Building Ideas: An Introduction to Architectural Theory

250 Pages·2000·61.31 MB·English

by  Jonathan A. Hale

Building Ideas
An Introduction to Architectural Theory
Jonathan A Hale
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Library'ofCongress Cataloging-in-PublicationData
Hale,Jonathan.
Buildingideas: anintroductiontoarchitecturaltheory/JonathanHale.
p. em.
Includes bibliographicalreferences and index.
ISBN0-471-85194-9(alk. paper)
1.Architecture-Philosophy. 1.Title.
NA2500 .H235 2000
nO'.1-dc21
99-052985
British LibraryCataloguing inPublicationData
Acataloguerecordfor this bookisavailablefrom the British Library
ISBN0-471-85194-9
Typesetin 10/12ptTimes byWyvern 21 Ltd, Bristol
Printedand boundinGreat BritainbyBookcraft(Bath)Ltd
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forpaperproduction.
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Noteon the Bibliography ix
INTRODUCTION TheoreticalPractices 1
PART 1 The QuestionofMeaning inArchitecture 9
Chapter 1 Architecture as Engineering -
TheTechnological Revolution 11
Chapter 2 Architecture asArt -
Aesthetics in Philosophy 47
PART2 ModelsofInterpretation 91
Chapter 3 The Returnofthe Body -
PhenomenologyinArchitecture 93
Chapter4 SystemsofCommunication -
Structuralism and Semiotics 131
Chapter 5 Politics andArchitecture -
The MarxistTradition 171
CONCLUSION Towardsa Critical Henneneutics 213
Bibliography 225
Index 235

Acknowledgements
This book grew out ofa seminar course Iwas lucky enough to teach
at Drexel University, Philadelphia, in the summer of 1996. I must ini
tially thank Paul Hirshom for the opportunity to try out some ofthis
material, as well as alivelygroup ofstudents for their input and inter
estin the course. The researchfor the book began at the Universityof
Pennsylvania, under the somewhat formidable guidance of Joseph
Rykwert, Marco Frascari and DavidLeatherbarrowwho together man
agedtoopen up arichhistoricalbackgroundto manyofthedebates in
contemporary architecture. I am also indebted to the Thouron family
for their generous financial support, which allowed me the oppor
tunityto undertake postgraduate study.
I must also thank my undergraduate teachers for their inspiration
and encouragement, particularly Patrick Hodgkinson, Michael Brawne
and Peter Smithson, without whom even thinking about architecture
mightneverhaveoccurredtome. TedCullinandeservesaspecialmen
tion for providing me with the experience ofenjoying the way build
ings are put together, as well as the opportunity to combine practice
with teachingina stimulating and supportive environment.
I would also like to record a vote of thanks to all those who have
influencedmythinking invariouswaysovertheyears, aswellasthose
who have made a specific contribution to the making of this book,
including Tim Anstey, Stephanie Baker, Mark Beedle, Tom Coward,
David Dernie, Mary Ann Duffy, Terrance Galvin, Bill Hutson, Neil
Leach, Christine Macy, Donald Wilson and, in particular, all my col
leagues'atthe UniversityofNottingham.
Iam indebted to Maggie Toyand everyone atWiley's for their confi
dence in the ideabehindthis book. Lastly, Imustthank myparentsand
also mywife,Jocelyn Dodd, for beingthere and for stillbeingthere,
!I
I
I
Note on the Bibliography
To assist in the use ofthis book as a set text for architectural theory
courses, alistofsuggestionsforfurther reading has been providedrel
evanttothemescoveredineachchapter.Thefirsttwosectionsineach
list - described as "background" and "foreground" - relate to the
approximate division within each chapter between the philosophical
and the architectural material. Both sections typically refer to readily
accessiblesources, eitherforreferenceorfurtherreadingonatopic of
particularinterest. The third section includes suggestions for possible
seminar readings, which have been chosen to highlight key issues in
thedebatessurroundingeachtopiC. Theseare alsoselectedfrom read
ilyavailablesources, usuallyfrom anthologiesofarchitecturaltheoryor
commonlyaccessible journals.
I
'II
III
I
I[
·1
II
!I.
il
"
Introduction
Theoretical Practices
In"a chapter called "Demonstrations" in his book Monsters of
Architecture, the architectural theorist Marco Frascari describes the
relationofdrawing to buildingas follows:
The traditional interpretation of this translation is that an architectural
.draWingisagraphicrepresentationofanexisting,orfuture building,The
present modern and post-modern condition of understanding ',' . these
translations is that buildings are representations ofthe drawings that
precededthem,l
A glance at the recent history of significant events in architecture
would confinn the importance of "things-other-than-buildings" in the
dissemination of architectural ideas. The Victorian rediscovery of
Greek polychrome decoration - upsetting centuries of scholarship
basedonthe assumptionofa "white" architecture - isone suchevent
of historical importance which emerged from documentary sources,
rather than the fabric ofthe buildings themselves. More recently this
phenomenon has taken several surprising twists, not least due to the
growingimpactofphotographicrepresentation. Oneofthe mosticon
ic and characteristic of twentieth century buildings is the Barcelona
Pavilion designed byLudwig Mies van der Rohe. Built in 1929for the
InternationalExposition, the Pavilionwasdemolished in the following
I Marco Frascari, Monsters oJ Architecture: Anthropomorphism in Architectu.ral
Theory, Rowmanandlittlefield,Savage,MD, 1991,P93 [emphasisadded),
2 Building Ideas
yearalongwith theothertemporarystructures. Fromasetofblackand
white photographs - some carefully retouched for effect - the build
ing became known across the world through publications on modern
architecture. Nearly all subsequent commentary on this "touchstone"
of modernity was made by those who had never seen the building,
except in these much reproduced photographs.
Asimilarprocess has taken place in the spreadofforeign influences
in America, such as Frank lloyd Wright's famous inspiration by the
architectureofJapan, afterseeingthe Ho-O-DenpavilioninChicago at
the 1893 World's Fair. From the 1932 MOMA show called "The
International Style" to the same museum's 1988 exhibition on
"Deconstructivist Architecture" - both of which have had a huge
impactonthe productionofarchitecturein NorthAmerica - theinflu
ence of other media on the transmission of architectural ideas can
oftenfar outweigh thatofthe experience ofthe buildings themselves.
Whetherin books, films orexhibitions, oras partofageneralcultural
debate, architectural concepts exist on a plane distinct from their
embodiment in particular buildings. This is not to say that the two
realms can ever be separated from each other, merely that "built
objects" form just one component within a larger network of "archi
tectural phenomena."
.DanielLibeskind'sdesignfortheJewishMuseuminBerlinisaprime
example ofthe,reputation ofa building preceding its construction by
severalyears. So many publicationshave presentedthis projectatvar
ious stages during its''completion that, like the Barcelona Pavilion, it
hastakenon:alifeofitsoWIithrough drawings andphotographs.This
situationcanlead.toadisenchantmentwith,theapparenttransienceof
our "media society", such as implied byJean Baudrillard's book enti
tled The GulfWar DidNot Take Place, where he suggested that the
"news event" had become more important than reality. Amore pOSi
tive understanding ofthis newfluency ofideaswould accept that the
mediaeventis also a validcomponent ofreality. Likewise, inarchitec
ture this idea is an important factor in our understanding, which is
always the resultofa "collision" between imaginationand experience.
The publication ofpolemical projects has also increased rapidly in
I..