Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 572

Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Arts, Design and Contemporary Education (ICADCE 2021)

Architecture as Art Object: The Analysis of One of

the Flows of Contemporary Architecture
Nina Konovalova1,*
1
Scientific Research Institute of the Theory and History of Architecture and Urban Planning, Branch of the
Federal State Budget Institution “Central Scientific-Research and Project Institute of the Construction Ministry
of Russia”, Moscow, Russia
*
Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT
In the beginning of XXI century a fundamental formalized tendency in contemporary architecture might be
discovered. An artistic image of a building does not only take the foreground, but moreover becomes more
essential than its functions and other architectural aspects. The change of priorities in perception and evaluation
of contemporary architecture is taking its place. It affects temporary objects of architecture in the first place,
which are primarily created and perceived as art objects. Nevertheless, buildings created for long-term usage as
well often bring their artistic components to the foreground - color theory, texture, symbolism. In the article the
attempt is made to trace the underlined tendency and analyze possible outcomes.

Keywords: Contemporary architecture, Artistic image, Art object, World’s fair, Serpentine art-gallery.

1. INTRODUCTION called “Arkhstoyanie” that has been taking place at

the village of Nikola-Lenivetz since 2005 that
Recent decades saw a trend towards significant attracts young gifted artists and architects who
dominance of the artistic component over all other create art objects in line with the agenda of the
aspects of architectural objects in contemporary festival in the natural environment. Over the years
architecture. This trend in contemporary the village was surrounded by an expansive art park
architecture could be referred to as “styling design” that was created by professionals in the sphere of
when the utilitarian function of the architecture contemporary art and architecture. Dozens of
translates into the function of the art object. In this similar chamber festivals have been taking place
case the shift in emphasis occurs at the level of both and gaining popularity in Russia annually,
the creator of a piece of contemporary architecture testifying to the rising interest of professionals and
and the consumer, represented by general public general public in such forms as architectural objects
who use, perceive and evaluate it. that are created at the boundary between art and
architecture.
It is possible to single out a number of types of
architectural edifices which are prone to exercise It is critical not to shy away from even more
the role of the art object due to the essence of their crucial temporary objects of architecture that are
shaping. By means of example one can use tent created within certain programmes on the basis of
architecture which quite often represents “unique predetermined set of rules. International fairs and
evocative architectural forms which appear exhibitions, that take place approximately every 5
delicate, dynamic, glyphic and may act as socially years, are the biggest architectural festivals in the
important objects of art-design” [1]. world. The national pavilions which are erected by
each country for the period of not more than 6
Moreover, the above-mentioned trend can be months at a time turn out to be the key “objects” at
traced through creation of temporary architectural each of the fairs.
objects, that is demonstrated at numerous fairs and
exhibitions of contemporary architecture. For
instance, there is annual festival of architecture

Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL.

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license -http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 18
 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 572

2. WORLD’S FAIRS of present and the future and its unique view on the
traditions. That is to say that architects tend to
Architecture of national pavilions is the primary apply their vision for the future towards the
object, exhibited at the World’s fairs. It is the way a constructed object by experimenting with geometry
country decides to express itself via the shape and of forms and construction materials, while still
form of the national pavilion that captures the mainstreaming the accumulated historic experience
attention of the guests of a fair. Creative of their culture.
experiments with the forms, application of
materials, as well as architectural and artistic image It is quite often that the design of a pavilion is
of a country’s pavilion at the World’s Fair or based on application of one of the national
Exhibition are widely discussed by the professional architectural hallmarks, with national ornament
community and general public. The most being one of the most commonly used. Such
interesting “discoveries” resonate with the guests approach was quite frequent at Expo-2010: it was
and get vivified in books and architectural guides. applied at construction of the Polish Pavilion with
its façade perforated with traditional Polish pattern
As a general rule each country, participating in (architectural bureau “WWA Architect”, "Figure
the World’s Fair, should reveal the exhibition’s 1"). The creators of the South Korean Pavilion at
main theme through architectural and artistic design Expo-2010 decided to bedeck its façade with letters
of its pavilion. In addition, such pavilions are of the Korean alphabet, that ranged in size from
created in order to serve as clear and straight- tiny to colossal, overlaying each other, curving and
forward image of the host country in the eyes of the thus contributing to the formation of the artistic
international community. This image should image of the edifice. ("Figure 2").
incorporate self-identification, cultural aspirations

Figure 1 Polish Pavilion at Expo-2010 (author’s photo).

Figure 2 South Korean Pavilion at Expo-2010 (photo from open sources).

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Russian Pavilion consisted of twelve towers, national identity of a pavilion. Thus, the artistic
with their top parts perforated on the basis of ethnic image of the edifice gains critical importance, with
ornaments of various ethnic groups living in Russia pavilions constructed for World’s Fairs being
("Figure 3"). Therefore, the applied forms of artistic erected as and perceived as art objects. Such trend
design should allow the guests to grasp the unique can be traced in recent exhibitions.

Figure 3 Russian Pavilion at Expo-2010 (author’s photo).

The Chinese Pavilion (host-country) became the edifice was named “The Crown of the East” and
ultimate centerpiece at the Expo-2010 that took resembled traditional bright Chinese shrines. The
place in Shanghai (China). Towering at 63 meters, pavilion’s creators based their work on the console
this bright-red pavilion occupied the central place at dougong of the traditional ancient architecture,
the exhibition and promoted the idea of “Chinese expanding it to enormous size.
wisdom for urban development” ("Figure 4"). This

Figure 4 Chinese Pavilion at Expo-2010 (author’s photo).

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It is quite often that the creators of the represent a building in the common sense. The
architectural and artistic concept of a pavilion make status of an object (it is said that the mere invitation
use of the easily recognizable and perceived for an architect to create such a pavilion is
symbols making symbolic component the equivalent to receiving a professional award), its
foundation of the artistic image of the edifice. For exclusivity and short life-span become the factors
instance, the foundation of the UAE Pavilion at the that shift the emphasis in perception and
Expo-2015 ("Figure 5") was based on the natural appreciation of the new pavilion. Brightness and
form of a canyon, with wall texture mimicking extravagance of its visual perception become the
natural sands. Curving walls were called upon to key criteria. That is why in this particular case
translate the ever-changing shape of the desert architecture surrenders a number of its inherent
dunes. properties leaving only artistic expression and
transforms into art object. Each of the annually
constructed pavilions is definitely an art object that
attracts attention of both professionals and general
public. This can be testified by Z. Hadid’s second
pavilion.
Hadid became the first architect to be invited by
the Serpentine in 2000, spearheading the launch of
the programme, which has over the years evolved
and gained international recognition. It also allowed
to test its rules and conditions for the construction
of pavilions, overall approach and trends for the
perception of the programme and artistic approach
Figure 5 UAE Pavilion at Expo-2015 (photo from of the invited architects. The summer pavilion for
open sources). the Serpentine Gallery constructed by Z. Hadid and
P. Schumacher (2007, "Figure 6") was fully in line
3. ARCHITECTURAL with the architectural and artistic image and
EXPERIMENTS OF THE concept in which such pavilions were perceived by
SERPENTINE ART GALLERY the public. The architects created fantastic
composition consisting of three gigantic
Since 2000 the Serpentine Gallery has become "mushrooms”, constructed from the gauze metallic
one of the world’s most important focal points of carcass and tautened with fabric.
contemporary art. For two decades the world-
famous architectural programme promotes annual
construction of a new pavilion at the exhibition
territory in Hyde Park in London. World acclaimed
architects get invited to contribute to the creation of
the new architectural masterpiece. Strict choice of
the invited architects, challenging timelines for
engineering and construction as well as high
requirements to the singularity of design distinguish
the Serpentine pavilions from the general line of
objects.
The invited architect is given six months to
develop the concept and model of the pavilion and
to exercise control over its construction so that the
new pavilion becomes a valid public space for
summer and is generally sold in autumn at a charity
auction. Thus, the Serpentine’s pavilions originate
as temporary objects with the key aim at capturing
attention of the guests. Even though the rules
require pavilions to be functional (to host lectures,
various events and summer cafes) almost none of
the invited architects created a space that would

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Figure 6 The Serpentine Gallery summer pavilion 2007 (by Z. Hadid, P. Schumacher). Photo from open sources.

Each of the Serpentine Gallery pavilions from white metallic rods was designed as fully
reflects the style of the architect, his or her message transparent and permeable structure that radiated
or even the manifest. For instance, the Sou enigmatic light at nighttime.
Fujimoto (2013, "Figure 7") pavilion constructed

Figure 7 The Serpentine Gallery summer pavilion 2013 (by Sou Fujimoto) © Iwan Baan.

Looking at the architect’s creative work it The master views such architectural forms as basic,
becomes obvious that he focuses primarily on the “formless form” or “unintended space” [3].
creation of objects that stand on the brink between Absolutely permeable nature of an object that blurs
nature and artificial object. He is inspired by natural the boundaries between the internal and external
structures and strives to have them implemented in space are one of the most cherished peculiarities of
this work. During the presentation of his pavilion Fujimoto’s art. The architect has already
for the Serpentine Gallery, Fujimoto refereed to it constructed fully open and even transparent objects
as “architectural landscape” [2]. One might notice (including residential premises) in Japan.
the combination of natural forms and architectural
Thus, any architect that embarks on the creation
geometry in the frame of the semi-transparent
of a new pavilion for the Serpentine Gallery does
pavilion with irregular shape and porous structure.
not have to build a purely utilitarian edifice while

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still being able to exercise certain functions for a engineers for his layout designs, concentrating
short period of time. Just on the contrary, one can himself on the development of the basic vision for
notice studious non-functionality of the pavilions the object and its artistic image.
which key aim is to become right and memorable
All pictorial and architectural masterpieces are
art object.
called to arouse strong emotions. They contain
colours of all specters and fanciful curves. His first
4. “PICTURESQUE” major architectural work is the well-known
ARCHITECTURE Hundertwasser Haus (Wien, Austria, 1986, "Figure
8"). Is characterized by vivid colouring of the
F. Hundertwasser, who came into the field of
façade. Generally, he applied colouring as “crucial
architecture from being an artist, managed to put in
non-constructure mean of overcoming of the
motion his most ambitious ideas and gain
“sterility” and monotonous nature of the
international credence. He had an elaborate vision
architectural environment [5] and used elements of
of architecture as fantastic world, bred by his brave
structure transformed into real masterpieces: semi-
and vivid imagination. By creating buildings with
circle balconies that resembling bird nests, traceried
various purposes (living premises, kindergartens,
lantern consoles.
hospitals, cultural establishments and places of
worship) Hundertwasser promoted bright “Die Gruene Zitadelle” (Magdeburg, Germany,
ornamentality and decorativeness, underlying the 2005 "Figure 9") residential complex is
inherent connection of his masterpieces with nature. distinguished by unconventional colouring, curving
Hundertwasser’s objects boast of having acute walls and massive planting, with its small towers
artistic nature and are characterized by expressivity decorated by golden balls. These artistic principles
and abstraction and rejection of straight lines. of the architect are non-negotiable and are endemic
Hundertwasser scholars emphasize “deep artistic to each and every of its masterpieces, always
foundation, that elevates [his] architecture to the contradicting the deliberate austerity of the
level of high-quality art” [4]. Clearly, traditional city streets.
Hundertwasser approached profound architects and

Figure 8 Hunderwasser Haus, Wien.

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Figure 9 “Die Gruene Zitadelle” residential complex.

All Hundertwasser architectural pieces are volumes and spaces of the edifice translate into
characterized by asymmetry and motives of nature. each other. The roof in its turn, became multi-
They have a key peculiarity – while each window layered with green lawn and a garden. Many of the
has its own life and artistic expression, they are trees planted on the roof are no rooted into the
united to become the pillar of the artistic image of external walls of the building and even peer out of
the building [6]. Hundertwasser was of opinion that windows. All these subtle natural peculiarities
the correct house should be composed of windows, accompanied by the artistic image translate a totally
while all space between them should be used as fantastic perspective.
canvas for colouring as one might consider fit. He
Illusiveness, which was the most favourite tool
even claimed that windows “have the inherent right
of the master, has the most vivid revelation. The
to self-identification” [7]. That is why it is
design of the façades of the building creates the
impossible to find two similar windows in
impression of total absence of flat surface. The
Hundertwasser’s buildings, as they would
edifice is teeming with artistic and optical effect.
inevitably differ in shape, configuration, colouring
The main tower of the “Die Gruene Zitadelle”,
and decoration.
though round in shape, appears slightly tilted due to
As there is hardly anything identical in nature, optical effect that is achieved through series of
the “Die Gruene Zitadelle” does not have identical brown lanes of planches that ascend with heavy
windows, columns, doors or even door-handles. gradient. The impression is further aggravated
While creating his masterpieces, the artist generally through timber cover that tilts and spirals around
used natural materials, decorated buildings with three top floors of the building. Finally, thin timber
natural stones and ceramics, seasoning it with pillars that function as the foundation for all of the
natural greenery and bright colours. It is impossible timber cover also have certain tilt supporting the
to define the shape of the building. Though it fits illusion of the falling tower.
into the square land plot, Hundertwasser (being
Hundertwasser paid special attention to the
faithful to his vision) embodied the edifice with his
composition, picturesque distinctiveness and
dream of a house without straight angles
emotional perception in his architectural
accompanied by complex and dynamic decoration
masterpieces. Thus, his architecture consistently
of the façade.
reflects all aspects of the author’s philosophy, as he
The number of storeys in the building tends to considered himself to be adversary of rationalism
rise or plummet depending on the side. The and academic austerity. He managed to create

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bright and fantastic world in each of his works, that street was represented by the traditional Japanese
stand in contrast with the surrounding urban one and two-story buildings. Such neighborhood
environment, both historic and modern. The artistic led to the creation of a one-story coffeeshop while
nature of his buildings undoubtedly occupies the necessity to fit into the street’s tight built-up
forefront of his works, being the key aim and accounts for its extremely simple form of elongated
concern. parallelepiped.
In addition, there was a small garden adjacent to
5. INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE the premises of the coffeeshop, which had special
It is not uncommon that architect cannot fully importance for the town and incorporated camphor
develop the exterior of his or her piece of art. In laurel and plum trees. It was decided to retain the
such cases interior architecture design becomes the garden and convert it into the terrace for the
only viable option, as its artistic style can visitors. Acute laconic design of the exterior of the
compensate the meager facades or its total absence. coffeeshop was balanced by the unexpected and
The Starbucks coffeeshop (2011, arch. K. Kuma) intriguing architectural solution of the interior
which was supposed to be constructed on the small which was expanding into the street almost without
historic street of Fukuoka can be considered a having an actual façade. ("Figure 10")
worthy example. The real estate development of the

Figure 10 K.Kuma Strabucks Coffeeshop. (Photo from open sources).

The interior decoration was imbued with the the direction of its explication. It was decided to
sense of the Japanese minimalism, captures refrain from four-piece connection to a single point
attention of the passers-by, luring them into the and concentrate on the formation of diagonals that
internal space that was created by the creative required a change in toe-hold. It became possible to
vision of the great architect. Multidimensional evade concentration of lines in a single point by
structure of timber rods became the key signature separating four rods into two pairs, thus creating a
spot and the foundation of the interior design.it was more complex environment. Therefore, all basic
applied to the ceiling and the right wall of the elements were connected in pairs, each of which
building, contributing to the sense of depth and was scraped along adjacent pair-group. The interior
complexity. Each of the rods had length between of the coffeeshop received original and fanciful
1.3 – 4 meters and 6 cm in square section. texture. The construction required 200 rods which
would be 4 km long should be put in line.
Timber rods connection method was the most
complex detail of the project. The geometry of lines The architect remarked that such connection
formed by the rods was supposed to create the method was invented via trial-and-error method.
sense of space fluidity at the same time retaining The complexity of computer calculations for

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slashes was driven by the fact that the rods were in polemics with it in each particular instance.
supposed to be tightly attached. A slight tilt in the Nevertheless, such object transforms into an artistic
toe-hold provided for ideal balance of visual focal point in urban environment. These are only
proportions. This project saw implementation of the the situations when artists create the art space
Japanese ancient timber construction methods in within the interior that could be viewed as
accordance with which tight connection of items exception. Therefore, such objects cannot be
supported by tiny plays in joints provide for identified ab extra and would reveal their artistic
absorption of potential deformations. properties and merits only to the guests.
Kengo Kuma decided to take the whereabouts
of the world famous coffeeshop as the foundation AUTHORS’ CONTRIBUTIONS
of the project. This allowed to have its spacing This paper is independently completed by Nina
interpreted as seamless transition from the busy Konovalova.
street to a green oasis. Creation of an art object that
would not conflict with the complex and valuable
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