Frank Gehry has been a favorite architect of mine -so formative in my understanding of design that perhaps it is hard to know weather my sensibility or taste in design and architecture – even drawing and sculpture was actually formed by his work rather than my liking his work based on my own autonomous taste.
Last weekend I came across this building. It is one of the libraries on the campus of Princeton University, in New Jersey.
Before I had a chance to see the large rendering of Gehry’s inspiration sketch on an interior wall, I knew it was one of his – yards away!
Here is a model of the building. I recognized his design from the large sloping metal-work. As a nice little nod to this form, there was also a Richard Serra Wave not far off from the Library building.
Above was the first angle I saw of the building. It easily is recognizable for it’s sunny Californian elements, as also is evident in the Down Town Los Angeles Disney Concert Hall…
The concert hall was not the first Disney building that FG designed. Below are the 2 facades from the Designey Administration building off the 5 Freeway in Anaheim. This was my first exposure to his work.
The blue fish-like surface faces the free way, and had to be buffed down with a stream of glass beads to dull the surface from blinding drivers. This process has been used since on other instances of his metal work.
It’s a fun thing to be able to recognize an artist’s work, but what about all of us that like to do a verity of things?
How do we “hone our craft” and nurture a style?
Thoughts…?