Guild House, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); 1960-64; Mid-Century Modernism 2

The Guild Houser by Robert Venturi, built in 1960-64; is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Robert Venturi was a Post-Modernist. This apartment complex was built for housing seniors with low income. The complex was comprised of 91 units of various types and recreation rooms. The exterior was clad in ordinary brick to further drive home the point of the bland materials. The building use what’s known as a pop art technique. The arch opening on top of the building was slightly stretched off the edges and was recessed so the building could receive natural light on top of the building. The façade is separated horizontally by a white brick stripe, this broke the harmonies flow of the continuous red brick. The stepped back sides allowed greater sun exposure to the inside of the buildings. The building is considered a cliché as Venturi manipulates what a normal element is to make a non-normal meaning. One of best examples is the large column in front of the entrance and blocks a direct entrance forcing everyone trying to enter to acknowledge. The sure thing is the post-modern architecture Venturi made in particular the Guild House was to underline that post-modernism did not seek beauty. The columns that resemble different classical styles of columns were used and sometimes in ironic ways. Even though this building is not beautiful it is still considered a great American icon.

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