Does Autonomous architecture exist?
There are multiple schools of thoughts in architecture, all of which have added more richness to the fabric and have allowed for comparisons and critical analysis. Hence, I am trying to critically comprehend, Eisenman's understanding of Autonomous Architecture.
Autonomy as per Oxford dictionary says "Freedom from external control or influence; independence." Autonomous architecture, thereby, is an attempt to break the stereotypical thinking and let the language of architecture take control. It stems from the notion of Modern Architecture of separating the object from the user. But can architecture; the very idea of conceiving an idea, progressively thinking about it and making it, be autonomous of people and society?
As people, we grow up in a society that has subconsciously or consciously built up a culture and we are a very integral part of it from early childhood. To claim autonomy would be to disclaim society and culture from the very beginning. Every thought or idea or even a word has cultural annotations and backstory to it, which then would mean that all our gesture in architecture, no matter how autonomous we think they are, have a subconscious basis. Parametric architecture, probably gets the closest to being autonomous. Although, deciding which algorithm generated a form, that works also talks about our conscious-subconscious biases.
Hence, in my opinion, Autonomy is a utopian ideal, like many other in architecture, that can never be achieved but only dreamt about.
Autonomy as per Oxford dictionary says "Freedom from external control or influence; independence." Autonomous architecture, thereby, is an attempt to break the stereotypical thinking and let the language of architecture take control. It stems from the notion of Modern Architecture of separating the object from the user. But can architecture; the very idea of conceiving an idea, progressively thinking about it and making it, be autonomous of people and society?
As people, we grow up in a society that has subconsciously or consciously built up a culture and we are a very integral part of it from early childhood. To claim autonomy would be to disclaim society and culture from the very beginning. Every thought or idea or even a word has cultural annotations and backstory to it, which then would mean that all our gesture in architecture, no matter how autonomous we think they are, have a subconscious basis. Parametric architecture, probably gets the closest to being autonomous. Although, deciding which algorithm generated a form, that works also talks about our conscious-subconscious biases.
Hence, in my opinion, Autonomy is a utopian ideal, like many other in architecture, that can never be achieved but only dreamt about.
The City of Culture by Eisenman Architects:
The very idea of using the grid of downtown Santiago and recognizing that as an important aspect for the project can be understood as a cultural influence. It relates not just to the physical context but also to society's dependence on cars.
Moreover, the very idea of naming it the "city" of "culture" ties it back to the society.
New Heiydar Aliyev Center- Zaha Hadid Architects
The subtle nature of the curve and white panels that we all enjoy is also a cultural connotation.
This is a very interesting point. Decisions made by an individual automatically make it not 100% autonomous. However, I think the building still is autonomous in respect to everything and everyone else because it has no other meaningful ties to anything other than to its creator and the object itself.
ReplyDeleteI like the comparison between an autonomous person and an autonomous design... I don't think that a person can ever be 100% unbiased or not tied to any sort of cultural ideals. Take news outlets for example, most take the stance of delivering an unbiased and fair report of current political events, but you can't say that the New York Times doesn't lean left or that Fox news doesn't lean towards the republican party. People always have an opinion based on their upbringing or based on knowledge they have gained in life filtered through their upbringing...
ReplyDelete