RULES ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN

This week's post is all about architects who broke the rules and dared to think outside the box. The three architects I have chosen are: Frank Lloyd Wright, Zaha Hadid and Antonio Gaudi.
Each one of them has something unique to offer to the field and all of them are brilliant is their own right.
Being the child of two architects, my parents have exposed my brother (who is also an architect) and I to a lot of these great's works. From a very young age, I learnt to appreciate them and understand the magnitude of their genius.
So lets get down to it.

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

Frank Lloyd Wright is regarded as one of the greatest architects of all time. He designed some of the most iconic buildings that convey his true genius. A few of his best works include the Kauffman House or 'Falling Water'and the Guggenheim museum in New York. The predominant reason for his fame is because his designs are unconventional and innovative. A good example of this is the filling station he designed in 1927 (Michigan) that has been opened for use recently. It's the most unlikely design for a gas station but it's a work of pure genius. 

Guggenheim Museum

The falling water house

        

It is well known that Frank Lloyd Wright was the inspiration for the protagonist, Howard Roark in the best selling novel Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. Roark was portrayed as a brooding architect who didn't like being limited by the boundaries and rules set down by architecture schools on how to design. He got expelled and tried to prove that architects can be daring and outrageous with their designs. There are many similarities to Frank Lloyd Wright who designed as he saw fit and never conformed to 'rules' or 'restrictions'. 

To conclude, Frank Lloyd Wright was a pioneer of free thinking and innovation in the field of architecture. He always was and will be my inspiration. (P.S. I have a 'make it yourself' Lego model of the Imperial Hotel)

The lego model

ZAHA HADID

Rosanthal Centre 

Zaha Hadid is widely regarded as the first famous female architect. She proved herself in a profession greatly dominated by men. Her most notable projects include the Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Arts in Cincinatti, the Phaeno Science Centre in Wolfsburg, Germany and the Bridge Pavillion in Spain. She is known for her "neofuturistic" designs using "multiple perspective points and fragmented geometry to portray he chaos in modern life".

Phaeno Science centre

At first, her designs were disregarded as too ambitious. People were skeptical of this woman who proposed such radical ideas. But she went ahead with her plans and ended up winning a Pritzker Prize (the equivalent of a Nobel Prize in the field of architecture) for her efforts. She was the first woman and Muslim to accept the prestigious award.

She has won numerous other awards for her projects all of which are a treat to behold. 

Bridge Pavillion

Her designs break away from the boring conventional construction we see today. She isn't afraid to break barriers and step outside her comfort zone. In my opinion, these are the qualities that make a true genius. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Ms. Hadid who has solidified a woman's place in the field of architecture.  

ANTONIO GAUDI

Antonio Gaudi was a famous Spanish architect who was known for his mosaic work on numerous buildings in Spain. Gaudi warped and twisted his buildings so much that many architects today wonder how he hand drew the plans for his projects. It seems nearly impossible to manually draft such complex and complicated designs, but Gaudi managed it somehow. 

Casa Batllo

Casa Mila

 Initially, Gaudi's buildings were considered to be in poor taste as people couldn't wrap their heads around his curved and rounded designs. But as he continued to work on more projects, his critics began to realise that this man was in fact a genius. When one looks at his buildings closely, the level of intricacy becomes evident. His mosaics are insanely famous and it's truly a wonder how he produced the final product with such perfection in that day and age. I've had the amazing opportunity to see his works up close and it was truly a treat. 

Parc Guell

The Trencadis lizard

To conclude, these three architects are my role models and I've grown up admiring their work. They were/are fearless because they believed in themselves and had faith in their design despite the naysayers. 

Thank you,

Samyuktha Chandar