Round 1: Aesthetics vs. Functionality
Bagsværd Church / Jørn Utzon
There are discrepancies regarding the amount of knowledge and research that went into the acoustic conditions within the Bagsvaerd church in Denmark by Jørn Utzon. Some state that he took the material and curvature into account to best enhance the acoustics near the altar, but many argue that he built the entire thing for aesthetics with little to no account of how the sound would travel within the interior. The majority of accounts speak to his close consideration of how he wanted the light to enter the space by using this insane architectural piece, but not the impact of sound.
How often do we see buildings get built solely off of aesthetics with no consideration of how people will experience or use the spaces? Does a building’s success diminish when large aspects such as sound or light aren’t considered as heavily? How can we blend both the functionality and aesthetics of a building rather than it being one or another?
Kelsey,
ReplyDeleteThis is a hot topic for designing office spaces today. If we can build an office building to be encouraging of health and wellness, then the workers will potentially be more productive for the employer while being healthier. I think it is really important for all buildings to be considerate of wellness. However, this does not mean that the functionality will be diminished. There is room for a win-win situation in all cases.