Idea of Architecture

Reflections as a Student

Through the years of studying architecture, I have never deeply questioned the fundamental questioned the meaning of architecture, its manifestation and reason. Insightful lectures and discussion on them are opening out the philosophy behind the pursuit and thereby redirecting my focus to the field.

The Idea of Architecture

Architecture has manifested right from man felt the need to shelter himself. But all that manifest needn’t be architecture. We discussed through various theories on architecture of which Hannah Arendt’s theory “Homo Communicator” explains best that, Architecure is a form of “Speech & Action”. Plurality is a precondition for speech and action for the creation of a public realm. Architecture is an “idea” implanted in a manifestation. It addresses as a public realm and the objective behind it lies in expression of one’s presence. The expression arises in the form of buildings. But do all buildings make Architecture?

The Analogy of Sound and Music gave a better understanding between the two. The tags of “Meaning”, “Order” and “Judgement” differentiates Sound from Music and likewise ‘Buildings’ from “Architecture”. When buildings are made with a reason to “convey” or form an order arousing a judgement they materialise into the realm of architecture.

Social organisation, Culture reflect and affect architecture and make its superstructure. But deep underneath they all address the basic “Sense of Man,Nature, and the relation between man and nature.” Thus the precondition for architecture to “happen” lies in “Desire to express, agreement, and partnership with nature”

What informs architecture? Architecture conveys the idea of man. “formitas. Commoditas. Aesthes” the famous Vitruvius saying means that architecture depends on form, comfort and aesthetics. It’s the codification that conveys architecture. The norms, rules that arise from basic understanding of man and his relation with nature makes up architecture.

#architecture #historytheoryandcriticism #selfreflection #retrospection #ideaofarchitecture