屈米法国拉·维莱特公园｜Tschumi's Parc de la Villette . Image Courtesy of The Architectural Review

What is Deconstructivism?

由专筑网李韧，王帅编译

“解构主义”一词在词典里并没有明确的定义，其字面意思为将某个构筑物或建筑物打破或拆除，其中既代表了结构因素，同时也代表了某种思潮。而也正是因为这样的原因，解构主义运动常常被人所误解。

实际上，解构主义并不是一种全新的建筑风格，也不是反对建筑或社会的先锋运动，它并不遵循既定的规则和美学理念，同时也不为社会环境所困扰。因此它表达了形式和体量的无限可能。

在一战期间，俄罗斯构成主义推崇者打破了古典建筑的既定规则，通过重新组织，构思了一系列的“反常态”设计作品。他们的批判观念和作品实验形态打破了人们对传统建筑的观念，同时也打开了一扇通向新世界的大门，让人们充分地感受到建筑及空间的更多可能性。战争结束之后，俄国了经历了巨大的历史变革，而这些变革对建筑同样产生了巨大的影响。在当时，建筑艺术能够影响整个社会，因此社会革命几乎等同于建筑革命。无论是艺术作品还是建筑作品，几何空间都变得不再规矩，塔特林于1919年设计的第三国际纪念碑便是通过体量扭曲而成。同时，Aleksandr Rodchenko为某电台而设计的实验性空间也运用了多重不规则几何形态。但是，这些激进的构成空间并非主流，只是一些令人脑洞大开的概念与策略，但同时也留有继续开发的余地。

在当时俄国构成主义流行之时，现代运动也开始发展。在这两种运动期间，人们明显更倾向于现代主义。世界大战结束之后，人们对于稳定、完整的空间结构有着迫切的追求，因此俄国构成主义在此时败下阵来。在当时的作品中，各项装饰都被清除，只留下干净、优雅、简约的功能空间。

If we define “deconstructivism” (although it is not a verified word in the dictionary), it literally translates to the breaking down, or demolishing of a constructed structure, whether it being for structural reasons or just an act of rebellion. It is perhaps for this  this reason that many misunderstand the Deconstructivist movement.
Deconstructivism is, in fact, not a new architecture style, nor is it an avant-garde movement against architecture or society. It does not follow “rules” or acquire specific aesthetics, nor is it a rebellion against a social dilemma. It is the unleashing of infinite possibilities of playing around with forms and volumes.
During the First World War, Russian avant-gardists, known as Russian Constructivists, broke the rules of classical architecture and composition and presented a series of drawings that defied the “geometric norms” at the time. Their critical point of view and experimentation with forms disturbed the traditional perception of architecture and opened people’s eyes on the endless possibilities of breaking architecture rules. Post war, the country was undergoing radical changes and revolutions, and the impact of these revolutions on architecture was inevitable. Architecture was seen as a high form of art, influencing and being influenced by society, and so, social revolution = architecture revolution. Geometry, whether in art or architecture, became irregular. Vladimir Tatlin designed a bent monument trapped inside a twisted frame for the Third International in 1919. Aleksandr Rodchenko presented an experimental design for a radio station that portrayed all sorts of geometric experimentation and irregularity. However, these radical structures, as well as hundreds of others, never saw the light of day, and were left as sketches with an intriguing conceptual approach that were yet to be explored.
In parallel to the Russian Constructivist movement, the Modern Movement was paving its way. Perhaps it was the timing of both movements that forced people to blindly choose Modernism. The World War has just ended and people were desperate for the stability and refinement they so missed; Russian Constructivism didn’t stand a chance. Ornamentation was stripped off, only to leave people with clean-cut, elegant yet naked functionality.


泰特林之塔｜Tatlin Tower. Image Courtesy of Flickr User Andy Roberts under CC by 2.0

相较于俄国构成主义和现代主义，解构主义又代表着什么？

What is Deconstructivism with respect to Russian Constructivism and Modernism?


Courtesy of Elizabeth W Garber


Villa Savoye Le Corbusier

人们对于解构主义的误解也许来源于词语自身，因为这个词代表的意思是将某个构筑物或建筑物打破或拆除，表达着一种叛逆行为。解构主义并不是一种建筑运动或艺术风格，但仍然在全球范围内引起轰动，它是俄国构成主义和现代主义的混合，同时也受到了后现代主义、表现主义、立体主义的影响。

这个词语最早出现于上世纪80年代，由彼得·艾森曼（Peter Eisenman）的朋友、法国哲学家雅克·德里达（Jacques Derrida）提出，解构主义推崇者们构思了这样的理念，即将建筑碎片化，同时探索几何形态的不对称性，而这个灵感则来源于俄国构成主义，但是另外还要保留空间的功能区域，这一点则来源于现代主义。人们首先关注到的解构主义作品是伯纳德·屈米（Bernard Tschumi）设计的巴黎拉·维莱特公园（Parc de la Villette），以及德里达和埃森曼的设计作品。

而1988年，菲利普·约翰逊（Philip Johnson）和马克·威格利（Mark Wigley）在纽约现代艺术博物馆举办了解构主义作品展览，期间展出了扎哈·哈迪德（Zaha Hadid）、彼得·艾森曼（Peter Eisenman）、丹尼尔·里伯斯金（Daniel Libeskind）等大师的作品，回顾当时，解构主义还并非一种运动或风格流派，约翰逊和威格利只是希望将这些有着同样设计手法的作品集合在一起共同展出。

Misconceptions surrounding deconstructivism may be the result of the terminology itself. The word translates to the act of demolishing, or tearing apart an existing structure, implying an act of rebellion. Deconstructivism was not really an impactful architecture movement or an artistic style that took the world by storm and altered architecture as we know it. It was a mélange of Russian Constructivism and Modernism, with a little bit of influence from Post-modernism, expressionism, and Cubism.
The term first appeared in the 1980’s, as an idea developed by French philosopher Jacques Derrida. Derrida, a friend of Peter Eisenman, developed the idea of fragmenting a building and exploring the asymmetry of geometry (inspired by Russian Constructivism), while maintaining the core functionality of the space (inspired by Modernism). The public first noticed the deconstructivist movement in the 1980’s during the Parc de la Villette competition, thanks to the winning entry by Bernard Tschumi, as well as Derrida’s and Eisenman’s design entry.
The style gained more attention during MOMA’s 1988 Deconstructivist Architecture exhibition, organized by Philip Johnson and Mark Wigley, which featured works done by Zaha Hadid, Peter Eisenman, Daniel Libeskind, amongst many others. Back then, Deconstructivism was not considered an established movement or a style such as Cubism or Modernism. Johnson and Wigley saw the similarities in the architects’ approach to design, and combined them under one roof.


彼得·艾森曼｜Peter Eisenman. Image © Chris Wiley


屈米法国拉·维莱特公园｜Tschumi's Parc de la Villette . Image Courtesy of The Architectural Review

“展览中的作品都很有意义，它们有着不拘一格的空间形式，这样的手法打破了人们对于形式的常规理念，从而让这些项目变得‘解构’。这次展览也是一种检验，这几位建筑师都不约而同地运用了这种具有不稳定因素的建筑形式。”——约翰逊和威格利，节选自当代艺术博物馆解构主义建筑书籍。

    The projects in this exhibition mark a different sensibility, one in which the dream of pure form has been disturbed. It is the ability to disturb our thinking about form that makes these projects deconstructive.The show examines an episode, a point of intersection between several architects where each constructs an unsettling building by exploiting the hidden potential of modernism. — Phillip Johnson and Mark Wigley, excerpt from the MoMA Deconstructivist Architecture book.


1988年解构主义建筑展览｜1988 Deconstructivism Exhibition. Image via MoMA

随着德里达的理论和俄国构成主义设计思路的普及，建筑师们开始了对空间的探索，因此艺术形式的对称性和连贯性逐步降低，设计规则不断被打破，同时也不在讲究“形式追随功能”的至理名言，但是，现代主义作品之中的精致细部和优雅形态仍然存在。建筑逐渐发展成为不可预测的几何形式，而其功能仍然得以保留。在这些作品中，建筑师们不再关注某个构件的实用与否，只是不断地在思考，是否还有更多可能与尝试？

Following Derrida’s theories and the “avant-gardist” approach of Russian Constructivism, architects began exploring spaces and volumes. The style was characterized by a loss of symmetry or continuity. It was architecture on steroids. Design rules were broken and “form follows function” was neglected, but somehow, the refinement and elegance of modernism remained. The structure’s skin was manipulated and altered into unpredictable geometric forms, but the building’s function was preserved. Basically, architects began having fun, and instead of asking themselves whether the design was practical or not, the main question was: Why not?


弗兰克·盖里住宅｜Frank Gehry House. Image © Liao Yusheng


巴黎路易威登基金会艺术中心｜Louis Vuitton Foundation, Frank Gehry Architects. Image © Todd Eberle


安特卫普港口大楼｜Port offices of Antwerp, Zaha Hadid Architects. Image © Helene Binet

但是，许多建筑师们都十分抗拒“解构主义”的标签。屈米认为，“所谓的‘运动’与‘风格’是对建筑师作品的断章取义，同时也是一种曲解”，因为这只是对于后现代主义风格的抗争。只是，公众仍然习惯将这种设计方式或是此类作品解读为“解构主义”。事实上，解构主义设计策略仍然让多项作品获得业内认可的荣誉与奖项，对于当代建筑师们仍然具有很大的影响。

However, most architects have rejected the label of being “Deconstructivists”, distancing themselves from any sort of movement. Bernard Tschumi believed that “calling the work of these architects a ‘movement’ or a new ‘style’ was out of context and showed a lack of understanding to their ideas”, claiming that the style was merely a move against postmodernism. Unfortunately for them, the term resonated with the public, and their works have been referred to as “deconstructivist” ever since. In fact, their Deconstructivist approach to design created some of the world’s most iconic and award-winning structures to date, influencing hundreds of up-and-coming architects.


华特迪士尼音乐厅｜Walt Disney Concert Hall. Image Courtesy of Gehry Partners, LLP


古根海姆博物馆｜Guggenheim Bilbao . Image © Peter Knaup


1988年解构主义建筑展览｜1988 Deconstructivism Exhibition. Image via MoMA


西班牙圣地亚哥-德孔波斯特拉的文化城｜The City of Culture in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Image Courtesy of Eisenman Architects


欧洲被害犹太人纪念碑｜Eisenman's The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Image Courtesy of Flickr user dalbera licensed under CC BY 2.0