Tag: architectural design

Postcard from London, England: From conquer-phobia furniture to man-skirts

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Above: Interior of The Design Museum

A basement space in the Victoria & Albert Museum was the first home to Boilerhouse, a showcase for modern design that outgrew that space and another subsequent one before transforming the 1960s Commonwealth Institute into today’s The Design Museum on Kensington High Street. The most striking feature of the post-war modernism landmark originally designed by RMJM is its tent-like parabolic copper roof. The dramatic interior rehabilitation of it was completed in 2018 under the direction of John Pawson.

Exhibitions change, but I’m going to mention two. The first is “Antifurniture,” handsome wooden sculpture designed by performance artist Fyodor Pavolov-Andreevich and BoND Architecture to engage interaction, to invite one to “inhabit” the works. By “one,” I definitely mean someone other than me. Among the phobias the artist strives to help combat are agoraphobia, atychiphobia, demophobia, gelotophobia, acrophobia and basophobia.

Sometimes when we feel overwhelmed we may ignore the problem before us and metaphorically ‘bury our heads in the sand.’ This reaction can cause anxiety and encourage us to avoid the problem; Rock-n’-Desk, however, invites you to confront it.”

Fyodor Pavlov-Andreevich
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Postcard from Rome, Italy: Coppede spun a magical web entangling architectural styles

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There appears no name for it, the architectural jumble of styles combined in every building for several blocks surrounding a plaza with a frog fountain at its center. The Mister’s research unearthed this unexpected neighborhood for us in the upscale Parioli section of Rome.

Entrance into Quartiere Coppede is through a weighty arch, a massive wrought-iron chandelier at its center, linking two distinctive palatial towers. The frog-fountained Piazza Mincio is bounded by a cluster of structures combining elements of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Baroque, Greco-Roman and Tuscan architecture, to name a view, along with frescos, mosaics, tile and sculptural details based on themes drawn from mythology, views of Florence, fairy tales, the animal kingdom and a fantasy land of gargoyles, again, to name a view.

Florence-born architect Gino Coppede (1866-1927) received a dream commission from a building association to design a planned community with a mixture of palaces and apartments that would appeal to professionals on the eve of World War I. The neighborhood was his architectural playground from 1913 until his death in 1927, and he let his imagination and love of fine craftsmanship intermarry with few defined restrictions.

Which led to his creation of residences earning monikers such as the Palace of the Fairies and the Palace of the Spider. His work must have appeared an outright assault against the stern, stark dictates for design taking root in Italy along with the post-war rise of fascism.

Well respected in his lifetime, Coppede taught architecture at several universities in Italy. The young proteges he influenced must have chafed to work within the fascist confines demanded for construction, rules that would prevent others from copying his work.

Although the “nouveau” Coppede neighborhood still commands high rents in Rome, the impact of his design was minimalized by waves of political storms. The distinctive decorative style appears to have remained his alone, ending with his death.