JAMES STERLING

Exploring the "phenomenon of Stirling" and stressing his undoubted artistic identity, and J. Summerson amazed glory of the master, "given that, probably not more than three or four of its implementation of buildings (none of them is not the cathedral and palace of the vice king) is known as any significant portion of the population. " The reason is, of course, bright imagery of architecture, however, freed from the raid clamorous advertising, showiness that sin, some postmodernists.

James Frazer Stirling was born on April 22, 1926 in Glasgow. In thirty years, he attracted attention, designed in partnership with James marina facilities housing complex Ham Common Flets, the architecture of which bore the clear stamp of Le Corbusier′s late style.

And three years in collaboration with Sterling in the same marina facilities began work on a draft set of Faculty of Engineering, Leicester University. Completed in 1964, building in Leicester is a sensation and became truly a "paradigm of creativity" for the whole creative generation.

Here architecture as something of a special demonstrative in its expressiveness, geometrized style forms, pointed upward to the "heroic period". In building a noticeable influence of the Soviet architecture of the primary pores, in particular the works of K. Melnikov. Exaggerated articulation of architecture is reflected in the contours of terraced walls, and purposely aggressive geometry volumes, however, carefully balanced in its asymmetrical grouping, and the NCCA plays diverse possibilities of glass, abundant use of which is not so easy, how many stresses clunky array of brickwork.

Breaking the fragility of glass, contrasting shielding brick surface, and threatening heavy, hanging, and creeps like each other volumes, raid some sharp tehnizirovannosti forms, especially the metallic glass, and as the crowning touch - a stationary crane on the roof with hanging metal wires - all literally boggle the imagination and was perceived as a demonstrative, but undoubted revival at a new level characteristics and motivations of Architecture 1920′s. It Leicester opened the architectural world of James Stirling.

This was followed by a framed again terraced planes "Glass Symphony" Historical Library, University of Cambridge (1964-1967) with an almost equally powerful articulation of forms. In the years 1966-1971 appeared Florey Building, King′s College in Oxford - the product of more classical in its quiet overall composition and design of forms, but, of course, couched in the same expressive style. This is a series of papers articulated plasticity can be classified as housing dormitoriya University of St Andrews, in Scotland (1964-1968) and a number of other projects and buildings with a growing harping features tehnizirovannosti, complex spatial games overwrought volumes and shapes.

Photo — «James Sterling»

This series is logically completed the Learning Center firm Olivetti in Heslmire (1969-1972) - the first completed piece of high tech, with its glittering surfaces and metal surfaces of the dissected glass, shiny plastic paneling, softly envelope of vertical and horizontal angles, and thus abolishing one most traditional architecture oppositions "wall of the roof. "

"A huge administrative toy" as she dubbed Jenks, deliberately reminiscent of its central unit production company - or a computer, or typewriter - it was a completely different quality of architecture, a different level, a different era - it is not looked at 1920 -- 1930′s, but obviously looked into the years 1980 e with their "style of high technology. "

But there were other projects Stirling. For example, a residential complex Renkorn (1967-1986) with his "conceptual primitivism" forms associated with the current European "neoratsionalizmom. Together with L. Krie he created a wonderful project Civic Center Derby (1970), where "more than twice increased in height berlingtonskaya arcade includes a Roman amphitheater, creating a symbol of urban development are not less dramatic than that created by John Wood at Bath. " It should be noted also goes back to Ledoux′s utopian project of the complex, Siemens AG in Munich (1969) and a project of the Art Center University of St Andrews, in Scotland (1971).

In the early 1970 ies architecture Learning Center "Olivetti" as it intersected with late modernism, naturally growing into high-tech, and by that time in the Derby center very clearly delineated the long-festering and krepnuvshaya line of historicism, the rocks to the end of 1970 ies such outstanding "historic" plans, as a set of Bayer AG in Mannheim (1978) and the Research Center in West Berlin (1979). In the grand ensemble for Mannheim strictest symmetry monumental compositions of the main front and a huge park with an arc radiating research and laboratory complex as it is tied together, the composition, but "kept" the huge, horseshoe-shaped plan sverhmonumentalnoy tower deliberately lapidary, stingy architecture.

In Berlin the same Research Center wizard gathers the fragmented composition of the complex three-dimensional prototypes of archetypes: the cruciform plan of the cathedral, Greek stoi, Campanile, amphitheater, Fortress, palace. Of course, all of which radically redesigned for modern needs and architecturally resolved, as it was necessary to master in a single subject of a massive wall with openings in the heavy framed severe P shaped. But at the same time, each of the fragments of their volume is addressed to the exact source, giving all of this unprecedented, complex and carefully constructed compositions deep historicism characteristic late 1970′s.

Photo — «James Sterling»

There really seems that "Big Jim resorting to magic. "

Sterling again changing. Master himself to read enlarged describes the stages of development of their creative work: "I believe that our projects have a tendency to appear in series. The brick building in the 1950′s, the glass surface and tiles in the early 1960′s. Then there were the buildings made of precast concrete and in the late 1960′s - a building so-called high tech punched out of plastic. Then, in the 1970′s, attempted to include a more familiar face of public buildings using bricks and plaster.

When uttered these words at the solemn act of handing Sterling Royal Gold Medal for Architecture in 1980, went full speed construction of a new state of the art gallery in Stuttgart - perhaps the most significant and outstanding work, which marks the latest stage of the creative artist. Today, around a new set throbs with life. "Photographers put in fashion pose fashion models against a background of golden stone walls and huge hard curved stained glass Stuttgart State Gallery. Students idly while away the time on the terrace of a cafe and an open rotunda. Even conservative-minded citizens who despise the present, on display inside, is proud to lead other cities to see the new museum. "

In the first six months after the opening number of visitors has reached nine hundred thousand, and a new gallery in Stuttgart, migrated from 52 th to 3 th most popular place in Germany. Sterling was happy and at the same time embarrassed by such a popular new buildings. The creative concept of the Stuttgart galleries formed, apparently, dating back to the contest in 1971 to draft the Art Center University of Saint Andrew. Conceptually important were two of the West competition - in art museums in Dusseldorf and Cologne. Themselves milestone in the creation wizard, these contests are called "the road to Stuttgart.

The right to build an art gallery in the center of Stuttgart, too, was won at the competition in 1977. Complex was completed in 1984.

Perhaps, in West Germany have not yet opened a new building with such a solemn and formal dressing. The wave of rave reviews right across the western architectural journals - the object really deserves. Характерны заголовки �татей: x26quot;Демократиче�кий монументx26quot;, x26quot;�епреднамеренный, поражающий и прекра�но организованный акропольx26quot;, x26quot;Про�лавление городаx26quot;, x26quot;Бе�еда о городеx26quot;, x26quot;Радо�ть цитировани�x26quot;, x26quot;Публичный пантеонx26quot;, x26quot;Поворотный пунктx26quot ;.

Photo — «James Sterling»

Complex new gallery is located on several rising one above the other and overlapping platforms, terraces, located on the ground. First, most developed area on the platform (it is located under the garage) as it expands the street to compensate for the lack of walking space on the narrow sidewalk, and simultaneously serves as a podium, the foundation on which all the crowd raznovelikie flattened volumes sort of "Acropolis", which clearly dominated by two archetypes - "palazzo" and "rotunda. " With this basic platform is designed entrance to the building itself, hence the same ramp ramps and stairs lead to the next level, spacious, terrace sculptures ", which is dominated by a powerful drum of the rotunda, as it" supports "the secondary volume of a cylindrical kiosk elevator pavilion leading to it inclined plane, etc. An even higher and more open space is covered by forward P shaped hulls in terms of their galleries (very modest architecture, but the mighty gorge exaggerated "the Egyptian" cornice, framing, sculpture terrace). Further, already at the opposite boundary of the site, stands the office building, as it merges with the blocks of the urban landscape, which is located above the slope.

The complex is soluble in the environment, as it were voluntarily renouncing all claims to "special" town-dominance. Where is the facade? - Persistently asks K. Rowe. The clear and apparently deliberate "besfasadnost" at least discouraging, especially at first glance, said P. Cook. But this is, strictly speaking, is the manifestation of a fundamentally new level of architectural thinking - a contextual. Master did this in full, at the same time giving their time, a masterpiece of architecture.

According to Jenks, each age finds in Stuttgart complex "their", and commended the inclusion of young people enthusiastic high tech, seeing in them a clear roll with the Paris Center Pompidou. Complicated game of symmetry - asymmetry in a symmetric general practically infinite and gives the manner of the master, "returned" to the history through the crucible of modernist architecture.

Stand out of sterling in the United States. Recognition of the ocean does not contribute to the popularity at home - such is the consequence of long-established tradition of cultural confrontation of England and the United States.

Chemical Corps office at Columbia University (New York) is striking neoclassical cumbersome solutions street facade and depressingly coarse hi Tecom delivered at an angle of the courtyard housing. The obvious overtures to the American post-modernism, in particular the concept of the "decorated shed" Venturi, looks Fogg Museum at Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.

Photo — «James Sterling»

). Only the Performing Arts Center at Cornell University (NY) is unanimous approval for its easy flying forms overhang the entrance loggia, and "Campanile" vysyascheysya in the axis, set off massive purposely left standing two-tier centric volume.

Speaking from his acceptance speech at the Gold Medal, Sterling explained the meaning and origin of their "enlightened pluralism": "I′ve always been the designer with a broad range of interests and, apparently, eclectic tendencies, and it is unlikely to be a different -- my architectural education was a book. " During the exercises, the master continued, "we have oscillated between Classical antiquity and who came only" modern movement ", which for me was just a foreign version, as taught by Colin Rowe. "

Remark on "only came the modern movement" once again characterizes England 1940 ies as dead architectural province. For example, the Soviet constructivism that have had an significant impact Stirling so, he generally found only in the 1950 s - after the completion of professional education. Whatever the case may be, as an architect, he formed an enthusiastic and know the whole history of architecture, including its modifications in the XX century, and in different periods of his work moved the center of interest with one of its period to another - naturally, in accordance with the overall dynamics of occupational preferences. But always in the works of Sterling were two polar aspects, or the beginning of which he himself describes as "abstract" and "representative".

"Abstract - Sterling wrote, - a style associated with the modern movement, and language, originating in Cubism, Constructivism, the manner of De Style" and all "isms" of the new architecture. "representative" is associated with tradition, vernakulyarom, history, identification of friend and general problems of architectural heritage, to a large extent, standing over time. I insist - continues to master - that both aspects were present in our work from the very beginning - in the projects belonging to one of the categories to the point of complete exclusion of another. And only in recent years, particularly in the public gallery, I think both aspects are present and vzaimouravnoveshivayutsya in the same building.

For the positions of Stirling is highly characteristic of his statement in the architecture school at Rice University in the United States: "To many architects working in the abstract of a new dictionary architecture - Bauhaus, international style, call it as you want - this language has become monotonous, simplistic, too severely constraining, but as for me, so I welcome the fact that the revolutionary phase of the modern movement behind us.

Photo — «James Sterling»

I think that the main line of development is always evolutionary architecture, and although the revolution really happen in this way (and the modern movement was, without doubt, one of them), the revolution nonetheless clearly predominate. Today we can look back and again the whole history of architecture as our base, including, of course, and the modern movement - high-tech and everything else. To move forward, architects have always looked back: "

The architect complained that he could not have a full house and forced to hang out near the airport, for all time has to fly out to Germany, USA, Spain and T etc. But, as we know, there is no prophet in his own country - in England, orders were still low. That is what prompted Foster at the inauguration Ceremony of Sterling Gold Medal to say that international practice - "it is his achievement and our loss. "

For the first time, when Sterling was made in England "on the margins" - a design completion and expansion of the Tate galleries in London (1980). This prestigious location and prestigious residential architect, gave all the ingenuity and skill, developed the composition is truly unprecedented in its sophistication and modesty, organically included in the present context, no compromising with the novelty of the architecture, and, nevertheless, their overtones, sounding in unison with the history . About a lot of writing, presenting it as unprecedented as a milestone in the work of Stirling and modern architecture in general. Collage of fragments and the comparison of diverse forms, including a deliberately bare frame and series of masonry, hollow walls and stained-glass windows, "the Bauhaus manner, and neo-classical, art deco lines and ascending to the surrealism of effects - it all comes together a rail running from the old building and consistently continued over the whole of the new composition. The project is really unexpected and brilliant.

Sterling, died June 25, 1992. But the master plans are not obsolete. Moreover, not outdated and its facilities - even built for ten, twenty or thirty years ago. The reason for this pinpointed Foster: humanism architecture Stirling. And his creativity, and in his remarks master tirelessly argued humanistic foundations of architecture.