No Matter: Theories and Practices of the Ephemeral in Architecture

255 Pages·2013·4.47 MB·English

by  Anastasia Karandinou

No Matter: theories aNd Practices of the
ePheMeral iN architecture
ashgate studies in architecture series
series editor: eamonn canniffe, manchester school of architecture,
manchester metropolitan university, uk
the discipline of architecture is undergoing subtle transformation as design
awareness permeates our visually dominated culture. technological change,
the search for sustainability and debates around the value of place and meaning
of the architectural gesture are aspects which will affect the cities we inhabit. this
series seeks to address such topics, both theoretically and in practice, through
the publication of high quality original research, written and visual.
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No Matter: theories and Practices of
the ephemeral in architecture
anastasia Karandinou
School of Architecture, University of Portsmouth, UK
© anastasia Karandinou 2013
all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
anastasia Karandinou has asserted her right under the copyright, designs and Patents
act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
Published by
ashgate Publishing limited ashgate Publishing company
Wey court east 110 cherry street
union road suite 3-1
farnham Burlington, Vt 05401-3818
surrey, Gu9 7Pt usa
england
www.ashgate.com
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
a catalogue record for this book is available from the British library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Karandinou, anastasia.
No matter : theories and practices of the ephemeral in architecture / by anastasia
Karandinou.
pages cm
includes bibliographical references and index.
isBN 978-1-4094-6628-4 (hardback) -- isBN 978-1-4094-6629-1 (ebook) -- isBN 978-1-
4094-6630-7 (epub) 1. space (architecture) 2. architecture--human factors. i. title.
Na2765.K36 2013
720.1--dc23
2013008919
isBN 9781409466284 (hbk)
isBN 9781409466291 (ebk – Pdf)
isBN 9781409466307 (ebk – ePuB)
V
Contents
List of Illustrations vii
About the Author ix
Notes by the Author xi
Preface xiii
Acknowledgements xv
1 Vaporizing Architecture 1
2 Beyond the Visual versus the Non-Visual: The Sonic and Other Senses 17
3 Beyond the Formal versus the Material: The Performative 87
4 Beyond the Physical versus the Digital: The Hybrid 151
5 Further Questions 211
Bibliography 221
Index 233
This page has been left blank intentionally
List of Illustrations
2.1 Map 01 – Map of Edinburgh showing 2.12 Work-in-progress. This figure is a
the routes sound recorded collage of photographs taken by: Vangelis
Lympouridis, Dimitris Miyakis, and
2.2 Transcription of the sound-route Anastasia Karandinou
2.3 Visual diagram of the sonic route 2.13 Work-in-progress. This figure is a
collage of photographs taken by: Vangelis
2.4 Diagram of the sound of a route at Lympouridis, Dimitris Miyaki, and Anastasia
three different times of a day Karandinou
2.5 Sequence of frames of the video that 2.14 Views of the Edinburgh sound-
presents the sonic map gradually revealed mapping journeys
2.6 Stills from video animation of a sonic 3.1 Performative mapping
journey through Edinburgh. (The small dot
represents the person moving through the 3.2 Suzhou river area, Shanghai
city)
3.3 Population moving to other places
2.7 Characteristic sound-marks and sonic
thresholds (spots 1.1, 1.2, …, 6.3) and grid 3.4 Urban landscape rapidly changing
of 25 locations (spots A1, A2, …, E5)
3.5 Key-stages of the performative
2.8 ‘Sonic bubble’ reversed mapping; tracing, acting, playing, hiding
2.9 Athens by Sound installation 3.6 Plaster excavated, events revealed,
and parts of the map covered in plaster
2.10 Different parts of the map switch on anew
depending on the parts of the room (/of the
‘city’) that visitors occupy 3.7 Open-air cinema – Invisible bridge
2.11 Optic fibres, headphones and text 3.8 Everyday activities on the river edge
viii NO MATTEr: ThEOrIES AND PrACTICES Of ThE EPhEMErAL IN ArChITECTUrE
3.9 Light-boxes on the river edge 4.5 People playing around the
and cinema school facilities inhabiting microphone and the camera
abandoned spaces in surrounding buildings
4.6 Student meeting her supervisor
4.1 (a) interaction with the physical
model, (b) showing the sections in the 4.7 Two friends chatting through the
notebook, (c) cutting a section in the 3D installation
model and close-up of the section
4.8 Bus stop – Virtual time machine
4.2 Tuned foyer areas
4.9 Acropolis project – Plan
4.3 Casual meeting between colleagues
4.10 Acropolis project – Section
4.4 Invisible spatial boundaries created by
digital media
About the Author
Dr Anastasia Karandinou is a practicing architect (ARB) and a Senior Lecturer in
Architecture, at the University of Portsmouth. She has taught at the University
of Edinburgh and has participated as a guest speaker in architectural events and
symposiums in the UK and abroad. Her recent research focuses on the notion of the
ephemerality and time; the sonic, the sensuous, the virtual and hybrid aspects of
space. Her projects have obtained awards in international competitions such as the
UIA – Velux awards ‘Light of tomorrow’, and her project on Sound Mapping led to a
successful competition entry that represented Greece in the 11th Venice Biennale
of Architecture.  She is currently teaching mainly in the area of architectural design
and works on a number of research projects that involve the exploration of urban
and virtual environments through sound and film.