A Trip To Lexington, KY
Modern: Craig Ellwood – Myth – Man – Designer by Michael Boyd with stunning photography by Richard Powers seen here in this post. Modern: Craig Ellwood was edited by Michael Boyd, Rizzoli New Yori, 2018. Images may not be reproduced in any way, published, or transmitted digitally, without written permission from the publisher. All 4 sides may be nearly identical but the views and approach of each is completely different. Sitting on a hilltop the house is visible from all sides so by that reasoning it couldn’t have a back facade. The house is completely symmetrical in that all 4 sides are faced with a grand set of stairs to a temple front. Behind the library is the member’s lounge, set up here for a meeting. Love the klismos chair seen here where the gentleman records his discovery! The lovely plaster ceilings feature a different motif in each panel depicting figures making a discovery and then recording it for posterity.
I loved seeing the brickwork of the vaulted ceilings below the porches. The stairs have locked storage beneath them but one is able to walk underneath the porches -creating lovely vistas. Light reaches basement windows covered by the entry porches via these ingenious light wells covered with bars on the floor of each porch. Above is a view of the basement as seen from below the porch. Each is only slightly different but who is to know since you can’t view each side simultaneously. The surprise to me was just HOW visible it is to the many neighbors who view the house. For enhanced safety, the system projects speed, navigation and check control messages into the line of sight of the driver who can keep his /her eyes on the road ahead while still being made aware of important instructions. While we’ve all seen so many pictures of the house I still found a lot of surprises around each corner. Above you can see one of the many custom bronze light fixtures on the acoustiblok walls – you find this material that resembles stone but absorbs sound in a lot of public structures from this time period. Collectors of such antique items trade them for quite a lot of money.
Those who favor antique designs, Art Deco is just perfect for them. Secondly, and in some ways the biggest challenge, the end client who certainly cannot understand 2D drawings or architectural drafting sheets quickly, also struggles to visualize the eventual design solution, even with the aid of 3D images and 3D walkthroughs. Even the 2 water fountains flanking the great hall feature custom artwork in tile. Move lovely custom bronze light fixtures in the lounge. These light fixtures are a bit nicer than the crap one sees today in most public buildings; they’re really works of art. These interior photos are part of the documentation (not my own) of a long planned restoration of the pavilion as well as the adjacent royal gardens (more about that HERE). The small gift shop is just behind here. Avoid using the blue color for small texts and diagrams with thin lines. The end of the barn facing the villa has a lovely composition rather than a blank facade. These were saved for nearly 100 years while the printed 3-d renderings of today end up in the trash a day later; Disposable culture. While in Venice I finally got to see it in person and I can honestly say my answer has not changed (phew)!
Rather I think as in anything, quality matters, and so much of what you see that passes as ‘modern’ is just poor and lazy design. There is an outstanding arcaded square situated in Salamanca that is above all others and a must see when deciding where to base your HOLIDAY RENTALS IN SPAIN. I would argue for Palladio because such an important axial connection to the house must have been an early decision. The first surprise was that the house creates a strong hilltop axis with the family chapel on the other side of the road from the entry drive. Do they want to share rides with their friends and family? These houses built by Ellwood in the 50s and 60s have all of the warmth of more traditional architecture and all of the detailing of grand classical architecture; you want to spend time in these spaces. However there are modern architects whose work makes my heart swoon: one of these is mid-century LA architect Craig Ellwood. This content was done by GSA Content Generator Demoversion.
Ellwood took the formal modernism of Mies van der Rohe (another architect I greatly admire) and added some California casualness. Modernism is rooted in details and that is what so often breaks a design for me. While I rarely feature modern design here at ArchitectDesign that does not mean I don’t have an appreciation for the style. Landscape design tasks include backfilling and grading. Nothing can compare to this artwork! Incorporating lighting elements into a home can alter the ambiance from clean and modern to warm and rustic, creating specific moods and enhancing colors and textures. I snapped this quick picture of the early 70’s hallways which had dark green marble used extensively with modern walnut panels. Next month (April 2018) Rizzoli is releasing a new book on this modern master entitled Making L.A. I think we all have a few things to learn from this purist perfectionist and luckily this book can help!