The relationship between “form” and “function” had always been the core of Sullivan’s career. In his point of view, anything, whether it is organic or inorganic, could be deemed as the representation of its content and function, and every particular function has developed its own form. Sullivan explain this idea by illustrating oak tree in his Kindergarten Charts, he wrote, “generally speaking outer appearances resemble inner purposes. For instances, the form, oak tree, resembles and expresses the function or purpose, oak” (Sullivan, Kindergarten chats). In here, “form” could be understood as phenomenon of things, but not just the appearance. In his article, “The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered,” published in 1986, Louis Sullivan …show more content…
Wainwright building in St. Louis is the one that can most represent Sullivan’s idea. However, from the angle of functionalism, there are some questionable points about Wainwright Building. Strictly, the form of Wainwright Building really exposes the structure of itself? Apparently no. The bottom two levels have the same structure with higher level, but why the lower levels got thicker wall, which looks like they might bear the weight of higher part? Columns looks like that they are full of power in the vertical way, but the steel frame is arranged in a net-shape which emphasizes neither in the way of vertical, nor in the way of horizontal, how to say that the form expresses its structure? And the top floor serves a ordinary function without any special, why could the wall out of the top floor get the luxuriant ornament on its …show more content…
But, actually, what Sullivan really cares about is the “form.” Otherwise, he would not have this much thoughts about the relationship between form and function. Sullivan always gives high priority to architectural form, especially its ornament, but with a kind of ambivalence in his mind. On the one hand, he believes that architecture could be great without any decoration or ornament. On the other hand, thoughtful designed ornament is also indispensable to architecture. Finally, he gave the answer, he thinks particular ornament should be applied on the particular kinds of architecture, just like different trees have various types of leaves. So, architectural form is not influenced by the extrinsic factor, but the “growth” of itself. Now it is understandable why Wainwright Building got such a luxuriant ornament on its top. Under the eave, the surface between windows are extended, and sophisticated spiraled leaves surrounds the circular windows. It is just the metaphor of the “organic” system of
This essay will focus on how those works are informed by both regional and international course. In this context, Sydney Ancher and his strong Miesian simplicity as well as Peter Muller’s affinity with Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture principle.
These impossible lengths of the building gives the reader insight on how powerful Burnham is with architecture. Burnham’s mind “pioneered the erection of tall structures” (13). that gives the visual image that Burnham made the first tall buildings of his generation, a huge accomplishment for an architect. Larson uses Burnham as the “leading architect”
“Architecture should not be seen as representing a magical transition from the worldly to the heavenly, as had been implied by the Baroque Style, but rather as a medium that told nothing less than the story of the “origins” of mankind.” (Ching 610)
What I would like to point out especially is its capital. The building has capitals with two volutes, which was very common in the Ionic order. Each column consists of the capital, shaft, and base, which is analogous to the basic form of the Ionic order.
A deep understanding of architectural heritage and aesthetics allows Tom to maintain a balance between existing traditional architecture and the new contemporary additions. He has some prestigious and
Sympathy toward the profile of the building in space impelled fashioners toward flawlessness in the enunciation of parts, and these parts got to be intellectualized as stylobate, base, shaft, capital, architrave, frieze, cornice, and pediment, each speaking to figuratively its basic reason.
In A Home Is Not a House, Reyner Banham starts by arguing that the main function of the typic American house is to cover its mechanical structure. In fact, he states that the use of mechanical services in architectural practice varies constantly because mechanical services are considered to be new in the profession, as well as, a cultural threat to the architect’s position in the world. To show his argument, Banham states that American houses are basically large single spaces divided by partitions inside that give a relative importance to the use of internal mechanical services, causing a threat to the need of architectural design. Similarly, American cultural characteristics, like cleanliness and hygiene, also foster the use and need of mechanical
The human body is the ultimate tool for discovering the environment. Human anatomy is considered to be nature’s peak of perfection and certain features serve as inspiration for many architects. To study the relationship between the human body and architecture, one must not be limited to human body parts resemblance to architectural works but to a larger extent consider human emotions, sensory nerves, the mind and general human psychology. In essence everything that makes us human. In its simplest definition Architecture can be described as an art or practice of designing buildings. It is practiced in a way that accomplishes both practical and communicative or expressive requirements. To relate it to human body then Architecture can widely define the place, the site, the energy, the systems, the building, the flora and fauna. These components that bring aesthetic property to humanity apart from the utilitarian purpose it serves. The perfect balance of a normal human body and the proportions are incorporated into architecture from a point of view of imitation, idealized allusion and the actual human use. Evidence of such human incorporation into architecture is seen from the Ancient Greek Architectures where it was common for tower columns to take shape of a human being like in the colossus of the Ancient
Architecture is often mistaken as purely an art form, when in actually it is where art and engineering or art and practicality meet. For example, painting is an art, when preformed well it yields a beautiful picture that evokes a deep human reaction and brings pleasure to its viewer, however this painting provides no function, it cannot shield us from the rain or protect us from the wind or snow, it is purely form. An insulated aluminum shed provides shelter and protection from Mother Nature; however, it is a purely functional building, it was drawn by an engineer, not conceived by an artist to have form. The culmination of form and function is Architecture, the Greeks and Romans fathered this idea and Palladio’s study of roman architecture taught him his valuable truth.
On his book on Modern Architecture, Curtis writes that modern architecture was faulted for it’s “supposed lack of ‘recognizable imagery’” towards the end of the 1970s. This statement supports the idea of Jencks’ double coding where architects must now make
James Stirling, who is famous for untraditional design and rejecting functionalism, designed Florey Building of Oxford University in 1966. The building presented the idea of Brutalism, focused on the form beauty of itself. Alvar Aalto, an architect sparkplugged the theory of humanism and functionalism, designed Baker House of MIT in 1947. For him, functionality is an important way to provide harmonious life for human being. These two buildings with different styles were both designed as the student dormitory for university, however, some similarities still can be found. This essay will compare the differences and similarities about relationship between form and surroundings, function and circulation, and material expressing of them.
The book consists of twelve chapters that propose this idea that designers should explore the nature of our senses’ response to the spatial built forms that people invest their time in. It tries to cover a specific topic in each chapter that in order to deconstruct the book, it is necessary to cover each chapter individually.
The tower is made of up about 90 percent glass from the bottom to the top. The building goes up vertically and everything symmetry to each other it actually hurts your eyes to look all the way up.The tower is rectangular shape it has layers to it, the lobby part is rectangular and on top the tower kind of square all the way up to the top. On top it ends with a big point just as we seen on the Empire State Building which glows up beautiful at night.
“ Architecture organizes and structures space for us, and its interiors and the objects enclosing and inhabiting its rooms can facilitate or inhibit our activities by the way they use this language”(Lawson pg.6).
His goal was to create a building that was timeless, that could last without any imposing function. Stripping back the building to its essentials of structure, craftsmanship and style, he created not just objects, but symbols of everything Meis stood for in design “If buildings may be judged as embodiments of a viable system of ideas, the buildings of