PETER Frank EISENMAN Geary T H E V E N C E B E N N A L E

Invited by architect and curator PhilipJohnson to represent the , and were exhibited at the prestigiousFifth International Architectural Biennale exhibitionheld in the fallof 1991 in Venice, Italy. The ContemporaryArts Center has organized this touring version of that exhibitionwhich will be seen in fourOhio cities in order to allow a wide audience the opportunityto confrontthese architects' provocative and creativeapproaches to designingstructures.

Earlier projects by both architectshave brought hails of praise for inventivenessas well ascontroversy fortheir departures from conventional expectationsof . In his catalogue introduction, ironically contrastedthe two architects' publicpersonae: "Eisenman'simage as East Coastintellectual extraordinaire and Gehry's role as the intuitive, anti-intellectualWest Coast savant .... " Along the way to a realized design, their choices are guided by differentcriteria. Johnson wrote that Gehry seeks "the architectural possibilitiesof unexplored shapesand untried materials, and his muse is Art. Eisenman,on the other hand,is convinced thatarchitecture is primarilya matter of meaning. He takes his chanceson questions of text, and his muse is Philosophy."

This exhibitionfocuses on two of their projects with presentations of sketches, drawings, models, photographs, videosand music. Eisenman'sproject is an addition to the Collegeof Design,Architecture, Artand Planning (DAAP) at the . Gehry's project is the Disney Concert Hallat the Music Center in downtown .

P E T E R Frank Gehry EISENMAN FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI, EISENMAN'S DESIGN REORGANIZES THE Frank Gehry'shands-on shaping of the componentsof his designfor the 2400 seat WaltDisney 145,000 SQUARE FEET OF THE EXISTING DAAP COLLEGE BUILDINGS AND ConcertHall in downtownLos Angelesis especiallyevident in the arrayof sketches and study PROVIDES AN ADDITIONAL 128,000 SQUARE FEET OF EXHIBITION, LIBRARY, models on display in this exhibition. Gehry'searly sketches have a gestural energywith THEATER, STUDIO, AND OFFICE SPACE. WITH RESPECT TO THE ROLLING SITE, curvilinearshapes pulledtogether on a longhorizontal base which hassuggested comparisons THE EXISTING BUILDINGS AND THE SPIRIT OF THE COLLEGE, EISENMAN'S DESIGN to a /a.rgejloating_flower blossom. Whenlooking at the study models, the parallels between DERIVES FROM THE PLACE ITSELF. THE ARCHITECT WROTE THAT "ITS Gehry'sarchitectural sculpting and Picasso's revolutionarynegative/positive still life and guitar VOCABULARY COMES FROM THE CURVES OF THE LAND FORMS AND THE CHEVRON sculpturesis strongly evident. IfGehry's drawings suggest a quick sketch of a single giant FORMS OF THE EXISTING BUILDINGS SETTING UP A DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIP TO blossom reminiscent of MartinJohnson Headeor C/a.udeMonet, the study modelscoalesce a ORGANIZE THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TWO." IN AN EVOLUTIONARY DESIGN varietyof more sharplyangled shapes which are canted,split, and shiftedlike a cubistrendition PROCESS, EISENMAN WORKED WITH STUDENTS, FACULTY, ADMINISTRATORS AND of a musicalinstrument or a bowl offruit. FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE TO REFLECT THEIR DIVERSE VOICES. However, with Gehry'sselection of objectsfor the exhibition and his descriptionof theproject, THE ANGLES OF THE NORTHERN EDGES OF THE THREE EXISTING BUILDINGS Gehryde-emphasizes the artistic metaphors to highlight the extensive client interviews, scientific SUGGESTED THE ANCHORING CHEVRON DESIGN EVIDENT IN EISENMAN'S study and engineering. Each of the study modelsis the resultof Gehryshaping a conceptual DRAWINGS. AGAINST THIS EXISTING CHEVRON, EISENMAN SETS THE CONNECTING modelin response to the requirementsand desiresof an individual, or a groupof individuds, CORRIDOR OF HIS ADDITION. DRAWINGS FOR THE CORRIDOR STARTED AS A who willuse the building. Theexhibition also presentsevidence of Minoru Nagata's acoustical SEGMENTED LINE AND WERE RUN THROUGH A SERIES OF PERMUTATIONS IN studies and Gehry'sresearch of the world's most honored concert halls from Boston and WHICH ADJOINING RECTANGLES WERE OVERLAPPED, TILTED, STEPPED, TORQUED Amsterdamto Tokyo'sSuntory and the BerlinPhilharmonic. In Gehry'sdescription, theConcert AND SHIFTED THROUGH PHASES. THE OVERLAPPING OF THESE DRAWN Hall's "interior and formare a direct expression of acousticalparameters, resulting in both VARIATIONS RESULTS IN A MULTI-AXIAL TWISTING OF THE ORIGINAL SEGMENTED visualand acousticintimacy. "

LINE. The program for the buildingincluded: "an open and accessible 'front door'; a sympathetic THIS WAVE-SHAPED CORRIDOR DRAWING SUGGESTS A NUMBER OF METAPHORIC and inclusive attitudein the building'sre/a.tionship to the Music Center's existing Dorothy READINGS. IT RECALLS THE EROSIONAL FORCES WHICH SCULPTED THE HILLSIDE, Chandler Pavilion; a pedestrian scalefrontage along GrandAvenue; a generous and open BUT ALSO SEEMS LIKE A DIAGRAM OF A BRIDGE STRUCTURE QUIVERING IN AN backstage/musicianarea and a /a.rgegarden in which the Hallrests. " Gehrywas asked to make EARTHQUAKE OR COMPUTER-PLOTTED TRACK OF A TORNADO PASSING ALONG a building which went beyondwelcoming pe_oplein tuxedosand gowns to invite the curiosity THE EDGES OF A FEW CLUSTERED BUILDINGS. THESE READINGS DO RELATE of a widerange ofthe Los Angeles public. One entryplaza re/a.tes the buildingto the Chandler TO EISENMAN'S AMBITION FOR THE BUILDING ITSELF TO BE A METAPHOR FOR Pavilion, another entryat the cornerof Secondand Grand providesthe primaryentrance to THE COLLEGE AS A PERPETUALLY RENEWING, OPEN AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONAL the surrounding garden. The concert hall lobby, instead of being concentratedbehind a few EFFORT. THE SHIFTING AND DISPLACING FORMS SUGGEST THAT THE COLLEGE doors, will stretch along Grand Avenue and remain open to serve the public during the day MUST CONTINUOUSLY EVOLVE IN RESPONSE TO THE INFUSION OF NEW IDEAS, witha gift shop, restaurant, small of Philharmonic and Disney memorabilia, access TALENT, AND INFLUENCES OF SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS. COMPLETION IS to underground parking and an amphitheater for pre-concert lectures, education programs SCHEDULED FOR FALL 1994. • aswell as impromptu performances. Completionis scheduledfor 1996. ,,

.. . . Both of thl'Sl' architl'cts. "hosl' othl'rprojects span thl' globl' from Tok�o to andl Bl'rlin. haH· a surprising numbl'rof projl'ctsin thl' stall' of Ohio. foo of thl'Sl' othl'r commissions arl' also for arts institutions. Eisrnman"s \\ '\lll'r Crntl'rfor thl' .\rts at Ohio Stall' lniH·rsit, in Columbus allractl'd intl'rnationalattrntion at its opl'ningt,rn �l'ars ago. (;el1r� has dl'signl'd thl' Ill'\\ building for thl' l niwrsity of Toledo's School of.\rt at thl' Toledo \lusl'lllllof .\rt ,, hich is currrntlyunder construction - Phasl' I is scheduled for completion in Sl'ptemlwr 1992. OPENED IN NOVEMBER 1989 TO With the selection in 1989 of Frank INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION, THE Gehryto designa new ArtBuilding for WEXNER CENTER FOR THE ARTS AT the University of Toledo'sSchool of Art THE IN at the ToledoMuseum of Art,these two COLUMBUS IS A 140,000 SQUARE Toledo arts institutions continue a FOOT BUILDING FOR THE CREATION partnershipin artseducation started in AND APPRECIATION OF THE MOST 1921. The Gehry design for the School INNOVATIVE FORMS OF CONTEMPORARY of Art, with its glass walls on the ART. WITH CONTINUOUSLY INTER­

SECTED GRIDS, THE PRIMARY FORM southern courtyard and other facades COLLEGE OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE, Molkl of University of Toledo artbuilding at ART & PLANNING The ToledoMuseum ofArt UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI WEXNER CENTER FOR THE VISUAL ARTS (AERIAL DisneyConcert Hall Frank Cebry,Arcbttect STUDY MODEL FROM THE SOUTH) EISENMAN ARCHITECTS Frank Cebry & Associates EISENMAN ARCHITECTS

SHELTERS A SERIES OF GALLERIES SET ALONG A 540 sheathed in lead-coatedcopper FOOT LONG RISING CORRIDOR panels, stands discreetly, but SITED BETWEEN TWO distinctlyadjacent to the white­ EXISTING BUILDINGS. AT marbleclad Museum building. ONE END OF THE RAMP IS A Gehry's project,like a giantpiece VIDEO/FILM THEATER; AT THE of sculpture added to the OTHER IS THE SUBTER­

RANEAN BLACK BOX THEATER Museum'spermanent collection,

AND FINE ARTS LIBRARY. is intendedas "an object sculp­

EISEN MAN'S CATALYTIC IDEA AT THE WEXNER CENTER WAS TO GENERATE turally and visually complete, set next to the elegantly detailed, neoclassical

A DESIGN AS A REINTEGRATION OF TWO INTERSECTING GRIDS. EARLIER museum. " Projectdescriptions point out that "The lead-coatedcopper finish CAMPUS ARCHITECTS AT THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY DECIDED TO SET THE on the building'ssurface will read likea dullgray pewter eventuallyshowing UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS AT A 12.5 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE STREET GRID OF a soft patinaof mint, compkmentingthe olderMuseum building with its walls THE CITY OF COLUMBUS. THE STREET GRID WAS GENERATED BY THE SURVEY of white Vermontmarble and aged copper roof" COORDINATES ORIGINALLY USED TO MAP OUT THE STATE OF OHIO IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY. OSU CAMPUS ARCHITECTS SKEWED THE ORIENTATION This view from the north of the Phase I modeldisplays the enclosing crescent OF THE CAMPUS BY THIS SLIGHT 12.5 DEGREES. AS ROBERT BENSON HAS of boldlyclustered shapes, curvedand canted to formthe three-story,51,000 WRITTEN, "EISENMAN CELEBRATED THIS ORIENTATIONAL DISCREPANCY IN square foot building. It is scheduledfor completionin the fall of 1992. THE PART! OF HIS DESIGN, AN INSPIRED AND POWERFUL DECISION THAT

INFUSED HIS PROJECT WITH DISTINCTION FROM THE OUTSET." THE ARTS

CENTER, INTENDED AS A RESOURCE TO BOTH THE UNIVERSITY AND THE

COMMUNITY, FEATURES ITSELF AS THE CROSSROADS, THE INTERSECTION

OF CAMPUS AND TOWN.

w The l'\hibition catalogue published 11\ Rizzoli to accompany the \enice presentation illuminall'sthe careers and personalities of these to architects as \\l'II l as the I\\o particularr commissions. In his i llroducton essa \. Philip Johnson e,plains his choice of Eisenman and (;ehry lo y represelll the l nited States in \enice. hcerpts f om a comersation bel\\l'l'llthe l\\o architects re\eal their mutual respect and sometinws acerbic ri\alr..\n essay by Sanford K\\inter describes Eisenman\ Cincinnati project. another h� Thom:1s !lines tracks (;ehr·

\\l' l ) 1 l' ) l ( \O ------\Js1ltli-isd111ifruHl.l '\J)l'rie111.11ig-lhec

The designs of Peter Eisenman and Franh.klm suggest an e,hilarating opl·nness to the startling disjunctions and surprising reconfigurations in l con1empora1� social and political sphl'res.The com pie, configurations of thl'ir buildings seem to celebrall' thl' epochal disruptions in Ill' \\ architecll ral forms.

THE EXHIBITION IS SPONSORED BY AT&T AND THE OHIO ARTS COUNCIL. THE EXHIBITION WAS PRESE'-JTED IN VENICE BY THE

SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION. THE K'-JOLL GROUP. THE MUSIC CENTER OF Los ANGELES COU'-JTY.

I THE UNIVERSITY OF C1'-JCINNATI. COLLEGE OF DESIGN. ARCH TECTURE. ART AND PLA'-JNING. AND THE OHIO ARTS COUNCIL.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE EXHIBITION'S TOUR THROUGHOUT OHIO HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY AT&T AND THE OHIO ARTS COUt\CIL.

THE EXHIBITION'S PRESENTATION IN C1'-JCINNATI WAS ASSISTED BY FINE ARTS FUND CORPORATE PARTNERS.

THE KROGER COMPANY AND THE CINCIN'JATI GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY.

t:� ry Arts Center, Cincinnati fromApril 3 throughMay 23, and travel ;. The exhibition willbe on view at The Contempora to the Riffe Galleryof the Ohio Arts Council in Columbus where it will be presentedfr om June 4 throughAugust 8. The ClevelandCenter for ContemporaryArt will presentthe exhibition fromSeptember 11 throughNovember 8, and it will closeat The Museum of ContemporaryArt at Wright State University in Dayton where it willbe presentedfrom December, 1992 to January, 1993.