Modernism and Post-Modernism are often confused in today’s culture. Best described in Modern/Postmodern by Silvio Gaggi, “the term postmodern is unfortunate…if modern is used to describe that which relates to the present or the most recent, how can anything (except the future) be postmodern?” (Gaggi, 1989, 17). Many would assume that postmodern is more futuristic, while in reality it often reflects to history for design ideas and concepts. The Galleria is no different. When Gerald D. Hines began his search for a precedent to the Galleria, he went back to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II of 1861 rather than using a modern shopping center/gathering space. In post-modern architecture, this is refered to as Historicism, meaning the architect “chooses a historical model as his point of departure, tries to pay tribute to the modern and so ends up boding in both directions” (Klotz, 1988, 49). Hines wanted to create a space that has the same function and appeal as the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, yet make it modern enough that people would be drawn to it and want to visit the building not only for the shopping, but also for the experience and architecture. Hines did not directly copy the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, but he borrowed the glass vault atrium space as a way to provide light to the three story atrium space as well as to create a focus toward the centralized gathering space that is the indoor ice- skating rink. He was able to successfully merge the classical idea of gathering spaces with the modern idea of an indoor ice-skating rink, creating a beautifully historic postmodern concept. If he had done this “naively…in pure imitation rather than as a counterpoise to modern architecture, its value as a new insight” would have been lost, leaving nostalgia and bad architecture as the only remnants (Klotz, 1988, 51). Not only are the architectural aspects historicized, but the function of the building is very much the same. Both were “intended to provide an upscale mix of shopping and dining” experience for the community and visitors (Meeks, 2012). Robert Venturi reflects on this concept, when he states that we can not “criticize these replications of a classical masterpiece in a different place for a different use, although we suggest the replication would have been done better if it had been accepted philosophically and used wittily” (Venturi, 1972, 138). It is not just about the success of the architecture, but also the way they are used. If a representation is too literal (like HOK’s Neiman-Marcus) with no similarity in function, the project can fail. When modernists tried to attempt historicism, mainly failed by trying to make a” Beaux Arts Department Store designed after an Italian Palazzo” (Venturi, 1972, 138). When HOK tried again with Macys and the Galleria, they took the “short walk from Neiman-Marcus to Macy's, from monastery to palazzo, from "duck" to "decorated shed," from modern to postmodern, there are tangible lessons to be learned about the final effectiveness of the stylistic overhaul” (Pope, 1987). The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II was successful in creating spaces that the community and visitors wanted to visit, and Hines followed suit by not replicating, but rather modernizing those ideals.
The establishment of a place that would draw not only economy to the newly developing Post Oak area, but also design a place people want to be in. The balance between functionalism and the importance of the human were almost totally voided out by Modernist Architecture. Architecture, such as Philip Johnson’s Glass House, Mies’ Farnsworth House, and Zaha Hadid’s Vitra Fire Station, may have been considered beautiful architecturally, but they failed in their function and they voided out any human interaction. The Farnsworth House could not be lived in by the owner, so it has become a museum for Mies. Postmodernists did not focus directly on creating “buildings as machines for living”, instead they merged that ideal with building “for people, by people” (Scott, 2013). Post Modernists often described Modernist buildings as “soulless and bland, overly simplistic, and abstract” and “felt the buildings failed to meet the human need for comfort, both for body and for the eye, that modernism did not account for the desire for beauty” (Viswanath, 2012). Hine’s main focus for the Houston Galleria was to create gathering space where visitors would want to come, shop, and interact with one another. Hines took the human comfort aspect into account in the Houston Galleria by creating well lit spaces (even on the first of three stories) and easily navigable circulation. By using the glass atrium vault over the ice-skating rink and atrium, the light can filter all the way through and lessen the need for interior light. Natural light is more beneifical in establishing a comfortable area for visitors as well as beneficial to the aesthetic appeal of the building. By illuminating the ice-skating rink, it becomes a focal point and easily found, drawing visitors to it from across the mall. This lessens the typical chaos of the modern shopping experience (littered with signs and dark corridors) and creates a happier mood where people will spend more money. A difficult to establish balance is necessary when trying to design a success building not only in function, but also when the comfort of the visitors is involved. Postmoderism suggests the as long as a building is functional and people are happy within it, it does not have to be the most aesthetically appealing or technologically advanced building. Those characteristics often make people even more uncomfortable. Venturi’s buildings were sometimes described as “ugly and ordinary”, but he “understood ‘ordinary’ in the sense of ‘everyday reality’” (Klotz, 1988, 145).
The new additions to the Houston Galleria can be defined as modern, especially in their focus on the shopping experience more than the human experience and the minimalist aspect. The original construction, however, is heavily rooted in postmodern ideals and design. It’s success is derived from its ability to invite visitors in and make them feel comfortable as well as its ability to create a modern version of classical ideals. Gerald D. Hines and HOK were able to come together and create a postmodern precedent for nearly all indoor shopping centers to come.
References
Gaggi, S. (1989). Modern/Postmodern. Philadelphia: Univeristy of Pennsylvania Press.Klotz, H. (1988). The History of Postmodern Architecture. London: The MIT Press.
Meeks, F. (2012). A look back: Galleria's opening caught world's eye. The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from: http://www.chron.com/memorial/news/article/A-look-back-Galleria-s-opening-caught-world-s-eye-3838796.php
Pope, A. (1987). From Neiman’s to Macy’s. Cite Survey: Cite Winter 1987. Retrieved from: http://offcite.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2010/03/FromNeimantoMacy_Pope_Cite19.pdf
Scott, S. (2013). Public Interest Design: The Anthropomorphism of Architecture. Talkitect. Retrieved from: http://www.talkitect.com/2013/03/public-interest-design-anthropomorphism.html
Venturi, R., Scott Brown, D., Izenour, S. (1972). Learning from Las Vegas. London: The MIT Press
Viswanath, H.R. (2012). Modernism & Post Modernism in Architecture. Retrieved from: http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy.lib.uh.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=389962&sr=HEADLINE(Modernism+%26+Post+Modernism+in+Architecture)%2BAND%2BDATE%2BIS%2B2012
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