ARCHITECTURE OF EMOTIONS
LIVING IN.
MASTERPIECES OF RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE
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Foreword of the book LIVING IN. Masterpieces of Residential Architecture.
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Openhouse and Gestalten.
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Openhouse magazine online shop
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Architecture influences and is influenced by everything around us. It is a language for expressing both a culture’s origins and values, and the guiding principles of its creators. While frequently it responds to practical needs, on other occasions it also invites us to dream of new ways of living. And when this occurs, it causes tiny revolutions that question accepted habits, dispense with obsolete customs, and revive traditions that had practically been condemned to oblivion.
But, what is it that makes a work into an exceptional masterpiece? When a painting, landscape or house genuinely inspires in a unique and impactful way, it commands more than just a rational response. It triggers emotions and change that are manifested through a visceral reaction more patent than our own conscious realization— our pupils dilate, we cry, we laugh or we freeze.
“When a painting, landscape or house genuinely inspires in a unique and impactful way, it commands more than just a rational response. It triggers emotions and change that are manifested through a visceral reaction more patent than our own conscious realization— our pupils dilate, we cry, we laugh or we freeze.”
In architecture, this sensation is inspired by places where we are more than mere visitors, where, for the passage of a few minutes, hours or days, we come to form part of them. Truly brilliant design projects cry out to be inhabited, and exhibit the timeless appeal that is synonymous with the word “home”. It is the feeling that strikes us in the garden of Luis Barragán’s Casa Pedregal, a pink-colored masterpiece surrounded by volcanic rock and faced by the turquoise waters of the swimming pool. Captivated by the interplay between warmth and shade on its modernist silhouette, we are able to admire—and feel—the huge skill with which the Mexican architect pushed and narrowed the link between light and color. Such is the singularity of these spaces that our senses spring to life the moment we cross the threshold, mes- merized by the feel of their different forms, the light that transits their interiors, and even the sounds that filter through to their rooms from the outside world.
A similar whirlwind of emotions inspired the inception of Openhouse and remains fundamentally at its core. Before the idea of a publication emerged, founders Mari Luz Vidal and Andrew Trotter opened their home up to the public, transforming it into an art gallery, concert venue, and restaurant. It was a blank canvas to which new uses were given, and then shared with friends and also strangers. With culture as its banner, Openhouse later metamorphosed into a magazine and, through it, the two flatmates—now transformed into editors—developed a philosophy of life based on the conservation of values such as tradition, nature, art, and identity.
Our latest project, this book, is the outcome of curatorial research into 30 homes that have all, like Openhouse, opened their doors to the wider public, each piece of architecture typified by its strong, emotional appeal. They are homes that we not only came to know, but which we somehow also feel a part of as we tune into their authenticity, their links with community, their superior architecture or their sublime harmony.
A shared adventure, the publication is guided by the voices and wisdom of four well-known names from the world of contemporary architecture and design. Spanish landscape designer Fernando Caruncho leads the way, revealing the magic that lies hidden in nature, creation and the cosmos; Belgian interior designer Axel Vervoordt deciphers the keys to the relationship between tradition and an audacious present; British architect John Pawson sketches a delicate, austere outline of what is commonly known as “personality”; and we venture on a journey of discovery with Italian architecture studio MORQ, exploring today’s ways of living and its impact on culture and society.
“Truly brilliant design projects cry out to be inhabited, and exhibit the timeless appeal that is synonymous with the word ‘home’.”
With them, we examined the four values that Open- house upholds: nature, tradition, personality, and community. They are the cornerstones of good architecture and the fundamentals to revisit when circumstances cause us to stray from the path. The houses featured in this publication are good examples of these principles. A lesson learnt, for instance, from our visit to George Nakashima’s house, studio and workshop, where the composite architecture blends gently with the surrounding landscape. Elsewhere, Hacienda Xucú’s walls clearly manifest the full force of tradition, Hotel Martel offers the community a refuge for artists, and James Goldstein’s residence overflows with personality and charisma. With each stop on the journey, at each of the homes, our aim is for you to experience the same thrill. We hope we manage to convey the emotions that these works of architecture inspire in us, in addition to Openhouse’s vision and values as reflected in Living In. Modern Masterpieces of Residential Architecture.así como la visión y los valores de Openhouse “Living in Masterpieces of Residential Architecture”
With them, we examined the four values that Open- house upholds: nature, tradition, personality, and community. They are the cornerstones of good architecture and the fundamentals to revisit when circumstances cause us to stray from the path. The houses featured in this publication are good examples of these principles. A lesson learnt, for instance, from our visit to George Nakashima’s house, studio and workshop, where the composite architecture blends gently with the surrounding landscape. Elsewhere, Hacienda Xucú’s walls clearly manifest the full force of tradition, Hotel Martel offers the community a refuge for artists, and James Goldstein’s residence overflows with personality and charisma. With each stop on the journey, at each of the homes, our aim is for you to experience the same thrill. We hope we manage to convey the emotions that these works of architecture inspire in us, in addition to Openhouse’s vision and values as reflected in Living In. Modern Masterpieces of Residential Architecture.así como la visión y los valores de Openhouse “Living in Masterpieces of Residential Architecture”