Saturday, February 18, 2012

minimalism .

I've come to discover that I really enjoy the concept of minimalism in architecture. I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure I've even written a post about it (or at least mentioned it at some point in a post). But today I found a new definition to fit the mold of minimalism and explain it. This quote is from Massimo Vingelli:

"Minimalism is not a style, it is an attitude, a way of being. It's a fundamental reaction against noise, visual noise, disorder, vulgarity. Minimalism is the pursuit of the essence of things, not the appearance."

Quick shout out to Tuney Potter for posting this in her blog yesterday.


I have never considered the prospect of minimalism being an attitude. But what if we could completely minimize everything that we do? Imagine a world with minimal waste, minimal procrastination, minimal fighting and wars, and minimal political corruption. Is this is utopian dream? No. The key word is minimalism -- a promise that we would try to get to that point.

My favourite part of the quote is when it says that minimalism is 'the pursuit of the essence of things, not the appearance.'

At first glance, minimalist architecture may seem stark, cold, and empty. But I love it. Ignore your first reaction and take another look...


Suddenly it seems to have character. I love that it can say so much and be so simple. It is not busy, not extravagant, and certainly not lavish. This style of architecture gives you what you need without all the bells and whistles, and yet still it carries its own sense of beauty with head held high.


The part of that says that minimalism is a fundamental reaction against visual noise and disorder fits perfectly here. I used the words crisp and clean to describe the style before -- and it's true that everything seems to fit just right. There is no mess, no disorder, no chaos. Perhaps some would say it is also devoid of playfulness. But I find here something else entirely: solemnity, serenity, calmness and soothing.

I hope one day I can design my own home, and I'd very much hope that I can create the same sort of feeling going on here.

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