ARCHITECTURE IN THE HUMANITIES

ARCHITECTURE AS COMMUNICATION: Conveying Through Symbolism and Functionality

TU PI LIAN (FELICIA) 0326492

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN, TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY

A research paper submitted for the module ARC70703106447-M Architecture in the Humanities

Module Coordinator: Dr Lin Chia-Hui Date of Submission: 10h December 2016

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Functionality and Symbolism

Communication is a two-way process, an act on conveying or transmit a certain information or messages verbally and non-verbally. Architectural objects, for example buildings, is a narrative, it speaks about the history, the political power, the cultural formation, the social hierarchy, and the economic situation of a place. The buildings often speak about the characteristics and identity of a locale, not only the place but also the people, the communities. A communication is said to be successful only when the sender’s message able to reach to the receiver with the interpretation of same meaning of both the sender and receiver. The communication will break down eventually if the sender and receiver do not share the same codes or languages, and perceives it in the same meaning. Umberto Eco (1997), in his books Function and Sign: Semiotics of Architecture, he mentioned that “Architecture communicates based on function and the understanding of the function through a ‘set of codes’.” The set of codes in his book classified into three sets, the technical codes elaborates on architectural engineering, syntactic codes on spatial and semantic cods on meaning and functions. Here, I only discuss the semantic codes, elaborates and further investigate on the accent of building design to be primarily on either function or sign, alternatively can both function and sign to be equally important. Is denotation or connotation an easier form to allows communication through buildings? Denotation defined as the functionality while connotation defined as meaning or symbolism (Figure 1). First, we shall identify which forms of communication is more effective for the building design to be understandable by the people.

Figure 1: The denotation and connotation of building forms.

Communication Through Symbolism Building design as a symbolism communicates through sensory experiences by concept representation in expressive means. As it is in an expressive form, not every individual perceives the sign and symbol similarly. In architecture, one of the most influences caused the distinctive interpretation, which is the educational background. Here I classify the division into two categories based on the interpretation on architecture meaning which is the formal & discursive and non-formal & non-discursive. The formal & discursive refer to the

Tu Pi Lian (Felicia)

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__________________________________________________________________ meaning of architecture interpreted by a group of people who are experts and adapted the architectonic discourse meanwhile understand the meanings to be perceived by others based on their educational backgrounds. This groups of people are minority compare to the non-formal & non-discursive groups and there are usually the people who intentionally creates the symbol. The non-formal & nondiscursive which the meanings understandable by majority group of people (layman) based on their sensory experiences and emotions which is an unconscious and natural process, in more analytical ways. “Meanings understandable by larger audience on the basis of their sensory experience within spatial realm, their emotions and on natural perception patterns (Fergusson 1849, Hegel 1835) The interpretation gap between this two-division currently had created issues as the sender (architect) misinterpret the meaning to be interpret by the receiver (layman).

For example, the contemporary architecture of ‘avant garde’ and ‘deconstruction’ creates building forms are said to be ‘weird’ and too strange to be in their community as they unable to interpret the meaning of it. Norman Foster’s Gherkin building design concept rooted in a radical, technical, architectural, social and spatial approach and received lots of award and recognition in the field of architecture but at the same time received lots of critics by the communities as having a form which is manifestly with the classical traditional architecture in London (Figure 2). This situation occurs as the sign (building) are too complex and complicated to be understandable as the larger groups of community does not equip with the knowledge and ‘codes’ to reads the architectural meaning. Sign or symbol are to be simple as for people to perceives and recognize. On the advertisement board of Mcdonald’s, it shows only the ‘M’ logo with no wordings nor much photos, and people are able to perceive the slogan of “I’m lovin it” and identify is an advertisement from Mcdonald’s ( Figure 3).

Figure 2: The Gerkin Building in the traditional settings.

(Source from: https://www.google.com/search?q=norman+foster+gherki n+design&espv=2&biw=1651&bih=815&source=lnms& tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2xri3uOPQAhWKp48 KHePyBrwQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=liBPOmNlYVnaJM%3A )

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Functionality and Symbolism

Figure 3: The Mcdonald’s Advertisement Board.

(Source from: https://www.google.com/search?q=mcdonald+advertis ement+malaysia&espv=2&biw=1651&bih=815&sour ce=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjOrdmc0e PQAhUCgI8KHT9YCpoQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q= LDP+Mcdonald%27s+billboard&imgrc=OmTr5u0Lr TyQtM%3A )

It is then appropriate to design buildings in simple forms or forms which is familiar to the larger groups of community and hence the architectural communication able to perform successfully? In China, as the economic blooming too quickly and there is no rooms and times yet for architects to reflect, there are lots of odd-shapes, bizarre and said to be ugliest buildings pop out and changes the skyline of China. The Guangzhou Circle, headquarters of the Hongda Xingye Group (Figure 4) and the new home of Guangdong Plastic Exchange, as a landmark building designed to resemble the forms of Chinese traditional coins, as to creates a native Chinese landmark building distinct the usual western skyscrapers stereotype. Although this building really does signify the native Chinese as it symbolizes wealth and prosperity in the Chinese community, but not everyone perceived it the same especially those with different cultural background, some said to be a golden doughnut and brings the architectural meaning far different from the originate meaning.

Figure 4: The Guangzhou Circle, headquarters of the Hongda Xingye Group (Source from: https://www.google.com/search?q=Guangzhou +Circle&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved= 0ahUKEwja0vrT1OPQAhWBPI8KHTFkBxw Q_AUICCgB&biw=1651&bih=760&dpr=1.13 #imgdii=yvTQDz7tJgMDFM%3A%3ByvTQD z7tJgMDFM%3A%3B2gxu2BVUhaUlJM%3A &imgrc=yvTQDz7tJgMDFM%3A )

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__________________________________________________________________ Communication Through Functionality The building design to be primarily on symbolism does not effectively communicate as the expressive interpretation affects by other factors and background of an individual. Meanwhile, the functionality as the main focus for building design are more relevant rather than as communicative values. Building design to serve people and buildings are built when there is needs of the people.

Umberto Eco in his books Function and Sign: Semiotics of Architecture discuss about the functionality by explaining the Stone Age man and his cave. The Stone Age man perceived caves as shelter as cave able to protects people from sun and rain. For example, you are able to identify an airport as it is design based on the functionality of having lower height, lighter structures and wider span roofs.

Before you found any signboard or wordings telling you the particular building is an airport, automatically you are able to recognize it without much doubt (Figure 5 & 6). Similarity to stadium, the architecture of stadium in huge scales, heavy structures and wide span as it is designed based on the function as to hold large number of people for sports, events and concerts. Hence it can be said that the functionality is more effective and easy to allows communication through buildings.

Figure 5: Kuwait International Airport by Foster + Partner (Source from: http://inhabitat.com/foster-partners-unveil-plansfor-solar-powered-leed-gold-kuwaitinternational-airport/ )

Figure 6: The wide span and lightweight strcutures of Kuwait International Airport.

(Source from: https://www.dezeen.com/2011/10/06/kuwaitinternational-airport-by-foster-partners/ ).

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Functionality and Symbolism

Communication Through Symbolism and Functionality Alternatively, can building design to primarily both functionality and symbolism? Eco (1997) once said that most of the objects we encounter daily have combined the functionality and symbolism. He used the example of police uniform's as having primary function of protecting and cover the body at the same time it symbolizes the police force. I.M Pei, Chinese-American architect, assigned to design a new reception area at the same time improve the access of the Louvre Museum. The multiple entrances and it is located below ground floor caused the chaotic circulation into the museum. As there are lots of tourist every year to visit the museum, it is crucial to have a clear and signify entrance. Architect I.M.Pei had used a simple approach by having a glass pyramid as the entrance to the museum (Figure 7). The large pyramid proposed to use glass as material as to show the distinctness from the surrounding and design it as symbolism. Meanwhile the glass pyramid also function as skylight to direct natural lighting into the museum as the museum located underground (Figure 8). The large pyramid said to be design primarily for both functionality and symbolism and it does communicate well architecturally especially to the larger groups of community (which in this case is the tourist).

Figure 7: The glass pyramid as a symbolism for people to clearly know the entrance into the museum. (Source from: http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/may-2015/the-accelerator-in-the-louvre)

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Figure 8: The glass pyramid which also serves as skylight. (Source from: http://praha.idnes.cz/diskuse.aspx?iddiskuse=A151105_172338_co-se-deje_jsk) Buildings serves as channels, for communication as architecture by its nature carries a meaning. This meaning only able to convey or transmit when both sender and receiver share the same architectural codes or languages. It is important for architects to first stand at the point of view of the main communities and understand meanwhile identify how do they actually perceive or receive a certain message. It is also important to understand whether denotation or connotation is easier or effectively for architectural communications. Through elaborations, the functionality is said to be more effectively to enhances the process of communicate in architecture. The building design primarily on symbol are not so appropriate as the subjectivity or expressive mean to be perceived differently based on each individual’s backgrounds, this background includes education, culture, social, politic and beliefs. Both functionality and symbolism are mutually inclusive elements in designing buildings as both are able to occur in a same situation.

Functionality and Symbolism

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