On aesthetics and spatial configuration (original) (raw)
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The Language of Architecture and the Narrative of the Architect: An Essay on Spatial Orientation and Cultural Meaning in Architecture, 2018
This essay analyzes whether architecture is a language in the sense of being capable of telling its own story, and how to assess the communicative value of the architects’ guiding story that inspired their architecture. The chapter argues that architecture’s ‘language of forms’ is like a language insofar as architecture consists of traceable but in themselves meaningless unities that are built into recognizable patterns, and insofar as it has a syntax of rules and conventions that prevent form combinations from becoming arbitrary. It is unlike a language insofar as its patterns and structure lack the semantic quality of making referential statements on the outside world. The same goes for music. The essay suggests that three basic relationships between humans and their world open up three distinctively orientated spaces: being-part, being-initiating, and being-at-a-distance. These correlate to mood space, movement space, and open space respectively. The language of architectural forms, then, appeals to the tactile-emotional, mobile-goal oriented, and visual-contemplative sensitivities of humans instead of translating narratives into architecture. The only story at the architects’ disposal is the story of their own taste and style. Architecture can do without the personal story of the architect’s taste and style but this story has the added value of making explicit what is already visible, thus functioning like the decoration that illustrates the point. The larger frameworks of reference of cultural traditions that left their mark on architecture tend to be equally or more helpful as ‘guiding stories,’ in cueing and experiencing architectural spaces as meaningful, as the ‘dry landscape garden’ of Ryoan-ji in Kyoto can exemplify.
Handbook of the Changing World Language Map, 2018
This essay analyzes whether architecture is a language in the sense of being capable of telling its own story, and how to assess the communicative value of the architects’ guiding story that inspired their architecture. The chapter argues that architecture’s ‘language of forms’ is like a language insofar as architecture consists of traceable but in themselves meaningless unities that are built into recognizable patterns, and insofar as it has a syntax of rules and conventions that prevent form combinations from becoming arbitrary. It is unlike a language insofar as its patterns and structure lack the semantic quality of making referential statements on the outside world. The same goes for music. The essay suggests that three basic relationships between humans and their world open up three distinctively orientated spaces: being-part, being-initiating, and being-at-a-distance. These correlate to mood space, movement space, and open space respectively. The language of architectural forms, then, appeals to the tactile-emotional, mobile-goal oriented, and visual-contemplative sensitivities of humans instead of translating narratives into architecture. The only story at the architects’ disposal is the story of their own taste and style. Architecture can do without the personal story of the architect’s taste and style but this story has the added value of making explicit what is already visible, thus functioning like the decoration that illustrates the point. The larger frameworks of reference of cultural traditions that left their mark on architecture tend to be equally or more helpful as ‘guiding stories,’ in cueing and experiencing architectural spaces as meaningful, as the ‘dry landscape garden’ of Ryoan-ji in Kyoto can exemplify.
Modern Architecture, Society and Notions of Spatiality1.docx
This is an extract from a longer text on Western Architecture, where the main changes in European building since 1850 are discussed, from the changes at that time in Paris and Vienna. The study deals with the study of human spatiality in Cubism, various theories of the 20th century, and the phenomenological study of M. Merleau-Ponty, until more recent times.
On Architecture as a Spatial Art
I present and evaluate various criticisms against the view that architecture and architectural value are to be understood solely in terms of internal space. I conclude that the architectural value of a building should not be limited to its internal spatial effects because the value of other elements, such as (nonspatial) function, materials, ornamentation, and so on cannot all be reduced to spatial values.
Philosophy and Perception of Beauty in Architecture
American Journal of Civil Engineering, 2019
Definitions of beauty and space are as diverse as defined by the disciplines in which it plays a fundamental role; from science and philosophy to art and architecture, each field's definition for the perception of the beauty of space is often simplified or reduced. This consequently denies us access new spaces whose definitions and perspectives, strategies and impacts on human perception of beauty of space are rarely considered in any cohesive manner. The debate, "Perception of beauty in Architecture and human perception of space". The research tries to reflect upon new understanding to the meaning of beauty in architecture and thus access new definitions and understanding to the beauty perspectives, strategies and processes of perception beauty in architecture. Some works of architecture have remarkable aesthetic value. According to certain philosophers, part of this value derives from the appearance of such constructions to fulfill the function for which they were built. The research digs through the dilemma of form follows function and argues that one way of understanding the connection between function and aesthetic value resides in the concept of functional and beauty together not the idea of function vs. beauty; the paper attempts to offer a better way of understanding it.
The Extent and Relevance of Aesthetics in Architecture
Aesthetics has always been perceived as being one of the keystones off any architectural output. The role of an architect has generally been that of an individual who infuses some kind of visual relief in a mundane functional solution. This in turn reduces the architect to someone whose talent, skill and enterprise is cosmetic in nature. Architecture is not cosmetic but cosmic and aesthetics is a key component in this endeavor. Aesthetics may be subjective, intangible and non cognitive yet it shapes the perceptions, quality and definition of any space. A paradigm shift in the approach to aesthetics is proposed.
Situational theory of architectural typology
2008
In his book The Practice of Everyday Life Michel de Certeau makes a distinction between ‘space’ and ‘place’. He defines a ‘place’ as: ‘L’ordre (quel qu’il soit) selon lequel des elements sont distribues dans des rapports de coexistence […] Un lieu est donc une configuration instantanee de positions. Il implique une indication de stabilite‘ Whereas ‘space’ is defined as ‘l’effet produit par les operations qui l’orientent, le circonstancient, le temporalisent et l’amenent a fonction en unite polyvalente de programmes conflictuels ou de proximites contractuelles […] A la difference du lieu, il n’a donc ni l’univocite ni la stabilite’ In this paper, I would like to use Michel de Certeau’s conceptual apparatus to reflect on the relationship between ‘politics’ and ‘design’. The designer mainly works on the material qualities of the built artefact. When a designer works on the composition of the plan, on the distribution and dimension of the different rooms in the building, when he invents...
The Aesthetics of Structure
The definition of structure as a separate discipline in the history of architecture is relatively recent, about 150 years ago. Before that time the aesthetic roles of architecture and structure were indistinguishable and consequently the “aesthetic of structure” does not have any definite meaning. In the complicated art of constructing the structure has always used as a potential aesthetic instrument. Architecture in general despite structure, has too many other aesthetic instruments like colour, light, decoration, geometric proportions, form etc. But the structure or the load-bearing part of the building has a crucial aesthetic role because during the cognitive process it exerts a direct psychological impact to the viewer while the structural impression may affect the human “survival instinct”. In a certain way the perception of structure represents the state of health of the building. A seemingly vigorous structure may result more comfortable. In 2009 Mr. Denis Dutton presented his theory of evolutionary aesthetic. According to that theory our sense of beauty is related to our primordial instinct of survival and he explains meticulously the way how this works. In fact the essence of Dutton's theory is a simple and short conclusion; deep in our mind the healthy and the beauty are the same thing. Inducting this short conclusion to the case of structural aesthetic in this thesis is made a research to find a relationship between various type of structures and how they reflect their healthy and how their healthy is “converted” in Beauty. The examples presented are rated in ascending order beginning with some random cases and positioning the best ones in the end of the study material. In the end the research is synthesized in a three dimensional graphic chart where the conclusions are combined with the progressive positive proprieties of each case. In conclusion the structure not only has a specific aesthetic charge but relating the aesthetic of structure to its psychological impact upraises the structure to the top of architectural aesthetic instruments.
The Role of Structure in the Aesthetic Creation of Architectural Space
International Journal of Architecture and Urban Development, 2018
One of tools for the architectural advent form is the structure, while architecture and structures, particularly in our sociable Iran, are separated from each other. Most successful buildings have dominating designers who are proficient in structural issues and have a comprehension of the structural system's behavior. The extent attention to the structure of the building will inevitably lead to beauty. If the structure has aesthetic considerations, a successful link between architecture and structure will occur. This research seeks to provide a solution and strategies to formulate both architecture and structure. The purpose of this paper is to articulate a sound and desired theoretical foundation in relation to the aesthetics of the architectural form and structure so that achieve a successful link between architecture and structure. The research methodology is applied in terms of the purpose of the research. The qualitative and quantitative research methodology is used to analyze the information as well as to provide analytical tables and matrix analysis in order to summarize the contents. The research has come to the conclusion that constructive requirements, along with functional requirements and aesthetic issues, bring together an unmatched effect. The study of successful works in the world suggests that if one of the subcategories of these three criteria works, it can be considered as one of the most successful buildings in the world. Formation of forces flow can be effective in the aesthetic structure of the structure.