A HOUSE FOR GUNNAR ASPLUND

It is impossible to visit The Woodland Cemetery in Stockholm and not be impressed by the ineffable balance between man and nature, the ephemeral and the eternal.

Truly great work by the great Gunnar Asplund (in association with Sigurd Lewerentz)…!!!!!

Equally great, the Temple of Books, built by the same architect, in the center of Stockholm: The Stockholm Public Library.

And not less good, the great addition to the Gothenburg City Hall, another masterpiece of restrain and subtlety, that sensitive austerity that is the hallmark of the Scandinavian spirit in general.

If there were just these three works and it would still be quite enough to consider Asplund as one of the great masters of the XXth Century architecture.

So on the occasion of celebrating on September 22nd, this year, his 125th birthday, we invite you to envision A HOUSE FOR GUNNAR ASPLUND, a house for someone who knew so well how to be Modern without turning his back on the past.

Imagine again, if possible, an architecture that is austere, yet not cold, highly Modern, yet with a subtle clin d’oeil towards what preceded us.

Only fifteen years younger than Adolf Loos, Asplund was not afraid to commit “the crime of ornament,” but his ornaments have a discretion that testifies about their appropriateness in their unending tension with structure. It is the genius of the North, we believe, to be able to balance so well the two dichotomic forces that in some other parts of the world only lead to exasperation.

It seems Asplund was able to marry the Modern with the Post-Modern even before Modernity gave signs of being tired. We think this is a great accomplishment, one that does not cease to amaze and inspire us!

So let’s pay homage to an architect worthy of it…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Design a House for Gunnar Asplund…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please send us ANY work, ANY size and ANY format that responds to the theme to info@icarch.us. We will publish all the works received on our website, www.icarch.us. The deadline for registration is December 31st, 2010. The deadline for submitting your work is December 31st, 2010. If you have any questions please be kind and contact us.

Thank you,

ICARCH Gallery