• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.95-102
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyze characteristics of residential architecture designed by Gwathmey Siegel in terms of their way of composing spaces and forms. Charles Gwathmey, one of the founders of Gwathmey Siegel, is a worldly famous architect who actively developed Neo-Modernistic architecture in his career. For this study, 15 major houses designed by Gwathmey Siegel were selected and analyzed in terms of their approaches on how to compose various spaces and forms, and how these approaches evolved as time passed. The analysis was mainly based on the drawings and photos of the houses published. The main characteristics found in this study can be summarized as follows: elevated LDK level, split-level composition, use of framing structure, layered space, and linear galleries as a spine of circulation with collaged volumes attached. It turned out these characteristics appeared, faded away, or evolved affecting each other. In early days, Gwathmey often elevated LDK level from ground level for providing privacy, views, and also for separating private rooms. Soon they composed spaces by splitting levels. It not only helped provide privacy where needed effectively, but made space composition more interesting. As sizes of the houses they designed grew, Gwathmey came up with the framing idea for expressing his original architectural language in larger scale. With the split-level composition, the framing method represented Gwathmey's in 70's. This framing introduced layers of interior spaces, and the layers started to break down the monumental framing into individual volumes by bringing in linear spine of circulation. These characteristics helped Gwathmey Siegel develop their own architectural language.