Post Modernism - Chapter 24

As we know, World War II created many changes for design. The Bauhaus and multiple designers from Europe came to America to create. This brought about Mies van der Rohe's time and many other famous architects. Furniture also became a well-sought after object. Knoll and Herman Miller made furniture that was both functionally and aesthetically pleasing for the home and office.

However, Post Modernism was a short period that came about with the global recession. The style applied to architecture, design, fashion, and philosophy. The hope was to revolt against the strict rationality of modernism. The Memphis Movement and the New York Five were two subdivisions of this vision in America.

The Memphis Movement strove to abolish Modernism and its strict design regulations. Colors were bright and not used in a methodical way, same with shapes and patterns. The scale of these pieces were also distorted in a way. Ettore Sottsass, Michele de Lucchi, Michael Graves, and George Sowden were all architects and designers included in this movement. These people were not only designers of furniture and buildings but products demanded by society (teapots, ice buckets, silverware, etc.).

The New York Five was a group of five post modern/contemporary architects and designers: Peter Eisenman, Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmey, John Hejduk, and Richard Meier. These people are still influential today and have given the world products and buildings to use as inspiration for the ever-changing technologies. Michael Graves is included in both groups because of his design aesthetic and functionality. Graves became a great designer of all things accessible due to his own handicap.

Deconstructivism shortly followed Post Modernism and became the design style of the late 1980s and we still see design that follow qualities of Deconstructivism today. Standard parts and pieces of the building/ furniture were displaced in a way to create a whole new perspective; it was as if the design was being taken apart and was then put back together. Some notable names that were influenced by this style would be Frank Gehry, Peter, Eisenman, Zaha Hadid, Tadao Ando, and Shigeru Ban.

The 1990s brought about the evolution of technology and ultimately the office environment. Designers began to pay attention to the workers need of flexible, ergonomic furniture due to the invention of the personal computer. Workstation design began to change as well. Technology brought about knowledge that the general public had not had access to. New publications and television shows such as The French Chef and This Old House offered a new world to the public and allowed for new visions and ideas, as well as new-found respect for those with talents such as interior designing, cooking, gardening, painting, etc.

Design Examples:

Richard Meir's Douglas House. 

Michael Graves's design for a teapot. 

Current Applications:

An interior inspired by the Memphis Movement.
Very much embodies the 80s feel. 

A catwalk design that has qualities of the
Memphis Movement and Deconstructivism. 

One Step Further: 

Gehry's Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. 

Frank Gehry's designs have became world renown as they are not easily forgettable. Gehry experiments with his materials and the shapes they take on. His designs fully embody deconstruction and an abstract feel. His spaces are almost surreal. Many find his work highly controversial and ponder if it is architecture worth preserving or understanding. Personally, I find Gehry's work to be incredibly fascinating, as the structures he creates defies gravity and physics themselves. His work is certainly an excellent conversation starter. His Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain could be listed as his most recognizable building. 

Frank Gehry's Wiggle Chair design.

Interior view of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruo Center
for Brain Health designed by Frank Gehry.