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22 Emoji Decorate An Apartment Building As Modern Day ‘Gargoyles’
Quick, what are the most recognizable icons of the 21st century? Architect Changiz Tehrani thinks they’re emojis. And he’s so sure of it, that he has just put 22 of them on a building in the Netherlands.
Image credits: bartvanhoekfoto / Attika Architekten
“In classical architecture, they used heads of the king or whatever, and they put that on the facade,” he told the Verge. “So we were thinking, what can we use as an ornament so when you look at this building in 10 or 20 years you can say ‘hey this is from that year!'”
Image credits: changiz_t
The building is constructed around the lines of a grid, with pillars of brick, beams of white concrete, and decorative circles at the intersections. The emojis only appear on one side of the structure, which faces a town square and a 150-year-old oak. The building itself is of mixed-use. There are shops on the ground floor and flats above them.
Image credits: bartvanhoekfoto / Attika Architekten
The designs of the 22 emoji were borrowed from a template used by WhatsApp, and converted into 3D models by Attika Architekten. These were then sent to the building company involved in the project. They created the molds for the emojis and took care of the casting.
Image credits: Attika Architekten
“There are all these young people there, and emoji is a thing of now,” said Tehrani, an employee of the Dutch firm Attika Architekten. “The students sit in the square and have lunch and they take pictures. They like it. And with our architecture, we always like to put in small details that make the project a little bit more than a boring building.”
Image credits: bartvanhoekfoto / Attika Architekten
Some, however, didn’t think this was a good idea. “Architecture is serious,” Sean Khorsandi, a professor of architectural history and theory at New York Institute of Technology, told WIRED. “We’re using copious materials, and we’re taking up land. There is a responsibility that goes along with that.”
Image credits: bartvanhoekfoto / Attika Architekten
Image credits: bartvanhoekfoto / Attika Architekten
“If everything is a joke; reduced to this disposable ‘I like it in the moment’ fad, that’s a dangerous attitude to have.” In his opinion, Tehrani’s use of emojis didn’t advance architectural thought or technology.
Image credits: bartvanhoekfoto / Attika Architekten
Furthermore, Khorsandi pointed out that most of the discussion about the building has focused on the emojis, not its fairly pedestrian design.”In my opinion this is cliché and the building will date itself very quickly.”
Image credits: bartvanhoekfoto / Attika Architekten
Image credits: bartvanhoekfoto / Attika Architekten
Image credits: bartvanhoekfoto / Attika Architekten
Image credits: bartvanhoekfoto / Attika Architekten
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What do you think ?
Narunaru 5 years ago
This is a horrible idea, but it's just subtle decorations on a building. The professor needs to get off his high horse.
Nadine 5 years ago
Yeah, while I don't think the idea is good, at least it's not shocking and the building actually, IMO, looks very nice.
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Major Houlihan Bear 5 years ago
It will end. But not before this building is caught in selfies 7 myriad times
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Amanda Ford 5 years ago
I think this is a great idea! It does exactly what the architect wanted it to do, which is to date the building. I think it is a push for architects in general to incorporate modern concepts into their designs. It doesn't have to be all surreal, which seems to be the artsy architecture trend lately.
Master Markus 5 years ago
Yeah, but it could look nice rather than like the tackiest s**t.
Load More Replies...
Gonzalo Terán 5 years ago
Someone please put the turd emoji to pin point this building on Google Maps. That would make sense. So many things that deserve to be part of the architecture before the emojis...
Petra Schaap 5 years ago
why not? there are so many crazy buildings out there, this is one of them. It doesnt all have to be serious and pretentious. Yes, its super dated, but I think thats a good thing here.
Mark Howell 5 years ago
I think it is an amazing building. Seems like a normal modern block till you look close, fun place to work/live. ;o)
Ffaelan Condragh 5 years ago
It really is not that outlandish of an idea... https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/history-grotesques-and-gargoyles I think that professor needs to study more.
Martina Procházková 5 years ago
I am not sure about the emojis on their own, but architecture is not and should not be always serious. Deal with it.
Anthony O'hara 5 years ago
Don't hate or love it, just feel the need to point something out - A Gargoyle has an open mouth to allow water flow as they are connected to a roofs drainage. The correct term for a Gargoyle-like feature that does not have an open mouth and is there as decoration only, is a Grotesque.
Changiz Tehrani 5 years ago
Thank you all for your comments, whatever you like it or not, our goal was to do something different than the usual. In architecture and design, it is not possible to make everybody happy, so thank you all for hating it and loving it 😊❤. read this: https://www.archdaily.com/876613/in-defense-of-the-emoji-building-and-architecture-being-fun-sometimes
Purple Space Cow 5 years ago
I don't see the point in it, but it's cute and I would enjoy seeing it if I was walking by.
The Dutches 5 years ago
You can find this building at 'Leeghwater, 3825MR Amersfoort, the Netherlands'. I agree it is a strange building, but it also makes me smile every time I see it.
DforDorothy 5 years ago
But WHYYYY??? Gosh, if only we would have something intellectual that bring up memories of these years.. Ohh, wait... Actually ANYTHING else would be better than THIS !
Richard Wareham 5 years ago
Never used an emoji, never had one from anyone I'm in regular contact with, don't know what 99% of them mean. Why yes! I am over thirteen.
Master Markus 5 years ago
Never using an emoji, I can understand, but not understanding what they mean? A bunch of them are just facial expressions and therefore pretty easy to figure out. I get not understanding some of them though, like the poop one. Why is there a poop one? For what occasion?
Load More Replies...
Narunaru 5 years ago
This is a horrible idea, but it's just subtle decorations on a building. The professor needs to get off his high horse.
Nadine 5 years ago
Yeah, while I don't think the idea is good, at least it's not shocking and the building actually, IMO, looks very nice.
Load More Replies... Major Houlihan Bear 5 years ago
It will end. But not before this building is caught in selfies 7 myriad times
Load More Replies... Amanda Ford 5 years ago
I think this is a great idea! It does exactly what the architect wanted it to do, which is to date the building. I think it is a push for architects in general to incorporate modern concepts into their designs. It doesn't have to be all surreal, which seems to be the artsy architecture trend lately.
Master Markus 5 years ago
Yeah, but it could look nice rather than like the tackiest s**t.
Load More Replies... Gonzalo Terán 5 years ago
Someone please put the turd emoji to pin point this building on Google Maps. That would make sense. So many things that deserve to be part of the architecture before the emojis...
Petra Schaap 5 years ago
why not? there are so many crazy buildings out there, this is one of them. It doesnt all have to be serious and pretentious. Yes, its super dated, but I think thats a good thing here.
Mark Howell 5 years ago
I think it is an amazing building. Seems like a normal modern block till you look close, fun place to work/live. ;o)
Ffaelan Condragh 5 years ago
It really is not that outlandish of an idea... https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/history-grotesques-and-gargoyles I think that professor needs to study more.
Martina Procházková 5 years ago
I am not sure about the emojis on their own, but architecture is not and should not be always serious. Deal with it.
Anthony O'hara 5 years ago
Don't hate or love it, just feel the need to point something out - A Gargoyle has an open mouth to allow water flow as they are connected to a roofs drainage. The correct term for a Gargoyle-like feature that does not have an open mouth and is there as decoration only, is a Grotesque.
Changiz Tehrani 5 years ago
Thank you all for your comments, whatever you like it or not, our goal was to do something different than the usual. In architecture and design, it is not possible to make everybody happy, so thank you all for hating it and loving it 😊❤. read this: https://www.archdaily.com/876613/in-defense-of-the-emoji-building-and-architecture-being-fun-sometimes
Purple Space Cow 5 years ago
I don't see the point in it, but it's cute and I would enjoy seeing it if I was walking by.
The Dutches 5 years ago
You can find this building at 'Leeghwater, 3825MR Amersfoort, the Netherlands'. I agree it is a strange building, but it also makes me smile every time I see it.
DforDorothy 5 years ago
But WHYYYY??? Gosh, if only we would have something intellectual that bring up memories of these years.. Ohh, wait... Actually ANYTHING else would be better than THIS !
Richard Wareham 5 years ago
Never used an emoji, never had one from anyone I'm in regular contact with, don't know what 99% of them mean. Why yes! I am over thirteen.
Master Markus 5 years ago
Never using an emoji, I can understand, but not understanding what they mean? A bunch of them are just facial expressions and therefore pretty easy to figure out. I get not understanding some of them though, like the poop one. Why is there a poop one? For what occasion?
Load More Replies...
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