HOME BEAUTIFUL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 669, 22 May 1929, Page 15

HOME BEAUTIFUL

Modernise your present home ! Bring your house up-to-date ! Domestic science has made great strides in recent years —enjoy the advantages increase , the value of your property and m ake yours the Home Beautiful.

(By

“PENATES”

Scandinavian Homes

DIGNITY AND EASE Progress, But No Cubists THE contemporary, architecture of Scandinavia shows but few traces of that movement variously described as “Cubist,” “Futurist” or “Modernist,” examples of which are to be seen in almost every town of any importance in France, Germany and Central Europe, says a writer in the “Ideal Home.”

'J’HE Scandinavian architect, no less than his Central European contemporary, is influenced by the ideals of the present time, and i£ he is more traditional it is because of a certain sedateness in his nature, and because the peaceable character of his country has demanded less revolutionary j forms. It is a happy medium rather than the extremes of good or bad taste which is to be observed in these countries, where a peaceful democracy precludes the necessity for radical changes in any one direction. The liberation from submission to and slavish copying of past forms, [which was an international eharacter- | istic of architecture until the end of j the last century, has come about as much from new ideals of hygiene and comfort, and the intervention of new I materials, such as iron and concrete, j as from a definite desire to create a | new aesthetic. j In every branch of architecture and decoration practical considerations and ! the desire for comfort and solidity | take precedence of purely aesthetic ! considerations. DANISH HOMES In Denmark the revolt from tvornout traditions has taken the form of a constructive use of those styles most suited to the requirements of present day life. An example of the maunei in which the modern Danish artist has mastered past forms is to be observe! in the furniture designed by Kaare Klint. Here the classical origin is clearly visible, yet what could be more in keeping with the modern spirit which demands comfort, suitability t< function and the minimum of encum brance, than the chairs and table ii this room? The open fireplace, so essential ii a country which suffers from seven winters, is another traditional forn which has received a great deal o attention. Illustrated is a living roon whose central feature is a massiv stone fireplace of an almost class! design, yet is essentially modern in its severity and lack of ornament. The built-in bookcases and the use of a Chinese painting as an overmantel are also typical of today and harmonise well with the other features of the room. In the domestic architecture of Denmark the rural character of the country is clearly visible. Great attention has been paid to national forms, and a most delightful style has been evolved which is the acme of repose and comfort. A peculiarity of Denmark i 3 the wooden house, which, in so thickly wooded a country, is to be expected. The forms necessitated by this mater-

ll are severe, but very charming and i imple houses built entirely ot wood, , ,nd with great stress laid on tile imlortance of windows and balconies, ire to be found in all outlying dis- I riets and suburbs. < ART IN SWEDEN The influence of 18th century French 1 irt, which plays so large a part in Danish architecture and decoration, is 2 veil more noticeable in Sweden. Here .he reign of Bernadotte brought into prominence the classical styles of the Directoire and Empire periods, which were modified to suit the national This influence, together with the rustic traditions of the country, has been greatly moderated by mechanical industrialism, and it is from thesethree sources that modern Swedish architecture takes its inspiration. The result has been a simplified _ and rationalised version of traditional forms in which the requirements of modern life and construction have been harmoniously combined. Brick is the favourite medium for domestic architecture. Proportion and balance are stressed, and there is something dignified and deeply-rooted in even the most modern building. Double or triple roofs are a characteristic feature of Swedish houses and, like their Danish counterparts, are roofed with very thick semi-cir-cular tiles which give an uneven outline to the eaves. The arched windows and doorway, too, are typical. A close sympathy between; the Scandinavian and English character must exist for the two nations to evolve such similar forms. Much importance is attached by the modern Scandinavian architect to environment. The majority of houses are designed to be surrounded by gardens and many have open-air loggias. The whole movement of architecture in Scandinavia, particularly domestic architecture, appears to prove that evolution is better than revolution, and that to realise the importance of the past is to be freed from its tyranny.