What is Architecture (Part II)

Architecture is about everyday life. And what does life consist of but the 5 senses, the sense of touch, smell, feel, sight and hearing. These 5 senses act as the medium in which we appreciate the things around us. It is the in between, the connection between the rest and us of the world. These 5 senses evoke emotion. I am referring to emotions of the user, of the man in the street, the layman. Good architecture must allow the layman to appreciate it first, before we can let the Architect appreciate his own building.

A building must be seen as a whole entity, not of disparate parts with labels like roof, walls, and foundation. To visualize a building as a whole will result in a architecture that has life. To give it life to breathe life into it, is to think of it as an entity, somewhat like a human being, whereas to view architecture as disparate components will have the sad conclusion of it being a robot, where the robot is still viewed as having arms, legs and etc…a machine trying to be human, sadly fails and becomes a cheap imitation of the real thing. Same as architecture, where a house with a roof is just a house with a roof. Or the machine aesthetic becomes a mere imitation of the real thing. Is le Corbusier right or wrong. I dare not say. But sadly it is the case.

Walls are no longer walls and roofs are no longer roofs. Wall becomes roof and roof becomes walls. It is a mere change in visualization and thinking. The way I look at things and the way your eyes are opened to the world. Who is to say that something is beautiful or ugly? Only the ignorant is capable of that

Comments

Popular Posts