Case Study by Ho Sun Chau
CEDRIC PRICE, AN BRITISH FUTURIST ARCHITECT WAS BORN IN STONE, STAFFORDSHIRE. HE STUDIED IN AT CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY MAJORING IN ARCHITECTURE, AND FURTHER HIS STUDY IN THE ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE IN LONDON, WHERE HE MET ARTHUR KORN, A GERMAN JEWISH ARCHITECT WHO WAS A PIONEER IN MODERNISM IN GERMANY AND UK. ARTHUR KORN HAS DIRECTLY INFLUENCED HIM TO BE A MODERNIST ARCHITECT. PRICE IS A VERY WILD ARCHITECT, HIS WORK IS REALLY EYE OPENING. ONE OF HIS WORK, CALLED "FREE FLIGHT" AVIARY, IS AN AVIARY THAT IS IN LONDON ZOO. IT'S UNIQUE IN THE ATTRIBUTE THAT THE BIRDS CAN FLY FREELY INTO, OR OUT OF THE AVIARY. PEOPLE WALK INTO IT, AND SEE THE BIRDS THAT ARE INSIDE, EVERY TIME IS DIFFERENT DUE TO THE IRREGULAR TIME OF BIRD SPECIES ENTERING AND EXITING THE AVIARY. PEOPLE USED TO THINK THAT AVIARY IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAGED THE BIRDS IN A BIG CAGE AND PEOPLE GO IN AND VISIT THE BIRD, BUT PRICE THINK OF IT AS A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO SEE BIRDS IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT. EVEN THOUGH, THE AVIARY WAS NOT FINISHED. PRICE IS A REVOLUTIONARY ARCHITECT, YET MOST OF HIS PROJECTS ARE NEVER BEING ABLE TO BE BUILT. ONE OF THE REASONS IS THAT HIS IDEAS ARE WAY TOO ADVANCED. MOST OF HIS DESIGNS ARE CHALLENGING THE TECHNOLOGY, SOME OF THEM WILL BE CONSIDERED RIDICULOUS BY ENGINEERS AS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BUILT. LUCKILY, HIS MOST FAMOUS "FUN PALACE" GAVE INSPIRATION TO A LOT OF ENGLAND LANDMARKS, FOR EXAMPLE THE LONDON EYE CAME FROM THE FERRIS WHEEL IN HIS FUN PALACE WORK.
TO PRESENT VISUAL COMMUNICATION IS COMMUNICATION IN THE LANGUAGE OF VISUAL IMAGES. IT CAN BE USED SOLELY AS A LANGUAGE ON ONE HAND, ON THE OTHER HAND IT CAN BE USED AS AN AID FOR EXPRESSING WITH WORDS ACCOMPANYING IT. IN THE FIELD OF DESIGN, IT IS MOSTLY USED IN THE FORM OF DIAGRAM, INCLUDING THE IDEA OF A CONCEPT, THE ASSEMBLING OF A PRODUCT, A FLOOR PLAN DESIGN ETC. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE COMPLICATED, AS MOST OF PRIX'S SKETCHES HAVE SHOWN, IT IS ACTUALLY PRETTY SIMPLE. VISUAL COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT CAN BE USED TO EXPRESS MORE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY. FOR A EXAMPLE, THERE IS A DOG WITH REALLY SHARP TEETH AND LOOKS LIKE IT TRIES TO BITE PEOPLE WHO WALK AROUND IT, YET THERE IS A SIGN "PLEASE PET FRIENDLY DOG" NEXT TO IT. WILL PEOPLE PET IT? NO, BECAUSE THE VISUAL IMAGE HAVE GIVEN THEM THE MESSAGE THAT THE DOG IS DANGEROUS, DESPITE THE SIGN NEXT TO IT. ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY STANFORD PERSUASIVE TECHNOLOGY LAB, PEOPLE TEND TO TAKE WEB SITE'S DESIGN LOOK AS THE NUMBER ONE CRITERION FOR DISCERNING THE CREDIBILITY. ALLEN GINSBERG, POET AND AUTHOR, ALSO SAID, "WHOEVER CONTROLS THE MEDIA—THE IMAGES—CONTROLS THE CULTURE." IT SHOWS HOW VISUAL COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT TO THE HUMAN RACE, IT HAS BEEN DEEPLY EMBEDDED INTO OUR THINKING THAT IT CAN ALTER OUR CULTURE. VISUAL COMMUNICATION CAN ALSO LET DESIGNERS FROM DIFFERENT PART OF THE WORLD COMMUNICATE WITHOUT KNOWING EACH OTHER'S LANGUAGE. ALAS, VISUAL COMMUNICATION CAN ALSO SHORTEN THE TIME PEOPLE TRIES TO EXPLAIN SOMETHING, AS IT CAN GIVE PEOPLE A CLEARER CONCEPT WHAT THE SPEAKER IS TRYING TO EXPLAIN, THAN PURE WORD ITSELF.
image from http://grahamfoundation.org/
TO PRESENT
TO DIAGRAM
THE IMAGE SHOWS THE DIAGRAM OF WHERE DIFFERENT SECTION OF THE FUN PALACE HAS INSIDE IT. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS A CIRCUS AT THE TOP LEFT CORNER OF THE PALACE. THIS IMAGE CAN LET PEOPLE KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING IS LOCATED, SO WHEN PEOPLE MOVE IN, THEY CAN KNOW CLEARLY WHERE THEY BELONGS TO.
TO DIAGRAM
TO INVENTORY IMAGE FROM moma.org
SH E
DE
EN
IMAGE FROM hotcharchipotch.wordpress.com
BIR
AN ENGLISH THEATRE D I R E C T O R WHOCOLLABORATES WITH PRICE IN HIS FAMOUS FUN PALACE.
Price born in1934,Staffordshire
AN ENGLISH PHOTOGRAPHER AND FILM MAKER WHO WORKED TOGETHER FOR THE AVIARY AT LONDON ZOO.
JOAN LITTLEWOOD
TONAL
TO COMMUNICATE 1934
1955 GRADUATES IN CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY, FURTHER HIS STUDY IN ARCHITECTURE IN ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION IN LONDON.
CROSS HATCHING cccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccc cccccccccccccccccccccccccc
HA TL
ETS
SCRIBBLING
AVA RY T IMAGES FROM GOOGLE IMAGES AND WIKIPEDIA
EARL OF SNOWDON
............................ ............................... ................................. .................................. .................................... ..................................... ....................................... .......................................... ........................................... .............................................. ................................................
HATCHING+STIPPLING
TO COMMUNICATE
AN
AN ENGLISH MODERNIST ACHITECT WHOM PRICE WORKS WITH IN HIS EARLY YEARS.
STIPPLING
Discussion of Line, Composition and Color
1960 FOUNDS CEDRIC PRICE ARCHITECTS AND STARTS DEVELOPING FUN PALACE WITH JOAN LITTLEWOOD.
1961 STARTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AVIARY IN LONDON ZOO WITH FRANK NEWBY AND LORD SNOWDON.
BRACELET
SCRIBBLING+CROSS HATCHING ccccccccccccccccc ccccccccccccccccc ccccccccccccccccc ccccccccccccccccc ccccccccccccccccc ccccccccccccccccc
MAXWELL FRY
........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................
TO INVENTORY
TER
FIN I
HATCHING
EN
UN
THE IMAGE SHOWS A SERIES OF DRAWINGS WHICH ARE A PART OF A UNBUILT GENERATOR PROJECT, THIS IS TO SAVE UP THE CONCEPTS THAT CAN BE USED IN FUTURE. THE PROJECT IS JUST AN IMAGINARY PROJECT, SO IF PRINCE IS REQUESTED TO BUILD SOMETHING WITH A GENERATOR IN THE FUTURE, HE CAN USE IT, IT CAN ALSO BE USED TO TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO DRAW DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF A PROJECT, AS HE IS ALSO A TEACHER.
THE IMAGE SHOWS AN UNBUILT GENERATOR PROJECT, THE IMAGE HAVE NUMBERS THAT SHOWS WHAT THE OBJECTS ARE, SINCE LOOKING FROM A TOP VIEW, COULDN’T TELL WHAT IT IS. SO, WHEN HE PRESENT IT, PRINCE DON’T EVEN NEED TO REALLY TALK ABOUT IT, THE IMAGE ALREAD REPRESENTS EVERYTHING.
MORE WORK=/= SUCCESS
Lesson ONE I USED TO THINK THAT A SUCCESSFUL DESIGNER IS TO MAKE AS MUCH ARCHITECTURES AS POSSIBLE. SINCE MOST OF THE ARCHITECTS HAVE A LOT OF ARCHITECTURES ALL OVER THE WORLD. HOWEVER, PRICE RARELY HAS ANY PIECE THAT WAS BEING BUILT, SINCE HIS PIECES ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO BUILD USING CURRRENT TECHNOLOGY. TO BE A SUCCESSFUL DESIGNER, ONE DOESN’T HAS TO HAVE A PRODUCT COME OUT, A CONCEPT WILL BE FINE. AS LONG AS THE CONCEPT IS VERY UNIQUE OR FASCINATING.
image from www.interactivearchitecture.org
DS
AN
ON ONE SIDE, WITH THE PRISM TOUCHING THE FLOOR. IT WILL BECOME MORE SPECIAL AND EYE CATCHING. THIS IS HOW COMPOSITION WORKS. TO FURTHER MAKE THINGS MORE OUTSTANDING, WE USES COLOR. COLOR IS BEING TAUGHT SINCE WE ARE SMALL, HOWEVER THE IMPORTANCE OF COLOR DEPENDS ON WHAT THE FOCUS OF THE CREATION IS ON, IF IT IS TO CREATE AN ART FOR PEOPLE TO APPRECIATE, COLOR CAN MAKE IT MORE REALISTIC OR MORE OUTSTANDING, AS COLORING IS ALSO A CATEGORY OF ART. IN THE FIELD OF DESIGN, PEOPLE USE COLOR TO RENDER THE FINAL PRODUCT, TO SHOW WHAT THE OUTCOME WILL BE LIKE, YET THE MAIN FOCUS IS STILL ON THE LINE WEIGHT OF THE DESIGN.
THE IMAGE INTENTS TO SHOW HOW THE AVIARY OF HIS DESIGN LOOKS LIKE AFTER IT IS BUILT. THIS IMAGE WAS DRAWN BEFORE IT WAS DONE, TO LET THE LONDON ZOO OBSERVES HOW WILL THE ARCHITECTURE LOOKS LIKE IN THE REAL ENVIRONMENT. EVEN THOUGH HE DIDN’T PUT COLOR ON HIS WORK.
Composition diagram 1.5” x 3”
DP RO JEC XIT TT FRE HA TM ELY AK (N EH OO IM NE FAM EVE OU RY S DID IT )
Cedric Price
Discussion of Creative Individual and the importance of visual communication
TONAL +BRACELET
LINE IS VERY IMPORTANT IN DRAWINGS AND SKETCHES, AS THE DARKNESS OR THICKNESS OF A LINE WILL AFFECT HOW PEOPLE PRECEIVE AN OBJEECT’S DISTANCE FROM THEIR VIEWPOINT. THIS IS CALLED THE LINE WEIGHT. LINE WEIGHT CAN ALSO STRENGTHEN THE OUTLINE OF AN ARCHITECTURE AND PEOPLE ARE MORE CLEAR WHAT THE OUTLINE IS, AND WILL NOT BE MIXED UP FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE ARCHITECTURE. LINES ARE ALSO IMPORTANT SINCE THEY ARE WHAT COMPOSED OF EVERYTHING, FROM DRAWING INSECTS TO DESIGNING AN ARCHITECTURE, PEOPLE ALSO USES LINES. YET, ONLY LINES COULDN'T FULLY EXPRESS DESIGN. THIS IS WHERE COMPOSITION COME IN. COMPOSITION IS THE ART OF MAXIMIZING THE EXPRESSION OF A DESIGN OR DRAWING. IN THE FIELD OF ART, PEOPLE USES DIFFERENT COMPOSITION TO MAKE THEIR ARTWORK EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL. IN THE FIELD OF DESIGN, ON THE OTHER HAND, COMPOSITION IS TO MAXIMIZE PEOPLE'S UNDERSTANDING OF A CONCEPT, IT CAN ALSO MAKE PEOPLE DISCOVER THE OTHER SIDE OF A(N) CONCEPT/ OBJECT. FOR EXAMPLE, A PYRAMID WITH A RECTANGULAR PRISM STICKING OUT ON ONE SIDE, TO PRESENT IT PEOPLE JUST PUT IT UP STRAIGHT, IF WE PUT IT
Lesson TWO DESIGNERS ARE NOT ENGINEERS. I USED TO THINK THAT WHEN A PEERSON DESIGN SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO WORK OR THEY CAN BE BUILT, BUT FROM PRICE’S WORK, I CAN SEE THAT SOME OF THEM ARE UNFUNCTIONABLE. FOR EXAMPLE, HE HAS A PROJECT WHICH IS A GENERATOR DESIGN, IT DIDN’T GOT BUILT UNFORTUNATELY, YET IT IS A DESGIN FOR GENERATOR, EVEN THOUGH HE ADMITTED HIMSELF, HE JUST KNOW THE END PRODUCT OF THE GENERATOR.
DESIGNERS ARE NOT ENGINEERS
Lesson THREE THE FOCUS OF FIGURE AND FIELD. MOST OF THE ARTIST FOCUSES ON FIGURE, AND THEY RARELY CARE ABOUT THE FIELD, YET IN MOST OF PRICE’S SKETCHES, I FOUND OUT THAT THE FIELD ACTUALLY HAS AN EFFECT ON THE FIGURE, HE DRAWS A LOT OF FIELD IN SOME OF HIS SKETCHES, I THINK THAT DIFFERENT FIELDS WILL AFFECT THE FIGURES. SO PRICE WANTS TO EMPHASIZE THE FIGURE IN THAT PARTICULAR FIELD OUT COME.
EQUALLY IMPORTANT
FOCUS OF FIGURE AND FIELD
1971
1984
FOUNDED POLYARK, A NETWORK OF ARCHITECTURAL SCHOOLS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
PROPOSING A FRERRIS WHEEL ON RIVER THAMES, GIVING THE INSPIRATION OF THE LONDON EYE.
2003 DIED IN LONDON.