Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Serafin, Aleksander
• Monteiro, Maria do Rosário
• Pereira Neto, Maria João
• Kong, Mário S. Ming

Titel

Gottfried Böhm’s creativity: Architecture as a sculpture made of concrete

Ist Teil von

• Intelligence, Creativity and Fantasy, 2020, p.109-113

Auflage

1

Ort / Verlag

CRC Press

Erscheinungsjahr

2020

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The paper explains the specificity of Gottfried Böhm’s works. Among many built projects, some of them could be treated as evidence that he was able to introduce his style. This sort of creativity identified a local variation of brutalism, the architectural trend characterised by the exposure of raw concrete. However, thanks to this unique method, the German version of this trend means the sculptural treatment of an architectural form. This type of design does not get to giving expressiveness to the rectangular shapes of modernism by using a particular building material, and it is different from the implementation of brutalism that can be found in other world centres. Although Böhm designed many objects that represent a different approach, the two of them are especially important for the development of European aesthetic thought. These projects are the pilgrimage church in Neviges (the city Velbert) and the town hall in Bensberg (the city Bergisch-Gladbach). Both of them are examples of this original brutalist style that can be treated as the contribution to Neo expressionistic tendencies. Finally, it is worthy of noting that the generational continuity also represents a significant influence on the architect’s creativity. As the projects of father Dominikus partly inspired his activity, in some aspects the work of Gottfried is continued by his successors Peter, Paul and Stephan Böhm. However, it should be clearly stated that each of them represents their way of designing. While contemporary architecture used to manifest its lightness using cantilever constructions, bay windows and overhangs of a building mass, Böhm’s compositions more frequently show their connection with the ground. Although Bohm designed many objects that represent a different approach, the two of them are especially important for the development of European aesthetic thought. Despite some sacred projects designed together, a clear example of generational continuity, the one considered in terms of the design process, is the remodelling of the Kolpinghaus in Cologne. The distinctive features of the composition are clear and crystalline shapes. An artistic character of the project can be described in the way of its references to nature. Wolfgang Pehnt assumes that this fantastic style building is inspired on the one hand by Le Corbusier’s late work and on the other, the expressive period of his father’s creativity, but there is the great importance of visual expression achieved thanks to the reinforced concrete technology.