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Architecturally, the expressively
streamlined exterior -- specifically the long, Lawn Road elevation
that sculpts the external corridors and stairs -- comes across
brilliantly and crisply in its newly-restored
state. The soft corner curves reinforce the building's
solidity that grounds it in its place, something that separates
Coates from his contemporary Le Corbusier who would have raised
the flats off the ground on pilotis. Putting these formal
differences aside, Le Corbusier's Villa
Savoye is notable for helping to raise awareness for the
preservation of Modernist buildings. Relegated to the trash
heap, the masterpiece was saved late last century and is a
popular "archi-tourist" location. With the 1988
formation and growing popularity of Docomomo,
not to mention the paradoxically accelerated decline of many
Modern buildings, the time is at hand to decide if this era's
physical embodiment is worth preserving. If anything, the
well-done restoration of the Isokon Flats should push architects,
communities, clients, and the public into making the decision
towards preserving worthwhile Modernist structures. |
