14. Mass

Mass

Mass constitutes the threedimensional forms that overlap and interlock to create the building’s exterior shape. The purposeful interlocking of different masses can tell what the building is used for, what the culture that created it values or enjoys, the desired emotional and symbolic effect, and information about the surrounding area. The interlocking masses of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, remind the viewer of a ship’s sails, connecting the building to its location in Sydney Harbor. These masses also create a sense of wonder and height in visitors, which aligns very well with the ideas prevalent in Opera. On the other hand, the masses of the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, are used to create a sense of extravagance with its Islamic and Egyptian style. Both its construction during the prosperous 1920s and the associations of wealth with Arab and Islamic culture makes the theater-goer feel as if they are in a palace, heightening the drama of the play they are about to see. My own composition of rocks is intended to represent the idea of scale using a sense of height created from piling the rocks to their limit. The geometries in masses work in all these ways to create these effects and more in architecture.

Clockwise from the top right:

The Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia designed by Jorn Utzon. Photo by Adam J.W.C.

A side view of a massing composition I created expressing the action “scale.”

The Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia from Above. Designed by Olivier Vinour. Photo from Georgia State Univerity Library collection

The Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia designed by Jorn Utzon. Photo by Adam J.W.C.

A side view of a massing composition I created

The Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia from Above. Designed by Olivier Vinour. Photo from Georgia State Univerity Library collection