History of Architecture 2

Ar. Diane A. Jose

BLOBITECTURE
Blobitecture from blob architecture, blobism or
blobismus are terms for a current movement in
architecture in which buildings have an organic, amoeba-
shaped, bulging form.
BLOBITECTURE
The word Blobitecture first
appeared in print in 2002, in
William Safire's "On Language"
column in the New York Times
Magazine in an article entitled
Defenestration.
Though intended in the article to
have a derogatory meaning, the
word stuck and is often used to
describe buildings with curved
and rounded shapes
shapes..
Origins of the term "blob architecture“
The term 'blob architecture' was coined by architect GREG LYNN in 1995 in
his experiments in digital design with binary large objects or BLOBs
BLOBs..

Soon a range of architects and furniture designers began to experiment with

BLOB software to create new and unusual forms.
Precedents

One precedent is ARCHIGRAM,

ARCHIGRAM a group of English
architects working in the 1960s, to which Peter Cook
belonged.

They were interested in inflatable architecture as

well as in the shapes that could be generated from
plastic.
SAMPLE BUILDINGS
Blobitecture
EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

THE SAGE GATESHEAD BUILDING, UK

BY Norman Foster
 EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

THE SAGE GATESHEAD BUILDING, UK

A centre for musical education, performance and conferences
EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO,

BILBAO, SPAIN
By Frank Gehry
 EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO,

BILBAO, Spain
Its glass and titanium curves mirror the light from equally the sky and water.
Moreover, its curved silhouette resembles that of a ship.
 EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

SELFRIDGES DEPARTMENT STORE, Birmingham UK

By Jan Kaplický, Amanda Levete
 EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

SELFRIDGES DEPARTMENT STORE, Birmingham UK

Intended to evoke the female sillouette and a famous "chainmail"
dress designed by Paco Rabanne in the 1960s.
EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

ALLIANZ ARENA, Munich, Germany

Herzog & de Meuron; ArupSport
 EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

ALLIANZ ARENA, Munich, Germany

Widely known for its exterior of inflated ETFE plastic panels, it is the first
stadium in the world with a full color-changing color exterior.
 EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

KUNSTHAUS GRAZ,
GRAZ, GRAZER KUNSTHAUS,
KUNSTHAUS, OR GRAZ ART
MUSEUM, Graz, Austria
By Peter Cook and Colin Fournier
 EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

KUNSTHAUS GRAZ,
GRAZ, GRAZER KUNSTHAUS,
KUNSTHAUS, OR GRAZ ART
MUSEUM, Graz, Austria
Called as the "Friendly Alien" by its creators Peter Cook and Colin
Fournier. It has an organic shape with a skin made of iridescent blue
acrylic panels.
EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

THE BLOB,
BLOB, Netherlands
By Massimiliano Fuksas
 EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

THE BLOB,
BLOB, Netherlands
The organically shaped glass and steel structure serves as the
entrance to the wonderful 'The Admirant' shopping mall.
EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

ZLOTE TARASY,
TARASY, Warsaw Poland
By The Jerde Partnership
EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

ZLOTE TARASY,
TARASY, Warsaw Poland
A commercial, office, and entertainment complex
EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

CITY HALL,
HALL, London
By Norman Foster
 EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

CITY HALL,
HALL, London
The headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA), which
comprises the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.
EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

AQUA TOWER,
TOWER, Chicago, USA
By Jeanne Gang
 EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

AQUA TOWER,
TOWER, Chicago, USA
An 82-storey mixed-use residential skyscraper. The tallest in the world
to have a woman as lead architect.
EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

DANCING HOUSE,
HOUSE, Prague, Czech Republic
By Frank Gehry, Vlado Milunić
EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

DANCING HOUSE,
HOUSE, Prague,
Czech Republic
Originally named the house Fred
and Ginger (after the famous
dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger
Rogers – the house resembles a
pair of dancers) but this nickname
is now rarely used.
EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

PHILOLOGICAL LIBRARY,
LIBRARY, Berlin, Germany
By Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank
 EXAMPLES OF BLOBITECTURE

PHILOLOGICAL LIBRARY,
LIBRARY, Berlin, Germany
It resembles the shape of a brain, the building was dubbed
"The Brain of Berlin."