essa essays ys writ writte te
betw betwee ee
1981 an
1983 1983
Bernard Bernard Tschumi, Tschumi,
A dv er er ti ti se se me me nt s
f o A rc rc hi hi te te ct ur ur e
1 97 97 8
To real really ly appr apprec ecia iate te architectur~, commit murd murder er
~ ~ .......· a . , · :,
.~
.'
In th
or
some someti time me i s d ef ef in in e by t h a ct ct io io n i t w it it ne ne ss ss e enclos osure ure of Its w al al ls ls . M ur ur de de r by the encl i n t h e S tr tr ee ee t d if if fe fe r f ro ro m M ur ur de de r i n t h . Ca Ca th th ~d ~d ra ra l ay ve ff ro t h S tr tr ee ee t o f L ov ov e R ad ad ic ic al al ly ly , A rc rc hi hi te te ct ct ur ur e
ofremar ofremarka kabl bl
of thei thei prod produc ucti tion on
at it
an ou of char charac acte ter, r, ar Ye ofte ofte
rite rite s, arti artist sts, s, or co pose posers rs on
find find disc discon once cert rtin in li it isfi isfits ts
elem elemen ents ts loca locate te Thes Thes it ithi hi
elem elemen ents ts th
at th
edge edge
istu isturb rbin in
arti artist st's 's acti activi vity ty
such such work work reveal hidd hidden en code code an exce excess sses es hint hint
in at other other defin definiti ition ons, s, other other inter interpr preta etatio tions ns
Bernard Bernard Tschumi, Tschumi,
A dv er er ti ti se se me me nt s
f o A rc rc hi hi te te ct ur ur e
1 97 97 8
To real really ly appr apprec ecia iate te architectur~, commit murd murder er
~ ~ .......· a . , · :,
.~
.'
In th
or
some someti time me i s d ef ef in in e by t h a ct ct io io n i t w it it ne ne ss ss e enclos osure ure of Its w al al ls ls . M ur ur de de r by the encl i n t h e S tr tr ee ee t d if if fe fe r f ro ro m M ur ur de de r i n t h . Ca Ca th th ~d ~d ra ra l ay ve ff ro t h S tr tr ee ee t o f L ov ov e R ad ad ic ic al al ly ly , A rc rc hi hi te te ct ct ur ur e
ofremar ofremarka kabl bl
of thei thei prod produc ucti tion on
at it
an ou of char charac acte ter, r, ar Ye ofte ofte
rite rite s, arti artist sts, s, or co pose posers rs on
find find disc discon once cert rtin in li it isfi isfits ts
elem elemen ents ts loca locate te Thes Thes it ithi hi
elem elemen ents ts th
at th
edge edge
istu isturb rbin in
arti artist st's 's acti activi vity ty
such such work work reveal hidd hidden en code code an exce excess sses es hint hint
in at other other defin definiti ition ons, s, other other inter interpr preta etatio tions ns
Program
ld ofen
ig
at th li it oflite oflitera ratu ture re at th
clie client nt
id deav deavor or ther ther ar prod produc ucti tion on
ol
in
limi limi ofmusi ofmusic, c, at th li it oftheat oftheater er Such Such extr extrem em po posi siti tion on info inform rm us abou abou th stat stat dict dictio ions ns Thes Thes seem seem
ofart, ofart, it para para ox oxes es an it co tratra-
work works, s, ho howe weve ver, r, rema remain in exce except ptio ions ns fo they they
ispe ispe sa le-a le-a
luxu luxu
in th fiel fiel
In arch archit itec ectu ture re ar
ot only only hi hist stor oric ical ally ly freq freque ue tu
im
is
arch archit itec ectu ture re does does no exis exis with withou ou
e,
that that arch archit itec ectu ture re does does no exis exis with withou ou ee
erec erecte te
beyo beyond nd th
itho ithout ut
mere mere proc proces es
soci social al an cent centur urie ie
have have
of isco iscour urse se
th or
ot
or
ther ther
it
prec precis isel el
eman eman
comp comple le
deve develo lope pe
ad arch archit itec ectu ture re afor
in an odes odes
arch archit itec ectu tura ra
stat statem emen ents ts th that at
ever everth thel eles es
info inform rm us abou abou
ui uilt lt
tu -i
than than th
cult cultur ural al
iffe iffe en
ts
actu actual al
th
ui uild ldin ings gs oftheir oftheir ti e. Pira Pira
el as lito se fort fort
cu re
Fountainhead
ofits
mask masked ed thes thes
mere mere nece necess ssit itie ie
Th twen twenti tiet et
of
publ public icit it
cent centur ur
have have tw
ld
id
ic
it
ut
natu nature re have have occa occasi sion onal ally ly play played ed te
work work ofthe limi limi ofte ofte
t el el y prov provid id
le
conc concen entr trat ates es
ath
redu reduct ctiv iv xt
vers versio io
ai
th arch archii-
at over overal al soci social al
conc concer erns ns whil whil
on sect sector or
poli polici cies es
th
othe other, r,
call called ed styl style, e, tech techni niqu que, e,
ot
excl exclU: U:de deth th buil buil real realm, m, fo smal smal cons constr truc ucti tion on imen imenta ta
axim aximal alis is
so it
it
diff differ eren en vers versio ions ns of twen twenti tiet ethh-ce cent ntur ur
mini minima mali list st
th
asso associ ciat atio io
in ti
ti
te ts
oi
mark market et
cult cultur ural al poli politi tica cal, l, prog progra ramm mmat atic ic
ti
atte attent ntio io
orks orks of an esse essent ntia ia
cont contai ains ns nu erou erou is
o-
dictionnaire des idees
less less acce access ssib ible le
an it re
h it it e t u
esse essent ntia ia
ra ings ings in othe othe
hero heroic ics. s.
ture ture or wors worse, e, dist distor orti ting ng them them thro throug ug
have have dras drasti tica call ll la
of the
aspe aspect cts, s, curt curtai aili ling ng it to
conc concer erns ns to
nesi' nesi' engr engravi aving ng ofpriso ofprisons ns Boull Boullee ee's 's wash washes es ofmonum ofmonumen ents, ts, thou though gh
th
limi limits ts rest restri rict ctin in
view view of ecor ecorat ativ iv
recu recues es dism dismis issi si
no
dete determ rmin in
popu popula lari rity ty of arch archit itec ectu tura ra
tect tectur ure. e. One, One,
infl influe uenc nced ed arch archit itec ectu tura ra
to th very very efin efinit itio io
to th most most obvi obviou ou ofarchi ofarchite tect ctur ure' e'
im
le ic
rela relate te
isse isse inat inatio io
re uces uces arch archit itec ectu tura ra
slow slowly ly ov over er
ofknow ofknowle ledg dg
of know knowle le ge us
ar ke
eces ecessa sari rily ly
t at at e o f
text texts. s. Buil Buildi ding ng have have
ut arch archit itec ectu ture re itse itself lf go goes es
of buil buildi ding ng Th
ph phil ilos osop ophi hica ca
of itse itself lf Just Just as al
thou though gh
ra ings ings
of," of," as
Ye th pole pole ic an
main main have have ofte ofte
draw drawin ing, g, in th same same wa
clue clue
orks orks ar esse esse ti tiaL aL In fact fact th
is irec irectl tl
orlimit orlimit
hi de
of." of."
arch archii-
it
thes thes
arch archit itec ectu ture re What What is mean mean byto define-"To natur natur
ofth limi limi
ut indi indisp spen en able able
co cept cept oflimit oflimit
ti
inve invest sted ed capi capita tal, l, Like Like th
etec etecti tive ve stor stor
ound oundar ar
ofknow ofknowle le ge
such such prod produc ucti tion on
in ol an care carefu full ll
ofan expe experr-
je
simi simila la role role ig
other other Shoul Shoul on exclu exclude de the most most rebe rebelli lliou ou
th
isol isolat ated ed epis episod odes es amid amidst st th
main mainst stre ream am ofcomme ofcommerc rcial ial prod produc uctio tion, n, fo comm commer erce ce cann cannot ot
th
ik
inte intere rest st of pres preser ervi ving ng th move moveme ment nt tura tura tact tactic ics. s.
an auda audacio cious us
l zi zi g styl stylis isti ti
pl
cohe cohere renc nc
of th
th mode modern rn
Such Such exclu exclusio sions ns afte afte all ar comm common on archi architec tec he
odem odem
ovem ovemen en
ha
alre alread ad
star starte te
it
Program
attack on th beau
arts in th
i nt e
t at i
of
in te
sa
ay th
advocate
th
oder
ovement'
1920 by
tactically belittling
th ce tu of th
it
tu
Internatio al
ra ical co cern
th
th
scalin
down of generous research strategies into opera-
tiona power broker tactics.
tyle re uced
to ho ogenized
Th i st i
is es
curren
id
mass-marke
publications
tive ofarchitectural postmodemism
architectura
polemics
tyle they alis
yfocusin ak
thei
entertai in
ut offe little
us th same approach
attack on th Internatio al pole ic
ew to
an
pu ge
sensuousness the
though
of opposin Zeitgeist to Geniu
i el d
generall
it
ti
ther
p le xi t
te th ug t.
remain
appraisals
ha ly
hi
to
highly
narrowin
architecture as
battle betwee
this nar-
an research into th nature
ut
ea co flic
correspo ding
on
theoretica
attles that occu in ever da
life
ithi
atte
an underdevel th
i a it
th
p lu ra li t
amagin
to th as
scop fo
knowle ge offor
thes
interpre
th
id th
ideologies implie
of th
ee
iscipline.
of knowle ge into is matche
only
co cern
h it e t u
g ai n o f i t
an restrict it limits to
iron ," "conscious schizophre ia,"
fascinatio
obsessiv
galleries.
cohere ce
ha revealed itself full ofcontradic
Such reductio
reputabl
i d o lo gi e
he
"twice-broken split-pediments.
ays. Th ar world'
and" architectura
such tactical
uc io is
rationalis ).
t o t ri p
terr tory of "wit an
eviden in th
containe
in
t hi s i s
o li d
hi le
alread
fu ctionalism
"dua coding," an
un l lo w
o ft e
social spatial, co ceptua
i si n
he
a tt l (for alis
publications
of architecture an architec
os
Modernis
t io n
t yl e
us it
i st s
intellige tsia
thematic cri-
to curren reductiv
of architecture er
Seriou
most specialize
curren frivolit
ti
ialectic
level, to practica
to purist research Un
p o u la ri t
ar partia
of
critique of th
Th
criticis
is absent except in th
re uction
si pl
Loci, conceptual concern to
it
"practicality"
Worse, critic
tu
signs, an
belongs to the traditional genre with "personality
profiles an tiqu
is ot
ones historical allusion
fortunately, architectura pe
worldwid
view ofarchitectural histor
le
othe public celebrations of
discove today
Architectura
allegorica
is an
jour
cultural contex that ha long
included th same historical allusions, ambiguou
ro
ecomes clea if on
ur
iconographic mannerisms. Today, the most vocal representa-
ut in everse
co fusion
occurs in other, less obviou with architectura
number of architectura
sculpture" exhibitions, is
hese
orks ar
they inform us abou th changing architecture's usefulnes
matters,
reference" el
atched
useful only insofa as
atur
ofth
art. To envy
or reciprocally to envy artists' free-
Pr()gram
om
ow in
th
aivete an
derlin
is nder anding
th work Building ma be abou usefulness architecture no ne es rily
o.
superficiall
call
rchi ectura
borrow from
aive as
al
ho
culptu es
ha
vocabulary of gables an stairs is
in in
so
rc it cts' te id
activities hide an
naly is re ains to
cover. This history, critique an ne
ot
fringe
he om no
(poets visionaries or, worse, intellectuals) bu as centra to the nature of architecture.
ter-
colors or th P.R. renderings of commercial firms. Such reciprocal envy is base on th narrow es li it
of outmoded interpretations,
were inexorably draw
toward th other'
texts. Ye th avant-gard co
tably differ It should be note
term
of referenc
that architectura
Bythei very nature they usuall
thing outside themselves (a oppose th
refe
nl
to th
lves
inevi-
tion ar ther
heir
it
ar drawings
in
en ra
this histor
nd
rchi ectura
is no linear an
certai
th
av
di
ke
ture," "n rr ti e" systematicall
rc it tu e, "poetic"
ce
question their reductiv
fter
production hile
is ed nu erou
"con eptual
ofhistory
in partic lar.
from enslaved to artificial continuities hi tori
pseudo-continuit
poor understandin histor
recurren
themes
raises th
constant
sa
that ar specifi-
As oppose rarely presents
to othe disciplines, architecture
coherent se ofconcepts-
definition-tha
rk
ti
ar fa
ainstrea uali yi
"c rd oard th
ll
rchitec-
sensitiv
boundaries of it
is
di tu
urie
strategies. Question-
archit tura
scale, proportion ar
it tura
stractio
have
en tr
literature
symmetry
smitte
nnotat on
progra mati
form an
betw
and practical-is
architectura
spac of
functi n, betw
organization
contrary
eans understandin
ha bor-
en
hav specific he
ofspace-th
to perceive something-that-has-been-conceived. et
aphor-
ist. Such noti ns as
re atio
distinction between theoretical
fe hr ug
and composition
ofthough an th substanc
recalled to perceive th it on
ha
th
activity Ho ever
b-
Platonic constantly building is Th
oppo
id al ypes
is si ilarly recurrent, even if
both term ar viewed increasingly as independent. reject On th
ques
ateriality an
it neatly determined action
reaction episodes is base on
ha it
of limits
refe to so e-
to thos
Bu back to history. Th history,
ca
drawings
devices.)
of architectura
re ar able ea
thes periodical shifts an digression
architectur chitecture
rc it ctur
most conservative
of both fields so etimes enjoys
on sensibility, even if thei
im ts
as if each discipline
Program
ity, metaphor an Vitruvian trilogy-venustas, firmitas, utilitas-"attractive appearance," "structura co
odatio ."
stability,
It is obsessivel
turies of architectura that order. Ar inhere
precepts
thes
li it
"appropriate spatia repeated throughout
though
ot
possible architectura
ithout
ad
enta
ld
th
oe no exist?
validity? If not, does architecture fail to realiz it ha
fo architecture coul zation an fa il
th
of th
ha
disrupte
appearance
voca ulary,
architect'
th
th
gran
displace
Vitruvia
no remain insensitiv
state, or church at th
from th
if ne
itself
to industriali-
of institutio
tu
of th
trilog
boundaries of th At th
ce tury Th
(beaut )-slowly
fi st
disappeare
formal
semiotics merely borrowed code from literar
texts applie
iscourse
ai ed descriptive. Inversel reduci
ofth
past architectura
atte pt
uildin
i ng . sy
ol
to
to co struct
"message gu
ew
"prison-house"
co cern fo th
to have
language as
it
system of sign from
izin ordiscussin i lt , structur
ex term-structura
isappeared
urin
th
stabilit -see
960s
it Th consensu
i de d
ithout an on
course
an
real
wa that anything coul
o ul d
or it
on
vanished from conference roster
architectura
agazines
cism ar made ofpainted plywoo th
to
iv
an
it
dwindled in
Who, afte all,
ants
progressiv tu ie
proceeds from such si plisti
ea
or that applique moldings
et ph ic
returned bu wa ofte
an it us
In recent years, however serious research has
an
language
language as an ac accomplished by an individuaL
theo
to architecture
combination,
substitution
ad in an
an arse al
marked by
re uction of uildin that architects coul
compose, an recompos
contextual
furthe
deprived volume
te
ly
te
ta
to
o ll o
ll
19 0s interest in engi eering issues particular condition: th as
over
arbitraril
period of cenco pose
e-
volumes according to formal rathe
than structural laws Modernism'
li guisti
of selectio
of architectura
limit, this research introduces preoccupatio
ot ti
interpreta tions.
applie
fo innovation
hile structural li guistics took hold architectura
ea
enveniste.
formalist manipulation often exhausts
language differentiatin
(whether
et earl
code
an
criteria ar no injected to allo
In th
11
Chomsk
lo g?
ra ical questionin
term-attractiv
of Iako so
Although exclusivel
Th he twentieth-ce tury
term
contiguity fol-
ha it an intellectual
lazines observed throughout history? Does persistenc
o f li mi t
ac cen-
th
similarity an
ecessarily in co stants
hich architecture
Or is thei permanence
lo in
metonymy
concer
fo surfac
effect
of material substance. Today, mat-
th
duce to sheetrock or glass partition
ll
th
ee
tha barely differentiate
Program
pe
iv
ll
of ub er
on
rubbin
ofan elbo
-l
ll
flesh; th tast ofdust th discomfortin te al
iv
l og i a l
te
o ti v e d
ab
It
stressed however, that an
concer
over material substanc
ha
eyon
er
structural stability. Th
ma
tu
te
ll is
id
implications
t e a li t
of
spatia
th
ll
p ra ct i a l
it
t he r
oc
it
sequences, it
ts
articulations,
it
remark in passing: some will sa concer v at io n searc
pl ce
th
on
th
li
collisio s. (O
fo energy conser
uc io
e-
pa
oe
certainl
tl
th
enjoys ge
distinct popularity ye oc
ul
ho
es
th or
hi
is
im ly th
le
on
th
th
t h e e- di m
ch ofa ha
io
je ti
mental representation
bu it is so ething that is hear
th
ritual ofpassage...
oor,the vanishin
ent-corridors, here egin th
in passive an activ energy conservation, solarpower,
an wate recyclin
iv
in fa
he pa in
th
staircases
amps
articulation of
i et y
representation
et ee
th
th esholds;
spac of th se se ge tu
of spac
an
an
Spaces ofmove
passages
he
te
th
spac
t ha t
..
of represen
tation Bodiesnot only move in bu generate spaces produced
cities.)
th ou
h ei r
ov
ts
e nt s- o
:{ ;,.1
t, he
le ju
of th
spatia acco
odatio
od -the ture
starti
he Cartesia
phenomenological
l og i
la
te
th
is of course th
od
op ia
spaces At th
your bo y,
poin an poin ofarriva ofarchitec od -as-object ha
body-as-subject, an
pa
t r l og y
th
ce
th
ee th
oppose
-a
th li it
obscurit go
ot th
of th
bu inseparabl
from th
tw
egun to analyz
th th
iennes
..
materialit
an
in
betwee
h it e t u iscoveries at th
century, even if architecture migh
on
v e t s i nt o
events
ecom
h it e t u
scenario
implications
spaces that enclos
or pro-
independen
them
to th
od to th
unconscious, somewher
thes
grams, void ofmoral or functiona
pe
ad
It
e rl ap s t h
betwee
natively betwee th
us on
body
t il l tu
ay inform ps
thes
th
or gi
ental, physical
te
an
language matter
in
t ai n
social spac an
or alter-
body Admittedly
distinctions ar schematic. Although they correspond
to real an
convenient categories of analysis ("conceived,1I
of proaches an to differen mode of architectura
notation
change is eviden in architecture's status archi tecture.
in it relationship to it
language it
co posing
aterials
Program
an it in ividuals or societie thre term ar articulate ithi
th
fiel
he question is ho
an ho
of co te po ar
that sinc architecture's
thes
they relate to each othe practi e. It is ls
mode ofproductio
vi en
ha reache
an
An architectura t he i
progra
is
list of required utilities; it indicate
r el at io ns , b u s ug ge st s n ei t e r
h ei r c om bi na ti o
no
t he i
proportion."
advanced stag of development, it no longer need to adhere strictly to li guistic, isto
them at
of isol te
at ri l, or fu ctio
ill.
inally it is eviden
inci ents-often
architecture's ve ts
atur
ra ings
or
is
text
pu he ot al ay xpan
th
asid
ro
in th
ou ou
ut ca th
ithi arie
role
pa t-that uilding. of socially
justifiable constructions. Th recent change ar deep an little understood. Architects-at-larg tuitivel
it
tu
is
is
th
an
co eque ce of this phenomenon-bot
an
sign ofescape To what extent dosuch explosions such
change in th
conditions of th
sign offear
production of architecture
displace th limits ofarchitectural activities in orde to correspon
to their mutations?
fi ld
been dismissed both asremnant attempts to resurrec he li
attack
l at i utilitaria
n ot ic e
series ofproceedings as
.. ),
festiv
l is t
formance as
i ss ue d b ef or eh an d celebration, s"
of performance; henc whol ....
th
item
preeminenc
Bu le us briefl ti
teenth century' on spatia
an
developmen
an
f or ma l
course ofstudy etc. rt
themselves collectively
th th
order per-
henc
that even curren
recall so
historical fact th
ofscientifi
anal si an
ha
le
co st uction
th
ia
larg
reflecte
particular cultures an ts
in
i-
to th need
state, th progra 's apparently objectiv
by an
ri ce
epar te
im
is ereign
ar hitec-
to stress pure formal manipulation
lo
ofthe period or th
ig
techniques base
al ea
tectural process. Implicitly or explicitly relate
requirements
ia
to challenge
th
st uctura
pr emi-
io
architecture ha refuse
th
doctrines.
an em ed ed
oder is -the th
considerations
th d es cr ip ti v
functionalis
in on particular aspect of
postmodernis
concerns have
in that they impl
tu al theo ists to co si er us
III.
ideologies have co
ofhumanism an asmorbi
no -obsolet
ar revealin
disciplines, an
P ro gr am :
rchitectural
sciously banished fo decades. Programmati
find them difficul to accept in
awar as they ar that thei craf is bein drasticall
lt
forbid en fiel
of 73 an th
Pu li
le estiva i al i
or th ti
ar
Program
ur anizatio
soon ge erated thei
ment stores railwa ce tury progra
stations or
p le x t h
id
ediating factor quired riskin
an
of co
ot
prog ams. Depart
erce an
a di l
in ustr
es lt in pr
like idea co plet
ow
arcade were nineteenth
is
uildings type
disjunctio
Usuall
er
betwee
ofte
"for
re an
Th modern movement's earl attack
lo
it
am
th
en
eg
recipes. Th
t ta c
ut
t he r
tionalis
an
thes
te ts
at th oder
i de ol o i ca l
it
le te
et ee
p et it i itself wa
an
is
firs level, this ethi
a rt i l l
theories ofmo er is sic. "For
l et e
ew func
emphasized prob
ue to th
develope
follow form
peculiar
to
ha ic
il in
s it e
ge
li
second an th
t, in or
or
heroic level, th
tu is
er ists fo ideologica
replaced "for
unal kitchens
reasons, an
in buil ings co ceived
pose to prov th
si pl
u ct iv i
-g
tw
i ve n
confirme
as
ea
to
th
ec he
an Europe
Ii li II
ne
frequently naiv ol ly
th
vision ofsocia an manner architecture c ie t in th
changing social contex favore ne
to om i te d
t at e
form an
art, an
u-
post oder ists
fo
to
subsequent form
t yp e a n
th
pur-
as no necessar
function an
u il d
modernists
og
or entirely differen
iv
more conventional th
program,
th better conventional programs with thei easy solutions,
material for syntactica
in st le an
sculptur
uction to si pl architecture is
ofconstructivism
ofliterary formalism, an th an
lv
literature ca
Gree
ot
to be avoide
like
th in
of modernis
atte plague
in th
he
ictu
re
applie
to
that co tent
th
re uced in
subjec
ofuse. Ultimately
exampl
erg'
o m l et el y i n
bu itself ..
uc
al co tributed to architecture's
Ii guis ic co po ents
Clemen
la guage,
transformations.
Th academizatio fluenc
clubs, theate s, factories, or even
unites d'babitation acco pa ie family structure. In
it
follow function,"
poin that ther
causal relationship betwee
revolution
programs "Socia condensers," com-
orkers
il
were voiced byneo-mod
en ug fu ctio
painti thinkers to create ne
ofits earl
vi tu
in literature
on functionalis
left room fo experi entation architecture wa to grow from th objectiv proble
an er On
ee emptie
esthetic ones.
ew social contents
pure geometries an ou ce
ethic. At th
expe se of programmatic co ce ns By
architecture ha
u x a rt s
or
concep ofthe progra th
onthe
disjunc-
os
ed
Instead, closer li ks
technologies
condemne
ec
ic
compositiona
societ
1950
an soon attack
formulas of academicis
ti
th
or
"content."
empt
tech ologie
th
hole orin part to anything
or co te furthe
ecomes so ethi
remove
1970s,mainstrea
considerations modernis
crit
Program
icism, by focusing on th je
or
intrinsi
l li a
qualitie
it
ti
of autonomous th
ib
architecture an easy object ofpoetics Bu wasn't architecture differen from paintin orliterature than
su je
Coul
us orprogram bepar offor
rather
or co te t? Didn't Ru sian form lism
from Greenbergia
differ Beyond their divergin of architecture
to
iffe
considerations of content, it simply no longer oppose form of th
i ti c
te ti
events
ll part of
um
rchitecture,
it to
it Much of th
theory of architectura
otably emerge
in th
modern
50 rather than in th
of architecture
archit ctur Di it includ
or exclud
tura postmodernism' modernis l it h
fo that whic
alone. Bu ho
ha neve assaulte
is
fals pole ic
h it e
action betwee
i st o to
If
th
pa alle
th
it
tu
tu
i mp l
to
visions, or to th
ts
ts
ollo
or
as formal or tylistic only th
anin
anipulatio nd th
fr
or
is
ti
th
ti betwee
progra
varied positivist or
an
type
echanistic
eans goin beyond
of architecture
Th al
usua
xclu
iscourse on th
case in point. ise-en-scene
of
eter Behren
ho
it Olbrich's Mathildenhoehe,
architectu
ll
od an it experience ro
logi ofform in
Th
th
concep
th visual arts
ideologies ofthe past On th contrary it
sion of th
self-referential architecture tha tran tu
that
t iv it y
must also question it ow formal contingency. Byn mean
re uctive interp etatio is
it
ll
to utopia
i st i
hu
of
ar to observe, today, an epistemologi
it
to cause-and-effect relationship
il an autonomous
re ut
li ic th abse ce of
(t
ovement, sensua experience an
system To discus
aski
is
double-codin
intertextuality le
it valu
clever fein ai ed at
he
in that they re
to
th
ly
linguistic choice of
concerns abou use.
twee
hi
to th
ho ly
ti upon Thus
multiplicity ofheterogeneous discourses th constant inter-
efined
use? It is ig ifican that architec
challeng
t io n
is issing
is characteristic of
as such specificit
ar la gely fruitles
of modernism, or th
tu
tual acro atic specificit
in
un emarke ig
ofco
called single-codin post odernism
(which
easily acces-
single signifying system Theories ofreading to
formal.
is
th
hich is usuall
ur
applie
modernism in that, rathe than banishin
totality
to
spac an
esthetic means, both conceiv
as an object of co te plation,
stil
of re erence
lem, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy'
an stag
oelzig's sets or designs,
hich combined
cine a, music, sets an actions, freezing simultaneities
E1
Program
Lissitzky's displays of electromechanical Schlemmer'
gestural dances
"Montage of Attractions, tura constructions-al of architectura
whic
turned into real architec
etes an
late
Cathedra
ofIce an
th Nurember
or
an
or
ecentl
Loui
avid's revo
si ister,
lber Spee 's
Rally.
eparture
ro
rene ed concerns fo architectura
taken an imaginar pologica studie ofideal buildin te
programmati
have begu
orthodox
ere, of course prece-
Jacque
lutionar
course an
restrictiv
Ther
pageants
acrobatics, Oska
Konstantin Melnikov's
exploded th
oder is
ents-Renaissance
an
form
is
events have
mode." Alternatively ty-'
to discus
th
critical "affect"
type that were historically born offunction i sp l
origina purpose. Thes
in
li
th ir
concerns fo events, ceremonies an
programs sugges apossible distanc vis-a-visboth modernist orthodoxy an
historicis
revival.
it tu
h er e i s n o a rc hi te ct u
1.
w it ho u
o u e ve nt s n o a rc hi te ct ur e th
2.
he irst ofthes
pens 1-3.
th lo ic of object
w it h u t
a rc hi te ct ur e
w it h
ro ra
i s no architecture
tate ents ru
of action Th
a ct i n ,
withou
agai
second statemen th logi ofma
th
violence
ai trea
of
argues that although ar in ep
in
Program
thei relation in
to th world, they inevitably face on anothe
i nt e
uildin
an
th intrusio
o n o nt a i o it user
l at io n i p
od into
give
idea of architecture
ea th ir
space, th intru-
sion ofone orde into another. This intrusio th
is inhere
an re uction ofarchitectu
in to it
By "violence,
he
that destroys physical or emotiona fo th
inte sity of
integrit
relationship
et ee
th ir t yl e
h it e t u
nacula an
variations
unavoida le
am
in ividuals an
is
th
le
fo architecture
violence is fundamenta is li ke
guar is li ke
to events in th
li
ti
otatio
qualif
spaces as
th pe
ca re us
uc
io
i nt e
).
ti
as pace
it
users,
hose
it
u re ,
a wi n
or
et li it od
ir
et
in
is
he
th
action an spac is symmetrical-opposing
(people versus spaces tha affect on another in
len to
spac or people clearl
dominate
th
be
ordere
ex
engage
in consta
thought. No
onde th
architectura
of architectura
inte course
carefull
suspec in architecture
pu it
dangerou
o rt s
rush agai st th
os extrem
th
estabhuma
it ha al ay am itio s. Th
or er It is equiva-
prohibition.
Violence is no al ay present. Just as riots, ra ls insurrections, tion so is th
an
violence
evolutions ar od co
Each door implie
it
of li ited
ura-
agai st space.
et it
th movement ofsome-
on crossing its frame. Each corridor implies the progression
intrudin
spac implie
presence that will inhabi
it
l at io n tw camp
Space Violatin Bodies
comparable ut if odie violat
whethe
ll
odie
ee
to th
isturb
(anddesires th
twee
building ma
ofmovement that blocks it Each architectura
to co si er this fact
i nt o t h
fluid or erratic motions Architecture,
of architectura
isalway implicit
pa
Entering
o di e
then is only an orga is
to th prisoner th police
criminal th doctor to th patient, orde to chaos. This suggests that action
lo
spaces throug
od ha al ay
i ol e
io
(d architectural photographs eve include runners,
lished rule
te
or than fascist, socialist, or ver-
Architecture's
ay that th
th al
etapho
is
than classica architectu e,
pecte
ut li
bu
th ir
delicate act, bu it violates th balanc ofa precisel
ig te
of architecture to it facades.
e,
controlled orde of architecture
geometr reductio
Space
tw
is on of violence fo an us
ofa hu an
BodiesViolatin
th
purity of architectura
spaces on
other. flicte
by narrow corridor
on larg crowds th
sy boli
or
Program
physical violence of building wish to resurrec ap
he
on users.
recent behavioris
is
existence
ly to
ph ic
quite innocently
he
je te
to
loudspeakers to sustai
ha it
pa ia ag
io
ju
painful-bu
pleasurable-physical
in
if spatia
id
as
to
torturer
ants
ur ou th
vic-
he want to demean hi prey to make
ti
u bj e t .
ud
av
choice running away is impossible Th room ar to smal or to big, th ceilings to lo
space. Th love of violence afte all, is an ancien pleasure
spac of possible
ar
arki gs
tim, to regress, becaus
in
your body inhabits is inscribe
ou unco scious
li
by an throug
to
architectura li
th
plac
your imaginatio
lo
is
in an imaginary sort ofway
Th
imaginar
word of warning:
or to high Violence exercise
it ct fuse
to acknowledg
leas officially that architecture eye, as well as comfortabl seem
curiou
he
en
in
th
ve
th
eg la
an always claime
should
pleasi
to th
pleasure of violence ca be experi a c i vi t
ovie
(a
to th body This presupposition
th
violence
discordant sounds in music t o h e from ga gste
spac is spatia torture.
th
such pleasure
in
to th
Marqui
thes
exquisit
of ts
de ade.
Violenc Ritualize
la dscape
th
step
th
of anothe th
stimulates
so
impossible
violent
illa
st ange
p et it i
esire, bu soon
form th
ecomes sa istic,
spatia device
formless spaces leadin
tu in
te
an made to
ca
il master in
disturbing architectura
seventeent
to ps chological
estrue
si iste
ai
th
or
narrow fo crowds introduc
radica
as an object of contemplatio
as
instru en
it
stressed that th receivin
ofuse. At th sa subject- ou
to ar ti
orI- ay
th
an
ecor Wh
century, Bernin
followed by Mansart'
chitectu
pe vers
take
tortures th
spatia delights thes tortuous path
ofprom
enades through deliriou landscapes theatrical events wher
epriva
shif from architecture
us
Wh
of se sory
hite anechoic cham er
tion th
consciousl
ir
acto co plements
Such discomfortin an
oton a, an another,
he
ha
Th
architect?
staged whol
eautiful rallies.
live bodyand dead stone-is
fter all, th
spectacles
original action
unspeaka le copulating of
unique an unrehearsed, though
infinitely repeatable fo yo ma
ente th
agai an again. Th architec will always drea thi uncontrolle
th
fete fo Loui XN an Alber Speer'
original ac ofviole ce-thi
perhap
..
violence, channelin
building
ofpurifyin
obedien bodies along
Program
predictabl trikin
path
an
occasionally alon ramp that provid
istas, ritu lizi
ce
rb ier'
th rp nter
violates th building is
ra gr
io
enter,
genuin
odie
th ts ra
ovemen
in that
ofbodies
tely froz
into
subtle an
ovemen
it
spac is ofte
ut ot interactio
of th
purified by ritual Sixteenth-cen-
storming of th Winter Palace in St Petersburg fo example, ar ritualisti
imitations of spontaneou
repeated thes ritual ha
ap
lectio
choice of ti
action an
disorder ofth mediat
nd lace th
space. It institutes
original event.
tensio
he
ne
relationship orde afte th
it beco es necessar
twee th
guar
unte
consider whic
unted.
ls have ba ic
ds to
te
hunt
jo
th
ee
game They ar respectively self-sufficient. Only when they onfron
ac
ot
nt rdep nd nt
r'
it
rs iz
re
re lity ar
thei
that it be om an
tr te ie
eter in
hich on responds Th sa
architecture an
th
ents or ro ra s.
titi
to
of ev nt
ro ra
totall
impo sibl
pa es re at
ay building
on
hap-
relate to thei or an
nnounc
cr ptiv
or
dvan e, be
otic
formal
ri
progra
ar largel
proceedings. he
us be absolute
nd prisoner hunter an th hunted
forth.
to
an fi it bycustom then no single fragment
must happen Contro
or
ma no relate to th hunt sustenance food
sh lt r,
pens near-froze
ship
hether architecture do inates events or vice
hich on initiate
of th victim .... ritual implie
betwee
violence Endlessl
curb al aspect ofth original ac that
ntrol: th
he relati
ad
of bodies
Th original spontaneou body
orridor.
oves beyond th question ofpower beyond th
question of
ta le on forcibly channels th
ol
spaces an
penden
of on another, on
ence in
hich architectura
observes
inde
strategy of indiffer
considerations do no depend on
Programs: Reciprocity and Conflict another. Such
er th Crysta Palace an th neutra shed
ofthe nineteenth-century's regime
woul
single
ovemen
surviv
if architects
ecanique ofarchitecture, ;!
everyday life apuppet theate the
surviv
er
ofindividua an societ permanen
to progra in
ever
kind ofballet
Nure berg Rall of
ofspatial intimacy No woul
if ever spontaneou
movement were immedi
Grea Exhibitions, whic
odated anything from displays of elephant colonial silk's to internationa in
very ifferent
in Utrecht,
boxing
nn r- as
draped in rare
atches erri
accorn
Such too-
ie veld's
remarkable exercise in architectura
ou
language
Program
b ec au s
of th
o rt u t ou s j ux ta po si ti o A t o th e
i me s a rc hi te ct ur a
gram ca become totall ea
he h ic h
interdependent
ex en e.
i es ' er
er d ea l k it ch e
et
o f t h t we n h ou se w f e
c on st an t a tt en ti on . S uc h ct
w he r t h c ha ra ct e s Io g
d in g
ca gh
uc
us um
h e o th er , f o u lt im a e l
he
gh Po va
p la ye d w it h a n a ga in s
ur
ge he m ol d
n st al la ti on s
o me c a n yn
ud
n ea r b io ch em ic a
m on i o re d b y t h d e i gn ' ey
og
arro
ec
e rk bu nd , e ac h s te p o f
c ar ef ul l
p ac e a n p ro -
an full conditio
he
ay
a ct or s S uc h w er e t h
s ta g
o f p ac e a n u se .
ot
d ee p b on d
am
of powe change
es on
i nv ol ve d A ft e
on hi
direction.
ut ne
(If
al
es
at
pe
they exis regardless of th prescriptive ideologies-modernis
ve su
h um an is m
o rm al is m v e s u f un c i on a i sm ,
an
promote.] Mo
of t ie th -c en tu r
e la t o n
o f c ou r e ,
n th - e n c it y h a l , t h
t an d s om ew he r
ne h if t n ev i a bl y
u gg e t s
c r t ic a
Program
is turned into
Manhattan
residence,
shif that is undoubtedl action
just as action
ot trigge th they intersec
iv
ar qualifie
other; th th
shov's experi en
to differen
juxtapositio
he sa
ty of
expression
rg
tu ti
ould th
ti
spac
contradictor
to pro-
in imilarly if the
ut affect on anothe
events architec
ceas to ield to it customar il
th
ascribin
ls
Chapel were used fo pole-vaultin
ture
ule-
into each successive
vice versa:
tt in
do ot
Sistin
he
occurs in architectu e: th even is
each ew spac
given, supposedly "autonomous"
spac
oe
ly
ffec on another. Re em er
in
th
spaces On
exis in epen ently.
here th same shot ofthe actor' impas-
audience read
altere
simila shif occurs
less dramatic. Spaces ar qualified
tr
goodinte
ld
powerful Ye th transgression ofcultural expectations soon become
accepted Just as violen surrealist collages inspir
advertisin
rhetoric th broken rule isintegrate
into every-
motivations.
-~~:-J:::::'-.-.~." ::
If violence is t h k e tionship, the th
etaphor.
eroticis cordin
here is
ty
la
ee
se sualit
an unre itte
It underlying violence varies ac
orce that ar pu into play-ratio al
irrational forces They ca t iv it y h y
te
th very physicality ofarchitecture transcend
in architecture to th
th
be deficien
i v t y- i
hyperactivity. Asceticism an
forces
or excessive. Little tu
orgiasti
excesses ar
closer
Program
than architectura ci
theori ts
av
of Gerrit Ri tv ld's or
inevitably implie
th
dmitted, dwig
most extrem
nd th
asceti
ittg ns ein' bacchanals
ho se
(Cultura
expectations merely affect th perception of violence bu do no
lter it nature
differentl
la ping yo
from cultur
ac
he
ot er's rule
rules, thes
face is percei ed
to culture.
rchitect re gres
lover'
nd
vent
constantly
hether ex licitl
or anized
tr ns
or implicitly
ompositi ns
ay be qu s-
tioned bu they al ay remain points ofreference A.build-
th
er us it er it
nd vi
versa.
he inte ration of th into th ar hitectur ment-i
chanis -the
ultimately ai ed at
ne
Like an form of violence th contains th possibilit en e, th
vi lenc
houl
understood
co cept of viol nc purp se ofmy argu
pleasure ofarchitecture
violence of architecture also
of change of renewal. Like an vio-
of ar hitectur nd it
is
eepl
ionysi n. It
co tradiction
intained
complementarity.
not specifically architectural. Th firs is formal violence
whic
th
vi lenc
onflicts betw en object
Such is th
deal with form
versus form th violence ofGiovann Battista Piranesi tapositions, rc itectura
Kurt Schwitters collis on
sions, fragmentations
Merzba
istortions an
collages an ru ture
juxothe
om re
disjunctions ar inherent in th
12-14.
Program
anipulatio an ne e st r
of form This is also th
ha
it
occupies. It is th Tzar
in th
pl
es
ut al
io at
fo it no only th
t e i to r
it
violence ofAdolf Laos's Hous fo Trista
contex
of vernacular
ur an Pari or alternativel torica
disruption inflicte
construction on it surrou di gs
allusion
th
bu th
sub-
disruptive effect ofan his-
curtai -wal
violence is nothin
inetee th-century
avenue This contextual
polemica
violence ofdifference.
esthetics.
u pp o t i e st s
ce
lu
t wi st e
th
of language
thei variou tu al
i me nt ,
pu
a ng u
attack th
co bi atio s-as
e ri o
et er
ea
disobedience is ulti atel
t ha t
co stituent
they ar ts
la or ti
la
in ow
efined uh us
an culis
or al
harmless an ma even initiate
ofa
ne
h ic h i s i n u r co
c ri si s
a rt i
elements of ar
st ir
violated prohibition. It then announce th
or
he ul ur
im li
o lu m
g-
e'
om en ak
e -i t
o we v
Ja
Finnegan
transgressions coul h it e t u
eo
t he r t ha n v io l
ty
ofpa ti
pleasure an io at
vi le ce is ot
metaphor. Programmatic violence encompasses those uses, actions, events an programs that by accident or by design ar specifically evil an destructive. Amon
them ar killing,
intern ent,
slaughterhouses,
concentratio
an
torture,
hich
camps, or tortur
ecom
chambers
so 2.
l le s T h
1947. (film still)
L ad y f ro m S ha ng ha i
Norman Be Geddes
Genera
Motors Building Ne
YorkWorld's Fair
Flushing, NY,1939. 3.
LeCorbusier, Carpente Cambridge
4.
Appellat
5.
a le ri e
Division Stat es
Palazz D ia gr a
11 12
Suprem
Court, Ne
York 1900
1 92 6
o f p a e an ts ,
F lo re nc e s i t ee nt h c en t ry.
G es tu r
D an c
D ia gr am ,
l e a n e r K le in , l ay o t s f ro m F ri ct io nl es s
1 92 6
L iv in g
1 92 8
i ag ra m o f f oo tb al l t ac ti ca l m o e s s ev ol o
e ye r o l
an
V ar va r
S te pa no va , s e f o T h D ea t
1922. 13
l I' y a n
14
Giuseppe Terragni Casa de Fascio Como 1932-1936. er
16
University
dell Civita Italiana Rome 1942
O sk a S c l em me r 0.
Visual Arts Harvar
a ch in es , P ar is , 1 88 9
M et ro po li s
7.
Center fo th
MA 1961-1965
P an te le im o
ei
Th
KurtSchwitters,
o lo so v Z uy e
C ab in e
M er zb au ,
C lu b
o f D r C al ig ar i
1 92 3
Moscow 1928.
1 91 9
o f T ar el ki n
Paul Wegener. Der Gofem. 1920. Set by Hans Poelzig.
ri discours by relentlessly statin ou
vent no rchite ture
historicis architectura
ithout progra
or alternatively, of formalis
rc is no spac
ra ith-
This ee
to
in almost ever
circle Ou work argues that architecture-its rm
ci te fr
that ther
th
vent
th
in "happen" in it Re en proj ct
Program
in is
cons antl
stress re
is es
ro ra
nd
otat on
ey
critical attitude that observes analyzes an om
of th
ontrov rsia
inter-
po itions of pa
in tr am
of th
conc rn
revalent
1970 ther
rogr
tion of rchite ture
form
of architecture
histor
ty es
expe
on
abilit
owledg
recipr cal,
relationship of spaces an
turned into
rfac
ndifferent
orro ed
ve
igns
he
it atio
that
gulf
terri tory. Programa tic concerns were doctrine
by
th
pr text
fo
pole icists
ho
pr gr Fe
er
stylisti
experimentation.
dare
betwee
th formal elaboratio
of spaces an th inventio
though
nd th
of vents.
repr
nt ti
semination of architectura pr du ti ns in ssiv confront
ag zine
to explor
th relation
bjec of onte pl ti spaces an
tice an presente
he cr ti al esta li hm nt
painting
actions.
in te
opul
is
eye-catching re rc it ctur
encouraged
into
place that
of th
os exhibition
th architect'
alls an
he
images throug of en tu ne
ture in ar gallerie an museum
onflicti
events
This is no th plac fo an extensiv analysis of th
wa still forbidde
rejected as leftover from obsolete functionalis
to "read" layers of interpretation yste
activities that take
rchitect re
to postmodernism,
as surreptitiousl
rchite ture to
of th
Fo
re uc
is perver ed form of istory
from se iotics th bu re uc
ti
of form From modernis
th histor
di ours
as an exacerbation of stylisti
th ex en
as knowledg
gra
rchitect ra
events an
nd
presen architectural ideologies.
throughout th
responsibilities vis-a-vi th plac in th spaces it designs.
of architec surface" prac
work asaform ofdecorativ
bodies abstract planes an
figure
rarely seen aspar ofa single signifying system Histor
er ay
Ho ever it should be stressed that it is no accident that this em ha is on tyli ti ider
he om non:
is ue
orre po de
th on
to
nd th incr
oubl in
th develope in planning larg buildings, encouragin rc it ts to ec
er
de orat rs
surfac readings signs, metaphors, an entation oncern ncreasin
ofte
to th
exclusio
re
fa
ertion
th
nd on th ot
an
many
of
othe mode ofpres
ingl it ctur
in typica ofan pr fe sion
he
in twentieth-centur
it beca
architecture
clea that neithe
th
omen
supertechnology, expres
sionis functionalism, no neo-Corbusianism
coul solv so
r, he
of spatia or programmatic
ar
innocenc
role
it
thou ht in ar
it ture
an theory al triggere ar stil unmeasured in
variet
ne
ev lo
ents in
phenomenon whos
This genera loss of innocenc
ofmoves byarchitects accordin
istory
consequences resulted
to thei politica
Program
or ideologica leanings In th
earl
1970s, some denounce
that it practice in th cur-
architecture altogether arguin
rent socioecono ic context, coul reinforc
th
tatu
only be reactionar
uo Ot er
linguistics, talked of "constants
influe ce
reintroduced
olitical di ours
preindustria
al social forms. Others nd advo at
return to
form of society. An stil others cynicall
distorted,
ediate
nature of architectura
architects injected meanin
took
throug
collag
he restri te
of historicis
noti
architectura
it
th
nsued-
no
an uncritically reinserted architecture into th cycl
ofghostlik
rogr
entitled "Theory,
cordin to code disparat
from thos
Photograph
theoretica
re earc
nd in ep nden
on an oppo itio
concerns abou th
febvre Adorno Lukacs an
as
realit
tanced it
rchite tura
nd ofte
characters an
St de ts enacte lected "r al
ne
ra ingni ul ted,
filled
sets in thei fictitious
pace an
hint of realit
attitude to architecture
inter-
neverthe es
it
ki lf
di
ta ing,
comple entary relations.
rogr
in id
then shot entire
as evidence of th ir
ar full
hotographi
rchi ectura
ese
ndeavors An
had
et ee
politica
Benjamin fo example) an
with
critical analysis
an
verbal critical dis-
that th tw were co ple-
publishe
"t or
nd
informed by photography, conceptual art, an visual on suggeste
dealin
book edited designed printed, an
le ture
city (those of Baudrillard, Le
perfor ance This opposition betwee course an
of th profession
insert as artificial documentation, in
arranged ac
wa used obsessively: as "live"
po
turned into ut no ou
ar sensibilit
spac
ng ag
." ours s, it pl ye
figures, each with thei
ow specific conventions, intruded in
Othe work devi ed
ourage
end-of
represent don.
of consumption.
nd n,
ti e. At th
year exhibition texts, ta es films, manifestos rows of story-
uenc
literature or art-co
office at th
boards an photograph
artificially
or metaphorical elements
post od rnis
tion diminished by co pariso pletel
them
practice thes
into thei building
th school Ofcours th code used fr
school an
th analyses of styl an ideology byBarthes, Eco,or Baudrillard an diverted them from thei critical ai s, turnin
manner sufficiently obscur to generate
throug
an
by stru tura
an th rational autonomy
of an architecture that transcende
sensibility, ofte in initia hostilit
rchi ecture,"
aid.
ntitle
Urban Politics, th book atte pted to analyz guis ed ou mentation, city is
erio
from th
precedin
on
cultural dequalification, an
analyzed consumerism, totems an So
th
ha distin xt
fr g-
"intermediate
representational
of th text announced, severa year in advance,
preoccupations no
common to th
cultural sphere dislo-
Untitle d photo coll age. Harper and Queen, c. 1971.
cate
imagery, artificiality,
representational
realit
versus
experienced reality Th or
as
idel
ixin
self-referentiality. Bu th atte
ofgenre an discipli es in this
attacked by th
academic esta lish ent,
significance of such events is no
of historical precedence or provocatio
po in
er in
tionship
th
et ee
ti
im
t ai n
an narrative-
superimpositions
si ilities. This dialecti culminated in 1974in in th ic le
studio in
er xt
aspect of th plementing
et ee
immediat
exclusiv
ve ba an
series of "literar
to
lo
am
ta
complementin of events an
o f r el a
experiences,
ofmutuall th
in
co plex jux-
th
senvisual
project organized
hich text provided progra
tu he
he
ta ce
abstractio
taposition of abstract concepts an contradictions
In super-
or
or events on
a rc hi t c tu r in th
un
li
(or, occasionally lack of com-
spaces Some texts, like Ital
Cal-
vina's metaphorical descriptions of "Invisible Cities," were a rc hi te c u r illustration
to
of th
ui
author's
g oi n
alread
ar
th
po er ul
escriptions;
Fran Kafka' Burrow challenged conventional architectura perception
an
mode
of representation
Edga Alla
Poe'
(don during my term as Visiting Critic at Princeto i, I'
ar ti intricacie
University ti
of la guag
suggeste
qu an
parallel
betwee
x pl o t i spac naturall
Ja es Joyce' discoveries. Duri
on
of
ha
th
to touc
trip
on
from th
Program
it
t at e
progra
av
he site
o m Finnegan
xt ct as
on on's Cove
Wake
could accommodate the everyda lif ofan average suburba
th
Garden an th
family.
ar
ob io oy pr
e xt .
of uc
i di n
twee
e wo r
events an
in
or th
al
inevitably suggeste
ofevents in
parallel
ti
he el ti
spaces beyond functionalis
Th unfoldin
l ua bl e i n
to th
immediat
l,
notions.
of events in
answers, whethe
im or
relation betwee
literary co text
unfoldin
providin
sympatheti
th
ta
program an buildin
or contrive
fascinated us
ly
im
ideologica in
or prac th
th
could be either highly
an artificial Th latter of course
ore, as it rejected al
unctio alis
leanings
architecture. tacking, or outright rejectin si pl
Space versus Program coul
th
literary
organization of events in "functions,"
"activities,
i p l at e t h oc
tr
j ux ta p
th
to ie
progra
ve
he la thes
conventional th versa: th
movement orthodoxy.
pole ics, viewin
them as
e ti t o n ab
ls
ll
le va lt i vi n
in th in th
or
o ul d ' t
proved increasi gl
orga izatio
of spaces coul
ll
most intricat
ts
ap l,
el va or
question
th
to enrich it with witt
metaphors. Issues
multiple readings an dual coding ha
otio
of progra
To us
Palladia
to
arch fo
athletic event As an exploratio
self
in term ofthe activities that occurred
om t,
li ti
e-
is or io
t io n
ulations we refuse
to minimalist formal manip-
th
si ilarly objective,
ic
attacked fo it reductio
integrat
th c hi t c t
ofte
ofintertextuality
coul
if architects coul
it on in th
aisi
writer
in he
in
i na ti v
they dothe same thin it in th
hether called "use,"
or "programs"
tu
ly
li
uildings
o ul d ' t
or im
on io
arrative shed ligh on th
la
sa e, orga izin ta
mode
to ente thes
stylistic or semantic battles Moreover if thi orthodoxy wa
ha exte
tw
refuse
ic ha
stimulating:
ofthe disjunctio
expected form an expected use, we bega opposin
specific program
spaces
rogramatic co text versus urba
betwee
series ofprojects
with particular often conflictin typology ur an
typology versus spatial experience spatial experience versu procedure, an
so on provided
research We consciousl
dialectica
suggeste
framewor
fo
programs that were im
atched to t iv it i
ic
an perverse organization ofspace
Soho
prison
ea
ardou Street
ballroom in
notation
church
became funda-
Program
mental:
if
po e.
e nt s h a t o
p la c
in it it
ul
mode ofnotating such activities in
ed to up le
choreography an
i mi t t io n
ovemen
simultaneous
spaces,
ve
tu
to
ck
from
ue
purposes
i ne s
ce
ia
in
th
fashio
sign that di no necessaril
grease-penci
idea of move-
illustration
p ul a
of pr
th
techniques
mediatization"
tabl
an
h io n
h oi c
institute,
fluenced th graphi
us
if architecture is to communicate.
th
asylum th
or
action itself
Al this suggests that "shock
from musi
ll
it
actions, becoming th
ufactured by the architec
derive
scores derive
o ta ti o
increasingly became
vi
p la n
otatio
notation were elaborated fo architectura
If
to
Severa mode ofnotatio
th
tions, or axonomet ics.
ec
th
Falkla from th
of late
straight blac
years, stressin
ofarchitectura
l u a ti c
ar It also in
th
an
inevi-
activity With th dra-
recall t h chitecture
as also abou th
that thei language an th om le
ve
is
t at io n
tt
to
typica co es in architectura
ofimages purposefull
blurre
betwee
convention
buil real tation of
Increasingly th
it
an superimposition
an thei
relationship ea in
th
progra
both th
o-
eality and drawings (ar
if seen from
la
scapes
an sequence
th
of architectura
ra atic
distorte
airforce bo
uc
th
be
is ou
er
analytically juxtaposed in
or
ov
to
in
ha
egun
it
critique ofth
u-
in ly city ha
either in od
of
angles of
er], is ther
to
room to si pl
bo
ovements
alki
in
straight line dancing, to shor scenarios. An we graduall increase
it
of ve ts
spaces
th
thetic attitu e.
convention
outlined images ivin
io
thei ow fram ofrefere ce
(murder, sexuality, violence or in th
representation (strongl vision-as
ovement, an tu
isti fascinatio
is ou
description. Architecture
in th
plans an sections. Th
th
conventional
From ou work in th earl days when event,
by exte sion in
ra ings beca
deliberately se apar from th
replac
te
an
the conventiona
co plex architectura
orks in thei ow right,
device spaces.
ea
lu
ra in
its perception layerings juxtaposition
plan graphi
ofbodies in space,
language ofwall were ultimately
ar
ca li
ovemen
ne
th
urba progra
co plexit
by introducin
of events placin co texts. Within th ar placed in
lite ar
progra
orld id
ew ur an situations
cess ha gone full circle it starte toda it explores
thes
parallel ithi
ex
egalopolis Th
pro-
by deconstructing th city
ew co es of assemblage.
Bernard Tschumi, "Part 4: Th~ Block,
->
-, ,-
a_ 0' 'I,"'~
"0
'"
o·
;;.:~:~ <,\~~ ~.~.: _.
~.OO~
lo&"i \I
\:
fro
The Manhattan
Transcripts.
.LXi
Bernar
Tsehumi, Screenplays
(The Fight] 1977
Bernar
Tsehumi, Screenplays
(Psvch
Bernar
Tschuml, Screenplays
(Domin
Dissolve] 1977. Distortion],
1979
Sequences
Any architectura l at i
t,
t ho d it
th
sequence includes or implie at leas thre i nt e th
juxtapositio
tw
l at i x te r
h ic h l at i
of actual spaces th
e al s
it
-o othe
th li
it
pro-
gram (occurrences or events). Th firs relation or transfor-
mational procedure Th secon ou history; it
spatial sequence is constan through-
typologica precedents abou
an
it
or
Program
os connotations characterize th th programmatic
fo no
thir
relation
shal call it
sequence.'
rule ulti atel
plie
customar
transformational
parent tracin re
od
ctiv
of architectura
drawin
alread
sequence Successive layers of trans-
pape ar laid on upon another, each
vari ti ns
subsequent reworkin
im
roun
it
it
th exha tion of
it circularity, or it repetition withou closures wher ne bead ed
On
impl
il
or in
or
ro ra
ti
to ther
transformationa
tr
es
Th open ones ar sequence
elements oftransformatio
rent or juxtaposed sequence iv
pr
riteri
of anothe ture
ch as on ur
order-say,
ju ta
ca
se
narra-
to th
formal
structure.
parti. Each
ba ic th
lead to orrefine th organizing prin
Ro an
Batthes, in th
Struct ra
Analysis of arratives,
ciple. Th proces isgenerally base on intuition, precedents and habit.
is
qu nc
togeth ca
transformational Th
ls rule
ba an
on
recise rati
discrete architectura
sequential transfor atio
al se of
by arelation ofsolidarity
anot er of it term
ha
onsequences.
then beco es it ow
theo
"2
configurations-en-suite, spaces aligne
alon
common axis-all
tectural organizations, from of th
op ns wh
elements
retica object insofa as th proces become th result whil outcom
th sequ nc
gyptia
enfilades,
ar specific archi-
te ples throug
th
fina transformation ha ized
Transformational
sequence
de-
tend to
pl
ne
path
it
fixe
alti
ints
fa il
of spatia points linked by continuous movement
vices, or rule of transfor ation, such as compression, rota Sequence particular sets of variations titions, inversions
ultiplications
substitutions,
fusions, repe
metamorphoses,
of transformation
intersect, as if architects carefull
of spaces as well as programs
no re
ar closed sequence
ones Closed sequence
oftransformation aswel as open
have
predictabl
en becaus
al th
result an favors th certaint passionate uncertaintie
Ther
sequence
of spaces rarely
distinguishe
eans of
anamor stra nt that do
transformation
an
th
ak r' ofa
of thought.
rtif ce in th fi al
ell-define
axis over th
Program
If spatia sequence
manifest difference of
ar
geometrical form [the Vill Adriana) they ca also differ by
tivities
dimension
ca
alone,
be obviousl
hile
aintaining
si ilar geometrica
spatia
it ctur
is inha it d:
incident
ar
sequences.
constructed-accordin
to an rule or device
Spatia transfor ations
ca be included
uenc -f
ex
Frederic
Empero
le thro gh contin ou
ithi
de
collection
th time se
sc nery
uc
[ones.
relati ns ip
Pall di 's Palazz
thei pure di ensions, th call
ir le
ho
orre ondi
possesse
colors whethe
sequence
ra ii
ol
re pr
to
ac
an abstract
iene in Vice za ca be equate orti
nter
nd
rked
th distan
as from th
lane ofth
hi pa
in ro th
eque ce
oretti again,
ls
displa
collection of spaces
ho
rtio
this
isfr
ixed formal
formal system ofspace
in ustr on -t -o
th
ondere
letter
re or lu
Is here
ve
relati ns ip
omolog et ee
Si
betw
sy
ac
ev nt
attrac on another?
Adding events to th autono ou
he
in th
otivation, that is
en
vi
riting on Palladio's Vill Rotunda: "i
th
hereby th
ar th raison d'etre ofli er ture
spatia sequence is
form
sian form li ts
ve to
"procedure
an it device
nd "content
is
impl
of form
Alternately, is adding spac to th autonomous sequence of th
programmation?
redeterm ne
quence of events ca al ay be turned into orde is medium
hether vo el
spaces go with religion an rectangula
posteriori justificatio an
sequence
ph re
nd
leve of th plinth.:"
Sp ti
atic
"I
graph-
al to th
urro ndin
it
te
of motivation, tsel
causal link betwee
system ofevents? Rimbau
ilarly do cylindrica riting on th spatia sequence
progra
cfixe
impossible fictions ra blin
of events al strung alon
Is ther ever an
Kiesler's 1923 spac stag se fo Eugene O'Neill'
oretti
th
an
us
on thos
fram afte frame, room afte room episod afte episode.
ones Luig
ap
of vent
superi pose
hese ar
that sugges secret increase in co plexity, be constructed, step-by-step-o
qu nc
al ay
progra
least, greatest Program:
cr ptiv
otice, is ue
foreha d,
formal series ofproceedings as festiv celebration,
ny course
Konstantin
Melnikov preliminar
sketches fo th
Soviet Pavilion,
Paris Exhibition, 1924. Floo plan of Temple R ep ri nt e V ig no l
Karnak Egypt. Reconstructe
b y Q u at re me r
by Pococke.
d e Q ui nc y 1 80 3
a n A mm an ti , f lo o p la n f o V il l G ui li a R om e 1 95 2
Konstantin
Melnikov floor plan fo Worker' Club Moscow
L ui s B un ue l a n
ofstu
1929,
S al va do r D al i Un Chie n AndBlou 1928.
list ofth it
'num ers' ofa co ce t,
etc. in th orde ofperformance
tc....
henc th items themselves
collectively
th
performanc
as
whole....
Programs fall into three categories thos
"4
that ar indifferen
to th spatia sequence thos that reinforc it an thos or
obliquel
or agains it
Indifference
sequence
ca be largel
independen
ofexotic st ll
amon
of events an
sequence
ofone another-say
th regula calu
Crysta Palace On then observes in
that
of spaces
assortment
iation
ofthe
51
strategy ofindifferenc
hich formal co si erations do no depend on utilitaria
ones (The battalio
marche
Reciprocity: Sequence can, of course beco dition each other'
on th fiel s.
of spaces an totall
sequence
interdepende
existence-sa
of events
an full
"machines
co
habitei,"
Program
idea Werkbund kitchens
space-ag vessel
tion each
ovemen
esig ed programmed.
ob
t ra te g
es
is
c ip ro ci t
actually reinforces th tology favore
by functionalis
on th
rink.)
skatin
in
other-th
wher
ic
each ac On
ch
then
qu
sort of architectura
tau-
Th linear ty ofsequences orders events movements, spaces i nt o
i n l e p ro g
sequence
o nt r conflict in other'
ic
it
or
co cerns. It provides "security" an
overridin
rule against architectura
ll ls
at leas on
fears.
doctrines. (The skater skates
of events an
ea
th
divergen
ad itio s, of Conflict
io
th
spaces occasionally clas
th
e rv e
tr te
of
etacha le part
skates on th tightrope.
clea ly
ed ve
tr
he or
efined entities accumulation
frag entary perspectives an
hich each sequence constantly transgresses th
internal logic. (The battalio
an
Circular buildings, grid cities cities
ithout
tu
he
pe
a th e
begi
ings or
in t ha n
of
is
he
of
composition. In themselves happen
spatia
in them
sequence
ar
in epen en
(Yesterday 1cooked in th
of
ha
athroo
an
Mies va
de Rohe's Barcelon
entation ofunitar longer period As sequence tial sequence systems,
it
(a
of events
vice ve sa), both ca
thei ow
ot depend on spa-
vi io
form independen
indeterminat plicit
implicit sche es ofparts.
th an
ar generall
be viewed or experience ay occasionally evoke. erally in erential th
independentl
or
ofth meanin
or infere ce th
vi
ca th
they
ar
he
od
articulation
er
suggests
multi-
of readings It spatia sequence is nevertheless orga structure,
series of va iation
be
distinctions do no exis separately
paradigm.
the fundamental theme-th
ge Byorde of experience on speaks of time of chronology of
ra
qu
co notative aspects. Such opposition is ofcou se quit tificial thes
frag
that is they ca
rogram atic sequence
co clusio
e nt s o r h e
structural
dissociation
is on sequence of irec
pe en
equivoca
thematic patial sequence
Pavilion
space. Ther
t it io n
ce
it
ts ar
u s i ci o
im
ar billboards.
Sequence t.
te
have emotiona ur
(a
value. Moretti, again, discussing oo ), li
te
li
ti
.;,
Program
atrium), opposition [atriu
alls), very shor pressu
[ba-
silica doors) tota liberation (transversal ofnave) fina contemplation (space of centra
elementary sequence
it
or sequence inevitably implie
th
ovemen
an observer then such movement ca be objectivel iz
-s
i al l
te sion from th
ra
pa ti
in or
ve
co ventio
of
mapped
t at io n
x-
of choreography it at
It co
ti
effects: th
to
tr te
movement of bodies in spac
on th ir
of course alte o ut e
to
si gl
Space
et ee
an
te tu
it
ti
th
la io
thei
to po
candidate. Here
it
of
l at io n i p
tw
in
events an spaces an us
th
ix it
escape atte tion
us happen
ontrol
i so r
othi
us
stra ge
absolute
Each frame, each part ofa sequence qualifies,
ei forces associatio
pa ts that preced
plete. An
fo
pluralit
t.
is
each part is
an follow it Th ofinterpretation us
statemen
th
le
in
agai st indeterminac
spatial, or narrativ
nature
or
athe than
indeterminacy is alway presen in the sequence, irrespectiv of it methodological
it
custom then
alters th
la
on
Byextension th meanin
plac alon
-f
frag en
formed allo
lation space/event/ ovement.
tr ne
in
(which
ar rituals an
event. It i n t it ut e
or unexpected
is
(o
po
im ie
te sion
ue
a ti o
uch, fo instance
than an on
ethod, use,
spatia interpretation
i ni t t i
it an
in
it).
of
of thei fictions An
hether of
arrival, successive challenges awai th
(dancers football
to
in
th
it
ti
ers acrobats).
For Lautreamont,
there,
of events with it progressiv
importan la
th
implied narrative is al ay
frozen frames spatia
ur
actual buildings, or th symbolic realit
rre
If th
hether S,E,or
system).
Program
Sequence (after J . - L . Godard); "Surel Isther such
thin
asan architectura
no only presuppose ll know th
narrative? Anarrativ
sequence bu also
"tha speaks," is
controversia narrativ
agree, Mr Archi-
top!"
language As
"l ng age" of rchitectur
If such architectura
yo
th
ar hite ture
atter. Anothe
correspond
to th
In literature an
in th
ci ema,
quence
ca
anip
question
late
by such device as flashbacks crosscuttings, close-ups,
narrativ
an
issolv
re th
modern architectura
in lu ions sequence ..
ar qu temporar
detail
in he
flashbacks
discourse? Form of composition:
collag sequence
(collisions) or mon-
tag sequences (progressions). other-to
Do
translat
film or comi
Ju
in
strip-suggests
la
an pera
architectura
ball t,
equivalences
Contracted
sequence
equivalences that ar no made by analog to an architectura
ti ns into di cr te
stri
th beginnin
of course bu throug
carefull
observed parallels. Ter-
frag en
eg
nt
individual spaces an
In this
anner,
ig
ofa us in spac followed immediatel
ac ee
by th
ragni's Danteum quence impossibilit
ofbeing at severa places at th sa
specia type of allegory wherei responds to
time-a
ever elemen initiall
cor-
physical reality.
nsio
to th
pl
pace
uggest he en
overal organization
th open-endedness of th ic l) sequ nce. fa il
ou
rchitectur II
heneve
It superi pose
nd
conclusion to
transformational lo methodolog ro ra
"Cin er ll ") is rogr
ndin
), only th
telling" ha been done enough
architecture's
into on [L Corb si r'
Vill St in at
The expanded
ch
sequence
akes
he ga thus beco
thre hold us
have occasionally reduce
or
oors ep-a
vent (J hn
expanded an
olid of th pace
pr pe
jd k'
di
rches)
ga betwee
it
orridor,
ymbo in erte
al House)
contracted sequence
thre
betwee
ombi at on
of
ca form specia series
either coordinated or rhythmical.
or "plot" [the in le no
la ar
"r tellin
ll
ount
Al sequence th
icance fr precedin
ar cumulative juxt po itio
frame, of th
to follow an architectura
Thei
"fra es
ey establis
derive signif ry-o
th
course of events To experience an sequence is to reflec upon events
Program
in orde to plac them into successive sequence is al ay
or
if ther is no ee to pecify th
ture "frame by frame,
holes.
he si ples
configuration-en-suite,
than
atur
thro gh
ofeach episode.
film-editing
an
material-questioning,
displaci g. Occasionally th
ecom
th
object of istortio
conformist an
he fram
permit
superimposed
anipulatio
th
extrem
conten
itself
formal
anipulatio
of congenia
ofthe ixed possibili-
ti
li
ca
classified acco in
le
he
ue
ot ie
ferent expression
ic
ll
subject, as in th th
t, th
te
to formal strate
disjunction, distortion
ti
in
ca
ateria
ra es ca
gies such as repetition
in
evic ra ed
dissolved, or cu up giving endles
ie
iencin
regular, distorting,
orderly
sequence fo th
in
framin an th
dissolution,
th
ti
it im
th
well-known Kuleshov experi ent, th
i tu a i o
or
im th
i s i nt r ie
if
in each successive juxtaposition
Parameters that remain constant an passiv fo th duration ofthe sequence ca beadded an transferred, as
he
C ou rt ya r
give
i n A ms te rd am ,
Nathan Altman, grad 1918
machine.
framing device-conforming, framed
even
c . s ev en te en t
Re·enactmen
of th
c en tu ry .
Revolution
D es ig n f o P al ac e S qu ar e
P et ro -
