Research Paper on "How the Houses of Vilamajo and Villanueva Are Similar and Different"

Research Paper 10 pages (3058 words) Sources: 10 Style: Chicago

[EXCERPT] . . . .

This is especially the case in the Vilamajo House, though less so in the Villanueva homes in Caracas, except for El Silenco, which does have a Bauhaus feel to it.

If Villanueva lamented the rise of the modern office building and the soul deadening aspect of the modern city, the Bauhaus school embraced it and saw in it an opportunity to showcase its ability. The art world had, in a sense, surrendered itself to a new economy, which was classless, all-business, mass-produced and uninterested in ostentation.[footnoteRef:5] Mass-production in art would be reflected in the Pop Art of Hamilton and his followers, artists who, like Warhol, deliberately produced paintings and collages that could be sold to a world so saturated in mass-produced junk that it would easily be carried away by an artist who could reflect its own unserious preoccupations. Thus, in order to remain relevant and aware of the fashions, Villanueva would also turn to this style to support his efforts. As Bethel notes, two centuries of Latin American history and culture from music to literature to art and architecture are influencing Villanueva and Vilamajo at this time. The wide ramifications of ideologies and methods and how they interact across mediums and artistic expressions is evident in the works of these two architects.[footnoteRef:6] [5: Cody, Jeffrey. Exploring American Architecture, 1870-2000. NY: Routledge, 2005] [6: Leslie Bethel, A Cultural History of Latin America: Literature, Music and the Visual Arts in the 19th and 20th Centuries (UK: Cambridge University, 1998), 49.]

Carranza likewise shows how these two architects formulated their personal styles against the backdrop of an impersonal style of both past and present in an effort to vivify and stand out as original.[footnoteRef:7] [7: Luis Carranza, Modern Architecture in Latin America: Art, Technology, and Utopia (TX: University of Texas, 2014), 329. ]

Hernandez assesses Villanueva's Camoa (1951-52) residence as a modern house in Caracas which is a throwback to Victorian pretensions with its villas and colonial style. It is made of "reinforced concrete frame and hollow brick for the walls" but is mainly white, which is a transition for Villanueva, but a good one because it gives excellent style and taste to the design.[footnoteRef:8] It is overall a very neutral house which does not move the viewer one way or the other towards the past or the present but simply exists in a peaceful harmonious way. At the same time, Hernandez recognizes a "tension because synthesis never really occurs" in the various elements that make up the house, from space to the different objects, sculptures and artworks that litter the house.[footnoteRef:9] [8: Felipe Hernandez, "Spaces of Hybridization: The House of the Architect," 114.] [9: Felipe Hernandez, "Spaces of Hybridization: The House of the Architect," 114.]

John King's assessment of Villanueva's houses is based on the materials used as well, which replicate the corporatist shift in the architect's mentality. For example King views that in the 1950s, Villanueva used the "reinforced concrete" of the age to "create curves, arches and undulating canopies" -- as in the "giant, curving external ribs of several of the University City buildings in Caracas."[footnoteRef:10] Yet in his houses, there is more of a personal appeal despite the use of concrete that comes through in the style of the house and overrides the materials. In Latin America, as King notes, "concrete is more than just a means to an end" and has an aesthetic appeal. The appeal of course is Brutalist as in the aura of Breuer, but Villanueva and Vilamajo do something unique with it to a certain extent that rivals the functionalism of the era and the corporatist mentality of the burgeoning urban "demon cities" that Villanueva lamented. Villanueva wanted his own personal flair to be evident in his works and he wanted it to elevate the people in the community by uplifting them above the lifeless corporatist elements crushing the urban landscape, much like beach houses did on the coast.[footnoteRef:11] [10: John King, The Cambridge Companion to Modern Latin American Culture (UK: Cambridge University, 2004), 230.] [11: Haidar, Sylvia. Beach Houses of South America. NY: Image, 2003.]

In conclusion, the Vilamajo House with its concrete faAade, flats and horizontals (yet with its unexpected surprises like its dotted exterior and varying window sizes) echoes the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and calls to a Northern American brother architect from all the way in Uruguay -- an effort that allows architect to transcend time and space and unite two different worlds -- one developed and one developing in a way that bridges ethnicity and culture. Villanueva's Caracas houses in Venezuela on the other hand do a variety of things with the same concrete materials: they have a distinctive and different personal approach that calls to several competing styles, from old world Baroque to new world Bauhaus. Villanueva attempts to add diversity however and tension by way of color and shape, space and clutter. This is a comment on the fragmenting of society in a way -- all the disparate parts united in one house; but in another way it is an expression of love for all the various cultural influences that have touched the architect, reflected and represented in one instance in one place like a ballad to all the different artists who have found their way into the life of the writer. This is how Villanueva and Vilamajo respond to their surroundings in modern life and yet capture and create their own identities through adherence to a vision that is at once their own even as it builds on the shoulders of others and transcends the spaces and dimensions in which it is situated.

Annotated Bibliography

Bethell, Leslie. A Cultural History of Latin America: Literature, Music and the Visual

Arts in the 19th and 20th Centuries. UK: Cambridge University, 1998.

This book explores two centuries of Latin American history and culture from music to literature to art and architecture. It discusses the wide ramifications of ideologies and methods and how they interact across mediums and artistic expressions. The architects are discussed and where they were from.

Carranza, Luis. Modern Architecture in Latin America: Art, Technology, and Utopia.

TX: University of Texas, 2014.

This book examines the modern architects in Latin America and how they use technology to advance ideological aims regarding utopian visions of society. Essentially, the book highlights how architects are influenced by social doctrines within their countries. This doctrine is then reflected in their architectural works.

Hernandez, Felipe. Spaces of Hybridization: The House of the Architect.

This book gives examples of how various Latin American architects create hybrid houses of various cultural infusions to produce original works that are vibrant and alive with activity and aesthetics. This book discusses Villanueva's homes and provides pictures of them. It also discusses his inspirations, which is helpful in understanding his approach.

Cody, Jeffrey. Exploring American Architecture, 1870-2000. NY: Routledge, 2005.

This book describes American architecture from mid to late 19th century through the 20th century and shows how different all the styles are. It is helpful for pointing out differences between South American styles and North American styles and how the two interact.

Haidar, Sylvia. Beach Houses of South America. NY: Image, 2003.

This book explores the way that beach houses in South America look and are built and the reasons for their architecture. It is helpful for getting a better understanding of South American architecture and what it means for individuals in that part of the world and how it is involved in leisure and comfort.

Johnson, Paul. Art: A New History. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 2003.

This book explores the entire history of art around the world from the earliest days of human existence to the 21st century. It includes all expressions from painting to architecture. It is very helpful in understanding how ideas and social movements underline and support architectural developments.

King, John. The Cambridge Companion to Modern Latin American Culture. UK:

Cambridge University, 2004.

This book discusses the history of modern culture in Latin America, which is helpful in understanding the influences of Latin American architects. The book describes the work of Villanueva in 50s and discusses how it was inspired. It is helpful for shedding another light and perspective on these architects.

Korom, Joseph. The American Skyscraper, 1850-1940: a celebration of height. Boston:

Branden Books, 2008.

This book discusses American architecture and the skyscraper in particular, which is useful and helpful in understanding Latin American architecture by way of culture and contrast. It provides an evocative counter depiction of what American thought in architecture is doing. It is helpful in generating ideas for comparative analysis of different of similar works in different contexts.

Lejeune, Jean-Francois. Cruelty and Utopia: Cities and Landscapes of Latin America.

NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 2003.

This book explores the relationship between ideology and culture and art and architecture. It presents two opposing views of Latin America -- the idealist fantasy (utopia) and the reality (cruel cities of decimated communities). The architecture thus embodies… READ MORE

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