The Schnabel Residence

In order to appreciate the creative universe of Frank O. Gehry it is necessary to understand a number of factors which affect his designs for houses in a very special way. Firstly, his choice since the beginning of his career of a particular area (California), his efforts to provide a solution to some very specific social needs, and his acceptance of the limitations imposed by modern production systems. This Canadian architect is considered to be one of the proponents of impoverished technology, advocating the use of low cost, industrially manufactured materials (chain link, corrugated cardboard and metal siding).

His work has made him one of the most acclaimed architects in the world. Gehry was named 1989 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious award for architectural achievement presented to a living architect.

One of the most famous examples of Gehry’s work in the field of domestic architecture is the Schnabel Residence in Brentwood (Los-Angeles). The construction of this building was started in July 1987 and it took almost two years to complete. The building’s unusual morphology and atypical typology and the surprising choice of materials were made possible by the comprehension of the clients, who were more concerned with the cultural, aesthetic and pragmatic aspects of the process of habitation than any mindless submission to conventional mores and general trends in domestic architecture.

The site selected was a property of approximately 530 square metres with no remarkable topographic features. At one end, the roughly rectangular site terminates in an irregular trapezoidal area where the slope was cut back to form a lower, more private terrace.

The architect responded to the elaborate building program (private, service and leisure areas) in addition to garage and outdoor installations with a solution based on independent structures.

By changing both the shape and surface, each of these buildings (laid out in a wide two-level garden) is infused with its own, specific architectural style, and the objects are played against each other in a tense and expressive spatial and sculptural dialogue.

Attached to the northern side of this cruciform element is a two-storey building housing a variety of rooms. The kitchen is situated on the ground floor of this rectangular structure (closely connected to the main dining room), and at the centre there is a double-height skylit family room. The ground floor plan is completed by a small study. The upper floor contains two bedrooms with bathrooms. This block has been finished on the outside with a simple gray stucco used to create an intentional visual austerity which contrasts with the artificiality of the lead finish on the adjacent block.

In the entrance area on the western side of the property connected to the street, a small stucco box has been constructed to house the garage. A smaller structure, which has been placed on top of this and rotated at an angle, contains the staff living quarters. Gehry has designed an arcade supported by pillars clad in natural copper, which crosses the garden to link this building to a door into the kitchen.

The focal point of the eastern part of the property is a shallow lake which echoes the trapezoidal shape of this end of the side and provides a charming setting for the more private areas of the house. This is the area where the slope was cut back in order to form a lower, more private terrace, and to improve the views from the rest of the site. This play of the reflections mirrored in the sheet of water enhances the fascinating visual effect of the whole.

2. Переведите на русский язык следующие английские словосочетания:

1) creative universe; 6) northern side;

2) a number of factors; 7) a two-storey building;

3) impoverished technology; 8) natural copper;

4) domestic architecture; 9) trapezoidal shape;

5) a wide two-level garden; 10) visual effect.

3. Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующих словосочетаний:

1) гофрированный картон; 6) архитектурный стиль;

2) престижная награда; 7) план первого этажа;

3) архитектурные достижения; 8) верхний этаж;

4) строительство здания; 9) западная сторона;

5) выбор материалов; 10) поверхность воды.