This is the footage I will be analyzing for the first part of the project 1. This video shows the both of the angles taken.
Yuval showing off his martial arts moves.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Vidler: Warped Space - Death Cube "K"
In warped space, Anthony Vidler discusses the warping in space that is becoming a part of the world of present day architecture. He prescribes that there are two forms of spatial warping. There is the spatial warping brought on by the psychological ideals from modernism. There is the spatial warping brought on by the interweaving of the various forms of media. The connection between these versions of warped space is represented in architecture via the various symbolism permeating the urban realm.
One of the examples Vidler discusses is called Death Cube "K." Described by William Gibson, this death cube is based off of the ideas of Franz Kafka. It is a postapocalyptic bar, a nightmare made of corroded and etched steel, with elements very much resembling part of insects, from translucent walls evoking insect wings, to the brown "roach-light." Off of the main room, there is a stair leading to a disco room called "The Penal Colony." This room is lit with pulses of red light, coming from a ceiling decorated with sharp objects reminiscent of old dental equipment. Another stair leads to a space called the "Trial" room. This room features low ceilings and walls the color of anthracite. This bar is metamorphosis of Kafka into an insect and then into a space. Death Cube "K" could be considered to be an extreme version of warped space, where the fears of a devastated future world form the psychological basis of this nightmarish bar, representing a piece of a world that is beyond hope of restoration.
Viewed from the air, the world of Death Cube "K" is formed by a landscape of twisted, fragmented ruin and desolate, scorched plains, telling the narrative of past cultures. This is a world with endless corridors where one's perceptions for an endless loop of decay. This warped space is formed through the forces of the population via changes in perception from stability to a type of controlled chaos. This world has its basis in modern architectural prototypes. These prototypes are metamorphosized through the mentalities of the late 20th century. This landscape and its associated landscapes attempt to describe the differences between the ideals of modernity and modernism.
A version of this world is populated by people as plain and faceless as the virtual representations of the human form. These people are also a product of the metamorphosis that has altered the landscape of this world. The spaces these people inhabit share their appearance; they are faceless, repeating double loaded corridors carved into the steel-built urban landscape. This space is formed by an ultimate, pure version of rationalism, where everything is bound by a strict rule set based in function rather than form. This world has its basis in Kafka's nightmare of a world that is "merely schematic." This world is a product of the neuroses plaguing the minds of the fearful individual of the 20th century.
This world is not the only vision of the future. In contrast, there are those who hypothesize there will be a utopian world of perfection. These two worlds form the basis of an ellipse described by Walter Benjamin. Each world is a foci in this ellipse, the one based in tradition and its revival, the other based in the experience of the modern urban dweller. Benjamin considered himself trapped between these two foci. It could be said the tension between these two foci warp space in a way characterizing the struggle between opposing perceptions of the modern world the paths it could take. Physical space is not warped, but a person's perceptions make it appear to be warped. One could see how the modern world is rooted in its traditions, while one could also see the world being corrupted into the realm of Death Cube "K."
It is these morphoses which form the base of "neoformations." Neoformations created a world of deterritorialization. This is a world free from the nostalgia associated with tradition, but likewise free from the false promises that lead to world of the death cube. These promises allow a kind of primitive freedom allowing a set of universal rules which don't force a landscape of repeated adaptations.
It would seem Vidler attempts to explain warped space as being the result of perceptions, based in one's own mindset. This part is based on a negative mindset. These perceptions, in turn, are the basis for change in architecture through the beliefs one has of architecture's path. Those with the utopian view envision, and in turn follow, an architectural mindset based in tradition, while those with the "death cube view" see a corrupted world, and follow an architecture that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
One of the examples Vidler discusses is called Death Cube "K." Described by William Gibson, this death cube is based off of the ideas of Franz Kafka. It is a postapocalyptic bar, a nightmare made of corroded and etched steel, with elements very much resembling part of insects, from translucent walls evoking insect wings, to the brown "roach-light." Off of the main room, there is a stair leading to a disco room called "The Penal Colony." This room is lit with pulses of red light, coming from a ceiling decorated with sharp objects reminiscent of old dental equipment. Another stair leads to a space called the "Trial" room. This room features low ceilings and walls the color of anthracite. This bar is metamorphosis of Kafka into an insect and then into a space. Death Cube "K" could be considered to be an extreme version of warped space, where the fears of a devastated future world form the psychological basis of this nightmarish bar, representing a piece of a world that is beyond hope of restoration.
Viewed from the air, the world of Death Cube "K" is formed by a landscape of twisted, fragmented ruin and desolate, scorched plains, telling the narrative of past cultures. This is a world with endless corridors where one's perceptions for an endless loop of decay. This warped space is formed through the forces of the population via changes in perception from stability to a type of controlled chaos. This world has its basis in modern architectural prototypes. These prototypes are metamorphosized through the mentalities of the late 20th century. This landscape and its associated landscapes attempt to describe the differences between the ideals of modernity and modernism.
A version of this world is populated by people as plain and faceless as the virtual representations of the human form. These people are also a product of the metamorphosis that has altered the landscape of this world. The spaces these people inhabit share their appearance; they are faceless, repeating double loaded corridors carved into the steel-built urban landscape. This space is formed by an ultimate, pure version of rationalism, where everything is bound by a strict rule set based in function rather than form. This world has its basis in Kafka's nightmare of a world that is "merely schematic." This world is a product of the neuroses plaguing the minds of the fearful individual of the 20th century.
This world is not the only vision of the future. In contrast, there are those who hypothesize there will be a utopian world of perfection. These two worlds form the basis of an ellipse described by Walter Benjamin. Each world is a foci in this ellipse, the one based in tradition and its revival, the other based in the experience of the modern urban dweller. Benjamin considered himself trapped between these two foci. It could be said the tension between these two foci warp space in a way characterizing the struggle between opposing perceptions of the modern world the paths it could take. Physical space is not warped, but a person's perceptions make it appear to be warped. One could see how the modern world is rooted in its traditions, while one could also see the world being corrupted into the realm of Death Cube "K."
It is these morphoses which form the base of "neoformations." Neoformations created a world of deterritorialization. This is a world free from the nostalgia associated with tradition, but likewise free from the false promises that lead to world of the death cube. These promises allow a kind of primitive freedom allowing a set of universal rules which don't force a landscape of repeated adaptations.
It would seem Vidler attempts to explain warped space as being the result of perceptions, based in one's own mindset. This part is based on a negative mindset. These perceptions, in turn, are the basis for change in architecture through the beliefs one has of architecture's path. Those with the utopian view envision, and in turn follow, an architectural mindset based in tradition, while those with the "death cube view" see a corrupted world, and follow an architecture that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Greg Lynn: Animate Form
In this article, Lynn discusses animation and it's applications in architecture. The first point to be made is the difference between animation and motion. While the two are often confused, motion pertains to actual movement and action, while animation shows the evolution of a form through a series of still images that give the illusion of motion. (One could say animation can be a re-presentation of motion.) The problem architects have with animation lies in the fact that architects deal in statics; buildings are designed with the intent of lasting forever, though it is rare for a building to be preserved for anything grand duration of time. While animation is different from the fundamentals of architecture, it can inform architecture in a way that could help advance the discipline.
An architect typically works in an environment based off of a Cartesian coordinate system, while other design fields deal with space as an environment with forces and motion. While physical forms are often conceived of in terms of statics, the forces of the environment can help inform how these forms take shape. An example would be the design of airplanes. The form of airplanes are meant to adjust air pressure in a way that allows the vehicle to lift off the ground. The forces themselves do not change the form of the plane, but an understanding of these forces helped influence the design. As the airplane was designed, so may architectural form, though this would still leave the forms themselves static.
Stasis and architecture are linked through the ideas of permanence, usefulness, typology, procession, and verticality. However, these ideals are often more theory than practice. Permanence is one example. Buildings are built with an intent to last forever, but more often than not, they are built to last for a relatively short time, through techniques that foster obsolescence, dismantling, ruination, recycling, and abandonment. Another problem related to statics in architecture is fixed functionality. Buildings are often designed for a specific set of functions, making it difficult to adapt a building through time. A potential solution to this problem would be the implementation of controlled multi-type buildings with enough flexibility to provide for many potentials within a building.
(I believe the ideals of permanence and flexible building programs would greatly benefit from animation. Animations could be used in conjunction with physics to test a buildings ability to stand through time and survive a set of factors known to degrade a building over time. With respect to flexible program design, animations could be used to test a building's ability to support multiple functions within, and potentially provide for functions well beyond the building's primary functions. Both ideals work with each other, with flexible design fostering permanence, and permanence providing for the introduction of new functions compatible with the building design.)
Architecture survived as the last refuge for the flat earth society with respect to the general understanding of gravity as a straightforward, unchanging vertical force. While structure to force and gravity relationships are numerous and interrelated, architects continue to cling to the ideal of buildings standing as vertical structures. This truth leaves buildings open to being about down by wind and other lateral loads that have the potential to be much greater than the forces gravity exerts. These forces have the potential to generate uplift in lighter buildings. While architects and engineers do not ignore these facts, they are still bound by the base assumption that buildings are vertical structures.
Animation can provide a set of parameters and statistics to generate architectural form. While many architects would not be so bold as to allow an animation based in mathematics to design a building for them, these forms can provide the groundwork for new forms in architecture. The forms generated may be abstract, or may create a symbol for a culture. These processes could yield what can be described as an abstract machine, and a concrete assemblage. As an abstract machine, these structures are both a technological statement and a symbol, but not as either one or the other. As a concrete assemblage, these structures represent the movements and organization of elements based in reality. A computer keyboard is an example of that which is a concrete assemblage and abstract machine. It is a concrete assemblage in that it is a physical piece of technology, and an abstract machine in that the key placements were determined via an open algorithm determining efficiency in typing out the words of the past, present, and future versions of the English language. The potential of using these algorithms in informing architectural design can lead to buildings that can be described as animate rather than static.
An architect typically works in an environment based off of a Cartesian coordinate system, while other design fields deal with space as an environment with forces and motion. While physical forms are often conceived of in terms of statics, the forces of the environment can help inform how these forms take shape. An example would be the design of airplanes. The form of airplanes are meant to adjust air pressure in a way that allows the vehicle to lift off the ground. The forces themselves do not change the form of the plane, but an understanding of these forces helped influence the design. As the airplane was designed, so may architectural form, though this would still leave the forms themselves static.
Stasis and architecture are linked through the ideas of permanence, usefulness, typology, procession, and verticality. However, these ideals are often more theory than practice. Permanence is one example. Buildings are built with an intent to last forever, but more often than not, they are built to last for a relatively short time, through techniques that foster obsolescence, dismantling, ruination, recycling, and abandonment. Another problem related to statics in architecture is fixed functionality. Buildings are often designed for a specific set of functions, making it difficult to adapt a building through time. A potential solution to this problem would be the implementation of controlled multi-type buildings with enough flexibility to provide for many potentials within a building.
(I believe the ideals of permanence and flexible building programs would greatly benefit from animation. Animations could be used in conjunction with physics to test a buildings ability to stand through time and survive a set of factors known to degrade a building over time. With respect to flexible program design, animations could be used to test a building's ability to support multiple functions within, and potentially provide for functions well beyond the building's primary functions. Both ideals work with each other, with flexible design fostering permanence, and permanence providing for the introduction of new functions compatible with the building design.)
Architecture survived as the last refuge for the flat earth society with respect to the general understanding of gravity as a straightforward, unchanging vertical force. While structure to force and gravity relationships are numerous and interrelated, architects continue to cling to the ideal of buildings standing as vertical structures. This truth leaves buildings open to being about down by wind and other lateral loads that have the potential to be much greater than the forces gravity exerts. These forces have the potential to generate uplift in lighter buildings. While architects and engineers do not ignore these facts, they are still bound by the base assumption that buildings are vertical structures.
Animation can provide a set of parameters and statistics to generate architectural form. While many architects would not be so bold as to allow an animation based in mathematics to design a building for them, these forms can provide the groundwork for new forms in architecture. The forms generated may be abstract, or may create a symbol for a culture. These processes could yield what can be described as an abstract machine, and a concrete assemblage. As an abstract machine, these structures are both a technological statement and a symbol, but not as either one or the other. As a concrete assemblage, these structures represent the movements and organization of elements based in reality. A computer keyboard is an example of that which is a concrete assemblage and abstract machine. It is a concrete assemblage in that it is a physical piece of technology, and an abstract machine in that the key placements were determined via an open algorithm determining efficiency in typing out the words of the past, present, and future versions of the English language. The potential of using these algorithms in informing architectural design can lead to buildings that can be described as animate rather than static.
Greg Lynn: Folds, Bodies, & Blobs - Body Matters
In Lynn's article, architecture is described as being dependent on the concept of the whole, as opposed to focusing more on the parts that make up a whole. Within architecture, there is a search for a universal model; a model that is static, and can readily be described in terms of whole numbers. The intricate functions that make up the whole in architecture are ignored under this premise in favor of a more generalized approach. Bodies stem from interactions amongst several component parts, and cannot be reduced to a more general system. A body could be described as anexact, a term coined by Edmund Husserl to describe which is neither exact nor inexact. In architecture, the parts of the body are both more and less than the whole.
One alternative for the description of architectural organization pertains to the behavior of elements on the local level and how they contribute to the formations of bodies in architecture. This idea of the body stemming from local interactions conflicts with the ideal versions of the body and the whole. This idea lends itself to focus on stable, though not necessarily static, bodies. Bodies are able to grow over time through forces of differentiation. These forces build up the body; bodies are constantly giving additions over time.
The idea of the parasite has been used to describe that which cause instability within an existing form. One version of the parasite is described as the necessary component in the deconstruction of the whole. Another version of the parasite is described as that which much adjust its environment to support its continued existence; the parasite creates a new entity. Another variation of the parasite is described as being necessary for the formation of the whole; the whole presents and exterior, and the parasite builds its interior. Other parasites are described as being vehicles for providing a necessary interaction between bodies dependent upon one another for survival (e.g. bees and flowers).
(This concept of the parasite stands out to me. I can see a possible interpretation to describe the forces that evolve architectural form. Form would be the body and function would be the parasite. As functions evolve, and become more sophisticated, they must adapt the form of the environments they inhabit, resulting in the development of new buildings. i.e., the functions of industry brought on by the innovations of the Industrial Revolution gave rise to the construction of factories.)
Monstrosities are bodies that are different from those typically found in nature. One way these bodies can be formed is through the combination of different parts, forming a new whole that can not be understood through its component parts alone. This brings on the idea that whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The Sphinx of Egypt is an example of such a body; the body of the lion and the body of the human can not readily be envisioned as the form they create when united.
Gestures can be used to describe forces related to the body. Electrocardiogram readings can be read to interpret the emotional state of a person. Captures of a body and motion can be used to illustrate the forces acting upon the body at specific points in time. These gestures are only useful as is; an "average" of these gestures would be unable to describe a realistic body. This presents the idea that forces interact across intervals while the body remains in stasis.
One alternative for the description of architectural organization pertains to the behavior of elements on the local level and how they contribute to the formations of bodies in architecture. This idea of the body stemming from local interactions conflicts with the ideal versions of the body and the whole. This idea lends itself to focus on stable, though not necessarily static, bodies. Bodies are able to grow over time through forces of differentiation. These forces build up the body; bodies are constantly giving additions over time.
The idea of the parasite has been used to describe that which cause instability within an existing form. One version of the parasite is described as the necessary component in the deconstruction of the whole. Another version of the parasite is described as that which much adjust its environment to support its continued existence; the parasite creates a new entity. Another variation of the parasite is described as being necessary for the formation of the whole; the whole presents and exterior, and the parasite builds its interior. Other parasites are described as being vehicles for providing a necessary interaction between bodies dependent upon one another for survival (e.g. bees and flowers).
(This concept of the parasite stands out to me. I can see a possible interpretation to describe the forces that evolve architectural form. Form would be the body and function would be the parasite. As functions evolve, and become more sophisticated, they must adapt the form of the environments they inhabit, resulting in the development of new buildings. i.e., the functions of industry brought on by the innovations of the Industrial Revolution gave rise to the construction of factories.)
Monstrosities are bodies that are different from those typically found in nature. One way these bodies can be formed is through the combination of different parts, forming a new whole that can not be understood through its component parts alone. This brings on the idea that whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The Sphinx of Egypt is an example of such a body; the body of the lion and the body of the human can not readily be envisioned as the form they create when united.
Gestures can be used to describe forces related to the body. Electrocardiogram readings can be read to interpret the emotional state of a person. Captures of a body and motion can be used to illustrate the forces acting upon the body at specific points in time. These gestures are only useful as is; an "average" of these gestures would be unable to describe a realistic body. This presents the idea that forces interact across intervals while the body remains in stasis.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
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