Brick House

In the world of art, the Picturesque is an esthetic category developed between the 18^th and 19^th centuries, particularly in England. The reassuring imagery it produced lies between the beautiful and the sublime, this latter defined as the persuasive force of the tension generated by a sense of immensity. A Picturesque image or painting is nonetheless always grounded in the real, never relinquishing its existential condition. In the world of architecture, this esthetic category was side-stepped when, in the first half of the 20^th century, Modernism rediscovered a taste for geometric or abstract forms that treasured function. It regained pertinence, however, with contemporary architecture’s concern for space. Indeed, space is now the real focus of architectural creation. No longer simply a formal outcome, space conveys atmosphere, matter, color, and sensory qualities, often providing soothing, comforting environments. An emblematic example is Peter Zumthor’s reference to Hans Baumgartner’s famous 1930s photograph the architect included in his book Atmospheres. The image of a few people sitting at tables in a student residence captures what Zumthor calls the “magic of the real”. So intense is the magic that he questions whether he will ever be able to convey the same evocative power of photography in his architecture. As can be seen, that photograph has remained imprinted in Zumthor’s modus operandi, becoming a real obsession.

This same propensity for the Picturesque mentioned above can also be seen in the Brick House designed by the Indian firm Studio VDGA in the center of Pune. Conceived as a sensitive response to its context’s spatial constraints and climatic challenges, this private residence has succeeded in transforming functionality into a livable atmosphere.

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