Innovators, disruptors, and/or undisputed visionaries…
Alvar Aalto (1896-1976)
The renowned Finnish architect, designer, and town planner Alvar Aalto, forged a remarkable synthesis of romantic and pragmatic ideas. His work reflects a deep desire to humanize architecture through an unorthodox handling of form and materials that was both rational and intuitive. The extraordinary success of Aalto’s Finnish pavilions for the Paris International Exhibition (1937) and New York World’s Fair (1939), were notable for their use of wood elements inspired by the Finnish forests and evoking a pre-industrial spirit and sense of freedom. He favoured a more heterogeneous architecture, with inspirations ranging from the birch and pine forests of his native country to the classical and Renaissance architecture of the Mediterranean.
Hassan Fathy (1900-1989)
Born in Alexandria in Egypt in 1900, Hassan Fathy devoted his working life to housing the poor in developing nations. He looked to create an indigenous environment at a minimal cost, with the aim of improve the economic and living standards in rural areas. He utilized ancient design methods and materials, integrating a knowledge of the rural Egyptian economic situation with a wide knowledge of ancient architectural and town design techniques. He trained local inhabitants to build their own buildings. He considered climatic conditions, public health considerations, and ancient craft skills which contributed towards his design decisions. Fathy incorporated dense brick walls and traditional courtyard forms to provide passive cooling, with techniques based on the structural massing of ancient buildings. Earth material is a fantastic resource, with great qualities for insulation, passive heat retention and cooling.
Antoni Gaudi (1887-1926)
Gaudi was a Catalan architect and the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism His extraordinary architecture was at once entirely unique, highly individualized, and unmistakably, Gaudi. Most are located in Barcelona, including his main work, the church of the Sagrada Família. Years ahead of his time, he introduced new techniques in the treatment of materials, such as trencadís which used waste ceramic pieces and, utilising neo-Gothic art and Oriental techniques, became part of the Modernista movement which was reaching its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work culminates in an organic style inspired by natural forms, and religion. Over Gaudí's nearly fifty years of independent practice, he concocted and realized some of the most imaginative architectural forms in history, all of them in his native Catalonia. Gaudí has fascinated and inspired generations of architects, designers, and even engineers.
Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959)
FLW’s visionary creations were strongly influenced by the natural world whilst emphasizing craftsmanship and embracing technology’s ability in theory was to make design accessible to all. He believed in designing structures in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy which has become known as organic architecture, not only regarded a building’s literal relationship to the natural surroundings, but how the buildings' design is carefully thought about, as a natural unified organism. Post WWII, organic architecture often reflected cybernetic and informatic models of life, as is reflected in the later work of futurist architect Buckminster Fuller. Rules known as the Gaia Charter, for organic architecture and design, include such revelations as being inspired by nature and be sustainable, healthy, conserving, and diverse.
