Brandon Kroger | Deus Ex Machina: The Architecture of Three Follies in (Washington D.C.)

4

Abstract Americans love their history, and they certainly love their historical architecture. Architecture has always operated in between reality and fiction; the original and the copy, a precedent and an antecedent. history and future. Architect, and architectural representation, would seem to tend towards representations of truth, representations of the time in which they were produced.

Architects are engrossed by notions of truth; truth in material, truth in form, etc. But what happens when truth is relative? What if the meanings of symbols, and their associations with time and history, do not matter - in fact, it is not allowed to matter? What happens when our digital mechanisms fold multiple readings of history into one, without a beginning or end?

Architecture and urbanism today desires to recycle, reuse and regurgitate a canon of precedent and standard; a canon or a code, (or perhaps a catalogue) is often critically suspect, and are often simply facsimiles divorced from meaning. But why? Why do Americans in particular obsess over particular styles, fetishized aesthetics or mass produced material approximations? These tend to be small-scale architectural components and details (column covers, statuettes, faux marble, screen printed wood textures, etc.) but also encompass the borrowing of whole projects and building forms, and are usually tied to some specific moment in history: Imperial Roman, Hellenistic Greece, Hindu, JudeoChristian, Colonial American. Architecture has a long legacy of this, where resonances of projects fluidly move through time, constantly reinterpreting itself; this is essentially the critical intent of Postmodern architecture, but done ironically. One might even correlate the often-taught axiom, “Architects don’t design buildings,

5

we design things that look like buildings.” Even further, one could 1. Breitschmind, and Olgiati 2019. Non-Referential say Architects design things that look like buildings, which look like Architecture other buildings.”

2.

While Postmodern architecture is critically ironic in its resurrection of historic precedent, it reaches a point today where the mechanisms of design simply replicate what we see as historical, without critical intervention; it is Postmodernism, but taken as fact. Design operates within a new modality where architectural production forfeits itself to algorithmic thinking - the Internet, its conduit. The thesis studies the shapes, elements and materials that constitute such a catalogue, but moreover, studies who or what puts it together, and makes the claim that rather than irony, it is utilized to claim suzerainty over history, and push aesthetics in an ideological direction. Digital tools are designed to manipulate history. It is the raw material for a new narrative; the aesthetics of the past guising a sinister present. The dangers of false narratives play out when people believe successful design is one that merely manipulates the historical, the precursor, or the standard.

The thesis’ results misperform current production paradigms in an acritical way, cf. “to do something so wrong it's good”2. The intention is not necessarily to advocate the results as good or bad; rather, it is contemporary aesthetics reductio ad absurdum; its sincerity, therefore, elusive. Is this the future beyond, or is there something else, perhaps something non-referential.1, 2

6

Runting

Helen.

“Clone Stamp”

2019.

7

deus ex machina

Contents i. Abstract ii. Table of Contents Part I. Prelude “The great dispute between the ancients and the moderns is not yet settled; it has been on the table since the silver age succeeded the golden age. Mankind has always maintained that the good old times were much better than the present day”

Part II. Curation “Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.”

Part III. Method “Let us work without reasoning,” said Martin; “it is the only way to make life endurable.”

Part IV. Product “Nothing is so common as to imitate one’s enemies, and to use their weapons.”

Part V. Assessment “Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another.”

Part VI. Punchline

LOADING...

12

13

Doppler Diagrams

Doppler Diagrams

Doppler Diagram

LOADING...

LOADING...

Part II. Curation “Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.”

-Voltaire, Philosophical Dictionary (1752)

ELEMENT TYPE: Homestead SHAPE TYPE: Homestead NAME: Levittown NAME: Levittown

SHAP NAM

ELEMENT Homestead SHAPETYPE: TYPE: Homestead NAME: Trailer

NAME: Trailer

ELEMENT TYPE: Door ELEMENT TYPE: NAME: Mihrab

Door NAME: Mihrab Portal

ELEM NAME

ELEMENT TYPE: Hearth ELEMENT TYPE: Hearth NAME: Power Plant Cooling Tower NAME: Power Plant

ELEMENT TYPE: Column ELEMENT TYPE: NAME: Greek

NAME: Doric

Column

ELEM NAME

ELEMENT TYPE: Stair ELEMENT TYPE: Stair NAME: Fire stair NAME: Fire Escape

LOADING...

LOADING...

LOADING...

Part III. Method “‘Let us work without reasoning,’ said Martin; ‘it is the only way to make life endurable.’”

-Voltaire, Candide

Part I. Prelude “The great dispute between the ancients and the moderns is not yet settled; it has been on the table since the silver age succeeded the golden age. Mankind has always maintained that the good old times were much better than the present day.”

-Voltaire, Philosophical Dictionary (1752)

Washington D.C

Site study

Ford's Theater Where Our President Died Mathew Brady. c. 1860 Washington D.C. Library of Congress

Treasury Mathew Brady. c. 1860 Washington D.C. Library of Congress

Mathew Brady. c. 1860 Washington D.C. Library of Congress

Fig. (46)

x -8

-7 -6

-5 -4 -3

NJ

-9

-2

-1

1

2

3

4

5 6 7

8 9

x

10

T S R Q

NY

P O N RI M MA

L K

FL

J

y

I

z

H NY G

PA F E

MD

D C B A -A -B

MA

NC

-C -D -E

y

z

Fig. (47)

Fig. (47)

Fig. (47)

Fig. (47)

Fig. (47)

LOADING...

LOADING...

Part IV. Product “Nothing is so common as to imitate one’s enemies, and to use their weapons.”

-Voltaire

In 2016, the Guggenheim Museum in New York City installed a piece by the Chinese artist duo Sun Yuan and Peng Yu. Titled “Can’t Help Myself” the work is a large robotic arm affixed with a roughly 4-foot

Fig. (55) Jacques Louis-David. 1805. Napoleon at the Great St. Bernard. Château de Malmaison

Fig. (56) Paul Delaroche. 1850. Napoleon Crossing the Alps. Walker Art Gallery

CLIMATECONDITION = Windy.Alps

PERSON = Napoleon

GARMENT = Cape.Red

VEHICLE = Horse

ENVIRONMENT= snow

Fig. (55) Jacques Louis-David. 1805. Napoleon at the Great St. Bernard. Château de Malmaison

CLIMATECONDITION = Windy.Alps

PERSON = Napoleon

GARMENT = Cape.Grey

VEHICLE = Horse

ENVIRONMENT= snow

Fig. (56) Paul Delaroche. 1850. Napoleon Crossing the Alps. Walker Art Gallery

-13

-12 -11

-10

-9

-8

-7 -6

-5 -4 -3

T S R Q P O RI

N M

MA L K J H G F E

f(x) = {forum}

I

f(x) = {basilica}

D C B A -A -B -C -D -E Washington D.C. - A Neo-Rome, built by algorithm

f(x) = {theater}

NJ

y

-2

1

2

3

4

5 6 7

8 9

x

10

NY

FL

MD

MA NC

z

z x y

38.893764019699304, -77.0346650794808 F.D.-12.-10 The basilica form extracted from the Algorithm

z x y

38.89343237290166, -77.02293781567106 C.B.-5.-4 The theater form extracted from the Algorithm

z x y

38.89976332736733, -77.04249111443399 H.G.-13 The Forum form extracted from the Algorithm

LOADING...

Part V. Assessment “Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed one from another.”

-Voltaire

I

A

II

B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z α

© 2021

β

γ

δ

ε

ζ

η

θ

ι

κ

f(x) = theater COORRDINATES

38.89323937412198, -77.02294112777815 CODE n

lim

i i

i =1 2

n ∞

=x

0’ 1’

8’ I. P II. P

VIII. P

NOTES

III

IV

NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION

A1 A101

A τ σ

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ρ

μ

DISTRICT OF C ON,

WASHIN GT

ν

π

LEVEL 01 - PLAN 3/32” = 1’ - 0”

MBIA OLU

λ

ξ

ο

I

A

II

B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z α

© 2021

β

γ

δ

ε

ζ

η

θ

ι

κ

f(x) = theater COORRDINATES

38.89323937412198, -77.02294112777815 CODE n

lim

i i

i =1 2

n ∞

=x

0’ 1’

8’ I. P II. P

VIII. P

NOTES

III

IV

NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION

A2 A102

A τ σ

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ρ

μ

DISTRICT OF C ON,

WASHIN GT

ν

π

ROOF - PLAN 3/32” = 1’ - 0”

MBIA OLU

λ

ξ

ο

° 45

© 2021

R=

Existing architectural section

COORRDINATES

38.89323937412198, -77.02294112777815 CODE n

lim

i i

i =1 2

n ∞

=x

0’ 1’

8’ I. P II. P

VIII. P

NOTES

A301

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

MBIA OLU

DISTRICT OF C ON,

WASHIN GT

PENN

NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION

A601

A602

Fig. (67) Architectural details for a theater

Fig. (69)

I

A

B

floor plan reflected ceiling plan

C

© 2021

D

I.I

I.II

CATWALK ABOVE

II

II.I

II.II

CATWALK ABOVE

38.903937005510286, -77.02696833090323 CODE

III

III.I

III.II

n

lim

i i

i =1 2

n ∞

IV

=x

0’ 1’

8’ I. P II. P

VIII. P

NOTES

CATWALK ABOVE

NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION

A101 A1

OVERHEAD PENDANT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

LEVEL 01 PLAN/REFLECTED CEILING PLAN 3/32” = 1’ - 0”

MBIA OLU

DISTRICT OF C ON,

WASHIN GT

I

f(x) = basilica COORRDINATES

I

A

B

C

© 2021

D

I.I

I.II

II

II.I

II.II

38.903937005510286, -77.02696833090323 CODE

III

III.I

III.II

n

lim

i i

i =1 2

n ∞

IV

=x

0’ 1’

8’ I. P II. P

VIII. P

NOTES

NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION

A102 A2

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ROOF PLAN 3/32” = 1’ - 0”

MBIA OLU

DISTRICT OF C ON,

WASHIN GT

I

f(x) = basilica COORRDINATES

A601

A602

DETAIL - MANUFACTURING SPECIFICATIONS 1/2" = 1' - 0"

A603

z x y

38.89976332736733, -77.04249111443399 H.G.-13 The Forum form extracted from the Algorithm

P

‫أ‬

2

LAVATORUM - REFLECTED CEILING PLAN 1/16” = 1’ - 0”

A

B

C D E

F

G

I

II

III IV V VI VII VIII IX X

XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII

XIX

XX

© 2021

XXI

floor plan reflected ceiling plan

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

Q

f(x) = forum COORRDINATES

38.903937005510286, -77.02696833090323 CODE n

lim

i

S

T

U

V

‫ب‬

2

=x

0’ 1’

8’ I. P II. P

VIII. P

NOTES

W

X

Y

Z

α

β

γ

NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION

A101 A1

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

LEVEL 01 - PLAN 3/32” = 1’ - 0”

MBIA OLU

DISTRICT OF C ON,

WASHIN GT

R

i

i =1 2

n ∞

P

‫أ‬

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

I

II

III IV V VI VII VIII IX X

12 1

XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX

XX

© 2021

XXI

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

Q

f(x) = forum COORRDINATES

38.903937005510286, -77.02696833090323 CODE n

lim

i

S

T

U

V

‫ب‬

=x

0’ 1’

8’ I. P II. P

VIII. P

NOTES

X

W

Y

Z

α

β

γ

12 1

NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION

A102 A2

12 1

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

3/32” = 1’ - 0”

MBIA OLU

DISTRICT OF C ON,

WASHIN GT

R

i

i =1 2

n ∞

© 2021

f(x) = forum COORRDINATES

38.903937005510286, -77.02696833090323 CODE n

lim

i i

i =1 2

n ∞

=x

0’ 1’

8’ I. P II. P

VIII. P

NOTES

NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION

A301 A3

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

WASHIN GT

MBIA OLU

DISTRICT OF C ON,

A601

An artist's rendering of an exploded ceiling detail for a forum

EMBEDDED WIDEFLANGE BEAM

GILDED WOOD TRIM

CONCRETE BEAM

EXTRUDED PLASTIC CAP

WIDEFLANGE COLUMN

HYDRO-DIPPED COLUMN COVER

PLYWOOD PANEL INSERT

A602

LOADING...

{} = \varnothing

LOADING...

{} = \varnothing

Part VI. Punchline

1. Russo, Rhett “Architecture, Deep and Cryptic.”

wide squeegee, sat in a large pool of viscous red fluid, surrounded by a 20-foot tall acrylic barriers within a sparse gallery space.

Slowly moving back and forth, the machine continuously mopped the fluid surrounding it, pulling the squeegee inwardly, rotating and flipping its arm to catch a sudden a runaway bit of the fluid.

Continuously cleaning the floor of the fluid, the machine makes quick, dramatic movements, seemingly frustrated at its inability to keep the fluid from seeping further away from itself. Flailing to catch the next trickle of “blood” the dramatic and visceral kinetic reactions of the machine seemed to mimic Sisyphus failing to move his rock uphill. In reality, the machine was designed to enact an