My Experience with Eisenman

I spent four years as undergrad in an Eisenman design, the Aronoff Center, at the University of Cincinnati. Although at the time I disliked the majority of the spaces in the building, (and therefore Eisenman as an architect) looking back, especially after our lecture on projective architecture, I am starting to think of it in a new light. The project was conceived as a circulation spine intended to link the existing buildings on the site. And it succeeded in that. Even though the circulation through the complex of buildings was incredibly maze-like and honestly made you think about your route every time you wanted to go somewhere, the "Grand Stair", designed by Eisenman, was always the main point of reference. If you could find the Grand Stair you were safe. The rest of the building is a clash of angles, spaces, and colors, jutting out at you, bridging over you, guiding you through the space. It is a lot of languages coming together and is honestly quite overwhelming (until you've spent four years there). I also feel that a lot of the admin space and classrooms are more of afterthoughts, stuck into the voids of the Grand Stair. However, I will give him credit for his incredible detail. Where a light is located above, the floor tiling pattern reflects the same form in a different color. As the installer, I would have despised him, but as an architect I appreciate the guiding navigation he provides both above and below a user (mostly because there is no direct means of access anywhere in the building). Also, there is a decorative column in one corner of the building, put in place for no other purpose than that Eisenman wanted it in that exact location, which I find amusing. In an interview, Eisenman states that he designs buildings for people to adapt to, which is exactly what happened at UC. The Grand Stair is used daily for studio critiques. Once a year, the stair also transforms into a runway for a freshman fashion show and the upperclassmen gather in any available nook to watch what is happening below. We may criticize Eisenman all we want for his architecture that refuses to obey traditional rules, but in the end, his projects are built because they create unique and interesting spaces. So although the Aronoff Center may not have been designed for its function, the students and faculty have brought its form to life.

Aronoff Center, University of Cincinnati 

View from parking garage showing the "Grand Stair" extending out of the building into the garage

Exterior facade, basically your first view of campus from one of its entrances

Grand Stair

Parade of columns (crashing into lights) leading you into the building. The light is reflected in the tile pattern on the floor

Looks like a dead end, but actually this tight corner opens up into a photo lab

View of atrium during the freshman fashion show