Domus Srilanka - October 2016

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Featuring on hundreds of drawings, original photographs, models and life-size spatial reconstructions, a large exhibition at MAK in Vienna provides a comprehensive overview of the phantasmagorical design universe of Frederick Kiesler, casting the spotlight on a revolutionary figure in 20th-century art and architecture who believed the primary objective of the architect was to improve people’s material and mental well-being, and strengthening society in the process. The curator of the exhibition describes Kiesler’s current relevance and great influence while notes written by Kiesler himself in 1934 explain his project for the Space-House, the prototype of a modern and experimental one-family home.
With the site set proximate to one of the busiest roads in a suburb in Colombo, the architect achieved the goal of creating a house shielded from the noise of the city. Using strategic positioning and the natural environment, a sanctuary was created. In addition, the structure encapsulates the virtues of the seamless combination of modern architecture and design with ancient Tamil Vastu Shashtra.
Since the demolition in 1971 of the 19th-century pavilions designed by Victor Baltard for the central markets, the area of Halles has been through various building stages, some rather tormented. Now, with the grand architectural gesture of the Canopy, the work of two French architects has given new meaning from an urban point of view to this central place, resolving the complexity of its social, cultural and infrastructural functions.
The latest designs for the boutiques of the Italian fashion house are a contemporary take on architectural tradition, giving rise to rigorously designed spaces featuring the most sophisticated details and materials, each designed for the specific context.