Rafael Moneo; an academic architect that used historicity to provide context towards his design language and the utilization of art towards that end.

 Rafael Moneo; an academic architect that used historicity to provide context towards his design language and the utilization of art towards that end. 

 

Rafael Moneo’s work in the architectural space featured the use of historicity to apply context towards his projects; as well as use of art in the latter. Historicity to apply context towards his projects would become one of the trademarks of Moneo’s creative process. Art was also an important feature of Moneo’s design language, expressed in a hidden perspective, assimilated with the design language of his projects. Both the use historicity and art are key defining features of Moneo’s architectural design language as we will see in the dissecting of his projects.

The regional history of the plots Rafael Moneo had the opportunity to employ his work was key in the creative process and development of the architectural design language in these. Moneo considered this concept of historicity absolutely crucial because he believed that the surrounding architecture had to be respected in regards to the new architecture being constructed. One great example of this thought process was Moneo’s Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, Spain, as it served as a “cover” for the Roman ruins in the area. Right in the vicinity where the museum was constructed, other Roman ruins were present, adding to this idea of the importance of regional historical context. The design language of this museum was based in Roman architecture as it implemented the usage of the traditional “arch” and building materials such as brick layers in combination with modern building techniques. Rafael Moneo himself quoted that the museum was a rescue of a forgotten past, and within this structure a time period was contained; as well as museum being a celebration of the past. 

The implementation of Art was also a very important feature in the architectural design language of Rafael Moneo. Its implementation can be considered to some a bit unorthodox, as Moneo used art but assimilated the same in the very design language in some of his projects. Another way to describe this approach is to consider the art “hidden” within the project, but at the same time making it visible but not in a “obnoxious” way. One example of this would be, the Kursaal; two buildings made of glass that can be interpreted to resemble sculptures. This concept can be subject to opinion, as the way art is expressed can evoke different perspectives in people. 

Rafael Moneo is one of the most important architects of the 20th century. His design language which combined historicity with a modern spin is one of his trademarks in design. In a era where many architects view modernity as a complete separation from the architecture of the past, it is interesting to visualize Moneo’ work and his interpretation of a combination between the two. He was able to create a distinct design language by uniting both worlds, those being the present and the past, and still achieving a modernist architectural perspective. Art was also a trademark of Moneo’s approach towards design, taking this field and assimilating it in his projects. 

References:

Isado.net. “Referencias Gehry/Moneo: Estrategias Compositivas de lo Antimoderno y de lo Informe.”http://www.isado.net/3121-enlaces- gehrymoneo

Isado.net: “El Guggenheim vs El Kursaal 2: Surfacing, Ordering, Authorship. http://www.isado.net/gehrymoneo- imgsedit

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