Junkspace - are we too complacent?
I think the idea of form vs. function and how it relates to
post functionalism is very critical. In post functionalism it is necessary to
be critical of modernity because just because something can be done, does not
mean it necessarily should be. The human nature aspect of architecture is
important because after all humans occupy buildings.
In dealing with form vs. function, it is important to of
course have architecture that serves a purpose (be it a building, a museum, or
a library) but the “art” part is important. So, I would honestly lean towards preferring
the idea of form first because if we as designers lose sight of the “art” than
everyone will suffer. Architects are the only ones who can stand up for good
design in it being both functional and “artistic.”
There are other important aspects here too. In Junkspace
by Koolhaas. When we combine too much comfort and convenience to our design and
let the branding take over to the forefront, we lose sight of the building form
and sometimes even its functionality. The same utopia we strive to create, gets
lost in actions such as shopping.
In the Richland Mall back in my hometown of Columbia, each of the stores inside the mall had its own individual store front inside the building. This gives the look of the exterior façade of the building as the shed of an interior marketplace. I find that the beauty came from the individuality of the storefronts. However, I find that the storefronts are almost alien to the design as a whole. I hope that the future for these spaces if they do survive the digital buying age that the designs of the stores would be more uniform in appearance and provide more spaces for community design.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post and would have to agree that I too normally lean towards putting form slightly over function. I like how to referred to the building front as "art".
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