It has been said a picture is worth a 1000 words and a model is worth a 1000 pictures. What should be said about a building? What does a building mean to a city?
Before a building is built in a city it goes under review. What would you want to know if you were part of a Design Review Committee from the designers?
Based off of the a picture is worth a thousand words and a model is worth a thousand pictures, a building is a form of a model just built at a 1 to 1 scale with actual materials, so a building is also worth a thousand pictures.
ReplyDeleteA single building to a city is part of the collective. It all has to start with one building, and each one that is added, just adds to the story that the city is creating. The city could go on without that one new building, but then what does that eliminate from the overall story of the city? Does it not have but a small effect on that story or does it have a great impact that will change the story forever. That building could be the start of a new generation for a city, the first of its kind that would be irreplaceable in the story down the line.
If I was part of the design review committee I would want to know how the new proposed building affects the city. What kind of impact does it have on the infrastructure, aesthetic, etc.? Also I would want to know why the building is necessary or if it was possible to renovate an existing structure for the needs the occupant is wanting. Are they just building new because it could look “cool”? This is only a few of the things I would want to know and I’m sure with the answers that I would receive from these they would prompt me to have more questions.
I would want to know how all the 1000s of words and pictures from a building affect the people around it. Is it so repulsive that it actually hurts the words and pictures of the other buildings around it. Does it somehow enhance the story of the collective? Or is it just there, with no added benefit or loss.
ReplyDeleteTo really understand the statement, you have to be able to realize that a picture is not just a picture. It is a moment in time, a snapshot of one's experience. And so a building is even more than a 1000 pictures, it is an infinite amount of experiences. Each experience contains countless memorable scenes to the individual. It is only when they take a photograph of it; they can begin the share the experience. Regardless if they share it or not, their experience could be completely different than the next person using that space. Now you have an infinite amount of experiences multiplied by another infinite amount. The possibilities are endless on what a building could mean to a person. It is up to that individual person to decide for themselves if that particular building is worth a 1000 photos, one, or none.
ReplyDelete"It has been said a picture is worth a 1000 words and a model is worth a 1000 pictures. What should be said about a building? What does a building mean to a city?"
ReplyDeleteI think this question has been touched on in various degrees in the first blog post with regards to storytelling. That being said, these primary questions should be asked:
How does the building respond to the place it is set in? Does it succeed in facilitating dwelling?
How does it address the pedestrian and the other structures/historical context of the neighborhood?
Does the experience celebrate the full potential for the site and function?
The opening quote is quite thought provoking as we have begun to discuss using language to capture the essence of a space. I completely disagree with the statement that a "picture is worth 1000 words." I definitely find myself choosing with Toni's option of "none." However if only given the choice between 1000 words or a picture, I would gladly take the words:
ReplyDeleteNo image can begin to describe the true experience of a space. Camera lenses distort the natural perspective of the human eye and have no peripheral vision. Nor do they capture the true essence of light in a space. All pictures are limited by these two restrictions technically referred to as 'aperture' and 'f-stop.'
Additionally, no picture I take can ever capture the emotion I felt in the moment. When I look back on pictures I've taken, they have the power to trigger archived memories of bliss, sublime natural power, amazement, sadness, and inspiration. That being said, looking at a picture someone else took tells me almost nothing about their actual experience. When supplemented by text it starts to get at the actual experience. First hand narration is a step closer but nothing can replace the physical experience of space.
That is a truly engaging comment Ryan.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the difference between taking a picture and and finding a picture online? There are no substitution for words on so many levels. A picture taken through your corneal lens and stored in your biological memory card is similar to the words describing experiences of space. The memories we have are in many ways forever changing. It is fascinating to consider the memories you have today will be forever changed by the experiences you will have in the future. Therefore each image you recollect potentially could have as much meaning as similar words describing it.
What a challenge we have as designers...to capture the mind's eye of those in its presence. Are there other situations where we share essence?
Is there something more refined than essence?
Is building worth 1000 viewers?
ReplyDeleteA building is a volume with different spaces that one inhabits.
A building is a human-made well thought out shelter. Buildings shelter from natural elements and provide general living space and privacy and comfort.
A building can speak in a variety of ways to the city and as well as about people who live in the city. A building can benefit the city. If an architect designs a building that used less water and a building that uses its own energy is great for the city. Also if the local materials are utilized, that does also benefit the city and people who live in it. A building can heal the city. A building can teach a city about issues of conservation, environmental concerns and social behavior.
Building in a city can shade another one in close proximity and or be a wind breaker for the rest of the city.
What does city mean to the region?
Thinking about what I would want to know about the building before it’s built in the city, I would need as much information as possible because it will all affect the city. As I mentioned before, how this building will be build and out of what and how sustainable will it be, are some of the aspects of the building that I would want to know.
In regards to architecture, a picture may be worth a thousand words and a model a thousand pictures but this doesn't mean that either of those words or pictures accurately capture the architecture's true experience. To me, a building’s relationship to a city should provide multiple layers of experience. The problem with the statement "a picture is worth a thousand words" is that a picture should not only capture a moment in time, but also an experience. But can you really photograph an experience? You may be able to write a thousand words about a picture but will the reader really understand the experience you are trying to capture? Same with “a model is worth a thousand pictures”. A model is just a representation of a design. Will it accurately portray the experience intended? Will the thousand pictures each be worth a thousand words of their own? I guess in the end neither words nor pictures can accurately capture or describe the true experience that architecture delivers.
ReplyDeletefor me, the biggest thing about a new building would be the experience. being a student of architecture, i already know that experiences of buildings is so integral to the rest of the building, that this might not be a correct answer for this question.
ReplyDeleteif i were completely unrelated to architecture as a field except that i was on a building review board, i think i would want to make sure that the building that was being proposed was going to benefit the place in some way. over expensive buildings that do not really have a long term positive impact on things don't really benefit anyone but the first time users or the first generation. i think that by examining the budget and keeping in mind the longevity of the structure would be the most important parts for me.