The attempt in deconstructivism is to move architecture away from what its practitioners see as the constricting

'rules' of modernism such as "form follows function," "purity of form,“ and "truth to materials."

A although deconstructivism stands in opposition to modernism’s ordered rationality, it also rejects the
idea of Ornamentation as an after thought over the architectural surface and aligns with the modernist
idea of anti-historicism.

DeConstructivism

The particular nature of De-constructivism makes the use of computers especially pertinent. Three-dimensional modeling and animation assists in the
conception of very complex spaces and also helps in working out the construction details and economics.
The typical unadorned modernist cube is deconstructed using complex geometries.
Vitra Design Museum, Frank Gehry
Critics see De-constructivism as a purely formal exercise with very little social significance.

Other criticisms infer that since deconstructivism can result in whatever an architect wishes, it suffers from a lack of consistency and
that it has no clear values.
Deconstructivism is a development of postmodern architecture that began in the late 1980s.

It is characterized by ideas of:

• Fragmentation of forms

• Manipulation of a structure's surface or skin

• non-rectilinear shapes which serve to distort and dislocate some of the architectural elements, such

as structure and envelope.

• unpredictability and a controlled chaos.

• Emphasis on complex geometries

Deconstructivists were influenced by the ideas of the French philosopher Jacques Derrida.
• FRAGMENTATION OF FORMS

Imperial War Memorial, Daniel Libeskind

 • MANIPULATION OF A STRUCTURE'S SURFACE OR SKIN

RIYADH METRO STATION, SAUDI ARABIA, ZAHA HADID

• NON-RECTILINEAR SHAPES WHICH SERVE TO DISTORT AND DISLOCATE SOME OF THE ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS, SUCH AS
STRUCTURE AND ENVELOPE.

ROYAL ONTAROIO MUSEUM, DANIEL LIBESKIND

 • UNPREDICTABILITY AND A CONTROLLED CHAOS.

Jewish Museum, Berlin, Daniel Libeskind

• EMPHASIS ON COMPLEX GEOMETRIES
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, FRANK GEHRY
 PETER EISENMAN
“forms are no longer a ‘means toward an end,’ but an end in themselves”

Peter Eisenman was born in 1932, Newark, New Jersey. He studied at Cornell and Columbia University .

His professional work is often referred to as formalist, deconstructive, etc. A certain fragmenting of forms visible in some of his
projects has been identified as characteristic of deconstructivists.

Jacques Derrida’s philosophy was a key influence on his works.

His focus on "liberating" architectural form was notable from an academic and theoretical standpoint (freeing form from functional
and structural concerns) but resulted in structures that were both badly built and hostile to users.
 House VI, Franks Residence

the design emerged from a conceptual process, rather than ideas of form, space or functionality.
Eisenman created a form from the intersection of four planes, subsequently manipulating the structures again and again, until coherent
spaces began to emerge.

The envelope and structure of the building are a manifestation of the changed elements of the original four slabs, with some limited
modifications.

the final form is a result of this manipulation of a

grid. the resultant spaces accommodate the
functions, resulting in several structural and
functional flaws.
Wexner Center for the Arts, Ohio
The design includes a large, white metal grid connecting all the blocks, meant to suggest scaffolding, to give the building a sense of
incompleteness. A major part of the project is not a building itself, but a 'non-building'.
The building takes the form of a castle,
which it then transforms with a series of
cuts and fragmentation.

The modernist grid which represents

scaffolding collides with the medieval
antiquity of the castle.

Some parts of the grid’s columns

intentionally do not reach the ground,
creating a sense of unease and
contradicting the structural purpose of
the column.