Monday, April 2, 2012

RR 11: Einstein's Tower; Hope for the New Century

Einstein, the innovator of relativity and science
 Einstein's Tower Rear View (built in 1919-1921)
 Section of Einstein's Tower (designed in 1917-1919)

 
During a time where architecture was just crated for it's beauty and function there were a group of German Expressionists who felt a home should give off an emotional response achieved only in a home.  Einstein's Tower was designed by the architect Erich Mendelsohn in Berlin.  Mendelsohn studied architecture in the the heart of Expressionism by Wassily Kandinsky and learned to keep the function of architecture in direct line with inner human emotions that are given off in it's visual form.  With WWI putting his career on hold, he still had time to sketch small thumbnails focusing of simple gestures that created an interesting form.  When his time serving was over he was given the opportunity to exhibit his sketches and caught the attention of an affiliate of Albert Einstein who was overlooking the production of a relativity observatory.  Mendelsohn designed Einstein's Tower to hold the necessary equipment, keeping function strongly in mind.  His inspiration for the beauty of the crafted dips in the building came from the trenches he fought in during his time in WWI.  It's outward appearance was a molding with vertical components and a dome on the top, his hope was to show what potential the new century could hold.   With time there is always a hope in most architects and designers to change the face of the game and Mendelsohn's beauty and functionality of Einstein's Tower was successful.



Sources:
.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Einstein_Tower_rear_view.jpg&w=3888&h=2592&ei=eaOET6qxFc3Ltgeb98TbBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1031&vpy=180&dur=388&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=183&ty=95&sig=112586582172981186515&page=1&tbnh=107&tbnw=141&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0,i:86

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