How the work of master architects still informs architecture today

Many modern works from master architects are still influencing the way we design contemporary architecture, despite in some cases being around one hundred years old.Mies Van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion is an iconic building which introduced some revolutionary principles, which are still employed in the work of architects today. Mies Van der Rohe used a simple palette of materials in the design of the Barcelona Pavilion, consisting primarily of glass, steel and stone - materials which are still used extensively in contemporary architecture.A key design technique still utilised today is the use of materials on different planes that intersect each other, both horizontally and vertically and the use of the floating roof which sails over the space, projecting out over the exterior, and creating blurred spatial demarcation and allowing inside and outside to become one.Whilst Charles and Ray Eames' House symbolises the live-work lifestyle that is so common today. A dwelling and a studio are both located on the site, separated by a courtyard. As it has become more common for people to live and work from one property or site, this technique has been used continually, often installing different methods of separation between home and work space.However the defining feature of the house is in its construction, being constructed entirely from 'off-the-shelf' components, creating a rectilinear form with a Mondrian style facade that is rigidly geometric and incorporates bright colours. The cube-like forms of the home and studio become containers for the functions of living and working - this is a concept that is still repeated extensively, particularly in the design of modern homes.The Douglas House by Richard Meier is successful in its integration with the landscape and this relationship has been emulated in many modern homes since. The house is embedded in its site. being cut into the steep hill and surrounded by woodland. However the house does not seek to blend into its surroundings subtly, instead it enhances its landscape by a stark contrast of the white against the greens of the woodlands. Vertical mullions throughout the house echo the patterns of the trees and strong horizontal planes allow the house to extend out into the natural horizontals of the shoreline, the lake surface and the horizon, creating generous spacious continuity through from the interior to the exterior.There seems to be a modern ambition, to live in a strong rectilinear cube form, or in an open plan space with materials intersecting on different planes, whilst establishing and enhancing a connection with the outside and achieving inside-outside living. However these requirements are not actually new or modern ideas, they are all design devices with their origins set decades back in architectural history, but due to their successful application they act as a precedent and are incorporated into the work of many architects today.Images from:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona_Pavilion https://archtech260.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/historical-precedents/ (Eames House)http://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Douglas_House