The purpose of the new wing in the art museum is to supplement and differentiate the modern artwork displayed in it from the classic and older art in the original wing. In this regard, the new wing of the building has been designed to exude a very simple and contemporary mood, which can be seen in even the minutest details of its construction. Frascari writes that “details themselves can impose order on the whole through their own order” (501). The detail we chose, the material joint of the steel hand rail to the wooden stair below, seems to do just that. The structural purpose of this detail is merely to support the rails in which people stabilize themselves as they use the stairway. Its construction has a very basic outward appearance, in that the actual connections between the beam and the stair are not visible. The stabilization for the beam must be within the stair itself. This hidden construction adds complexity to the construction of the building, but speaks to its appearance of simplicity and strength. Simplicity and strength seem to be the theme of the entire wing itself, and this detail is the perfect example of why. In terms of simplicity, the joint is constructed from grey steel and wooden stairs. The materials themselves seem to be hiding nothing, in that their materiality portrays exactly what the material actually is. The surrounding white walls comply with this idea of transparency. The idea is that what you see is what you get. There aren’t extraneous (visible) additions here to distract one from the artwork that is meant to be the focus of the building. Strength is shown in the linearity of the details in the building. The railing is very rectangular, as are the stairs. Every angle is sharp and right, every line is straight and continuous. There is complete order in the detail, and it appears to be a very solid construction. Frascari quoted John Soane on page 502, saying that each detail “contributes to increase or lessen the Character of the assemblage of which it forms a part”. The joint of the rail to the stair, although one of the more minor components of the building, acts in every way to solidify the ideas of strength and modesty that this building acts to portray. By humbly assembling the details of this building to appear simple yet strong, the architect was able to create a very modern building that assists the artwork it houses to stay modern without detracting from the meaning of the artwork itself.
Built in 2009, the new addition to the University of Michigan Museum of art provided much more than just room for artwork, classrooms, and an auditorium. It gave the museum a more modern feel than the old wing, and because of that the details between the two are very different. In looking around the new wing, we decided on a detail of the joint between a steel stair railing and the stair. The structural purpose of this detail is to merely stabilize the connection between these two materials in order for people to be able to stabilize themselves while using the railing to climb up the stairs. With out the stability of this joint, one would not be able to use the railing properly for its intended purpose. Overall this joint is very simple. There’s no elaborate ornamentation in the railing or the wooden stair itself. Marco Frascari writes in his article, “The art of detailing is really joining the materials, elements, components, and building parts in a functional and aesthetic manner” (501.) While we’ve already seen the functionality of this joint, the aesthetic quality can be seen in the fact that the actual connection between this joint cannot even be seen. The connection is hidden within the stair, giving the railing the strength and stability it needs, as well as making the smooth transition between the steel rail and wooden stair more aesthetically pleasing. This detail fits in flawlessly with the rest of the new wing of the UMMA, as every detail in its construction has a very simple appearance. The railing is very straight and rectangular, along with the stair, again fitting in with the theme of the new wing. These straight lines with sharp angles and rectangular shapes give off a very strong and sturdy materiality, which doesn’t differentiate much from the sturdy materials it is made of. This building does not appear dainty in the least, and the materiality in the joints help to maintain a tough exterior. This shows that even the smallest detail in construction can have an effect on the overall poetic meaning of a building.
The purpose of the new wing in the art museum is to supplement and differentiate the modern artwork displayed in it from the classic and older art in the original wing. In this regard, the new wing of the building has been designed to exude a very simple and contemporary mood, which can be seen in even the minutest details of its construction.
ReplyDeleteFrascari writes that “details themselves can impose order on the whole through their own order” (501). The detail we chose, the material joint of the steel hand rail to the wooden stair below, seems to do just that. The structural purpose of this detail is merely to support the rails in which people stabilize themselves as they use the stairway. Its construction has a very basic outward appearance, in that the actual connections between the beam and the stair are not visible. The stabilization for the beam must be within the stair itself. This hidden construction adds complexity to the construction of the building, but speaks to its appearance of simplicity and strength.
Simplicity and strength seem to be the theme of the entire wing itself, and this detail is the perfect example of why. In terms of simplicity, the joint is constructed from grey steel and wooden stairs. The materials themselves seem to be hiding nothing, in that their materiality portrays exactly what the material actually is. The surrounding white walls comply with this idea of transparency. The idea is that what you see is what you get. There aren’t extraneous (visible) additions here to distract one from the artwork that is meant to be the focus of the building.
Strength is shown in the linearity of the details in the building. The railing is very rectangular, as are the stairs. Every angle is sharp and right, every line is straight and continuous. There is complete order in the detail, and it appears to be a very solid construction. Frascari quoted John Soane on page 502, saying that each detail “contributes to increase or lessen the Character of the assemblage of which it forms a part”. The joint of the rail to the stair, although one of the more minor components of the building, acts in every way to solidify the ideas of strength and modesty that this building acts to portray. By humbly assembling the details of this building to appear simple yet strong, the architect was able to create a very modern building that assists the artwork it houses to stay modern without detracting from the meaning of the artwork itself.
Built in 2009, the new addition to the University of Michigan Museum of art provided much more than just room for artwork, classrooms, and an auditorium. It gave the museum a more modern feel than the old wing, and because of that the details between the two are very different. In looking around the new wing, we decided on a detail of the joint between a steel stair railing and the stair. The structural purpose of this detail is to merely stabilize the connection between these two materials in order for people to be able to stabilize themselves while using the railing to climb up the stairs. With out the stability of this joint, one would not be able to use the railing properly for its intended purpose.
ReplyDeleteOverall this joint is very simple. There’s no elaborate ornamentation in the railing or the wooden stair itself. Marco Frascari writes in his article, “The art of detailing is really joining the materials, elements, components, and building parts in a functional and aesthetic manner” (501.) While we’ve already seen the functionality of this joint, the aesthetic quality can be seen in the fact that the actual connection between this joint cannot even be seen. The connection is hidden within the stair, giving the railing the strength and stability it needs, as well as making the smooth transition between the steel rail and wooden stair more aesthetically pleasing.
This detail fits in flawlessly with the rest of the new wing of the UMMA, as every detail in its construction has a very simple appearance. The railing is very straight and rectangular, along with the stair, again fitting in with the theme of the new wing. These straight lines with sharp angles and rectangular shapes give off a very strong and sturdy materiality, which doesn’t differentiate much from the sturdy materials it is made of. This building does not appear dainty in the least, and the materiality in the joints help to maintain a tough exterior. This shows that even the smallest detail in construction can have an effect on the overall poetic meaning of a building.