Steven Holl introduces harmony between man and nature through open urban landscapes, wiping out the concept of private and public with his concrete structures. This new approach to architecture makes us wonder if boundaries are what we needed all along.

Steven Holl and Space

Steven Holl is an American architect who has long focused on finding innovative strategies to combat urban sprawl, the phenomenon in which a city’s confines become blurry and invade the nature surrounding it. Holl’s strategies aim to create a porous separation between the city and its surroundings, private and public, interior and exterior. He believes that there is an important relationship between the person and the space they inhabit. Therefore his approach to architecture is meant to intertwine the human spirit and the environment while still respecting their individuality. 

The Purpose of Delimiting Urban Space

The United States of America has long been suffering at the hands of uncontrollable urban sprawl into the land surrounding its cities. If ignored, this phenomenon can have catastrophic long-term effects on the environment and the health of communities. An example of Its consequences is a higher reliance on automobiles for transport, increasing pollution and negatively impacting overall health. In addition, it contributes to the degradation of animals’ habitats and the loss of already scarce resources such as water, land, and energy. 

The Relationship Between Human and Space

Holl’s philosophy of architecture is thoroughly explained in his text Edge of a City. In it he writes about the relationship between humans and the spaces they inhabit. They can excite or inhibit our thoughts and change our perspective through light, color, and texture. Spatial relationships can also affect our external world and how we perceive things such as seasons, time of day and temperature. Holl believes that the integration of an outside space into an interior can improve the quality of one’s spirit, which is why his visions include a balance of outside and inside. This led to Holl focusing on the overall urban space and how it is perceived, rather than focusing on the single iconic object as modern architecture tends to do. 

A Human-First Approach

One way Holl attempts to focus on the subjective perception of a space is by reversing traditional methods used by architects. Usually, the first step to an architectural plan is the creation of a top-down, bird’s-eye-view plan, then perspective views follow to understand the subjective experience that comes along with it. Holl chooses to reverse this and use perspective view first, which he did when creating a proposal for the remodeling of Milan’s urban architecture. This proposal suggested flipping Milan’s city density, creating a higher density on the outskirts, and a lighter density in the center. This was one of the proposals written in Edge of a City to counter the sprawl of Milanese suburbs.

Storefront of Art and Architecture, New York, 1993

Storefront of Art and Architecture is a small-scale project by Steven Holl and Vito Acconci which serves as a good introduction to Holl’s concept of porosity. Holl and Acconci were commissioned to renovate a wall in 1992. The wall in question separates a small art gallery from the street in front of it and is at the intersection between three major neighborhoods: SOHO, Little Italy, and Chinatown. The architects chose to introduce hinged puzzle-like spaces which rotate on multiple axes, allowing the space to be turned inside out. Holl and Acconci remove the distance that the wall created, destroying the symbolic border between the elitist art world and society. Director Kyong Park describes it perfectly: ‘No wall, no barrier, no inside, no outside, no space, no building, no place, no institution, no art, no architecture, no Acconci, no Holl, no Storefront.’ 

Sliced Porosity block, Chengdu, 2012

Situated in central Chengdu, China, the Sliced Porosity Block creates a multi-functional plaza for the community. The space is made up of three valleys which are inspired by the verse of a poem by Du Fu (713-770), which reads ‘From the northeast storm-tossed to the southwest, time has left stranded in Three Valleys.’ Water fountains, meant to reflect the concept of time, and perfectly calculated light distribution is delimited by the surrounding skyscrapers. The overall structure follows the concept of micro-urbanism, creating a small city within a city. Three designs were embedded in the towers, echoing the concept of porosity. Each of these was designed by a different architect: Steven Holl Architects, the Light Pavilion by Lebbeus Woods, and the Local Art Pavilion. The contrast between the land and the towers’ imposing nature manages to blend into a space of serenity and contemplation. 

Spatial Retaining Bars, Phoenix, 1989

Spatial Retaining Bars are conceptual concrete structures set at the periphery of Phoenix, Arizona to protect the surrounding desert landscape. These bars are built to contain live/work lofts and community spaces inside. Courtyards, shops and services can be found outside, at their base. These structures are 30 feet by 30 feet, inspired by the 30-foot-wide canals built by the Hohokam tribe which previously inhabited the land. The Hohokam Indian civilization and its disappearance are regarded as Phoenix’s biggest mystery. They dug 250 miles of canals that allowed water to flow across the desert. These canals are the forgotten foundation of the city of Phoenix’s name, derived from a quote by Phillip Darrell Duppa who, upon seeing the canals, said:

A city will rise phoenix-like new and beautiful from these ashes of the past.

This proposal by Holl defines a balance between structure, the bars delimiting the spread of Phoenix, and community, with its housing, services, and nature. The spaces between the bars are also fundamental in allowing the desert hills to peek into the city, avoiding alienation between the city and its context. 

What can we take away from Steven Holl’s work?

Steven Holl’s work allows us to identify two fundamental practices that contribute to our quality of life: our interactions with the surrounding environment and its safekeeping. The delineation of space, not just of cities, can allow humans to create better relationships with their surroundings and benefit from the healing properties of nature. All the while living in contemporary spaces that bring us comfort. Being able to incorporate nature in a world that seems to prioritize profit and showy skyscrapers is a refreshing reminder of how spaces should fit us and not the other way around. 

^{Featured by Steven Holl Architects}