Walking through New York City is very exciting. You get to see lots of different kinds of skyscrapers and historical buildings which are what defines the city. There are many varieties of architectural styles throughout the city. One building recognized as one of the world’s greatest architectural masterpieces is the Seagram building designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, which represents the International Style. The most common characteristics of International Style are buildings with rectilinear forms; light, taut plane surfaces with no ornamentation and decoration; open interior spaces; and the use of cantilever construction. Also uses glass and steel with less visible reinforced concrete.
One of the style’s characteristic traits was to express the structure of buildings externally. The building’s structural elements should be visible. The Seagram building has an elegant façade of bronze and dark amber glass that I admire greatly. It is 39 stories high, about 515 feet high. Throughout the building, there are orange rectilinear panels as light fixtures. The lights define the spaces and materials being used and it’s radiated out of the glass windows. It makes the building stand out more, especially in the night when it’s lit up which is what draws me to the building the most.
The building is set back from the street ninety feet with two reflecting pools on the sides. The traffic and street noise is blocked by the pool’s fountain noise. With the set back and the pools you are separated from the chaos of the street and you have a more peaceful feeling in that open space. The plaza is used by pedestrians where they can sit down on marbled benches to eat their lunch or even relax for a couple of minutes. They also hold small events on occasions.
The Seagram building is also known for having a very luxurious and elegant restaurant. The Four Seasons Restaurant was designed by Phillip Johnson. It has a large reflecting pool in the center with a theatrical hanging backdrop designed by Pablo Picasso. A very beautiful place to have dinner and would like to go one day.
The simplicity and elegant appearance some International Style buildings have tended to grab my attention more. Many of these buildings have lots of open space where you have beautiful views making you feel relaxed. Rectilinear forms aren’t always boring; there are many ways to use them to create dynamic designs.
Do you think that you like the building or style more? Sometimes people just like to be at a certain area rather than being there for their knowledge as well as relaxation.
Those photographs are beautiful
I’d say the style more due to the open interior spaces and the use of glass. It gives it a more pure and elegant appearance.