the architectural focus behind the application of the gold leaf embellishment in the hall centre is also to create strange light effects that ultimately portrays sound waves.[26] Almost as if the acoustics are causing the architecture to vibrate.[27]
Figure 3: Golden Leaf ornamentation in grand auditorium.
Even though Koolhaas designed most of the ornamentation for mainly aesthetical reasons, the VIP room within the Casa da Musica (fig.4) is one of the only exceptions to this theory. This multifunctional space pays a respectful tribute to its context and the Portuguese culture by decorating it with "hand painted blue tiles in Portuguese tradition"[28] where each of the panels are a clear imitation of "an original to be found within different museums throughout Portugal and the Netherlands. "[29] These tiles are covered with beautiful prints, each depicting a traditional pastoral scene about the historical Portuguese culture. When comparing the focus or main ideas between these two opposing types of ornaments (the gold leaf imprints and the Portuguese tiles); it is very clear which one carries the most meaning and imparts the most important message. Apart from the filtered curtain which was inspired by Portuguese women veils[30], it is one of the only parts of this concert hall that pays tribute to the history of its context by clearly informing the audience of important narratives.
Rem Koolhaas stated in an interview in 2014 with Andrew McKenzie, that he too believes that there is "less and less memory" within architecture today and that some might say "we are condemned to be perpetual present". He goes on to further explain that he believes it is important to go back to history and "show the incredible richness"[31]. However, contradiction is a direct consequence of the Casa da Musica, as evidently most of the aesthetical architectural features appear to be somewhat superficial. A very small part of the enormous building; such as the tiles in the VIP room and the "giant lace" within the auditorium, pays respect to the memory of the Portuguese history. The rest of the buildings' features such as the bare white skin, curtain surfaces and gold leaf ornamentation are all designed mostly for style. Many can agree with Daniel Fox, where he wrote in his paper Rem Koolhaas: An Architecture of Innovation, that designing for the pure sake of style can "result in buildings with little character" and to lack in "depth." [32]
Aesthetics has always been a big factor when it comes to art and architecture. From historical to modern times, this idea of what is considered beautiful has changed so drastically where detail tends to be ignored and simplicity promoted (seen in Fig 3). The same counts for architecture and the way in which simple or abstract design is considered more aesthetically pleasing, than intricate detailing on surfaces. Although this statement wouldn't apply to everyone's way of thinking, it is definitely proven by the vast majority of society through buildings such as the Casa da Musica which is a monumental and influential architectural structure. Just like many other modern structures, this large concert hall can evidently be characterized by the "simplification of form" and forming "ornament" through structure.[33] Just like many others, Sarat Sunder Rajeev describes architecture today as a style of "simplicity and clarity of forms" and Rem Koolhaas agrees to the more noticeable idea of "elimination of unnecessary detail" which is present in his design. [34] This phrase about ridding of "unnecessarily detail" is evident in so many readings about modern architecture, and stated as though it is a good thing. It is often justified as lessening construction time, allowing the architect to focus on other architectural factors. Although this does makes sense, the detail that used to be considered so fundamentally important on the skin, surface and ornamentation of buildings is exactly what makes them places of wonder today.
Simplicity in architecture surface or 'skin' does prove to work quite well in the sense of functionality and some would even consider simple art as beautiful, however this idea of a bare and plain facade evidently carries a lot less deep meaning than that of intricately detailed historical buildings. This theory of modern architecture focusing on creating aesthetical features for style, rather than using planes to depict rich cultural narratives is definitely a concern. Historical buildings allow for so many people to read history through imprinted narratives, which is mesmerising to many people. Whereas the discontinuing of these so called "unnecessary details" which is evidently absent on the facade and some surfaces in the Casa da Musica, will cause for futurists to not be able to read our history through architecture.
[1] Filip Mattens, The Aesthetics of Space: Modern Architecture and Photography (Wiley Online Library, 2011), 1.
[2] Daniel Fox, "Rem Koolhaas: An Architecture of Innovation" (2008). Volume 16-2008, Paper 8. http://preserve.lehigh.edu/cas-lehighreview-vol-16/8.
[3] Shelley Little, "Why People Love Modern Architecture", Fresh Home (2014), accessed 18 October, 2015, http://freshome.com/2014/08/11/why-people-love-modern-architecture/
[4] Petra Blaisse. "Curtain as Arhitecture: Casa Da Musica, Porto. "In Petra Blaisse: Inside Outside Revealing, 364-405: NAi Publishers 2004, 364.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Lorena Maria Lehman, "To Design Building Skin", Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman (2010), accessed 19 October 2015, http://sensingarchitecture.com/3308/to-design-building-skin-take-note-of-human-skin-video/
[7] Andrew Benjamin. "Surface Effects: Borromini, Semper, Loos." In The Journal of Architecture, Volume 11(1), p.1-36, 2006.
[8] Sunder Sharat Rajeev, "Architectural Ornamentation: Birth of Modernism", History of Architecture. https://www.academia.edu/6229438/Architectural_Ornamentation_-_Birth_of_Modernism
[9] Lehman, "To Design Building Skin."
[10] Rajeev, "Architectural Ornamentation: Birth of Modernism", 8.
[11] Daniel, "Rem Koolhaas: An Architecture of Innovation."
[12] Blaisse, "Curtain as Arhitecture: Casa Da Musica, Porto", 364.
[13] Ibid, 364.
[14] Daniel, "Rem Koolhaas: An Architecture of Innovation."
[15] Blaisse, "Curtain as Arhitecture: Casa Da Musica, Porto", 374.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Benjamin. "Surface Effects: Borromini, Semper, Loos", 1.
[18] Blaisse, "Curtain as Arhitecture: Casa Da Musica, Porto", 368.
[19] Ibid, 369.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Ibid, 374.
[22] Blaisse, "Curtain as Arhitecture: Casa Da Musica, Porto", 374.
[23] Rajeev, "Architectural Ornamentation: Birth of Modernism", 1.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Blaisse, "Curtain as Arhitecture: Casa Da Musica, Porto", 368.
[26] Maak Niklas, "Rem Koolhaas' Casa da Musica, Porto", Archive Magazine, Issue.10, page 22-33, 2006, 9.
[27] Ibid.
[28] Deyan Sudjic, ”We Got Rid of The Shoe Box", The Observer (2005), accessed 19 October 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2005/apr/10/1
[29] Askaya, Sivan, "The Beauty of Portugal", AFAR (2011), accessed 15 October 2015. http://www.afar.com/places/casa-da-musica-oporto
[30] Blaisse, "Curtain as Arhitecture: Casa Da Musica, Porto", 374.
[31] Mackenzie, Andrew, "National Identity in architecture: An interview with Rem Koolhaas", Architecture Australia, Vol. 103, No. 2, Mar/Apr 2014, 75.
[32] Daniel, "Rem Koolhaas: An Architecture of Innovation."
[33] Rajeev, "Architectural Ornamentation: Birth of Modernism", 8.
[34] Ibid.
e x p l o r i n g
S K I N + S U R F A C E
by Miranda Heunis
Figure 4: Portuguese tile in VIP room
R e f e r e n c e s
