Architecture Bits

Few people know I’m quite a fan of architecture, especially the designs from the late XIXth century up until the fifties. There’s an exception to this: I’m fascinated by the Soviet era architectural designs, and it looks like I’m not the only one. Below are a few links about them:

• http://englishrussia.com/2006/10/15/strange-soviet-buildings/
• The wikipedia page on the Stalinist style, one of the various Soviet-era style of architecture.
• And one about its failures (yes, this stuff was actually built and made).

On to a lesser known style and topic: the Expressionist Architecture.

The Goetheanum

The name is ambiguous and only makes sense if we define Expressionism as an European movement started before WW1 that ended with the crash of 1929 (roughly). These designs do not have a common aesthetical line; some would say it’s the chaotic cradle of the BauHaus movement, some others claim it’s the very end of the Art Nouveau. You can form your own opinion with these links:

• A quite complete compendium on the matter with links (but no, it’s not Wikipedia).
• okay, the wikipedia page as well for a summary
• a nice listing with links of actual buildings (not just designs) that got built and labeled as Expressionist creations.
• Last but not least, a tumblr site with lots of great pictures of the XXth century designs and buildings.

Enjoy the week-end!