Is Art Deco dead? What's the latest/last Art Deco project? - Page 3

vid · #41 Posted **Nov 5, 2009, 3:15 AM**

Both of those are post modern with art deco influence, not real art deco.

Lecom · #42 Posted **Nov 5, 2009, 3:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yankee

^^^

Man that building in Singapore is gorgeous, I had no idea it existed, thx so much for posting it. I think it qualifies as one of the newest major pure classic art deco projects, having been completed in 2002. The Hearst Tower in Charlotte as well as some of the other newer buildings posted above combine art deco with modern designs and rather successfully, but that Parkview Square building - classic art deco, and it incorporates the best characteristics of the style as well. I'm jealous, can we buy it from Singapore and put it in Chicago or New York ?

Thanks everyone for posting all these - all good evidence that art deco isn't dead. All the newly built classical art deco buildings remind me of the City Beautiful Movement of 100 years ago when a lot of neoclassical buildings and monuments and grand civic projects were constructed in cities, mainly DC, NYC and Chicago. Wouldn't it be awesome if we had something like that today. The reason art deco is inspiring is not just because of the beauty of the style itself, but also because its reminiscent of a time when scientific and industrial progress, celebration of the advances thereof, such as major transportation developments, all of this stuff was part of civic culture and people were on a mission of doing great things even though the economy was in the crapper. Today I feel like we don't really care as much anymore, like someone mentioned above, most modern glass and steel architecture is a direct result of developers not wanting to spend extra money on ornamentation and things like civic pride and its reflection on urban community projects can't compare to what they were during the art deco era and before.

And the whole point of the City Beautiful Movement was exactly that - to create and maintain a sense of civic virtue. So, if we had a program like this today, reviving art deco architecture could play a significant part in it because of the style's cultural significance.

Anyways, I have no idea why I just typed all of this... I guess classic art deco buildings make me nostalgic (not that I remember the art deco era

). We have actually seen something of a resurgence in civic projects - look at Millennium Park - and buildings as well - all the recent art deco developments you posted + obviously a ton of new modern skyscrapers. We're most definitely doing much better than 2-3 decades ago. Still, I wish we cared about our cities more. Darn you suburbs!

Long post... sorry. And now that I read it back it doesn't really make much sense

Oh well, sometimes I enter typing mode and things like that tend to happen

Good call.

TarHeelJ · #43 Posted **Nov 5, 2009, 7:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

Both of those are post modern with art deco influence, not real art deco.

Well...of course they are. I seriously doubt any buildings constructed in 2009 are going to be "true" art deco.

CGII · #44 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 8:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TarHeelJ

Well...of course they are. I seriously doubt any buildings constructed in 2009 are going to be "true" art deco.

Well, his point is that they can't be Art-Deco, because Art-Deco came from a specific moment of history propogated by very specific cultural and architectural principles. It is in the same vain that we cannot build something today that can be categorized as 'Ancient Roman.'

TarHeelJ · #45 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 10:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CGII

Well, his point is that they can't be Art-Deco, because Art-Deco came from a specific moment of history propogated by very specific cultural and architectural principles. It is in the same vain that we cannot build something today that can be categorized as 'Ancient Roman.'

Right...that's why I responded "Of course they are." Anything built today can be in the style of art deco, but isn't actual true art deco - because it's 2009, not 1930. I guess it's art deco revival?

vid · #46 Posted **Nov 6, 2009, 11:44 PM**

I wouldn't even consider them art deco revival. They are post modernist, with influences from Art Deco.

TarHeelJ · #47 Posted **Nov 7, 2009, 3:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

I wouldn't even consider them art deco revival. They are post modernist, with influences from Art Deco.

Whatever...let's be ultra-picky about it in an online thread. Anyway, I believe the OP stated:

Quote:

Is Art Deco completely dead at this point...? What's the latest structure that had at least some art deco influence?

vid · #48 Posted **Nov 7, 2009, 5:40 AM**

My comment was more directed at this:

Which is not art deco. I can't even imagine a building like this having an architect. It looks like one of those piles of shit dreamed up by engineers and contractors. Maybe it's just a bad picture.

And I'm sorry my comment on the internet had riled you up so.

TarHeelJ · #49 Posted **Nov 7, 2009, 8:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

Which is not art deco. I can't even imagine a building like this having an architect. It looks like one of those piles of shit dreamed up by engineers and contractors. Maybe it's just a bad picture.

And I'm sorry my comment on the internet had riled you up so.

If I was "riled"...you would be well-aware of it. Don't flatter yourself.

It seems like you're just arguing for the sake of an argument. People are responding appropriately to the OP, and you are criticizing them for it - plus, you're wrong.

dktshb · #50 Posted **Nov 7, 2009, 9:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

My comment was more directed at this:

Which is not art deco. I can't even imagine a building like this having an architect. It looks like one of those piles of shit dreamed up by engineers and contractors. Maybe it's just a bad picture.

And I'm sorry my comment on the internet had riled you up so.

Regardless if it looks like shit It is definitely appropriate for this thread. The theatre has an art deco theme and was just built so regardless if it tragically fails it is suitable for this thread. Nothing built in this city anymore is authentic and/or original... just prefabricated looking crap for the most part.

ardecila · #51 Posted **Nov 8, 2009, 12:40 AM**

The new state office buildings (Iberville and Bienville) in Baton Rouge are intended to mirror the Art Deco of the state capital, so they have many elements typical of Art Deco. On the other hand, they have carpeting, terrazzo floors, and a few other elements that are pure Michael Graves postmodernism. Fortunately, it's fairly tasteful - nothing like the state's most famous example of Postmodernism (Piazza D'Italia). The buildings are supposed to be similar - they are across the street from one another, bracketing the central axis of the capitol. 4 or 5 other state office buildings are also vaguely Art Deco, but without any of the flourishes that these two have.

Bienville:

Iberville:

Iberville, with State Capitol in the background:

Architype · #52 Posted **Nov 8, 2009, 4:15 AM**

^ Very nice.

Call it what you will; the words "deco" or "art" should be in there somewhere.

"Postmodernism" is pathetically inadequate terminology to describe anything that occurs after Modernism.

I don't like the idea of Postmodernist Revival too much either.

nouveau_Mauvilla · #53 Posted **Nov 8, 2009, 5:13 AM**

Obviously there is a difference between authentic art deco, art deco influence in a (post)modern building, and then the rare example of a total attempt of a new art deco building with focus on every detail sticking to the time period and style (a copycat perhaps). If there are any of the latter, I would assume them to be few and far between, with most new ones being simply "inspired by."

Also, I love those two from Baton Rouge. Art deco (or even the influence of), in its varying styles, is definitely one of my favorites. Bienville and d'Iberville would be proud.

johnfthomasv · #54 Posted **Nov 12, 2009, 7:46 PM**

it may be a bit of a stretch but I see some similarities with the Frost Bank tower in Austin.

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/6830971.jpg

Krases · #55 Posted **Nov 12, 2009, 11:56 PM**

I want to see some sort of "neo-art deco". Usually architectural styles are limited to technology, so when technology comes along that allows for new forms of construction but imitates an old style of architecture I almost want to call it "neo-_____" but using "neo" can be an abuse of nomenclature and is kinda lazy.

One of the big problems with art deco is lighting. The empire state building has these tiny windows and while curtain walls of glass can be somewhat boring, they do allow a ton of light into a building. I also look at semi-translucent concrete as another means of getting at least diffused light.

Do we call it illuminated deco?

LMich · #56 Posted **Nov 13, 2009, 8:40 AM**

Art Deco isn't a style inherently resistent to lighting, if even that's often how it turned out in practice, look up the old McGraw Hill Building (330 West 42nd Street) in NYC completed in 1931.

RLS_rls · #57 Posted **Nov 13, 2009, 9:15 AM**

^No way! I didn't know that building was over 70 years old! I always thought it was built in the late 80s. It's more art moderne than art deco, maybe that's why I was confused. Thanks!

WilliamTheArtist · #58 Posted **Nov 13, 2009, 7:57 PM**

Here is a pic of our new downtown bus terminal. I think they did a nice job of it and a lot of people think its an old deco building. You can also see the new deco signage they have put up all over downtown. The maps and wayfinding system also has a similar look.

photo by Joseph Garza flickr

urbanlife · #59 Posted **Nov 14, 2009, 8:18 AM**

There is alot of different things going on in architecture today, that there is no longer one style everyone is practicing. With that said, I could see there being a period of our current time that we could classify many works of architecture, especially what has been shown here, as Art Deco Revival.

It is simply work that is being commissioned by people who have a love for that classic look...it is much like the love for the European classic look that inspired so much of this country's early architecture which became "Neo-Classicism."

Which neoclassicism has resurfaced a few times throughout history, thus making it very much possible for neo-art deco or art deco revival to do the same.

BTinSF · #60 Posted **Nov 14, 2009, 8:44 AM**

55 Second St. in San Francisco, built at the end of the dot-com bubble in the late 1990s, is supposed to be at least reminiscent of art deco:

Source: http://www.hellermanus.com/portfolio...%22%24H0%20%0A

So is the SF Marriott, known to many as "The Wurlitzer Building" because if its supposed resemblance to a giant juke box. Tourists seem to like it but most locals don't:

Source: http://www.travelpod.com/hotel/Marri...Francisco.html