In this article I want to take a closer look at what an architects’ office has to take into account on a daily basis when working on a specific project. If the whole planet consisted of only one country and a monotonous scenery, I believe that the imagination of architects would be as equally barren. However, architects have to learn how to satisfy the needs of the many. Creating a project for China is quite different than for the Baltics, isn’t it?
What is found beautiful on the one part of the planet, can be seen as inappropriate on the other. Even the architects themselves are divided as their philosophy of architecture differs and each architects’ office can belong to a different branch of style. There are minimalists that claim that the slogan “Less is more” is the essence of a good architecture and then there are those who reply “Less is a bore” as they try to incorporate complexity and symbolism in their works. Even though these quotes are so popular today, actually they are echoes that come from the 20th century.
The 21st century has come to add one more to this discussion: “Yes is more”. This comes with the idea of the pragmatic utopia which aims to combine the both opposite views – the avangard and the predictably boring. It is trying to look for the balance between the two poles. Already the famous Greek philosopher Aristotle was claiming that the middle point was the true virtue that the one had to be looking for – for example, the courage he explained to be the point between the recklessness and the cowardice.
Bjarke Ingels, founder of the architects’ office BIG, is one that raised a discussion about looking for this balance between the crazily avangardist ideas that are detached from reality and the pragmatic. That means looking both for functionality and creativity. Latvian architect G. Vīksna has given a somewhat similar definition to the architecture describing it as the sum of the quality of the design and the functionality. In simple words – architecture is something that I either like or I don’t.
And it has been known as a vice to start an argument about tastes… We are different. The architecture continues to reflect that. And it is beautiful and makes our life and traveling even more exciting and interesting.
Evolution theory in the architecture
This comes from the ideas of Darwin who formulated the theory of evolution, claiming that survives the strongest. At the end of the 20th century Clarence Darrow described the survival as follows: ”It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”
The architecture has to be able to adapt. The modern architecture of the 21st century is not trying to rule over the environment or subdue it. The architects find ways to coexist with it and adapt the environment to its needs by simply non-violently fitting within its scenery.
That is an architecture that can say yes to all aspects of life. That is an architecture that can be dual and incorporate the radical opposites. That is an architecture that is not tied to one monogamous style concept but is free to explore.
Architects have to listen to the needs of the city. If we find it polluted, with too many traffic jams, it is not because that is the way the city was meant to be looking. It is the way it has been constructed. And the role of the architects is to search for solutions to improve our quality of life and make the cities more livable and closer to what we need. That is why the environment architecture is becoming more and more requested as we need more green areas.
This evolution theory of architecture claims that the architecture has to learn to be pleasing. An architects’ office has to learn to hear what the world and the society needs and offer that. It has to be able to adapt to the change.
Cultural differences – the context in which architects operate
I have to give credit to the book “Yes is More: An Archicomic on Architectural Evolution” which inspired me to write this article. And as I give an example of the cultural influence and the cultural impact over the architects’ projects, I want to refer to this book as it was there that I found this comparison.
Let’s look at two different countries: China and Denmark. Let’s say the architects’ office has to make a project for both of them or adapt an already existing project to the needs of each country. The first thing that has to be done is research. The architects have to get to know more about the countries. Let’s see what is concluded:
• China is one of the largest countries in the world ( 9 596 960 km2);
Denmark is one of the smallest countries in the world (43 094 km2)
• China: planned socialist economy
Denmark: a social democratic state
• The national symbol of China is a dragon
The national symbol of Denmark is a swan
• China is famous with many poets, especially Li BAI
Denmark is known for the fairytales of Hans Christian Andersen
•The most popular tourism object in China is the Great Wall of China, which is the only human construction that is visible from the space
In Denmark it is the monument of the Little Mermaid which can be barely seen as you pass it by in the boat
Both China and Denmark are port cities; only on a different scale
The landscape of the cities is quite different: China is characterized by skyscrapers; but Denmark is proud of its architectural heritage which consists just of few floors
•The cities of both countries are developing in a different direction. While in China there is more traffic, cars, traffic jams and pollution, Denmark is famous for its bicycles which promotes a healthy lifestyle. Denmark continues to make bicycle lines, but the amount of the cars in China seems to be increasing
As it can be seen, those countries are quite the opposites. How can architects manage? First of all, it means quite different sizes of the architectural buildings. One country is requiring something massive while the other is more down-to-earth.
What is important to this culture?
A key point that can be taken into account from the architects’ office is the simple assessment of what is important to each culture.
Maybe you have heard about ‘’yin’’ and ‘’yang’’ which means 2 radically different principles that come together to form a whole. That is a philosophy that is highly appreciated also in architecture. Feng shui is a Chinese art form that aims to balance 5 elements that are symbolized by ‘’yin’’ and ‘’yang’’. Each element is symbolized by a different geometrical figure. Fire – triangle; earth – square; metal – circle; water – curved line; tree – rectangle. The architects have to learn how to create a project that pays attention to that.
For example, it can mean dedicating one part of the building to the mind – for conference halls and book stores; the other part – for body care – saunas, swimming pools, gym. But the design has to incorporate the Feng shui elements.
But when dealing with a project for Denmark, the architects’ office could take into account the emphasis that is put in this country on sustainability, care for the environment and the use of bicycles. It could mean incorporating bicycle lanes in the building itself, for example.
I believe that top architects take into account those aspects and look not only for creative but also appropriate solutions that speak to each culture. If architects want to touch the hearts, one way in which to do so is by simply incorporating elements that are related to the sense of national belonging. Those could be symbols of deities or anything else that particularly characterizes each nation.