32. ROBERT VENTURI VANNA VENTURI HOUSE ― I LIKE ELEMENTS WHICH ARE HYBRID RATHER THAN "PURE," COMPROMISING RATHER THAN "CLEAR," DISTORTED RATHER THAN "STRAIGHTFORWARD." - ROBERT VENTURI ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES DETAILED SECTION OF THE HOUSE THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF THE HOUSE ARE A REACTION AGAINST STANDARD MODERNIST ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS: - PITCHED ROOF RATHER THAN FLAT ROOF, EMPHASIS ON CENTRAL HEARTH & CHIMNEY, CLOSED GROUND FLOOR "SET FIRMLY ON GROUND" RATHER THAN MODERNIST COLUMNS & GLASS WALLS WHICH OPEN UP THE GROUND FLOOR. -ON THE FRONT ELEVATION THE BROKEN PEDIMENT OR GABLE & A PURELY ORNAMENTAL APPLIQUE ARCH REFLECT RETURN TO MANNERIST ARCHITECTURE AND A REJECTION OF MODERNISM. HOUSE IS A COMPOSITION OF RECTANGULAR, CURVILINEAR, AND DIAGONAL ELEMENTS COMING TOGETHER (OR SOMETIMES JUXTAPOSING EACH OTHER) IN A WAY THAT INARGUABLY CREATES COMPLEXITY AND CONTRADICTION. FRONT ELEVATION IN ORDER TO CREATE MORE CONTRADICTION AND COMPLEXITY, VENTURI EXPERIMENTED WITH SCALE. INSIDE THE HOUSE CERTAIN ELEMENTS ARE ―TOO BIG,‖ SUCH AS THE SIZE OF THE FIREPLACE AND THE HEIGHT OF THE MANTEL COMPARED TO THE SIZE OF THE ROOM. -DOORS ARE WIDE AND LOW IN HEIGHT, ESPECIALLY IN CONTRAST TO THE GRANDNESS OF THE ENTRANCE SPACE. - VENTURI ALSO MINIMIZED CIRCULATION SPACE IN THE DESIGN OF THE HOUSE, SO THAT IT CONSISTED OF LARGE DISTINCT ROOMS WITH MINIMUM SUBDIVISIONS BETWEEN THEM. REAR ELEVATION FRONT GABLED ARCH INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE STAIRCASE LEADING TO UPPER FLOOR DRAWING ROOM AREA
33. ROBERT VENTURI PROVINCIAL CAPITOL BUILDING THE CAPITOL IS THE HEART OF THE MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE FRENCH CITY OF TOULOUSE. IT IS DESIGNED BY THE ROBERT VENTURI ALONG WITH HIS WIFE DENISE AND ASSOCIATES IN 1999 FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HAUTE-GARONNE. THE BUILDING IS TWO NARROW 6 STORY WINGS JOINED TOGETHER BY TWO GLASS-CLAD BRIDGES, GLASS CURTAIN WALLS WERE UNIQUE AT THAT TIME FOR TOULOUSE WHICH IS MOSTLY BRICK TOWN. THE CURRENT FAÇADE, 135 METRES LONG AND BUILT OF THE CHARACTERISTIC PINK BRICK IN NEOCLASSICAL STYLE, DATES FROM 1750, BUILT ACCORDING TO PLANS BY GUILLAUME CAMMAS. THE EIGHT COLUMNS REPRESENT THE ORIGINAL EIGHT CAPITOLS. IN 1873, EUGÈNE VIOLLETLE-DUC BUILT A BELL TOWER TYPICAL OF THE STYLE OF NORTHERN FRANCE ON TOP OF THE DONJON OF THE BUILDING. GENERAL INFORMATION TYPE GOVERNMENT OFFICES ARCHITECTURAL STYLE POSTMODERN TOWN OR CITY TOULOUSE COUNTRY FRANCE COMPLETETION 1999 COST $80,000,000 CLIENT DEPARTMENT OF HAUTE-GARONNE FLOOR AREA 760,000 SQ FEET DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION ARCHITECT VENTURI, SCOTT BROWN AND ASSOCIATES FLOOR PLAN OF THE CAPITOL SITE PLAN THE BUILDING CONSISTS OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COMPLEX INCLUDING OFFICES THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY CHAMBER, PUBLIC SERVICES, VARIOUS PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT SPACES, THREE LEVELS OF UNDERGROUND PARKING FOR PUBLIC AND STAFF, AND OUTDOOR AND INDOOR CEREMONIAL SPACES. TODAY THE CAPITOLE HOUSES THE CITY HALL, AS WELL AS THE THÉÂTRE DU CAPITOLE DE TOULOUSE OPERA COMPANY AND A SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA