Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, Nicholas Grimshaw and, especially, Santiago Calatrava are famous for their high-tech, glass and steel design approach that celebrates the structural elements and exposes the beauty of physics. Jean Prouvé is widely considered to be the famous godfather of the bunch, the "Don Corleone" of the "archingineer," so to say.MOCA is presently housing a small exhibit that originated at Columbia's graduate school of architecture. It focuses on Mr. Prouvé's efforts to create modular structures, furniture and structural systems through three of his principal areas of interest at the time: "schools, the tropics, and the use of aluminum." The main element of the exhibit is one of the so-called "Tropical Houses." This particular specimen was fabricated in Maxéville, France, assembled in Brazzaville, Congo, in 1951, then disassembled in the midst of civil war and shipped back to Paris in 2001. The simple structure is a beautiful example of how modular systems and pre-fab construction can be turned into a beautiful artifact at the hands of a great and thoughtful designer. Unfortunately the actual Tropical House did not make it to Los Angeles, but the exhibit is well worth a visit nonetheless (and it's free too...). Don't forget to watch the video about the re-assembly of the structure.
Finally follow through on the French-speaking theme by maybe sampling some of the baked goods at "Le Pain Quotidien" next door while out on Melrose... YUMM!
Link: MOCA
Link: Design Within Reach
Source: LA Weekly
In comparison to the grandiosity and ingenuity of the ideas displayed through Prouvé's work, I have to admit that I found Evan Douglis' much-heralded blue "exhibition membrane" to be very blasé and uninteresting. It's like adding flying spaceships and animated creatures to a beautiful black and white silent movie... Superfluous!
