T H E
P O E T I C S
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T H E
B E T W E E N
Jill Morton MArch Thesis, University of Dundee
T H E
P O E T I C S
O F
T H E
B E T W E E N
Jill Morton Rooms and Cities, MArch Unit, 2013 University of Dundee
C o n t e n t s
Preface
Introduction
3
6-7
Study of an Attic
10 - 17
The Sublime
21 - 29
The Horizon
33 - 37
Tectonics
41 - 49
Reference List
50 - 51
List of Figures
52 - 53
Bibliography
54 - 57
Acknowledgements
58 - 59
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P r e f a c e
The themes and concerns touched upon within this text are the result of a preoccupation in the role of the building envelope in informing a dialogue between the polar positions of interior and exterior. Brought to light in an experience recorded within a family attic whereby the ‘thinness’ of the enclosing skin stimulated a dual awareness of the internal and external conditions.
A manifestation of the ideas revealed in the initial stages of the research have been encompassed in an accompanying design project for a small timber studio space located on the rooftop of a university building in Dundee. Exposed to the harsh and futile conditions of the outer environment the project juxtaposes the dialogue of interior and exterior by exploring the permeability of the enveloping skin through filigree construction.
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‘Our environment, the outer world, supplies the raw material we use to form the inner world of concepts and ideas.
The environment stimulates the physical and intellectual
senses, and it is through our personal confrontations with the environment that we gain an understanding of our inner selves and our relationship to the larger world‘
Benzel, 1998:301
I n t r o d u c t i o n
The fundamental role of the built environment in articulating
boundaries can lead to panic (agoraphobia). Evident in the
man’s being in the world is rooted deep within the origins of
earliest dwellings, most notably Marc-Antoine Laugier’s
architecture, a sentiment echoed by theorist Immanuel Kant
‘Primitive Hut’, an opposition to the outer environment is
who concludes that ‘all our consciousness is grounded in
encompassed in the structures form, defined by four tree-
spatial experience’ Kant cited in Wilson, 1992:5. Elaborated by
trunks supporting a pediment of branches offering a safe
Colin St John Wilson in his essay The Natural Imagination,
refuge within the constructs of the tangible and the tactile.
he states; Despite the perceived polarity of the positions, the ‘From the moment of being born we spend our lives
relationship between architecture and the environment is one
in a state of comfort or discomfort on a scale of
of mutual dependence, in constant dialogue the juxtaposing
sensibility that stretches between claustrophobia and
forces mould man’s everyday encounters with the world.
agoraphobia.
When interior space is established through material surfaces
We are inside or outside; or on the
threshold between.
There are no other places to be.’
Wilson, 1992:5
and boundaries an interchange is established between the envelope of the enclosing space and the exterior. A threshold between inside and outside the protective skin mediates and
The relationship between the paradoxical conditions,
influences the occupants relationship with the peripheral
which can also be understood in terms of envelopment
surroundings informing a sense of position. In instances
and exposure, is essential in informing how space is
where the language of the enclosing surface is expressed
perceived.
Architecture therefore can be understood
tectonically through filigree construction a simultaneous
as a spatial response to dilute the uncertainties instilled
consciousness of the antithetical conditions can often transpire,
by the threat of exposure, where the lack of protective
resulting in an experience which transcends rationality.
The thesis will explore how architecture engages with its outer conditions focussing on the dialogue between interior and exterior, intimate and distant, tangible and intangible, subject and object. Studying the encounters we experience with our environment from within the physical parameters of interior space, with particular emphasis placed on the tentative relationship between the fluxing outer conditions thrust upon the building skin, exploring examples of filigree construction which stimulate a dual awareness of envelopment and exposure. The first essay recalls an experience documented from within an attic, whereby an acoustic awareness of the climatic conditions unable to permeate the thin enveloping membrane induces a coinciding sensation of interior and exterior.
1.1 Image of Marc-Antoine Laugier’s ‘Primitive Hut’.
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‘The well-rooted house likes to have a branch that is sensitive to the wind, or an attic that can hear the rustle of leaves.’
Bachelard, 1994:25
S t u d y
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Situated on a remote island in the Inner Hebrides, just a few
fear instilled by the threat and hostility of the intangible is
hundred metres from the shore line, the house sits exposed
countered by the contrary sense of security and reassurance
to the unpredictable climate of the Scottish west coast.
imbued by the scattered arrangement of familiar objects.
Tucked away at the top of the house the attic lies hidden from gaze, used as a container for forgotten belongings
The experience documented from within the attic captures
and once treasured possessions. Accessed through a small
the tension between interior and exterior, by juxtaposing the
hatch in the ceiling, the long narrow and cluttered space is
conflicting conditions of inside and outside, a dialogue initiated
revealed. Unmistakably distinct from the level beneath the
by the thinness and fragility of the enclosing skin, prompting
transition between the spaces is articulated by the shift in
a simultaneous consciousness of the paradoxical positions.
structural and material expression, the exposure of the roof trusses supporting timber slats contribute to a raw aesthetic
According to British writer and painter Adrian Stokes who
unfamiliar with the rest of the house. The layers of enclosure
references Melanie Klein’s work on infant psychology, he
stripped back to reveal the structure (otherwise concealed)
states that there are two pivotal responses encountered during
unveil a thin protecting membrane introducing a vulnerability
infancy in which all ensuing adult experience is rooted
and susceptibility to the outer conditions.
(Wilson, 1992).
Heightened
The first is established as ‘envelopment’
by the absence of a visual link, a degree of ambiguity and
associated with the sheltering
immediacy is achieved through an acoustic awareness of the
and mother, ‘oneness’.
external conditions imposing on the attic; the sound of the
experienced in interior space, which can be described as
weather as it acts upon the timber skin unable to penetrate the
tactile, protective and tangible.
surface intensifies the feeling of interiority while establishing
Stokes this initial experience is followed by an unsettling
position out with the physical enclosure.
realisation of detachment and exposure, whereby the infant
The sense of
bond between infant
This is likened to the qualities
However according to
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is made aware of its independence, an analogy made with
its raison d’etre right away it gives mankind shelter
exterior space. Having established the polar positions in
from rain and sun he fears. Geographers are constantly
terms of spatial experience he suggests that in most cases
reminding us that, in every country, the shape of the roof
only one can predominate however in rare circumstances
is one of the surest indications of climate. We understand
a dual experience of the conditions can ignite enjoyment
the slant of a roof. Even a dreamer dreams rationally;
which is true to that of a masterpiece (Stokes, 1961).
for him, a painted roof averts rain clouds.
Up near
the roof all our thoughts are clear. In the attic it is a The significance of space in understanding man’s being in the
pleasure to see the bare rafters of the strong framework.
world is relayed by French philosopher Gaston Bachelard in
Here we participate in the carpenter’s solid geometry.’
his book ‘The Poetics of Space’. His belief that in everyone
Bachelard, 1994:17
there exists an ‘Onieric House’ proposes an image formed by the subconscious, differentiated primarily by its verticality.
For Bachelard it is evident the attic and the cellar offer very
Bachelard refines the topoanalysis of his onieric house
different antipodes of experience appealing to the rational
by exploring the dichotomy between the attic and cellar:
and irrational mind respectively. He argues that the roof bestows rational thought by revealing its primary function to
‘Verticality is ensured by the polarity of the cellar
provide shelter from the threats imposed by weather. He also
and attic, the marks of which are so deep that, in a
draws attention to the articulation of the rafters suggesting
way they open up two very different perspectives for a
pleasure at the sight of the exposed structure which would
phenomenology of the imagination. Indeed, it is possible,
be otherwise concealed. As for the cellar it is contrastingly
almost without commentary, to oppose the rationality
portrayed as the more dark and aloof entity of the house:
of the roof to the irrationality of the cellar. A roof tells
Attic room study, unfolded plan and elevation.
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‘The cellar dreamer knows that the walls of the cellar are
Bachelard makes a clear distinction in the expression of the
buried walls, that they are walls with a single casing, walls
antithetical spaces not only in their vertical relationships
that have the entire earth behind them. And so the situation
but in their spatial language evident in his descriptions. His
grows more dramatic, and fear becomes exaggerated’.
topoanalysis illustrates the intrinsic response of the human
Bachelard, 1994:20
subconscious to varying spatial conditions thrust upon it, placing emphasis on structure, material and position.
In the context of the city he is quick to point out the absence of the cellar and attic, concluding that the urban dwelling lacks the vertical quality of intimacy as a result. He notes the contrived relationship between the city domicile, or as he calls it ‘the superimposed box’, and the environment stating that the notion of verticality has been lost with the increased use of elevators and ‘stacked’ organisation of single story dwelling, stifling a dialogue with earth and sky (outer conditions) (Bachelard, 1994). The solution he offers to the ailment of the city dwelling is the application of the imagination. In a particular example in Paris he suggests the city as a metaphor for the ocean, envisioning the bed as a boat rolling with the waves, restoring the balance with the natural environment deprived in the urban setting.
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‘A sense of void - of being on a borderline or edge where we can no longer codify experience - is considered a fundamental prerequisite for a deeper sense of reality, serving to mediate between being and nothingness, and communicating through a condition of absence a heightened awareness of the self.’
Morley, 2002: 5
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The apparent human resistance to the futile conditions of the
pain, and danger, that is to say, whatever is in any
outer environment presenting both physical and psychological
sort terrible, or is conversant about terrible objects,
threat is clearly articulated in the primal response of erecting
or operates in a manner analogous to terror, is a
and maintaining spatial and temporal boundaries. This
source of the sublime; that is, it is productive of the
dichotomy expressed by the tenuous relationship which
strongest emotion which the mind is capable of feeling.’
juxtaposes mortality and nature draws parallels with the 18th
Burke, 1990: 36
century theories on the sublime. Etymologically the word originated from the Latin sublimis derived from the preposition
Burke’s empiricist view of the sublime and the beautiful
sub, meaning up to, and limen the lintel or doorway, or
focusses on objects of experience by the way in which
also limes, meaning boundary or limit (Simpson, 1989).
they impact the senses of the observer provoking the
Interpretations of the word ranged most notably among
sublime. In contrast Kant’s formal idealism differs in that
theorists Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant, who’s positions
he places emphasis on the subject, stating that the human
differentiated by empiricism and formal idealism (Ferguson,
consciousness is ultimately the origin of the sublime.
1992).
Continual reference to nature and its relentless
power to instil coinciding emotions of fear and delight were
‘All that we can say is that the object lends itself
used as recurring examples of situations where one may
to the presentation of a sublimity discoverable in
encounter the sublime, distinguished by an overwhelming
the mind.
sensation of being confronted by something so vast and
word, cannot be contained in any sensuous form, but
incomprehensible that the mind transcends rationality.
rather concerns ideas of reason, which, although no
For the sublime, in the strict sense of the
adequate presentation of them is possible, may be ‘Whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of
aroused and called to mind by the very inadequacy
Sublime studies.
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itself which does admit of sensuous presentation.’ Kant, 2004: 76
Despite the differences in opinions expressed by the theorists, both associate the sublime with; being on the brink of danger evoked by the threat of the vast and unknown , countered by the knowledge that a safe distance exists between the threat and the beholder.
Burke maintains
that the sublime emerges from the object that stimulates terror, however Kant states that an object can be terrifying, without instilling fear in the individual, suggesting an innate connection with the rational mind. Kant divulges further by dividing the sublime into the mathematical and the dynamical. When discussing the mathematical Kant references scale, citing that it is of no quantitative form. The dynamical however is attributed to the cognition of the imagination ‘Nature considered in an aesthetic judgement as might that has no dominion over us, is dynamically sublime.’ Kant, 2004: 90
2.1 Earth and Sky, The Body Matrix, Rudolf Schwarz.
As the most primitive vessel for understanding how we
relate to space, the body provides a set of coordinates essential in establishing very different relationships with the world. Favouring ‘the ahead’ or ‘in front’ as the direction which projects being, an instinctive dialogue with the horizontal axis is initiated. Embodied by the construction of boundaries in space, architecture can be understood as an attempt to rationalise the surrounding environment by providing limits and restrictions which oppose the vastness and uncertainty of open space. Unlike the vertical, the lateral carries with it connotations of ambiguity and depth. Confrontations with unbounded horizontal expanses often allude mixed emotions of both freedom and terror, as discussed by English writer Joseph Addison:
‘Our Imagination loves to be filled with an Object, or to grasp at anything that is far too big for its Capacity. We are flung into pleasing Astonishment at such unbounded Views, and feel a delight Stillness and Amazement in the Soul at the
2.2 Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, Caspar David Friedrich, 1818.
Apprehension of them. The Mind of Man naturally hates everything that looks like a Restraint upon it, and so is apt to fancy it self under a sort of Confinement, when the Sight
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is pent up in a narrow Compass, and shortened on every
three mysterious objects the painting lies before us like the
side by the Neighborhood of Walls and Mountains. On the
Apocalypse, as if it has no foreground except the frame, when
contrary, a spacious Horison is an Image of Liberty, where
one looks at it, it is as if one’s eyelids have been cut away.’
the Eye has Room to range abroad, to expatiate at large
Kleist cited in Harries, 1997 :182
on the Immensity of its Views, and to lose itself amidst the Variety of Objects that offer themselves Observations’.
The broad expanse and horizontal planes of the sea,
Addison, 1712 cited in Harries, 1997 :170
land and sky dominate the composition accentuating the insignificance of the lonely figure in the foreground. The lack
Addison expresses the horror and delight experienced
of any vertical obstructions (with the exception of the Monk)
simultaneously by the human mind when faced with the
leave the sweeping horizontal planes unchallenged, while
liberation of the infinite horizon echoing many of the
the low horizon allows the spectator to become immersed
sentiments discussed by the theorists and painters of
in the depth of the limitless expanse, unable to fix upon
the sublime.
The significance of the horizon and its
an intermediate, contributing to an irrational response of
ability to evoke an irrational sense of fear and danger is
coinciding fear (of the unknown) and pleasure (the sense
a recurring theme seen throughout the work of Caspar
of freedom experienced). The absence of a middle ground
David Friedrich, in particular his painting Monk by
in many of Friedrich’s paintings juxtapose the immediate
the Sea of which the poet Heinrich von Kleist wrote:
with the distant, a key move in provoking astonishment and awe in the viewer. This dramatic depiction of nature which
‘Nothing can be sadder and more uncomfortable than this
confronts mortality is concurrent with the paintings of the
position in the world: the only spark of life in the wide realm
sublime distinguishable from the more benign encounters of
of death, the lonely center in a lonely circle. With its two or
the picturesque and romantic. Artist J. M. W. Turner also
2.3 Monk by the Sea, Caspar David Friedrich, 1810.
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renowned for such portrayals, in particular Snow Storm and
and the known becomes unknown. This confrontation with
Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps, compositions which
the infinite which extends over and beyond the city can be
depict violent and dominating skies at odds with humanity.
compared to he compositions evoked in Friedrich’s paintings
Both paintings were put on display at the Royal Academy
where the absence of a mediating middle ground heightens
where Turner specifically stipulated that the pieces were to
the tension created by the intimate and the distant while
be hung much lower as to engross the spectator, stressing the
consequently inducing feelings of fear and elation. The
authority and consequence of the directly ahead (Hill, 2012).
significance of the sky and its affiliation with infinity in the context of the city is touched upon by Gordon Cullen in
Taken out of the dramatic topography of the rural landscapes
‘The Concise Townscape’ where he distinguishes sky from
portrayed by Friedrich and Turner into the dense urban
infinity, suggesting that to experience this reaction, sky must
development of the city,
appear ahead or in front rather than above (Cullen, 1971).
encounters with the hostile
conditions of the outer environment are often diluted by the close proximity to nearby buildings acting as a physical shield.
The continual engagement with human habitation
and scale found in areas of density facilitate the rational mind, providing order and logic, limiting the threat of irrational thought often conjured by the precariousness of the outside. However this security ceases to exist toward the city skyline. A physical surface confronted by the enormity of the vast, the roofscape indicates the edge where the measurable becomes the immeasurable, the tangible becomes intangible
Place to View, montage studies exploring the dialogue between intimate and the vast.
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Place to Read.
Place to Write.
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‘The simplest form of architecture is to cultivate the surface of the earth, to make a platform. Then the horizon becomes the only direction one has, and the moment a dialogue between the earth and the horizon is established, one can start to consider it as a room. Once the room exists and an object is placed inside, all decisions yield to the horizon. At least it was so a long time ago. When the earth was perceived as round, the horizon disappeared as a mystery. The earth’s surface was finite, an assessable number. I believe this to be the greatest architectural statement affecting the idea of room ’
Sverre Fehn, 1985 cited in Per Olaf, 2009: 108
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The point at which the finite surface of the earth encounters
and bounded horizon presented the comforting depiction of
the vastness of the open sky, otherwise known as the horizon
a limit while suggesting the enigma of the beyond. However
is a familiar motif present in many of the built works and
the realisation that the world was in fact round contradicted
sketches of the late Norwegian architect Sverre Fehn.
the reassuring notion of scale and enclosure that the preceding
Referred to by him as ‘the dramatic confrontation between
image offered.
earth and sky. The point of intersection’ Ewing, 2003: 300.
as the mast, emphasis is placed on the horizontal limits
This modern day understanding of horizon as the perceived
referring to the bounded horizon between earth and sky.
circular visual limit in fact originated from the Greek verb
The significance of the relationship between earth and sky
horizein, ‘what limits, surrounds, encloses.’ Macann, 1996 :
with regards to his built work and attitude towards designing
164. Boats with tall vertical masts embarking into the immense
was expressed by Fehn in an interview conducted in 1985;
By diminishing vertical components such
expanse of the open ocean recur in Fehn’s sketches, drawing parallels with the compositions of Friedrich and Turner.
‘How shall we respond to man and his objects affixed to the surface of the earth? Everything we
‘In order to see beyond the horizon, we had to conquer
build must be adjusted
the sea.
The immensity of the sea inspired boat-
thus the horizon becomes an important aspect of
building... The secret of the boat was to fight the
architecture. My interest has always been where to put
horizon.....Nature with her enormous scale was no longer
man in relation to the horizon in a built environment.
uncharted, since the unknown had been usurped by man.’
What qualities shall he draw out of the landscape?’
Sverre Fehn cited in Fjeld 1983 : 26
Sverre Fehn, cited in Fjeld, 2009 : 108
Fehn infers that the prior assumption of the earth as a flat surface
in relation to the ground,
Fehn’s preoccupation with the horizon in his architecture
can be related to some extent to Heidegger’s theories of horismos and raum.
For Heidegger the horizon served
as much more than a scientific means for discussing the division of space and edges of place, it represented an analogy for the contexts in which a presence is established, a pretense allowing the individual to identify with themselves as well as the world surrounding them (Sharr, 2007).
‘The horizon of preasens (presence. present) is the leading horizon because it is the one which commands all relation to inner- worldly beings of any kind whatsoever, and in this sense it also commands the relation to the Vorhandenen, to the merely present being. This thinking developed later in the 1940s: the horizon as such is only the side, turned towards us, of an openness which surrounds us and this openness should, as such, be names Gegnet, ‘redion’ in the sense of a gathering locus for all extended and enduring things... To experience what ‘lets’ be seinlasst - horizon leads us beyond such representational, transcendental horizon thinking to a waiting that can never be understood as an anticipating because it has no object, a waiting 3.1 Sverre Fehn sketch of ship challenging the horizon. T h e
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for the opening of the Gegnet to which we all belong.’ Ewing, 2003 : 301
Despite the clear parallels between Heidegger and Fehn in their shared concern for the horizon, Fehn’s approach differed in that his interests were emulated physically in his approach to site and building, perhaps most notably in the Hedmark Museum.
Located in the Norwegian town of Hamar the museum rests upon the visible ruins of a medieval fortress. Formerly an agricultural barn Fehn used the perimeters of the existing structure to form the base of the new museum. The insertion of an interior and exterior suspended ramp maps the spatial sequence of the visitor, leaving the historic remains untouched for further archaeological research. Subtle reference to the horizon is made throughout the building, the articulation of new and old, above and below is encompassed by the contrasting use of materials. The shift in structural language between the upper and lower levels distinguished by the timber trussed roof and the solid stone base (derived form the vernacular) creates a clear horizontal division within the
3.2 View of ‘inserted fracture’ mapping route through the gallery spaces in the Hamar Museum.
3.3 Contrasting expression of the existing and inserted structure in the Hamar Musuem.
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interior while orienting the visitor in relation to both ground
The progression of the undulating concrete ramp through
and sky. Below the dense mass of the existing stone walls
the various enclosed volumes challenges the notion of the
reveal a cave like quality symbolic of the densely packed
here and the beyond suggested. Fehn asserts that it is the
earth while the more delicate and permeable timber frame
fracturing of the horizon that place is realised (Ewing, 2003).
of the sheltering roof recalls the lightness of the sky. The significance of the ramp, which mimics the route of an earlier boundary wall, not only serves the function of containing visitor movement but is integral to Fehn’s understanding;
‘What was especially lost was the horizon, which human beings forgot with the discovery of the roundness of the earth. And with the loss of the horizon we also lost known and unknown space. We have lost the earth underneath the sky and what is beyond... Let the people in their individual homes own the horizon. Let the apartment roof be the large piazza for the social interaction for a visual conversation with the elements of the sky.’ Ewing, 2003 : 302
View looking beyond the river Tay, towards the horizon.
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‘Construction brings order to chaos, predictability to randomness, and meaning to meaningless. The order of architecture creates an instrument to measure, structure, and understand the world. As we build a structure, we also reconstruct ourselves.’
Pallasmaa, 2008:146
T e c t o n i c s
With the formation of interior space through the construction
the understanding of four basic elements: the earthwork,
of material surfaces and boundaries, an interchange is
the hearth, the framework/roof, and the lightweight
established with the peripheral surroundings dictated
enclosing membrane (Frampton, 1995). Following this
by the permeability of the enclosing skin. A threshold
classification Semper further distilled the building crafts
between inside and outside the skin mediates and influences
into tectonics (filigree construction) and stereotomics
the character and spacial properties of the interior,
(solid construction) outlined by Kenneth Frampton:
informing the inhabitants perception of place. In certain instances whereby a ‘thinness’ is demonstrated through
‘Tectonics of the frame, in which lightweight, linear
careful attention to structure and material a heightened
components are assembled so as to encompass a
awareness of the external conditions may initiate a state of
spatial matrix, and the stereotomics of the earthwork,
consciousness in which the occupier perceives themselves
wherein mass and volume are conjointly formed through
as a component in the framework of a much wider context.
the repetitious piling up of heavyweight elements.’ Frampton, 1995:5
The relationship between structural form and material character in shaping human discourse with the earths
The clear distinction between the antithetical approaches
surface and environment
formed the basis of German
towards building in terms of light and heavy construction
architect Gottfried Semper’s tectonic theory, a departure
were made easily distinguishable in terms of material
from the Vetruvian notion of; utilitas, fermitas, and
fabrication,
ventustas
In Die Vier Elemente der
disposition of the timber frame with the solid mass and
Baukunst published in 1851 Semper explored the primitive
compressive force associated with load bearing masonry.
dwelling and concluded that architecture originated from
The embodiment of the two archetypal forms found their
(Frampton, 1995).
comparing
the
lightweight
and
tensile
Interior study exploring expression of structure and envelope.
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origins in the early primal dwellings, the first tectonic structures were variations on lightweight and often wall-less shelters, consisting of a framework of linear members such as branches, rods or bones covered with a protective roof of leaves, animal skins or woven mats (Deplazes and Wieser, 2008). It is deduced that a filigree construction can therefore
be understood as a structure whereby the load bearing elements are encompassed by a tenuous frame of linear members independent of an enclosing skin. With the addition of a protective separating layer in the form of a lightweight enclosing, membrane the interior exterior dialogue is established through a secondary element and not by the load bearing structure itself. This expression of structure and skin permits a permeability otherwise denied in solid construction introducing a porosity to the external conditions.
Concurrent with Martin Heidegger’s definition of ‘dwelling’ in which he places man ‘on earth’ and ‘under the sky’ subsequently denoted ‘the world’ (Norberg-Schulz, 1980), Frampton discusses the ontological consequence of the Section through existing buiding and rooftop studio proposal.
tectonic and stereotomic with regards to the earth and sky;
‘Framework
tends
towards
the
aerial
and
the
dematerialization of mass, whereas the mass from its telluric, embedding itself ever deeper into the earth.
The one tends towards light and the other
towards dark.
These gravitational opposites, the
immateriality of the frame and the materiality of the mass, may be said to symbolize the two cosmological opposites to which they aspire: the sky and the earth.’ Frampton, 2002:95
This analogy draws attention to the dualities of the positions which embody the experiential bounds of human existence, referred to by Heidegger. Frampton recognises the art of construction as the manifestation of the tension between the polarities, of which being is articulated and informed by structural expression.
The lightweight structure of the timber frame and enclosing membrane associated with the language of the tectonic is demonstrated by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor in his Sogn Benedetg chapel in the village of Sumvitg,
his careful
Detailed section through rooftop studio envelope.
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attention to material and craftsmanship form the fundamental foundation for his architectural agenda. The treatment of the enclosing surfaces of the chapel permit a dialogue with the external conditions through the permeability of the skin.
Completed in 1988 as a replacement for a stone church destroyed by an avalanche, Sogn Benedetg sits embedded in the alpine setting of the Swiss Alps in the small village of Sumvitg. Tall and ecliptic in form the church is predominately timber in structure and finish, externally clad in larch shingle weathering from rusty brown to silvery grey. Entered at the rear of the building, the extrusion of the doorway offers a threshold (the only exception in the symmetrical plan). Five concrete steps signify the transition from external to internal while creating a raised platform suspending the main volume of the chapel. Internally the delicate timber structure is revealed, a contrast to the more monolithic exterior. Thirtyseven free standing timber columns encompass the single volume space, emerging from beneath the wooden floor. Resting freely on timber joists, the floor appears floating due to the subtle interval between the timber boards and the wall. 4.1 Entrance to Sogn Benedetg Chapel.
Tied to the structure the enclosing timber envelope is painted silver providing a clear distinction between frame and skin. Despite its diminutive size internally, the space is magnified acoustically by opening the interior to a void below prolonging the reverberation time. There is no visual connection with the outside, light penetrates the space through a clerestory which encircles the parameter of the space, articulating the roof from the wall while suggesting a variation in the layers of enclosure. The ethereal approach to building illustrated in the project, concurrent with the ‘de-materialisation’ of the tectonic frame and envelope, demonstrates a dialogue whereby a vulnerability to the external conditions is initiated by the structural and material approach.
It is clear that human existence can be understood as the intersection between a series of opposites. Attitudes to construction therefore can be understood as an attempt to rationalise these encounters and limits which inform being. the
Semper’s tectonic theory draws attention to
significance
of
spatial,
structural
and
material
expression in initiating a dialogue with these antithesis. 4.2 Interior view, Sogn Benedetg Chapel.
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Location plan of rooftop studio.
Plan of rooftop studio.
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Section through rooftop studio space.
Section through rooftop studio space.
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R e f e r e n c e
L i s t
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L i s t
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L i s t
o f
F i g u r e s
Unless otherwise stated all other images authors own.
3.2
Ewing, S., Menin, Horizon in the hamar museum.
In S., 2003. Constructing place: mind and matter. London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group.
1.1
Laugier, M, A., 1977. An essay on architecture.
Hennessey & Igalls.
297-310
2.1
Harries, K., 1997. The ethical function of
3.3
architecture. USA: MIT Press.
Routledge.
2.2
Friedrich, C, D., 1818. Wanderer above the sea
4.1
Casino, D., 2007. Exterior entrance, Photo,
Flickr, viewed 10 April 2013, <http://www.flickr.
fog, Painting, Tate, viewed 30 March 2013,
Hill, J., 2012. Weather architecture. London:
<http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/ com/photos/doctorcasino/1199934148>
articles/staring-contemporary-abyss > 4.2
Shannon., 2010. Saint benedictâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chapel, Photo, viewed 10 April 2013 <http://shannon-
2.3
Harries, K., 1997. The ethical function of
architecture. USA: MIT Press.
ayearinphotos.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/july-11 -2010.html>
3.1
Ewing, S., Menin, Horizon in the hamar museum.
In S., 2003. Constructing place: mind and matter.
London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group.
297-31
L i s t
o f
F i g u r e s
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B i b l i o g r a p h y
Bachelard, G., 1994. Poetics of space. Boston: Beacon.
Ferguson, F., 1992. Solitude and the sublime. London: Routledge.
Benzel, K., 1998.
Room in context: design beyond
boundaries. USA: MacGraw-Hill.
Fjeld, P, O., 2009. Sverre Fehn: the pattern of thoughts. New York: Monacelli Press
Bloomer, J., 1993. ...and venustas. AA files. 25, 3 - 9. Fjeld, P, O., 1983. Sverre Fehn: The thought of construction. Burke, E., 1990. A philosophical enquiry. Oxford: Oxford
New York: Rizzoli.
University Press. Frampton, K., 1995. Studies in tectonic culture. USA: MIT Caruso, A., 2008. The feeling of things. Barcelona: Poligrafa.
Cullen, G, 1971.
The concise townscape. Oxford:
Press.
Frampton, K., 2002. Labour, work and architecture.
Architectural Press.
London:Â Phaidon Press.
Deplazes, A. and Wieser, C., 2005. Solid and filigree
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construction.
In Deplazes, A., ed., 2005. Constructing
MIT Press.
architecture. Basel: Birkhauser Verlag. Hill, J., 2006. Immaterial architecture. Abingdon: Routledge. Menin S., ed., 2003. Constructing place: mind and matter. London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group. 297-310
Hill, J., 2012. Weather architecture. London: Routledge.
Holl, D, Pallasmaa, J. and Perez Gomez, A., 1994. Questions
Morley, S., 2010., Staring into the contemporary abyss. Tate
of perception, phenomenology of architecture. A + U
Etc, 20.
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an anthology of architectural theory. New York: Princeton
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Kant, I., 1960. Observations on the feeling of the beautiful
Norberg-Schulz.
and the sublime. London: University of California Press.
phenomenology of architecture. New York: Rizzoli.
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Pallasmaa, J., 2005. Eyes of the skin. London: Wiley-
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Simpson, J. A., 1989. The oxford english dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Sack, F., 2006. Open house: towards a new architecture. Berlin: Jovis Verlag.
Sharr, A., 2007. Heidegger for architects. Routledge.
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A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s
Rooms and Cities MArch Unit
Supervisors: Helen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor Lorens Holm
Phd: Cameron McEwan
A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s
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