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Schindler, Symmetry and the Free Public Library, 1920

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 August 2008

Jin-Ho Park
Affiliation:
Department of Architecture and Urban DesignUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCA 90095, USA

Extract

Schindler's Free Public Library competition project of 1920 is analysed. Archival documents are interpreted and an analytic model is constructed. Schindler's standing as a Modernist is considered and his early career is rehearsed, especially his involvement with Frank Lloyd Wright. The formal analysis focuses on the use of symmetry. An interpretation of Schindler's employment of the diagonal axis in the Library is proffered. Historical precedents for diagonal butterfly symmetry in the English free school and the Arts and Crafts movement are examined. A method of analysis using the partial ordering of subsymmetries of the square is applied to the floor plans In conclusion, the influence of the Library project on Schindler's later work is surveyed.

Type
theory
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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