Narrative Experience Drawings

Atmospheres

1.      How does Peter Zumthor talk about the "Magic of the Real" and explain how this compares, in terms of the subtleties, to Michael Benedikt's "Architecture for Reality"?

He describes it as the atmosphere created by a building, for example the intensity and mood portrayed in the picture of a Café at a students’ hostel.  Like Benedikt, Zumthor breaks up his explanation into multiple parts each talking about how the “atmosphere” is created. Benedikt breaks it up more into different types of architecture realities, but they both agree on the fact that it’s the experience that someone takes in that creates the reality of the architecture.  In other words, people see architecture differently due to atmosphere and symbolism.

2.      Material Compatibility, Temperature of a Space and Levels of Intimacy are some conditions that both Peter Zumthor, in “Atmospheres”, and Richard Serra, in “Weight and Measure”, make a point of articulating when consider space. Where in their explanation of these overlapping conditions are they similar and where do they differ?

Zumthor talks about Levels of Intimacy as scale, and how different types of thresholds generate a different type of experience.  This was one of Serra’s issues at the British Museum.  He was having problems with the scale of the colossal columns in the octagonal room.  Zumthor talks about Temperature of a Space being physical because it’s in what we see and touch, while Serra perceived it more as in vastness of a space. As far as Material Compatibility, Zumthor explains how different materials react to one another, and how materials can be two far apart to react or too close where they just kill each other.  This is something Serra had to take into consideration when adding the two rectangles to the museum.

3.      Zumthor looks towards experiential conditions when creating architecture, what are other methods architects use when generating architecture and what is the corresponding building?

In revival architecture I believe the approach is more straightforward rather than putting down a bunch of ideas to try out.  Sure there will be some experiential condition but for the most part the ideas come from the ancient work.  For example the Schauspielhaus Theater by Karl Friedrich Schinkel.

4.      For Zumthor at the end of the day, after figuring use, sound, place, light and the other listed conditions, if the coherence isn’t beautiful the process is started again. Beauty is simultaneously subjective for the individual, as held “in the eye of the beholder”, and universally recognizable. Define your subjective understanding of what beautiful architecture is.

Through the course of my studies here at the College of Architecture I’ve been introduced to different ideas of what beautiful architecture is and not one have I disagreed with.  I strongly agree with what Zumthor says about beauty being held “in the eye of the beholder,” because of that we have such a variety of beautiful architecture in this world.  It’s thing like material compatibility and the sound of space that really do need to be taken into consideration along with a bunch of other things like Zumthor and other architects have mentioned in order to create that aesthetically pleasing building

Memory Grid with Section Cut

Richard Serra Q&A

1.    What were Richard Serra's goals for the installation?

Serra’s goals were to “redirect how one thinks about the architecture.”  The major issues     were things like the overpowering Slacker Octagon and the colossal columns in it.

2.    Define the field Serra is referring to when he states that his sculptural elements need to create "enough tension within the field to hold the experience of presence in the place". How do you define "experience of presence"?

He’s talking about the scale that the sculptural element’s presence should create. For example, once you become aware of the columns presence you experience the vertical and horizontal scale of the Slacker Octagon.  “Experience of presence” is almost self defining, the presence of sculptural elements create an experience of scale.

3.    How do the columns, pedestal condition, octagonal space and vertical axis challenge Serra?

All of these elements where obstacles for Serra because of their major dominance.  He had to figure out a way to take away attention from these overblown elements but while working with them.

4.    What is effective in terms of the shape, scale and number of the two square elements in the Duveen Galleries?

The shape of squares worked well with a rectangular room and gave a parallel perspective. The scale made the “elements massive enough to be understood as volumes in relationship to the volume of the space.”  The number of two squares was enough, anymore would have caused repetition.

5.    Describe the differences and similarities between Barnett Newman's and Richard Serra's work.

The main difference between Newman’s and Serra’s work is the experience created by their sculptures.  To Serra, Newman’s sculptures lack interest and fail in collecting space.  They both share the same way of distillation without reduction though.

Book Sections

Theme: Axes That Reach/ Paths That Wander

Composition: Rooms That Define/ Space That Leaks Up Into The Light

Model Diagrams

Grids

Shoe Casts

Plan

Shoe Plan

2-Part Model Photos

Seminar One

Stan Allen describes field conditions as “bottom-up phenomena: defined not by overarching geometrical schemas but by intricate local connections.” What are some field condition examples that can be found in the road systems of Lubbock?




Grid layout of the roads, the numbering and lettering of the streets, and the grade of the roads.



In part 1, Allen distinguishes a geometric relationship of classical architecture from an algebraic combination of the Cordoba Mosque. How do these two architectural examples differ?



The geometric relationship of classical architecture deals with figures organized in space to form larger wholes. It’s harder to add to a structure with this type of relationship because a “morphing” affect will occur. Unlike an algebraic relationship which consists of single units combined one after another.



What are some other examples of field conditions that can be observed around campus?



Pavement, paths, football crowd, football stadium seats, and parking lots.



How does a field condition stand to redefine the relation between figure and ground?



Helps indentify separate parts, for example in Giambattista Nolli’s figure ground Rome plan one can see how the fields are a dark poche and the streets are left white.



What is the reality Michael Benedikt writes about?



Benedikt states that there is no such thing as “one reality.” Reality is a personal thing and ones choice on what they make a reality.



Benedikt describes degrees of reality in architecture as: Architecture of Dreams, Architecture of Games, Architecture of Illusions, Architecture of Enactments and Architecture of Jokes. What are some example buildings that fall under these categories?



Architecture of Dreams- “Emilio’s Folly: Man is an Island,” Emilio Ambasz

Architecture of Games- “The Manhattan Transcripts,” Bernard Tschumi

Architecture of Illusions- Mural, Kroger Building, Cincinnati; Richard Haas

Architecture of Enactments- University of Houston School of Architecture Building; Philip Johnson.

Architecture of Jokes- Commercial Building, Austin, TX; Arquitectonica









Benedikt describes “direct esthetic experience of the real” as being moments without symbolism. Where in our environment does symbolism occur and where in our environment is symbolism absent? What is an example of this situation?



Symbolism- Churches, historical cities, statues, shopping malls,stadiums.

Symbolic Absence- Parking lots, sheds, houses, rooftops, sewer systems.



Although Benedikt’s position pulls examples from the 70‘s and 80‘s to illustrate that an architecture of reality is polar to the post-modern architecture movement, this condition continues to exist today. Where in the city would be examples of an architecture of reality and post-modern architecture?



Suburban homes, Las Vegas, and Robert Venturi mother's house.



The four components that define the “realness” of an architecture for reality are: presence, significance, materiality, and emptiness (in two categories). How do these components relate to architecture? and What are some examples of architectural elements that make up these conditions?



Presence- Physical presence, forces itself upon, speaks for itself, appropriateness.

Significance- Collective value to the architect and importance to somebody.

Materiality- How it’s used.

Emptiness 1- Space between columns and space not used by the building. Ex. Kimble Art Museum

Emptiness 2- Emptiness that draws you or a gravitational pull.

Flatland Submission