ARCHITECTURE WORDS EXPLAINED IN PICTURES NATHAN MITCHELL
This book is designed to introduce casual learners to the vocabulary of architecture. It is my belief that the more straightforward and efficient that information is to obtain, the more likely it is to be received and applied in everyday life. It is also known that visual information is more easily recalled than verbal information. Beyond this is the simple fact that architecture is a visual language, and thus it is best explained visually. With these concepts in mind, this book avoids excessive wording, graphic features, and gimmicks. Instead it focuses on a variety of succinct model photographs, precedent photographs, and diagrams.
CONCEPT
FORM
READING
Irony Redirection Addition Indexing Anthropomorphism Zoomorphism Transformation Parti
Datum Mass Structure Prefabrication Grid Additive& Subtractive Surface Scale Symmetry
Materials Color Context Order Light Space Solid & Void Movement Presentation
IRONY
The conceived form differs from what is usual or what was originally intended. Irony can provoke humor or contemplation.
Reciprocal actions (stretch and compress) do not completely negate each other.
Where a structure is expected, a depression or subtraction is instead.
THE NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL MICHAEL ARAD & PETER WALKER NEW YORK, NEW YORK 2011 I LOVE NY
REDIRECTION The reuse of forms in new ways or for new programs. Architectural details to entire buildings can be taken in a new direction.
The same components are used in new ways to create a new form.
The outer shell of the church building remains the same, while the interior is reprogrammed.
CHURCH TRANSFORMATION RESIDENCE LINC THELEN DESIGNS & SCRAFANO ARCHITECTS CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 2015 JIM TSCHETTER
ADDITION
Adding new components to a previously existing structure. The contrast can be surprising- or focus attention on a certain feature.
New forms create contrast when added to a preexisting structure.
This addition is in a contrasting style, but can also blend into its context.
TONI STABILE STUDENT CENTER MARBLE FAIRBANKS NEW YORK, NEW YORK 2008 JONGSEO KIM, MARBLE FAIRBANKS
INDEXING
Referencing a historical form, or a form with a particular association. Indexing can draw a similarity, a contrast, or a desired connotation.
Certain aspects reference/ index the Pyramids, Parthenon, Pantheon, & Chand Baori.
The columns, pediment, and dome index Ancient Greece and Rome– the birthplace of the democratic ideals that guide the United States.
UNITED STATES CAPITOL WILLIAM THORNTON ET AL. WASHINGTON, D.C. 1800 LOUIS VELAZQUEZ
ANTHROPOMORPHISM A design inspired by a human’s form. The form may be humorous, symbolic, religious, or naturally functional.
This functional layout references a human hand.
Martini’s original diagram illustrates how the human form and proportion impacted his architectural designs.
SANTA MARIA DELLA GRAZIE AL CALCINAIO FRANCESCO DI GIORGIO MARTINI CORTONA, AREZZO, ITALY 1513 OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF CALCINAIO
ZOOMORPHISM A design inspired by an animal’s form. The chosen form may be symbolic, location-based, or naturally functional.
The bird form symbolizes weightlessness and an upward thrust.
The fish pavilion was created for the Olympics and is near the Spanish coast.
EL PEIX D’OR FRANK GEHRY BARCELONA, SPAIN 1992 DESIGN LIMITED EDITION
TRANSFORMATION An alteration upon an original form which may be evidenced or implied. Transformation also applies to a dynamic experience.
The product reveals the three layers of it’s transformation.
Cayan Tower is a twist transformation of a typical rectangular skyscraper.
CAYAN TOWER SKIDMORE, OWINGS, & MERRILL DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 2013 TIM GRIFFITH
PARTI
A diagram representing the general form and organizational strategy of an architectural design.
The flowing curves in the parti diagram inspired the look of the model.
The irregular floating roof and cut into the hillside were maintained from the initial parti diagram.
DUNE HOUSE JARMUND/VIGNÆS ARKITEKTER THORPENESS, ENGLAND 2010 CHRIS WRIGHT ET AL.
DATUM
The line or plane which anchors a structure. The datum finds order in complexity.
The planar bases anchor the cube’s inner chaos.
The underground walkway and train track serve as a datum– connecting and organizing the otherwise independent concourses.
HARTSFIELD-JACKSON ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT STEVENS & WILKINSON ET AL. ATLANTA, GEORGIA 1980 LISA IVEY
MASS
The overall form and volume of a structure. Mass can be arranged to feel heavy and bulky or thin and weightless.
When assembled, the whole appears greater than the sum of the parts.
The museum is composed of simple, block-like masses arranged in an unusual way.
HERBERT F. JOHNSON MUSEUM OF ART I. M. PEI ITHACA, NEW YORK 1973 DMADEO
STRUCTURE
The device which carries the load to the ground. Structure opposes gravity and can work in compression or tension.
The structure is under compression as the load takes a circuitous route to the ground.
The iconic legs stabilize the structure, while most of the load is carried through the central core.
THE THEME BUILDING PAUL R. WILLIAMS ET AL. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 1961 DAVID MCNEW
PREFABRICATION Constructing a building with preassembled pieces as opposed to building from the ground up– larger pieces coming before details.
In order for the structure to stand, the legs were assembled first.
Completed room modules were slid into the steel frame to save time.
DISNEY’S CONTEMPORARY RESORT WELTON BECKETT & WED ENTERPRISES BAY LAKE, FLORIDA 1971 WALT DISNEY WORLD
GRID
An underlying set of perpendicular lines. The grid serves as the basis of many architectural and urban designs.
The blocks form an offset grid.
The grid of columns provides structure– allowing the walls to be placed freely.
VILLA SAVOYE LE CORBUSIER & PIERRE JEANNERET POISSY, FRANCE 1931 RENATO SABOYA
ADDITIVE & SUBTRACTIVE Two of the ways that forms can interact. An additive operation combines solids, whereas a subtractive operation creates a void.
Mass operations can create a larger mass or a smaller mass.
A (semi)sphere is subtracted from the structure to create a well for the pool.
OBSERVATORY HOUSE TATIANA BILBAO & GABRIEL OROZCO ROCA BLANCA, MEXICO 2008 ARCHDAILY
SURFACE
A 2D projection of a 3D form. In a building, the surface is a “facade” or “elevation.” The surface can represent or contrast the interior.
This surface emphasizes the form’s curves which contrasts from its overall angularity.
The environmental focus of the museum is reflected on the living rooftop surface.
CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES RENZO PIANO SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 2008 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
SCALE
The relative size of a form compared to another. Scaling can create both a comparison and a contrast between similar forms.
By repeating the base shapes, a larger scaled version is created.
The smaller, outer domes are scaled down versions of the large, central dome.
ST. PETER’S BASILICA DONATO BRAMANTE ET AL. VATICAN CITY, ITALY 1615 DESERET NEWS
SYMMETRY
The property of a form which can be reflected over a central axis (or axes) and appear the same. Symmetry can be bilateral or radial.
The first form has bilateral symmetry. The second form has radial symmetry.
The Pentagon is a regular polygon, and therefore has radial symmetry.
THE PENTAGON GEORGE BERGSTROM & DAVID J. WITMER ARLINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA 1943 HISTORY CHANNEL
MATERIALS
The components of a product. Materials contain textures, colors, intrinsic qualities, historical associations, and connotations.
The material and texture of the form can read stronger than the form itself.
This structure is constructed out of biodegradable bricks made of mushrooms.
HY-FI THE LIVING (DAVID BENJAMIN) MOMA PS1, QUEENS, NEW YORK 2014 GREEN BUILDING ELEMENTS
COLOR
A primary design tool derived from the varying reflection of light. Color has strong associations with emotion and culture.
The recolored photo uses shades of purple, bluepurple, and blue to support the mystical, floating form.
The cathedral is primarily painted in brilliant, warm colors. The blues and greens complement them.
SAINT BASIL’S CATHEDRAL POSTNIK YAKOVLEV & IVAN BARMA MOSCOW, RUSSIA 1561 JULIUS SILVER
CONTEXT
The environment in which a design is placed. The geographical, structural, and cultural context influence how the design is read.
The red ball remains the same, but a context change alters the way it is read.
The modern Dancing House is so interesting and draws so much attention because of the sharp contrast with its Art Nouveau context.
DANCING HOUSE FRANK GEHRY & VLADO MILUNIĆ PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC 1996 RADIO PRAGUE
ORDER
The planned organization of a form which seeks structure in complexity. The designer controls the level of order and thus the reading of a form.
The orientation of the planes controls how the other lines are seen. We seek to find an order.
An order and hierarchy is given to this series of rooms by the way you move through them. The deeper, smaller rooms are increasingly sacred and exclusive.
RAMESSEUM RAMESSES II (ARCHITECT UNKNOWN) EDFO, LUXOR GOVERNORATE, EGYPT 1250 BC STEPHEN FULLARD-EMRYS-CAMERON
LIGHT & SHADOW A technique to impose contrast on an independent form. Thoughtful lighting can heighten drama and increase experience.
Lighting creates new shapes and colors.
The shadowed room creates a reverent atmosphere, while the light symbolizes Christ.
CHURCH OF THE LIGHT TADAO ANDO ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES IBARAKI-SHI, JAPAN 1999 NAOYA FUJII
SPACE
The three dimensional area that architecture inhabits. Architecture defines the parameters of a space and uses it as a design element.
The model exists in a cubelike space, and we read that space as another form.
This corridor uses forced perspective to exaggerate the space which it occupies.
PALAZZO SPADA FRANCESCO BORROMINI ROME, ITALY 1540 SPADA GALLERY
SOLID & VOID Opposite terms which define the boundaries of the other. While the solid is typically positive space, the void may also be positive space.
Not only does the void draw more attention than the solid, it appears to be solid.
The texture of the walls gives evidence that the interior void was once occupied by– and is defined by– a solid.
BRUDER KLAUS FIELD CHAPEL PETER ZUMTHOR MECHERNICH, GERMANY 2007 SAMUEL LUDWIG
MOVEMENT
The physicality of a building implied by form. Movement gives the structure a sense of energy and anticipation.
The form references a wave full of pent-up energy.
This building appears to be in the process of deflating. That implied sinking motion may even make visitors a little uneasy.
LOU RUVO CENTER FOR BRAIN HEALTH FRANK GEHRY LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 2010 SELO
PRESENTATION A visual description of a design’s form and experience. A presentation is a subjective view highlighting certain features.
This presentation art focuses on a detail and heightens the contrast in order to create a dramatic reading.
By heightening the contrast and drama, Ferris was able to provoke the grand, mysterious feeling that the actual building would someday provoke (if it had been built).
THE MAJESTIC HOTEL HUGH FERRIS CHARCOAL 1930 NEVER WAS MAGAZINE
A Note to the Graders I didn’t feel like it was necessary or appropriate to explicitly state these things in the main section of the book. My intent was to make the book as realistic as possible. However to be safe, I want to clarify a few things here. My unifying theme or concept was to use diagrams and photos to explain the terms, since most are best explained visually. I use words as a supplement, but try to most heavily rely on the visuals. My organizational strategy is hinted at in the Table of Contents. The terms are separated into the three main stages that at architectural idea goes through. It begins as a concept, transitions to a physical form, and then becomes an interpretation or reading. Within the sections, I tried to place the terms that could go in two sections closer to the border between them. The exact order was difficult to settle on and each term could certainly be argued for a different placement or section. Thank you all so much for a great semester. This was definitely a difficult class, but when I was putting the book together I really started to realize how many terms, buildings, and architects I’m now familiar with. Have a relaxing break! Nathan