"Head in the Clouds"

 

Alison and Peter Smithson, ‘street-in-the-air’ collage for the Golden Lane Housing project competition, London, 1952. Drawing and collage with Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, 520 x 975 mm. Smithson Family Collection

#alisonandpetersmithson #goldenlaneestate

“But Today We Collect Ads”

...As far as architecture is concerned, the influence on mass standards and mass aspirations of advertising is now infinitely stronger than the pace setting of avant-garde architects, and it is taking over the functions of social reformers and politicians. Already the mass production industries have revolutionized half the house – kitchen, bathroom, utility room, and garage – without the intervention of the architect, and the curtain wall and the modular prefabricated building are causing us to revise our attitude to the relationship between architect and industrial production. (1956)

Alison & Peter Smithson
#alisonandpetersmithson

 

THE CHARGED VOID

Collage of Manisty Street scheme. Peter Smithson, 1963. Smithson Family Collection.
https://brutalismasfound.co.uk/the-charged-void/
#alisonandpetersmithson #massimoscolari #risingsun

"Architectural Lexicon: Unveiling the Brutalism of SOURCES and QUOTES in the Language of Smithson's Creations"

In the realm of architecture, SOURCES and QUOTES are akin to the foundational elements shaping the new brutalism of language and architectural drawing, particularly in the context of visionaries like Alison and Peter Smithson.

SOURCES, in architectural terms, embody the roots and origins of design inspiration. They are the raw materials, both tangible and conceptual, from which architectural ideas arise. In the brutalism of language, SOURCES act as the concrete from which the structure of meaning emerges. Alison and Peter Smithson, pioneers of the New Brutalism movement, drew inspiration from diverse SOURCES – be it industrial landscapes, utilitarian structures, or urban textures. These SOURCES served as the point of origin for their bold architectural statements.

On the other hand, QUOTES can be seen as the direct expressions, the exact words, drawn from the SOURCES. In architectural drawing, QUOTES are the lines and shapes directly transcribed from the architect's vision to the blueprint. Alison and Peter Smithson, in their pursuit of a new architectural language, quoted elements from the urban environment, creating a dialogue between the existing fabric and their innovative designs.

While SOURCES and QUOTES share a symbiotic relationship, they differ in their nature. SOURCES are the wellspring of creativity, the origin of architectural thought. In the new brutalism of language, SOURCES are the rough textures and unfiltered inspirations. QUOTES, on the other hand, are the refined expressions, the articulated forms that emerge from these SOURCES. The Smithsons' architectural drawings, akin to a carefully composed quote, encapsulate the essence of their vision with clarity and impact.

In essence, SOURCES lay the foundation, while QUOTES construct the narrative. Together, they form the brutalist language of architecture, speaking a raw and unapologetic dialect that challenges conventional norms, much like the ground-breaking work of Alison and Peter Smithson. 

#ArchitecturalLanguage #NewBrutalism #SOURCESandQUOTES #SmithsonInfluence #ArchitecturalInnovation 🏢📐✨