Deconstructivism is a development of Postmodern architecture beginning in the late 1980s. It is characterized by ideas of fragmentation, non-linear processes of design, an interest in manipulating ideas of a structure's surface or skin, and apparent non-Euclidean geometry, which serve to distort and dislocate some of the elements of architecture, such as structure and envelope. The finished visual appearance of buildings that exhibit the myriad deconstructivist "styles" is characterized by a stimulating unpredictability and a controlled chaos. Some of the architects involved have been influenced by the writings of the French philosopher Jacques Derrida and his ideas on Deconstruction; others have been influenced by the idea of reiterating the geometric imbalances of the Russian Constructivist movement. Important events in the history of the deconstructivist movement include the 1982 Parc de la Villette architectural design competition (especially the entries by Jacques Derrida and Peter Eisenman and Bernard Tschumi's winning entry), the 1988 Museum of Modern Art’s Deconstructivist Architecture exhibition in New York, organized by Philip Johnson and Mark Wigley, and the 1989 opening of the Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio, designed by Peter Eisenman.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstructivism

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1880: Australian outlaw and folk hero Ned Kelly was captured in Glenrowan, Victoria. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Kelly)

1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was killed by Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip in the Assassination in Sarajevo, catalysing the outbreak of World War I. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_in_Sarajevo)

1919: The Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending World War I. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles)

1978: The United States Supreme Court, in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke 438 US 265 1978, barred quota systems in college admissions but affirmed the constitutionality of programs giving advantage to minorities.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regents_of_the_University_of_California_v._Bakk...)

1990: Paperback Software, a company founded by Adam Osborne, was found guilty by a U.S. court of copyright violation for copying the appearance and menu system of Lotus 1-2-3 in its competing spreadsheet program. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Osborne)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"Hatred, as well as love, renders its votaries credulous." -- Jean-Jacques Rousseau (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau)