[Huntington Library, Pasadena, CA, 1919 (Taken 2024)]

No. 9: RUGS ON WALLS… IT'S A THING AGAIN

This weekend I visited Huntington Library with my parents and it reminded me: back in the day, people would mount intricate rugs (or tapestries) on their dining room walls. But why?

“Warmth,” according to my mom. Perhaps, maybe… before they had HVAC systems.

First of all, never doubt your mom because she’s always right. Second, what really happened to the intricate rugs and why are they still on the floor?

Recently, I noticed that there has been a resurgence of antiquity items found within contemporary architecture, or the interior design of architectural spaces. Maybe it’s just a continuation of the vintage obsession that we all know so well; nevertheless, people are starting to reintroduce tapestries to the wall and I think I’m a fan of it.

Yes, it may provide a little bit of warmth and it may also look stylish, but why does any of this fascinate me?

Well, it doesn’t so much from an interior design perspective, but as an architect, it feels… somewhat permanent again. And that’s refreshing I guess. In the image above they solved an awkward column in the middle of the bedroom by placing an antique tapestry on the wall – an aesthetic similar to something you might find in a Palladian villa. To me, that tapestry above is an architectural tool, not an interior decoration. And that detail-oriented decision is hard to come by nowadays.

I like when an architectural expression is conceived from an interior aesthetic; before there was even an interior to begin with. Sure it’s always fashionable to employ vintage accessories within modern spaces, especially within interior design, but now it has become uniquely architectural again.

How so?

We all like to reference those popular modernists from the early 20th century – the ones that would argue over form versus function and living in a machine. Regardless of their reputation, I admire this group because they focused their intentions on the details that filled their spaces – the materials, the furniture, the feel and all that. Some of their spaces may have felt empty while others ornate, but everything was undoubtedly deliberate and they designed everything down to the very last detail. Here are some snapshots I took from Villa La Roche and Villa Savoye in 2018.

[Le Corbusier, Villa La Roche, 1925. Photo taken 2018]

[Le Corbusier, Villa La Roche, 1925. Photo taken 2018]

From a brass doorknob to a circular light-switch or a bathtub customized to the shape of your back, we don’t really come across those details anymore… at least not very often.

Some of these decisions may provide style while the others provide utility, but all were deliberately placed there before the building was conceptualized. Sadly, to me, it seems that details have become somewhat of an afterthought in 2024. You might point to several arguments against that statement, but as a collective – especially among those fashionable ‘starchitects’ – that is the truth.

How come?

In my opinion, this lack of care is because the detailing of an interior is often left to someone else nowadays – the client, a consultant, or even the contractor. But where’s the architect in all this?

[Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye, 1931. Photo taken 2018]

[Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye, 1931. Photo taken 2018]

It seems that what was once a bountiful relationship between interior and exterior has evolved into two entirely different professions — two star-crossed lovers if you will. So, why are architects increasingly estranged from the detailing of their own spaces?

Perhaps there just isn't time to get bogged down in all that anymore. Architects are constantly overworked and clientele just want a pretty image to market to the world. We live in an era of mass globalization that has fostered new priorities in the client, and as a result, the architect has lost sight of the ultimate goal – the warmth. Yes, buildings were once smaller and audiences much closer, but now everything is accessible online and designers are more preoccupied with how their spaces look in a digital format.

Space is defined by shadow and light, yes, but neither of those things provide warmth – the objects that fill the space do. The team over at Food Architects strike the perfect balance between shadow, light and object in their most recent design for an avante-garde loft in SoHo, New York. Their sense of playfulness and attention to detail resonates with us at Postmodern Tectonics, and for that, we applaud them. They even put a rug on a wall. Go check it out.

[1] We like to call that the money shot.