Frank Lloyd Wright Reborn (25) Guggenheim Museum 3

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

So far, I have explained "continuity of space" and "plasticity of structure". This time, I will introduce how these "spaces" and "forms" were wrapped in "light". The theme this time is "light".

The Nature of Light

"Light" is one of the important themes of architecture.
Its positioning differs depending on the architect. Let me explain the light of each master in the figure below.

My treatment of light has been consistent throughout my life.
I desire for light to fill the space.And to fill it with light, I disliked shadows. Shadows kill the continuity of space. A space filled with particles of light emphasizes that continuity. And as always, the contrast between me and Le Corbusier is vivid.

To avoid shadows, I first disliked walls. When you open a window in a large wall, shadows are created. It was necessary to let in outside light from the gaps between surfaces. The particles of light that flowed in uniformly made nearby surfaces emit light. I treated space as a substantial existence, and I treated light in the same substantial way.

There are four patterns for incorporating light to eliminate shadows.
A. Sliding light in through gaps in surfaces
B. Bouncing light off surfaces
C. Incorporating diffused light
D. Light seeping through small holes
are the four patterns.

B, C, and D are all methods of weakening direct light. When light is weakened, its forward-moving energy decreases and the light diffracts, so shadows disappear. Soft light can envelop objects.
In short, I wanted to ensure the room's illuminance using only indirect light. To eliminate shadows, I even lowered the illuminance of the entire room. This is the reason why my work is perceived as having a dim impression.

In the Guggenheim Museum, I used A and C. From the next section, I will explain how I specifically incorporated the light.

...

High-side light

Now, how to bring light into the interior of the Guggenheim. I want to avoid creating shadows as much as possible. The places to target are the gaps between surfaces. I decided to bring in light from the gaps in the spiral (high-side light) and the top of the vortex (top light).

The method of bringing light into the building's interior was advanced by referring to the technique used at the Johnson Wax headquarters.

Looking at the early study drawings for the high-side lights, it is the same as the cross-section of the Johnson Wax building.

Due to performance and cost considerations, the glass tubes were changed to plate glass. A museum is a space for appreciating paintings. What is to be avoided in such a space? In this case as well,
shadows are what must be avoided. First of all, casting shadows on the paintings is a no-go.Therefore, I carefully considered not only the angle of the plate glass but also the angle of the walls where the paintings are installed.

The high-side lights, which were carefully studied in cross-section, brought a soft light, like light filtering through the branches and leaves of trees, into the exhibition corridor. It became a space where the light changes transitionally in accordance with the movement of the sun. In harmony with this change in light, the artworks and the people wander, and the space grows over time.

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Top light

Next, I will explain the top light.
The top light in the early stages of study was the same type as the top light at the Johnson Wax company. It was a top light that looked like a collection of bubbles.

However, the Guggenheim's top light was about 19 meters in diameter, and it became clear that it was impossible to realize the bubble structure.
Therefore, I decided to extend web walls that divide the circle into 12 parts toward the sky, making it a top light like the rose window of Gothic architecture.

The design of Gothic architecture is a design that celebrates life and is also the root of organic architecture, so they were a good match.
Through the study of Gothic, a top light suitable for pouring the light of life into the interior of the Guggenheim was completed.

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Dear Colin Rowe,

This time, I have explained how I handle "light." As an aside, I would like to touch upon "transparency." Colin Rowe (1920-1999) was an architectural historian who clearly demonstrated the characteristics of space in modern architecture.

In "The Mathematics of the Ideal Villa and Other Essays" (1976), Rowe defined two types of "transparency" (transparency (phenomenal and literal).

Literal transparency is the transparency of glass, while phenomenal transparency is spatial layering. Colin Rowe discovered phenomenal transparency in the architecture of Le Corbusier.

In "The Mathematics of the Ideal Villa," phenomenal transparency is treated as superior to literal transparency. However, while phenomenal transparency creates visual beauty, it does not appeal to human tactile senses. It only stimulates the eyes and the mind.

However, my space and light are closely related to substantial properties. In other words, I am a user of literal transparency. (I am also skilled at handling depth, but I will omit that here for the sake of explanation.) To dismiss literal transparency as merely the transparency of glass is too simplistic. With the types of glass and the nature of the surfaces beyond them, literal transparency still holds hidden potential. The

manipulation of indirect light that I explained at the beginning is exactly that. The manipulation of substantial light resonates directly with the human five senses.

Once again, I want you to carefully observe substantial light, which is often thought of as old-fashioned, and create spaces where light resonates.