Liminality on Simplicity : MUBE by Mendes de Rocha
Some people think that we are at a crossroad. Complex forms are getting popular day by day and this question could arise nowadays: Is simplicity enough to create difference? I believe that, it is possible to create simple organization, using strategies of complex and radical thinking methods. Perhaps, it is hard to say yes or no in architecture. I would like to argue simplicity on Mendes de Rocha’s project and also I would like to question the relationship and tension between simplicity and difference.
To be honest, can simplicity create a difference? According to John Maeda[1] , simplicity of a design is more about effective and proper producing, but in architecture, what does it mean? Mies van der Rohe manifested his simplicity to exclaim “less is more.” After Mies, also Robert Venturi took a part in this story “less is bore.” And most contemporary example of this quotation from Bjarke Ingels “yes is more!” It sounds like pop-icon, but what is more? What is next? I do not want to digress the focus. In architecture of Mendes de Rocha, we could find richer simplicity without specific reason. He also supported that he has always been attracted to simple things, without knowing why[2].
Brazilian Museum of Sculpture (Museu Brasileiro da Escultura–MUBE) is located in Sao Paulo. This building is comprised of monumental component and underground organization. A wide beam lies on two columns. It creates around 60 meters gap between two columns. It establishes a monolithıc spatial experience. Mendes wants to reveal the relationship between observer and sculpture. By the way, this monolith feeling casts a doubt on mind: Is it a horizon, which opens a door to artificial environment? This shelter points on the entrance of building. This portal creates a concrete vanishing point by one single line. Mendes uses this kind of single line structures; also his Brazilian Pavilion for Expo 70 is a single line structure by different section.
According to Mendes de Rocha’s drawings, he creates a spatial tension between observer and the building. On the other hand, this huge structure does not create a totalitarian hegemony, that’s why there is nothing to refer symbolical. By the way, there is no threat of objectifition. The single line structure creates this monolith autonomous effect.
If we would explore Mendes Works chronically, it would be too obvious to see his search on sections. This simple feature of his architecture could create various operations. Difference and simplicity sound like two opposition tendencies. I do not want to romanticize simplicity, but MUBE and its architecture creates a lot of thinking way about the approach and spatial experience, it is still valuable and inspiring. Lastly, I could say MUBE stands on liminality of spatial situations by simplicity.
1 John Maeda, Laws of Simplicity 2 Francesco Dal Co, Paulo Mendes da Rocha, 2006 Laureate,Essay, Pritzker Prize