Feminine vs. Masculine Architecture: Examining Architectural Language and Symbolism

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Movie Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel Review – The Grand Budapest Hotel is a film which is directed by the famous director Wes Anderson. The story takes place in a fictional eastern European city called Zumbroka, in a prestigious establishment named The Grand Budapest Hotel. The hotel’s concierge, Mr. Gustave, shows interest in the elderly and wealthy women staying at the hotel.?

One day, Madame D., one of these women, is found dead in her mansion, and the adventure begins with Mr. Gustave and his apprentice, a lobby boy called Zero, on their way to Madame D.’s mansion. We learn their story years later by the narration of Zero, who is known as Mr. Moustafa, and managed to become the owner of the hotel. He speaks about his history with Mr. Gustave a writer, who accommodates at the hotel, and later the writer publishes a book about The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Although the film indicates the Second World War and its effect on society in a very immersive and expressive way, the film is distinguished by its meticulously prepared set and product designs strengthening the narrative rather than its story.

Read the complete movie review here.

Feminine vs. Masculine Architecture: Examining Architectural Language and Symbolism

When asked the common masses, the most populous stereotypical idea about design is often correlated with the masculine domain having dark, minimal, and heavy elements whereas the feminist domain represents light, floral, and ornate elements.?

Back in the 1960s, a psychologist named Erik Erikson created an experiment that proved to be a critical moment in creating a perfect recipe for describing stereotypical masculine and feminine architecture. He gave building blocks to 150 boys and girls and instructed them to create scenery, in which the male came up with buildings, towers, and streets while the girls built walls and interior settings. The scenario of the 60s had women struggling against misogyny, thus women were discriminated against in the architectural realm just like any other.?

The inception of the analogy of feminine and masculine architecture came to be, with male architecture labeled as being brutalist, linear, and vertical whereas feminine architecture portrays curvilinear, horizontal, and flat designs. Nowadays, design has transcended beyond the stereotypical, both men and women have indistinguishable design styles.?

Some of the architects that reflect feministic attributes are as follows:

Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi was an avant-garde of his time with his early masterpiece Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila displaying rhythm and a sense of character, having its opulent interior complimenting the exterior.?

Le Corbusier

Although the Franco-Swiss architect Le Corbusier was very bold with his structures as they best represented the brutalist movement of his time, his buildings like Notre Dame du Haut speak otherwise as the flat and curvilinear geometry induces feminity in his architecture.

Santiago Calatrava

The neo-Gaudi of today’s era, Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava portrays the true essence of curvilinear buildings with their nature-defying conventions that leave the viewer astonished. They mostly follow flat and organic forms in their design principle similar to the feministic traits in architecture.???

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Studio Feature: Atelier Zündel Cristea

“Architecture is nothing without ambition” are famous words of Grégoire Zündel and Irina Cristea, the founders of Atelier Zundel Cristea. Taking inspiration from around the world, AZC focuses on creating efficient buildings that transcend boundaries.

Founded in 2001 in Alsace, the firm has been established in Paris since 2005. The firm executes a variety of projects which include public and private commissions. They have dabbled into sports, medicine, housing, education, the service sector, and healthcare. Without further ado, here is a list of iconic projects by Atelier Zündel Cristea!

Battersea Power Station

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Headquarters

Check out more projects here.

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