Rudolph M. Schindler : theory and design

Abstract

The work of Rudolph M. Schindler has been subject to criticism, disregard and misunderstanding. Attempts have been made to characterize Schindler as a cubist architect, a constructivist architect, an expressionist architect, and a Californian architect, but no one named him for what he regarded himself throughout his lifetime: as space architect. The notion of space-architecture was of intrinsic importance to Schindler, since for him architecture was not a question of style, but a question of space formed through materials. This contextual investigation of Schindler will outline his architectural training and the cultural environment of Vienna. The relationship of Schindler to the three architects Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, and Frank Lloyd Wright is of key interest in understanding the work of Schindler. The theoretical investigation is based on the published and unpublished articles written in the years 1912 to 1950. By virtue of Schindler's theoretical concepts his position within modern architecture will be discussed . The persistence of Schindler's involvement with architecture as a cultural issue is central to all his writings. Four case studies are presented as evidence to document the importance of his theoretical concepts by means of a detailed analysis of the selected projects. Each case study represents a contextual framework; the meaning of space architecture is revealed through characterizing the appearance, materials, technology, spatial conception, relationship to the given site, and the position of the project within the larger context of modern architectural history.