American Framing - exhibition at GJF
Galerie Jaroslava Fragnera continues with an upcoming exhibition on the theme of wooden constructions. From April 29, it invites you to the exhibition American Framing, which was prepared for the national pavilion of the USA at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021 and is now set for a special presentation in Prague. It presents framed construction as a building, sociological, and aesthetic phenomenon, unjustly overlooked by architects and architectural historians for its "ordinariness." In the USA, this construction system remains one of the most common methods for building single-family homes. The project's authors, Paul Andersen and Paul Preissner, architects and educators from the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts at the University of Illinois Chicago, will personally introduce it on the opening day, April 28. The exhibition will be presented in collaboration with the US Embassy in Prague and will run from April 29 to June 26, 2022.
Framed wooden construction supported the rapid expansion of settlers westward in the early 19th century, and by making building accessible in terms of materials, finances, and actual implementation, it became a symbol of democratic principles, or the most significant ideas of the United States. Its basis is a relatively simple "two-by-four" system derived from the dimensions of easily available or transportable beams (with a cross-section of 2 × 4 inches) and cheap nails. The flexibility of such a construction allows for contextuality and typological and visual variety. For these qualities, it remains popular, as unlike masonry or concrete buildings, it allows for relatively easy reconstruction or transformation. Similarly, the speed of its construction corresponds to the American mentality and the demand for quick changes or relocations.
The University of Chicago did not engage with this topic by chance. Chicago is known not only as the city of the first skyscraper but also as the first wooden structure with framed construction: in 1832, a warehouse was built here following the design of George Washington Snow, who was behind the revolutionary invention of the so-called balloon framing used in this very building.
In the Galerie Jaroslava Fragnera, the system of american framing will present wooden models of historical buildings, complemented by photographs by Chris Strong and Daniel Shea. The monumental multi-story structure covering the American pavilion, created as part of the Biennale, offered an unconventional view of the central part of the Giardini area. The outdoor site-specific installation was designed by American architects for the Prague gallery as well. This structure will, albeit on a smaller scale, demonstrate the basic principle of framed construction that differs from European construction traditions mainly due to its simplicity. It will also become an interesting temporary addition to the public space of Prague.
Framed wooden construction supported the rapid expansion of settlers westward in the early 19th century, and by making building accessible in terms of materials, finances, and actual implementation, it became a symbol of democratic principles, or the most significant ideas of the United States. Its basis is a relatively simple "two-by-four" system derived from the dimensions of easily available or transportable beams (with a cross-section of 2 × 4 inches) and cheap nails. The flexibility of such a construction allows for contextuality and typological and visual variety. For these qualities, it remains popular, as unlike masonry or concrete buildings, it allows for relatively easy reconstruction or transformation. Similarly, the speed of its construction corresponds to the American mentality and the demand for quick changes or relocations.
The University of Chicago did not engage with this topic by chance. Chicago is known not only as the city of the first skyscraper but also as the first wooden structure with framed construction: in 1832, a warehouse was built here following the design of George Washington Snow, who was behind the revolutionary invention of the so-called balloon framing used in this very building.
In the Galerie Jaroslava Fragnera, the system of american framing will present wooden models of historical buildings, complemented by photographs by Chris Strong and Daniel Shea. The monumental multi-story structure covering the American pavilion, created as part of the Biennale, offered an unconventional view of the central part of the Giardini area. The outdoor site-specific installation was designed by American architects for the Prague gallery as well. This structure will, albeit on a smaller scale, demonstrate the basic principle of framed construction that differs from European construction traditions mainly due to its simplicity. It will also become an interesting temporary addition to the public space of Prague.
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