Analysing Architecture immediate presentation of Towards the end of the book place,and which is to be inter-there are some case studies preted,as a complement to sen-which show how a fuller analy- sual perception and experience, sis of a particular work can be for appreciation by the intellect. achieved by examining it under The chapters deal with a number of themes. specific themes.These themes are like analytical 'filters'or frames of reference.Each ab- stracts a particular aspect of the complexity of architecture-ar- chitecture as making frames, primitive place types,temples and cottages,stratification,ge- ometry.... In all the chapters there is an intimate connection between the text,which is explanatory, and the drawings,which have been the principle medium of analysis.Some of the drawings are diagrams of particular ele- ments or ideas,but many are plans or sections of examples which illustrate the themes be- ing discussed. Some works have been se- lected as appropriate examples in more than one of the chap- ters,illustrating a different theme in each.Any work of ar- chitecture may of course be ex- amined through any or all of the filters,though this will not nec- essarily produce interesting rev- elations in all instances. 10
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people have contributed,with which I found I could not knowingly or unwittingly,to agree.My attempts to deter- the preparation of this book, mine why I did not agree have not least the numerous student affected my thinking greatly;so, architects who have been sub- although I shall not name them, jected to various forms of teach- I must also thank my theoreti- ing related to its development.cal antagonists as well as my Some of them have said things, friends. or done things in their designs, Some ideas have come that have prompted thoughts from far afield,from friends which are included here. and opponents I rarely or never The same is true of my col- see,but with whom I sometimes leagues in architectural educa-indulge in discussion across the tion,in particular those I work Internet:in particular,Howard with week by week in the Welsh Lawrence,together with other School of Architecture.Some of contributors to the 'listserv' the examples were suggested by g r o u p-D E S I G N- Kieren Morgan,Colin Hockley,L@psuum.psu.edu. Rose Clements,John Carter, Thanks are due too to Claire Gibbons,Geoff Cheason Gerallt Nash and Eurwyn and Jeremy Dain. Wiliam at the Museum of I have benefitted from Welsh Life for kindly providing many discussions with Charles me with a survey of the cottage MacCallum,Head of the Llainfadyn,on which the draw- Mackintosh School of Architec-ings at the beginning of the ture in Glasgow,and from the chapter Space and Structure are encouragement of Patrick based. Hodgkinson,of the Bath I am especially grateful to School. Dean Hawkes,Professor of De- I am also grateful to the sign at the Welsh School,who Head of Department at the was kind enough to read the Welsh School,Richard material while in preparation Silverman:and to various visi-and who made a number of use- tors to the school who have,ful comments. unknowingly,stimulated ideas And finally,as always,one which are included in the fol-must thank those who are close lowing pages. and who put up with having Some of my colleagues in someone around who is writ- architectural education have ing a book.In my case these contributed to the evolution of long-suffering people are Gill, this book by asserting things Mary,David and James. Simon Unwin,Cardiff,December 1996
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ARCHITECTURE AS IDENTIFICATION OF PLACE
Copyright ?1997. Routledge. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. Unwin, Simon(Author). Analysing Architecture. London, UK: Routledge, 1997. p 12. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/sjtu/Doc?id=10057283&ppg=13
ARCHITECTURE AS IDENTIFICATION OF PLACE Before we can get on to look- that we need.All of them seem ing at some of the conceptual to allude to a special character- strategies of architecture in de- istic,or a'superstructural'con- tail,it is necessary to lay out cern,but they all seem to miss a some ground work with regard central point which one suspects to the nature of architecture, should be more obvious.What and its purpose.Before we can is needed for the purposes of this get onto the 'how?',we need to book is a much more basic,and look briefly at the 'what?'and accessible,understanding of the why?';i.e.'what is architec- nature of architecture,one that ture?',and 'why do we do it?'. allows those who engage in it to It is probably fair to say know what they are doing. that the matters of the defini- Perhaps the broadest defi- tion and the purpose of archi-nition of architecture is that tecture have never been settled.which one often finds in dic- These are issues about which tionaries:'architecture is the there is a great deal of confu-design of buildings'.One can- sion and debate,which is not contradict this definition, strange considering that archi-but it doesn't help very much tecture as a human activity is either;in a way it actually di- literally older than the pyra-minishes one's conception of ar- mids.The question'What is one chitecture,by limiting it to 'the doing when one is doing archi-design of buildings'.Although tecture?'appears simple,but it it is not necessary to do so,one is not an easy one to answer.tends to think of'a building'as Various ways of framing an an object(like a vase,or a ciga- answer to this question seem to rette lighter),and architecture have contributed to the confusion; involves rather more than the some of these relate to compari- design of objects. son of architecture with other One more useful way of forms ofart.Is architecture merely understanding architecture can sculpture-the three-dimensional be gleaned,ironically,from the composition of forms in space?Is way the word is used in regard it the application of aesthetic con- to other art forms,music in siderations onto the form of build- particular.In musicology the ings-the art of making buildings architecture of a symphony can beautiful?Is it the decoration of be said to be the conceptual buildings?Is it the introduction organisation of its parts into a of poetic meaning into buildings?whole,its intellectual structure. Is it the ordering of buildings ac-It is strange that the word is cording to some intellectual sys-rarely used in this sense with Opposite Page: tem-classicism,functionalism,regard to architecture itself. post-modernism..？ In this book this is the Children under a tree bave,in One might answer 'yes'to root definition of architecture the most primitive way,made all these questions,but none that has been adopted.Here, an architectural decision by seems to constitute the rudimen- the architecture of a building,a choosing it as a place to sit. tary explanation of architecture group of buildings,a city,a
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Analysing Architecture garden...is considered to be its they light a fire.By doing so, conceptual organisation,its in-whether they intend to stay tellectual structure.This is a there permanently or just for definition of architecture one night,they have established which is applicable to all kinds a place.The fireplace is for the of examples,from simple rus- time being the centre of their tic buildings to formal urban lives.As they go about the busi- settings. ness of living they make more Though this is a useful way places,subsidiary to the fire:a of understanding architecture place to store fuel;a place to as an activity,it doesn't address sit;a place to sleep;perhaps the question of purpose-the they surround these places with 'why'of architecture.This ap-a fence;perhaps they shelter The architectural actions of a pears to be another difficult their sleeping place with a prebistoric family making its 'big'question,but again there canopy of leaves.From their dwelling place can be repli- is an answer at the rudimentary choice of the site onwards they cated and updated in a beach level which is useful in estab-have begun the evolution of the camp.The fire is the focus, lishing something of what one house;they have begun to or- and also a place to cook.A is striving to achieve when one ganise the world around them windshield protects the fire is doing architecture. into places which they use for from too much breeze,and as In looking for this answer,a variety of purposes.They a wall begins to give some simply suggesting that the pur- have begun to do architecture. privacy.There is a place pose of architecture is 'to de- The idea that identification where the fuel for the fire is sign buildings'is again an of place lies at the generative kept,and the back of the car unsatisfactory dead end;partly core of architecture can be ex- acts as a food store.There are because one suspects that archi-plored and illustrated further.In places to sit,and if one were tecture involves rather more doing this one can think of ar- to stay overnight,one would than that,and partly because it chitecture,not as a language,but need a bed.These are the merely transfers the problem of as being in some ways like one. basic 'places'of a house;they understanding from the word come before walls and a roof. architecture onto the word building. The route to an answer lies in forgetting altogether,for the moment,about the word build- ing,and thinking about how ar- chitecture began in the distant primeval past.(Archaeological exactitude is not necessary in this,nor need we get embroiled in discussions about whether things were done better in those days than in today's more com- plex world.) Imagine a prehistoric fam- ily making its way through a landscape unaffected by human activity.They decide to stop, and as the evening draws on 14
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