Background
The term minimalism can be used to describe a trend in design and architecture wherein the subject is reduced to only its necessary elements. Minimalist design in the west has been highly influenced by Japanese traditional design and architecture. In addition, the work of De Stijl artists is a major source of reference for this kind of work. De Stijl expanded the ideas that could be expressed by using basic elements such as lines and planes organized in very particular manners.
Barcelona Pavilion
The reconstruction of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's German Pavilion in Barcelona is minimalist in its use of space and pared down architectural elements.
Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe adopted the motto "less is more" to describe his aesthetic tactic of arranging the numerous necessary components of a building to create an impression of extreme simplicity. By enlisting every element and detail to serve multiple visual and functional purposes, such as designing a floor to also serve as the radiator, or a massive fireplace to also house the bathroom, spaces become visually pared down and high-functioning.
Minimalist architecture became popular in the late 1980s in London and New York, a few decades after the movement's prevalence in other art forms. White elements, cold lighting, large open spaces with minimal objects and furniture and a simplified living space to reveal the essential quality of buildings and attitudes toward life were the characteristics of minimalist architecture and design. While ornamentation is minimized, minimalist architecture an design do not completely do away with ornamentation, but instead aim to maintain the idea that all parts, details and joinery have been reduced to a stage where no one can remove anything further to improve the design.
The elements that minimalist design and architecture takes into account are light, form, material, space and location. In minimalist architecture, design elements convey the message of simplicity. The basic geometric forms, elements without decoration, simple materials and the repetitions of structures represent a sense of order and essential quality. The movement of natural light in buildings reveals simple and clean spaces. In late 19th century as the arts and crafts movement began to be popular in Britain, people valued the attitude of ‘truth to materials', with respect to the profound and innate characteristics of materials. Minimalist architects humbly listen to figure, seeking essence and simplicity by rediscovering the valuable qualities in simple and common materials.
Influences from Japanese Tradition
The idea of simplicity appears in many cultures, especially the Japanese traditional culture of Zen Philosophy. Zen concepts of simplicity transmit the ideas of freedom and essence of living. Simplicity is not only aesthetic value, it has a moral perception that looks into the nature of truth and reveals the inner qualities of materials and objects for their essence. For example, the dry rock garden in Ryoan-ji temple demonstrates the concepts of simplicity and the essentiality from the considered setting of a few stones and a huge empty space. Ryoan-ji, attributed by some scholars to the famous landscape painter and monk Sōami, is believed to have originally used the concept of shakkei in its design, in which background landscape is incorporated into the composition of the garden.
Ryoan-Ji Temple
Ryoan-Ji Temple is a Zen temple that exemplifies the minimalism and simplicity that is typical in Japanese design.