archi-journal

[archi-journal]

Archi journal #1

As the first post on the blog, and as one does at the beginning of everything, we start by asking why. I feel like I must explain the premise of why I enjoy architecture, and how do I perceive architecture.

Personally, there are a few ways I look at architecture as a subject, aesthetically (the matters of the heart), and conceptually/theoretically (the matters of the brain).

Perceiving beauty

There is no denying that when one enters a beautiful space, their mood can be instantly transformed. Human bodies recognise beauty in unexplainable ways. For me, it comes as a form of elevated excitement, and sometimes an overwhelming sense of being moved. When I enter a space I enjoy, I sense an ecstatic emotion that is so strong that I sometimes feel like I am hit by a truck (not that there is anything ecstatic about that, but you know what I mean) and my heartbeat falls in step with the light and shadow interplay within the space. It is very similar to art, you can enjoy beauty without any explanation and the connection is instant.

This is one of my favourite structures in Tokyo, the National Art Center Tokyo, designed by Kisho Kurokawa (黑川 紀章). I still remember the intense joy I felt as I climbed up the stairs from the metro, walked through the glass walkway and entered through the side entrance to be greeted by this light-flooded space. This, to me, is the definition of "instant beauty" I am describing above. No explanation is needed and you feel the space with your senses.

Contextualising space

After my heart decides that I am a fan of the space, my brain then desperately wants to understand, "but why". And that is when I think, for me, the fun begins. Context is crucial for me to make sense of the space, and this means the following information:

who designed it

what school of thought influenced the design

when was this built

what was the socio-economic condition in the region/country surrounding the construction

was there any specific historical, practical, technical considerations influencing the final design

I am a complete layman when it comes to architecture with no formal training, but I am interested in the connection of things. The fact that one structure is designed a certain way can be a reference to something else, and chasing through the association is an intellectually fun trip for me to make. If I enjoy this structure designed by Tadao Ando, I need to understand Le Corbusier. If I like Mies van der Rohe, I must learn about Bauhaus. And so through all the visits, my list of to-read books becomes longer and the bricks of books are also getting bigger and heavier (why can't they make pocket books about architecture baffles me). I still have a lot to learn and I have barely scratched the surface, but the satisfying moment when you had an 'ah ha' moment connecting features you see in one structure with another building you've studied, is so worth it.

For example reading about Álvaro Siza made it much easier to perceive the spatial design of Foundation Serralves and the interior design ethos.

Well, this is it, I suppose. Thanks for reading through my random ramblings. More to come. Ciao for now.