The Wexner Center

There are many cases of postmodern architecture all over the world, even right here in Columbus, Ohio! The Wexner Center for the Arts in particular is an excellent example.

It contains many distinguishing features of the postmodern genre the most telling of which is the mix between the old and the new. This style of architecture is well known for making new buildings and designs but all the while retaining the traditions of the past. A common trait of postmodern buildings is to take specific elements of an old style and incorporate them into the design. The Wexner Center shows references to a period from long ago. The tower on the corner of the building is incredibly reminiscent of medieval times. It looks the tower of an old castle but is broken up and modernized in the postmodern way. 

In 1982, an competition was held for the design of the building and opened up to architects internationally. Notable finalists included Cesar Pelli; Michael Graves; and Arthur Erickson but in the end it was Peter Eisenman who won out with the help of Columbus local Richard Trott. The current building sits on the former site of the OSU Armory and Gymnasium. Though the building was destroyed in a fire, the architects were still inspired by the building and that inspiration certainly shows through in new structure. 

The Wexner Center for the Arts first opened in 1989 and since them has become renowned worldwide. The building is named in honor of Harry L. Wexner for his generous contributions to the center in hopes of promoting the arts in Columbus and beyond. The cultural goal of the Wexner Center goes far beyond simply displaying art. It is meant to be a place for all artists to explore new ideas and make advancements all in the eyes of a diverse audience. They want to share art in various forms and improve the general understanding of art as well. 

Former OSU Armory and Gymnasium 

The construction of Eisenman and Trott's unique building in Columbus gave the city a piece of international fame. The building is widely recognized as a prime example postmodern and more specifically deconstructionist architecture. The large, white grid that is placed at the entrance to the building is meant to suggest that the structure is not quite yet completed. It looks very similar to scaffolding used on buildings still in construction or being remodeled. The building's functionality has been questioned but postmodern architects often choose form over function when designing buildings. 

The building has not only brought fame but a rise in appreciation of the arts as well. The building houses many exhibits both permanent and temporary. They also host performances, screenings, educational programs and many other events. It is a place for artists already firm in their work as well as  up and coming artists to display their art. It is Columbus's and maybe even Ohio's stake in the international art world and it brings pride and joy to the city's inhabitants.

Wexner Center Information Video

Scale Model

This is the finished model based off of my own ideas and digital configurations. You can easily see that the model below closely resembles the one I made in Google Sketchup. I designed this unique building with the idea that it would be a school or a library. I thought that one level of education could be located in each of the separate buildings so as to keep elementary, middle and high schoolers apart but still have a sense of school unity. 

I also created covered walkways between each of the building for convenience. While the students have all of their core classes in one building perhaps the gymnasium or cafeteria or another communal space are housed in another building. I wanted to make sure the buildings were still connected and could be accessed in any weather.

The main goal of my building is to be fun, as school ought to be. I wanted to create a space where children of all ages could go to learn but would look forward to it and be proud of their school. I was inspired by the works of many great postmodern architects, in particular Michael Graves. His buildings strive to stand out and are anything but boring and I hope that mine is the same! 

Digital Model

I designed a unique building using the qualities of postmodern architecture that I already learned about. I used Google Sketch up to bring this design to life. It helped me figure out all of the dimensions and the actual layout of the building before a made a real model. 



Front View 

Top View 

Side View 

Some noticeable postmodern qualities that the building possesses are the simple shapes, bright colors and references to previous eras of architecture. Postmodernism is well known for taking shapes and boiling them down to their simplest forms. The shapes of the three parts of the building really exemplify that characteristic. The colors of the building are also immediately obvious. Unlike the modern era that came before it, postmodernism embraced the beauty of architecture and did whatever they wanted when it came to making the building ascetically pleasing. The columns under the connecting pathways are inspired by those used by the Romans and Greeks. Postmodern architects brought back many elements that were previously done away with, such as columns. 

History of Postmodern Architecture

               The postmodern style developed in the 1960s and 70s after the modernist movement had taken control of the architectural world. Originally, the modernist style originally had few critics; it’s simple, functional and geometric aspects were popular and evident in cities around the world. The modernists reveled in organization and a “less is more” belief for their buildings. American Robert Venturi’s 1966 book, Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture made people begin to think that three could be more to architecture once again. Venturi argued against the Modernist architecture that he called bland and wanted people to consider styles that were not just black and white but various shades of gray as well (WTTW). Though it took some time for these radical ideas to catch on, they certainly did. Postmodernism spread to places like Europe and eventually the rest of the world and is now an international phenomenon.

Postmodernism originally came about because some people were bored with the present style of architecture. The lack of decoration on buildings made them simply functional but not beautiful. A large argument of postmodernists is that there is a human desire for beauty and it was not fulfilled by so called modern architecture (Boundless). Thus the postmodern movement was born, but not without its struggles. A war raged between the two genres of architecture around 20 years with postmodernism finally coming out on top (WTTW). In many way postmodern architecture could not have existed without modern architecture to rebel against. The architects found things they didn’t like about modernism and fought to change them. After their victory, postmodernists did away with the dull, mindless buildings and created ones of their own design. It was a style unlike anything that had come before it. What was so unique about postmodern architecture is that it actually reverted somewhat to old ways rather than moving forward in the linear way that everyone else had done in the past.

Architects during this time made all sorts of new statements with their work. They sought to incorporate color and decoration to the buildings rather than build them purely for functionality’s sake. There was no longer any need for a minimalist design, architects could make exactly what they wanted even if it was highly unusual or not entirely functional. Form was a huge part of this era and using forms merely for its own sake. They broke the traditional mold of what was required in a building and also what was not previously allowed (Boundless). Diversity of buildings also blossomed with the postmodern movement. Modernist buildings had a strict set of protocols and as a result they all looked virtually the same. Many postmodern architects are proud of the way that their buildings tell a story as opposed to the boring facades of modern architecture (WTTW). Their buildings were obviously new but contained elements of the old and in this way they told a story of history. Postmodernism is known for the way in which it uses styles that have come before it. It is not uncommon to find a postmodern building that has melded many styles together into one design. A new way of viewing familiar ideas and styles was adopted and this allowed architects to use old elements in entirely new ways. This resulted in buildings that were collages of architectural history (Morley). The buildings used already created patterns in their design but they are different in the juxtaposition of those various patterns and styles. This was also an era of revival for elements that had been done away with in the modernist movement. For example, the postmodernist era was the first style in a long time to use things like columns (Boundless). Greeks and Romans are famous for their use of columns and the example they set. Since their time there has literally been countless uses of columns on buildings. However, columns did not fit the minimalist style of the modernist and they were not seen on buildings during this time. When architects began using columns again they did so in brand new ways. This set them apart from other styles that simply copied the works of the Greeks and Romans.

Many architects have made their names by entering the postmodern movement and some of the most famous and stunning buildings from around the world are built in the postmodern style. The young and rebellious generation of architects in particular was attracted to the idea of breaking out of the modernist style (Georgia Encyclopedia). One of the architects credited with bringing about the postmodern movement is Michael Graves. Graves started out as a modernist so much so that he was actually working against the postmodern efforts. However, Graves chose to switch sides and became the architect of the first major work of postmodern architecture. The city’s occupants do not love the Portland Building but it is the epitome of postmodern style (archdaily). The four facades of the building display symbolic decorations as well as new forms. The building was highly controversial because of its use of color and texture (WTTW). Many of Grave’s other works are similar in their balance of old and new as well as playfulness and sophistication. The use of bright colors along side traditional elements such as arches and columns define the postmodern era (archdaily).

Another well know postmodernist architect is Frank O. Gehry. He too was inspired by art at a young age and wanted to pursue it in any way that he could. Gehry at one point had the chance to study the work of the famous modernist, Le Corbusier. Despite this, Gehry was drawn to the more exciting and artistic side of architecture, thus his joining of the postmodern movement. During his career, Gehry has been responsible for many famous buildings including the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain (Achievement). While it was largely youth that supported the postmodernist designs, some of the more classical architects joined the rise as well. Philip Johnson was a celebrated champion of modern designs and therefore it was unlikely that he would approve of postmodernism. However, far from approving of it, Johnson umped on the bandwagon and ended up designing one of the more famous postmodern buildings. The AT&T Building, now Sony, is located in downtown Manhattan for everyone to see. It has a great example of an allusion to a classical element, which is what postmodernism is all about. The style of the roof is called a “Chippendale” based off the shape of a gothic peaked roof. Unfortunately, it is one of those buildings that people either love or hate (Umich). Postmodernism has had its critics but it remains to this day and has been a significant part of architectural history.  

As far as architectural styles go, postmodernism lasted a long time and therefor had considerable influence on the world. It certainly lasted longer than the modernism that it replaced in the 1960s and 70s. Though the movement itself and the hype surrounding it has gone, postmodern architecture continues to surround us. Ho matter where we are in the world, cities and houses show aspects of postmodern architecture that has struck around for all this time. Still one could argue that the most important effect of the postmodern movement was the freedom it gave to architects. The strictness and unoriginality of modernism gave architect very little creative license. Postmodern architects also reminded us of the past by constantly incorporating it into new buildings. Without this movement, it is possible that much of architectural history would have been lost or forgotten. Postmodernism will never cease to exist in our world and that is truly for the best because of all the amazing art and history that it has brought us.

Works Cited

Academy of Achievement . 2010. Frank O. Gehry . July 7. Accessed April 7 , 2014. http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/geh0bio-1.

Boundless . n.d. Postmodern. Accessed April 7, 2014. https://www.boundless.com/art-history/global-art-since-1950/architecture/postmodern/.

Craig, Robert M. 2013. Modern and Postmodern Architecture Overview . October 3. Accessed April 7, 2014. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/modern-and-postmodern-architecture-overview.

Lobiondo, Maria. 1995. Michael Graves "Archetype of the 90's". Accessed April 7, 2014. http://www.princetonol.com/patron/mgraves.html.

Merin, Gili, and David Basulto . n.d. ArchDaily . Accessed April 7 , 2014. http://www.archdaily.com/tag/michael-graves/.

Morley, James. n.d. Defining Postmodernism . Accessed April 7, 2014. http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/elab/hfl0242.html.

n.d. Postmodern Architecture . Accessed April 7 , 2014. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jewestla/pomo.html.

Rybczynski, Witold. 2011. Was Postmodern Architecture Any Good? . November 11. Accessed April 7, 2014. http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/architecture/2011/11/postmodern_architecture_its_most_important_legacy_.html.

Web Urbanist . n.d. 7 Wonders of the Postmodern Architecture . Accessed April 7, 2014. http://weburbanist.com/2011/06/13/deconstructivism-7-architectural-wonders-of-the-world/.

WTTW. 2014. Postmodernism Timeline . Accessed April 7, 2014. http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=88,5.