Exposure/Enclosure

Simon Unwin, in Twenty Buildings Every Architect Should Understand, quotes Oswald Spengler as part of his analysis of Mies' Barcelona Pavilion. According to Unwin's reading of Spengler, "the 'Destiny Idea' of Western culture was its fascination with and drive towards infinite space." He also quotes Spengler's notions of the metaphysical prowess of the window in Western architecture: "In it can be felt the will to emerge from the interior into the boundless." Unwin then goes on to defend the Pavilion as an example of that will toward the boundless. In some respects, I think this is a sound argument, especially in the Pavilion's reflective qualities, which create a sense of recursive and therefore infinite possibilities.

However, Mies' Barcelona Pavilion is not the main focus of my interest for this post. The Unwin quote got me thinking about the Midwest, and specifically our local desire/ need for enclosure or "boundedness." Living in Chicagoland this summer has viscerally reminded me of the giant thunderstorms that come rolling across the plains as large cold fronts crash into warm gulf air. There is a unique sense of awe and anxiety inspired by these looming thunderheads. They, in themselves are a manifestation of forces and powers far beyond our control. They are things against which we seek protection and shelter.

And that psychological necessity for shelter and protection is perhaps why styles like FLW's Prairie and Usonian Houses seem to "fit" the Midwest better than a Modernist Glass Box ever could, or why the typical suburban home is often some derivation of a French Chateau or English Country Cottage. Wright's use of the ribbon window, while providing visual exposure to the outside world and opening up the dark brick box of old, also keeps a waist-level wall intact, thereby affording some level of remove from the elements. His deep, overhanging eaves also provide a shade and umbrella from wind-driven rain and snow, and enhance a sense of coziness and enclosure. Overall, Wright's Prairie style houses were long, low horizontal structures which seem to nestle into, rather than project out of, the earth.