Week 2 Howard Smith Wharves (Self - Natural/Artificial) (Entry Five)

I decided that the concepts I was really interested in was not primarily the axis but rather the concept of natural/artificial (physical) and how this is perceived (self).

I settled on the idea, that both natural and artificial were simply conditions that people had to contend with and how we perceive them was simply determined by how we can relate to them. I also decided that you cannot compare or separate the axis and it was a combination of all three axis that gives presence.

Certain architects in history associated modernity with this idea of conquering nature - Le Corbusier said architecture was victory over nature (DAB 525 Mirko -Lecture). I decided that even the built environment needs to be conquered, altered etc and therefore even what we create is not definite but also a condition that can be likened to nature. Therefore I coupled the two terms nature/artificial into a singular concept of physical.

I drew up this following chart...exploring these concepts.

Continuing my train of thought, I decided that since the modern world was also an environment that needed to be conquered etc, then maybe by giving architecture or design - free form then people begin to articulate the physical presence of cities etc in their own way.

I drew some sketches which I thought could represent folies - ways in which people could see the city in a different way and learn new ways of seeing the city  and since this condition already exists it could reinforce ideas that they already had. Learning is not simply a way of being introduced to something, it is also a way of retaining memory.

Giving people a view or a frame of something - gives that location a unique vantage point and therefore gives a person a retention of that view and of that memory even without suggesting anything else, that alone is learning. Leaning: 2. To fix in the mind or memory; memorize

But I wanted to take it further. I thought of my concept and I stated that the environment/surroundings reflect or reveal architecture/buildings because that is the way that we truly understand most buildings in the world. Not in isolation, not as monuments but as contextually grounded and in relation to other places i.e. The Riparian Plaza by Eagle Street which you see framed by Edward Street/Charlotte Street intersection.

I  also thought of it metaphorically. I thought of the idea of reflecting the surroundings on shards or an organic form that would reflect these images arbitrarily to create a very strong emphasis of the environments presence. Organic - not because it would have no specific intent but to communicate the idea of how architecture is understood within context and authentically. Devoid of the forceful elements that force and direct people such as axis, channels, grand imposition etc. This was simply another way to see architecture. Axis is quite functional, monuments are great etc....but representing the ways in which people understand architecture was a learning experience. To represent this - I was going to attempt to achieve this with contrast - Which I will depict in the next entry.