»Syntax«

and other Semantics

A Semiosis of Architecture(s)

by Franz Sdoutz

All things architectural are (indisputably) material - one way or the other. Everything (built) must be brought to site (by someone) - including notions of architecture, mater … and site as such (in order to become manifest). Thus "construction" follows (consequently).

WORK IN PROGRESS

» The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form « VII.) 8

WORK IN PROGRESS

» vv « VII.) 8

References

1. Img. _01 'Shirt' designed by me [Franz Sdoutz] 2013 compiling free public domain vector clipart and imagery from: http://www.mycutegraphics.com/ http://www.clker.com/ ...
2. 'Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form' by Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Steven Izenour, published first by MIT Press in 1972 [revised edition 1977] http://books.google.at/
   
   1 » Las Vegas is analyzed here only as a phenomenon of architectural communication. […] « [page 3 - 6]
   
   Img. _02 Duck and Decorated Shed. See original spread [pages 88, 89]
   
   http://www.aaschool.ac.uk/
3. 'Geschichte der Architekturtheorie [History of Architectural Theory]' by Kari Jormakka, published by Edition Selene, 2007 [published first 2003] http://books.google.at/
   
   » Die Herstellung einer artikulierten Analogie zwischen Linguistik und Architektur geht mindestens auf das 18. Jahrhundert zurück. Wie die Wiedergeburt Architekturtheorie in der Renaissance war auch die Einführung dieser Analogie ein Versuch, sowohl das gesellschaftliche Ansehen der Architektur zu heben, als auch bestimmte ästhetische Vorlieben zu legitimieren. Dieses geht z.B. aus Claude-Nicolas Ledoux‘ Erklärung hervor, wonach das Verhältnis zwischen Architektur und Maurerarbeit dasselbe sei wie jenes zwischen der Poesie und belle-lettres . Es ist nicht unwahrscheinlich, dass sich die jüngere Welle einer linguistischen Betrachtungsweise von Architektur einem ähnlichen Problem entspringt, nämlich der Situation, dass die Aufgabenbereiche von Architekten zunehmend von den Ingenieuren übernommen zu werden drohten. In den siebziger Jahren des 2O. Jahrhunderts erlangte diese Analogie mit der Anwendung von Semiotik und Semiologie allerdings eine neue technische Komplexität. […] « [page 217]
   See also: Venice Beach
   » [...] Außerdem muss die Architektur, wenn sie über sich selbst spricht, ihre eigene Metasprache haben, eine Eigenschaft, die für die gewöhnliche Sprache und einige wenige formale Sprachen – jedoch nicht für alle – charakteristisch ist. Es ist keinesfalls offenkundig, dass die Architektur eine Sprache ist und noch weniger, dass sie auch eine Metasprache sein könnte. « [page 225] See also: Venice Beach
4. IN:
   'Code: Zwischen Operation und Narration' edited by Andrea Gleiniger and Georg Vrachliotis, published by Birkhäuser Verlag GmbH, 2010, in the series 'Kontext Architektur' a collaboration of ZHdK and ETH Zürich http://www.isbnsearch.org/
5. 'Beobachter unter sich: Eine Kulturtheorie [Observers amongst themselves: A theory of culture]' by Dirk Baecker, published first by Suhrkamp Verlag in April 2013 http://www.amazon.de/
   
   Img. _03 » [...] die Einladung an den Beobachter, jede Beobachtung a, die ihn interessiert, im Rahmen der Form [Img. _03 of course I read 'a' for architecture ...] zu lesen. Liest man a von links nach rechts, stößt man auf seine Gesellschaft. Liest man es von rechts nach links, analysiert man seine Kultur. Im ersten Fall wird es positivsprachlich, im zweiten Fall negativsprachlich gezählt, jeweils bereit, es anzunehmen und zu wiederholen oder es abzulehnen und unter Bedingungen zu setzen. Liest man die Form im Hinblick auf die Tiefe des Raumes, in der a steht, identifiziert man dessen Ordnung. Dass es an der Stelle auftaucht, an der es auftaucht, verdankt es einer Intrige. Und wie es sich mit dem unmarked state auf der anderen Seite seiner Unterscheidung austauscht, ist ein Element seines Spiels. Jede Aussage, p, die ein Beobachter über seine Beobachtung, a, trifft, hat ihrerseits die Form [Img. _03 'a' replaced with 'p'] Und sollte sich der Beobachter für sich selbst, o, interessieren, bekommt er es mit der Form [Img. _03 'a' replaced with 'o'] zu tun. Spencer-Browns Einladung, "triff eine Unterscheidung", können wir daher wie folgt unterstreichen und erweitern: Triff eine Unterscheidung. Beobachte ihre Form. Arbeite an ihrer Unruhe. Wisse dein Nichtwissen. « [page 302]
6. baecker_1 'George Spencer-Brown wird 90' by Dirk Baecker posted April 2nd, 2013 http://catjects.wordpress.com/
   Slightly different from 'George Spencer-Brown' also by Dirk Baecker, dated February 2011 [PDF German, my copy] retrieved in April 2011
   
   Regarding Vicky Pollard's » but « logic see https://plus.google.com/ and http://catjects.wordpress.com/ PDF [pages 101-114 ...]
7. 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' directed by David Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/
   
   Img. _04 'Prison of Azkaban' 2007, designer unmentioned. Also dubbed: 'giant Toblerone in the middle of the North Sea'. http://en.wikipedia.org/
   Interview with Tino Schaedler, art director for 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' http://media.baunetz.de/
8. 'Body Zone', pavillion situated in the Millennium Dome, London, 2000 designed by Branson Coates Architecture, [according to wikipedia.org] sponsored by cosmetic manufactures.
   
   Img. _godliman Photo by Darrell Godliman, 2009, from http://www.flickr.com/ retrieved in May 2013
   Img. _bodyzone Netpic, wireframe elevation, approx. 2000, from http://nigelcoates.com/ retrieved in May 2013
   See also:
   http://www.floornature.de/
   http://www.namingandtreating.com/
9. IN: ARCH+ 149/150 April 2000 http://www.archplus.net/
   
   archplus 'Body Zone' [pages 36 - 41] http://www.archplus.net/
   » Das erste, was Besucher des Millennium Dome bei seinem Betreten sehen Werden, ist die Body Zone vom Büro Branson Coates in London. Sie gehört zu den vierzehn Themenpavillons und stellt die buchstäblichste Umsetzung eines gestellten Themas dar. Die 27 Meter hohe Konstruktion, die wie eine riesige Plastik aussieht, soll nach Auffassung von Nigel Coates die Vorstellung vom menschlichen Körper zu Beginn des neuen Jahrtausends nicht mehr auf den männlichen reduzieren. Deshalb bietet sich dem Besucher oder der Besucherin der Anblick einer männlichen und einer weibliche Figur in liegender Pose, die zugleich sich umarmend miteinander verbunden sind. Der Deutlichkeit der semantischen Aussage des Pavillons steht die Abstraktheit der Form gegenüber, als Folge seiner immensen Größe, die auf Details wie Finger, Geschlechtsteile und selbst Gesicht verzichtet. Die äußere Hülle aus einer 15 Millimeter dicken Schicht Glasbeton spannt sich glatt und ohne differenzierende Merkmale über die Stahlkonstruktion, bestehend aus einem Hauptmast und Trägern, über die sich Rippen im Abstand von einem Meter legen. Wenn man direkt davor steht, soll der skulpturale Effekt dem einer Landschaft weichen. Verschiedene Öffnungen weisen darauf hin, daß es sich um einen Pavillon mit einem Innenleben handelt. Von der Rückseite des männlichen Torsos führt eine Rampe zu der Rolltreppe, über die man durch den männlichen Arm auf die zweite Ebene gelangt, wo sich die Hauptausstellung befindet und die Zugänge zu den höher gelegenen 'Körperteilen' (mit Aussicht auf das ganze Innere des Millennium Dome) und die äußersten Gliedmaßen beider Körper. Über eine Rolltreppe durch eines der weiblichen Beine gelangt man wieder auf die unterste Ebene und in den Dome zurück. Insgesamt können sich 3.500 Besucher in der Stunde durch den Pavillon schleusen. « [page 38]
10. IN: 'Architekturtheorie im 20. Jahrhundert: Eine kritische Anthologie' edited by Ákos Moravánszky, published by Springer-Verlag/Wien 2003 http://www.isbnsearch.org/
    
    'Architektur [Architecture]' by Adolf Loos, lecture given in October 1910 in Berlin, published first in 'Der Sturm' December 1910 also Berlin [Excerpt, pages 504 -506, details according to Moravánszky]
    http://www.geocities.jp/ [complete German]
    PDF [complete, English]
    
    » May I take you to the shores of a mountain lake? The sky is blue, the water green and everywhere is profound tranquillity. The clouds and mountains are mirrored in the lake, the houses, farms and chapels as well. They do not look as if they were fashioned by man, it is as if they came straight from God’s workshop, like the mountains and trees, the clouds and the blue sky. And everything exudes an air of beauty and peace . . . But what is this? A discordant note in the tranquillity. Like an unnecessary screech. Among the locals’ houses, that were not built by them, but by God, stands a villa. The creation of an architect. [...] «
    
    loos_1 » [...] Architecture arouses moods in people, so the task of the architect is to give these moods concrete expression. A room must look cozy, a house comfortable to live in. To secret vice the law courts must seem to make a threatening gesture. A bank must say, "Here your money is safe in the hands of honest people." An architect can only achieve this by going back to those buildings of the past which aroused these moods in people. For the Chinese, white is the color of mourning, for us black. Therefore our architects would find it impossible to create cheerful moods with black paint. If we were to come across a mound in the woods, six foot long by three foot wide, with the soil piled up in a pyramid, a somber mood would come over us and a voice inside us would say, "There is someone buried here." That is architecture. [...] « [page 505. 506] Compare to Francesco Milizia VII.) milizia_prison
    
    

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    » Darf ich sie an die gestade eines bergsees führen? Der himmel ist blau, das wasser grün und alles liegt in tiefem frieden. Die berge und wolken spiegeln sich im see und die häuser, höfe und kapellen tun es auch! Nicht wie von menschenhand gebaut stehen sie da. Wie aus gottes werkstatt hervorgegangen sind sie, gleich den bergen und bäumen, den wolken und dem blauen himmel. Und alles atmet schönheit und ruhe … Da, was ist das! Ein mißton in diesem frieden. Wie ein gekreisch, das nicht notwendig ist. Mitten unter den häusern der bauern, die nicht von ihnen, sondern von gott gemacht wurden, steht eine villa. Das gebilde eines guten oder eines schlechten architekten? [...] «
    
    » [...] Die architektur erweckt stimmungen im menschen. Die aufgabe des architekten ist es daher, diese stimmung zu präzisieren. Das zimmer muß gemütlich, das haus wohnlich aussehen. Das justizgebäude muß dem heimlichen laster wie eine drohende gebärde erscheinen. Das bankhaus muß sagen: hier ist dein geld bei ehrlichen leuten fest und gut verwahrt. Der architekt kann das nur erreichen, wenn er bei jenen gebäuden anknüpft, die bisher im menschen diese stimmung erzeugt haben. Bei den chinesen ist die farbe der trauer weiß, bei uns schwarz. Unseren baukünstlern wäre es daher unmöglich, mit schwarzer farbe freudige stimmung zu erregen. Wenn wir im walde einen hügel finden, sechs schuh lang und drei schuh breit, mit der schaufel pyramidenförmig aufgerichtet, dann werden wir ernst und es sagt etwas in uns : hier liegt jemand begraben. Das ist architektur. [...] « [page 505. 506] Compare to Francesco MiliziaVII.) milizia_prison
    
    'Ins Leere gesprochen 1897 -1900' [PDF 1921]
11. » Architektur soll nur sprechen, wenn sie gefragt wird. «
    » Architecture should be seen and not heard « [...]
    Literally translates as: » Architecture shall speak only, when asked / addressed / approached. « Such alludes to taming of impudent children in rather repressed mind-sets, hence the loose interpretation. Also the argument collapses [in English] for being » addressed / approached « seems hardly avoidable (for a building) ...
    
    This proverbial quote is attributed to a number of protagonists in distinct variations. It seems a direct response to Adolf Loos' reservations over 'aesthetic noise' lingering in Viennese understanding.
    » But what is this? A discordant note in the tranquillity. Like an unnecessary screech. « VI.) loos_1
    Among reputed exponents prominently lists architect Hermann Czech, who in 1973 reconstructed the former Anglo-Österreichische Bank [branch built by Adolf Loos in 1914]. Czech had these words [by Loos] inscribed in marble:
    » A bank must say, "Here your money is safe in the hands of honest people." « VI.) loos_1
    Ironically once the building literally spoke – Loos' architecture fell silent (again). Once abandoned by finance http://www.meinbezirk.at/ [2011 ...] the premises were subsequently converted for retail in 2013 http://www.c-heads.com/ http://www.adiweiss.at/
    See the bank branch in its former [reconstructed] glory: http://www.ribapix.com/
    I owe this anecdote to Jan Tabor.
    
    
12. 'Revolutionsarchitektur: Ein Aspekt der europaischen Architektur um 1800' edited by Winfried Nerdinger, Klaus Jan Philipp and Hans-Peter Schwarz, published by Hirmer Verlag München 1990 http://www.isbnsearch.org/
    
    Img. _palmyra ^ [page 24] Caption: » 12a   R. Wood, The Ruins of Palmyra otherwise Tedmor in the Desert, London 1753, Taf. LVI «
13. Francesco Milizia (1725 - 1798), enlightened Italian [writing] architectural theorist, prominently bears witness to common understandings of architecture as language in the 18th century, or at least that architecture was already addressed in such terms. VI.) milizia_discourse In context these widely cited statements seem anecdotal even inconsistent with Milizia's rational take on architecture in general … unless one considers latter-day appropriations of conceptualities [Begrifflichkeiten]. Thus my reading of Milizia [who, according to Manfredo Tafuri » merely paraphrases Laugier's ideas. « VI.) tafuri_plagiat ] infers the following:
    
    a) The "function" of architecture is to affirm meaning – and at the time this equals to infer (natural / celestial) order. If codified correctly - beauty ensues; if beauty is immanent - codify! [E.g. aqueducts]
    Today we call this "representation" due to distinctions of signifier and signified. VI.) milizia_prison VI.) milizia_prison_me The performative or "constructive" aspect regarding such endeavour is recognised by its raison d'être: To improve architecture (along these lines) is to "better" society. VI.) milizia_event Change is not an option; coherence concerns on the eve of revolution.
    b) "Language" is structured selective utterance. No meaning without syntax, no understanding afield convention. VI.) milizia_language Architecture communicates the same way as »language speaks us«. Hence architecture » eloquente « …
    
    Are such implications consistent with »architecture parlante« as we know it?
14. 'Dizionario delle belle arti del disegno estratto in gran parte dalla Enciclopedia metodica.' [part 1] by Francesco Milizia, published in Bassano 1797 https://archive.org/
    
    milizia_language » Allora l' Architetto é imbrigliato. L' opinion pubblica gli prescrive il carattere conveniente. E se egli vuole sfrenarsi, fischiate. Egli starà a segno, e se vuole che i suoi disegni dican qualche cosa, egli farà dire non tutto quel che gli vien in capo, ma quel che debbon dire. Gli edificj allora saranno parlanti, e ciascun cittadino intenderà il loro linguaggio. « [page 154]
    Emphasising the conventional character ... of semiosis in architecture.
15. 'Principj di Architettura Civile' [part 1] by Francesco Milizia, published in Finale 1781 https://archive.org/ [German translation]
    
    » IDEA GENERALE DELL' ARCHITETTURA «
    milizia_discourse » Il pregio degli edifìcj non consiste ne' grandi massi di pietre sopra pietre, e molto meno nella folla degli ornamenti gettati alla rinfusa . I materiali in Architettura sono come nel discorso le parole, le quali separatamente han poca, o niuna efficacia, e possono esser disposte in una maniera spregevole; ma combinate con arte, ed espresso con energia muovono, ed agitan gli affetti con illimitata possanza. Un gran Poeta può eccitar dolci, e vive emozioni anche con un discorso ordinario, e dire con decenza cose comuni. Cosi le ingegnose disposizioni di un abile Architetto daranno lustro ai più vili materiali; mentre gli sforzi di un ignorante presuntuoso resteranno spiacevole le più sontuose costruzioni. « [page (7)-(8), modern typography] https://archive.org/
    » ... The materials in architecture are like the words in speech ... « [http://translate.google.at/ the 1832 edition]
    [compare to Germain Boffrand]
    

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    » Allgemeine Begriffe von der Baukunst. «
    milizia_discourse » Der Wert der Bauwerke besteht weder in den großen Massen auf einander gehäufter Steine, noch in der Menge durch einander geworfener Zierraten. Die Materialien sind in der Baukunst wie die Worte einer Rede, die einzeln wenig oder gar keinen Nachdruck haben, und schlecht geordnet sein können; sind sie aber mit Kunst verbunden, und mit Nachdruck vorgetragen, so rühren sie und reißen mit unbegrenzter Macht hin. Ein großer Dichter kann durch eine nicht außerordentliche Rede auf eine angenehme und lebhafte Art rühren, und gemeine Dinge mit Würde und Anstand sagen; eben so geben auch kluge Anordnungen eines geschickten Architekten den schlechtesten Materialien ein Ansehen, unterdessen dass der kostbarste Bau eines Unwissenden Missfallen erregt. « [page 4, modern spelling, compare to Germain Boffrand]
    Translated by Christian Ludwig Stieglitz, published in Leipzig 1824 as 'Grundsätze der bürgerlichen Baukunst' ['In drey Theilen. Erster Theil.'] http://books.google.es/
16. 'Principj di Architettura Civile' [part 2] by Francesco Milizia, published in Finale 1781 https://archive.org/ [PDF Bassano 1785, German translation]
    
    milizia_prison a » III Prigioni.
    L' architettura deve sapersi imbruttire; ed eccola di un aspetto terribile, e fiero nelle prigioni, per annunziare la costernazione di chi per i suoi disordini si rende indegno di godere i vantaggi della società. E siccome in una città ben regolata debbono essere più prigioni, alcune civili, altre criminali, e queste distinte in alcune classi secondo la qualità de' delitti, e de' delinquenti, cosi l' aspetto di tali edificj sarà tristo in ragione del loro destino. La malinconia si mostrerà nelle prigioni civili, e l' orrore si paleserà tutto nelle più criminali. Quivi l' Archìtettura più pesante, e più bassa della proporzione Toscana può impiegare bugne le più ruvide in una maniera espressamente disordinata, aperture anguste, e informi, muraglie alte, e doppie, membri fieri, che gettino ombre le più forti, ingressi ributtanti, cavernosi, e fino anche decorazioni di sculture, e d'iscrizioni spaventose; tutto in somma deve spirare oscurità, ruine minaccianti terrore, e freno ai delitti. « [page 258] https://archive.org/
    
    

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    milizia_prison a » § 3 Gefängnisse
    Die Architektur muss sich auch bis auf hässliche Gegenstände herunterzulassen wissen. Der Anblick der Gefängnisse soll fürchterlich und zugleich stolz sein, um das Schrecken derjenigen zu verkündigen, die sich durch ihre schlechten Streiche der menschlichen Gesellschaft unwürdig gemacht haben. In einer wohl eingerichteten Stadt werden verschiedene sowohl Zivil- als Kriminalgefängnisse erfordert, und diese nach den Klassen der Verbrecher unterschieden. Nach Proportion ihrer Absicht soll auch das äußere Ansehen traurig sein: bei den Zivilgefängnissen ist es melancholisch, und bei denen für die ärgsten Kriminalverbrecher schrecklich. Hier lässt sich die schwerfällige niedere Bauart nach Toskanischer Ordnung anbringen; und man bedient sich des rauesten bäurischen [grobschlächtigen] Werks ohne sonderliche Ordnung, enger ungestalteter Öffnungen, hoher dicker Mauern, plumper Glieder, die einen starken Schatten werfen, missfälliger Eingänge, wie zu Höhlen, auch einiger Bildhauerarbeit, mit Schauer erregenden Inschriften u., mit einem Wort, alles muss Dunkelheit verraten, und Schrecken und Zwang für Verbrecher zeigen. « [pages 164, 165, modern spelling] Translated by Christian Ludwig Stieglitz, published in Leipzig 1824 as 'Grundsätze der bürgerlichen Baukunst' ['In drey Theilen. Zweyter Theil.'] http://books.google.at/
    
    milizia_prison_me b [Roughly translated by me and Google from the 1832 Italian edition and the 1824 German translation.]
    Architecture must intimidate - indeed terrorise - criminals (to be) in order to serve (that is to improve) society. The task of signifying – to "contextualise" in social and psychological terms what imprisonment is supposed to mean - obviously contradicts its "other" function: to house an already enlightened penal system within political, economic, technical, sanitary… conditions though neatly listed, not even considered to characterise the building. The whole argument is strictly theatrical: Compare to VI.) boffrand_theatre Not shy of visual effects, stage sets of the time facilitated and shaped that moralising canvas.
    To grasp such bearing compare Prianesi’s »Carceri« [1745/1761] to John Carpenter's »They Live« [1988]
    Milizia renders the built environment naturally as persevering ubiquitous indoctrination ... intrinsically immersed in the symbolic. See also VI.) milizia_event
    Germain Boffrand ('Livre d'architecture' 1745), Denis Diderot (‘Le monument de la place de Reims‘ 1760) and Nicolas Le Camus de Mézières ('The Genius of Architecture' 1780 PDF) expect similar instantaneous and frictionless contextualisation (universal semiosis) of buildings. "Propriety" is what reaffirms (public) expectations. Style provides [such] classification. Dress code proceedes. [... PDF]
    
    Of course expertise of such semantic "control" (cor)relates architects [and couturiers] to (those in) power; unsettling the term »Revolutionsarchitektur« in its connotations. http://plato.stanford.edu/ ...
    
    Two of the following passages are mentioned by Werner Busch in his essay ‘Piranesis »Carceri« und der Capriccio-Begriff im 18. Jahrhundert‘ originally published in: Wallraff-Richartz-Jahrbuch, 39 in 1977, pages 209 - 224 [details according to source: PDF] --> Tafuri
17. 'Francesco Algarotti and Francesco Milizia: Architectural and Dramatic Theorists of the Italian Enlightenment' by Mark Anthony Ceolin, dissertation,Toronto 1999 http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/ with an English translation of Milizia's complete, formal and material treatise on theatre: 'Trattato completo, formale e materiale del teatro' published 1794.
    
    milizia_event a » Francesco Milizia […] was keen to place architecture first among the beaux arts. […] The elevation of the arts was, for Milizia, synonymous with the elevation of the general standards of society and, as the two went hand in hand, it is no accident that a great amount of his work deals with the theatre, both as building and as event. Where better, he reasoned, to effect change, both artistic and social, than in the building that housed the communal event of an entire society? « [my emphasis]
18. IN: 'Architectural Theory, Volume I, An Anthology from Vitruvius to 1870' edited by Harry Francis Mallgrave, published by Blackwell Publishing 2006
    
    'Livre d'architecture' by Germain Boffrand, [excerpt, page 191, 192] published first in Paris, 1745http://www.e-rara.ch/ 2 [English translation by David Britt http://books.google.at/]
    
    boffrand_theatre » Architecture [...] falls into a number of genres, in which its component parts are so to speak brought to life by the different characters that it conveys to us. Through its composition a building expresses, as if in the theatre, that the scene is pastoral or tragic; that this is a temple or a palace, a public building destined for a particular purpose or a private house. By their planning, their structure and their decoration, all such buildings must proclaim their purpose to the beholder. If they fail to do so, they offend against expression and are not what they ought to be. [...]
    Much care is called for in using new words. [Quote from Horace's Ars Poética, my emphasis]
    The profiles of mouldings, and the other members that compose a building, are in architecture what words are in a discourse. [...] « [compare to Francesco Milizia]
    Also quoted by Patrik Schumacher Volume II page 51 (6 The task of architecture)
    
19. 'Entwurff Einer Historischen Architectur, in Abbildung unterschiedener berühmten Gebäude, des Alterthums, und fremder Völcker, umb aus den Geschicht-büchern, Gedächtnüß-münzen, Ruinen, und eingeholten wahrhafften Abrißen, vor Augen zu stellen. [Outline of a History of Architecture]' by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, Vienna 1721, Leipzig 1725 http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/ https://archive.org/
    
    Img. _athos ^ The Colossus of Mount Athos » TAB.XVIII Der Macedonische Berg ATHOS in Riesen-Gestalt «
    Caption: » Mount Athos in Macedonia in the shape of a giant, as specified by Dinocrates, architect of Alexander the great. «
    » Der Macedonische Berg Athos in Gestalt eines Riesen, wie der Dinocrates, des großen Alexanders Architect, solchen Bau angegeben. « [page 45]
    http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/
20. 'De architectura libri decem [The Ten Books on Architecture]' ascribed to Vitruvius (who according to wikipedia.org, was born c. 80–70 BC, and died after c. 15 BC) http://www.gutenberg.org/
    
    » 1. Dinocrates, an architect who was full of confidence in his own ideas and skill, set out from Macedonia, […] being eager to win the approbation of the king. […] He was of very lofty stature and pleasing countenance, finely formed, and extremely dignified. Trusting, therefore, to these natural gifts, he undressed himself […] anointed his body with oil, set a chaplet of poplar leaves on his head, draped his left shoulder with a lion's skin, and holding a club in his right hand stalked forth to a place in front of the tribunal where the king was administering justice.
    2. His strange appearance made the people turn round, and this led Alexander to look at him. In astonishment he gave orders to make way for him to draw near, and asked who he was. "Dinocrates," quoth he, "a Macedonian architect, who brings thee ideas and designs worthy of thy renown. […]" « [Book II, Introduction]
    ... still quite instructional. The point here being the 'spectacle', in its flamboyant fabulousness ...
    http://www.gutenberg.org/ For the latin text and a different English translation see: http://www.vitruvius.be/ PDF
21. 'Canyons of shadows' Berlin's 'Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe' (designed by Peter Eisenman in collaboration with Richard Serra) photographed by Tom McLaughlan in December 2013 http://ministract.com/
    
    Img. _mclaughlan Photo by Tom McLaughlan, retrieved February 2014
22. » THE INADEQUACY OF BERLIN’S "MEMORIAL TO THE MURDERED JEWS OF EUROPE" « by Richard Brody, posted 12th of July 2012 http://www.newyorker.com/
    
    newyorker » [...] Before the Nazis came to power, Berlin had the largest Jewish population in Germany; [...] The restoration of that prominence, in a symbolic form, would make sense - maybe by way of a gigantic Star of David, occupying the entire ground and standing many stories high. That symbol would also be a fitting provocation: if it proved irritating, that feeling of irritation might stand most evocatively for the history in question.
    In any case, the memorial, as imposing and as memorable as it may be in itself, hardly serves the function for which it was intended. [...] «
    
    » [...] Compared to the commitment of land, time, money, and will that such a full-scale memorial would require, the existing one is merely symbolic, an affecting ersatz; Eisenman’s display is not just a symbol, but a symbol of a symbol. [...] «
23. 'Architecture and Utopia: Design and Capitalist Development' by Manfredo Tafuri, published by The MIT Press, London 1976, translated by Barbara Luigia La Penta http://mitpress.mit.edu/ PDF
    
    tafuri_plagiat » [...] indeed Milizia's whole treatise, is a plagarism: he merely paraphrases Laugier's ideas. [...] « [page 20, note 11] Referring to "City as forest" in particular ... Milizia trades in "conventional wisdom" (custom and usage) not originality.
24. 'THE LANGUAGE OF POST-MODERN ARCHITECTURE' by Charles A. Jencks, published by Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. in 1977 [published first 1977 in the UK by Academy Editions, London] http://www.isbnsearch.org/
    
    » Syntax
    Another aspect architecture shares with language is more mundane than metaphors and words. A building has to stand up and be put together according to certain rules, or methods of joinery. The laws of gravity and geometry dictate such things as an up and down, a roof and floor and various storeys in between, just as the laws of sound and speech formation dictate certain vowels, consonants and ways of speaking them. These compelling forces create what could be called a syntax of architecture - that is the rules for combining the various words of door, window, wall, and so forth. Most doors, for instance, follow the syntactical rule requiring a floor, necessarily flat, on both sides. What happens when this rule is constantly broken? The fun-house at the Amusement Park [...]
    Delirious word-salads, the speech of schizophrenics and poetry, all distort conventional grammar. It is obviously one of the defining characteristics of all sign systems used aesthetically. They call attention to the language itself by misuse, exaggeration, repetition, and all the devices of rhetorical skill.
    Michael Graves speaks about 'foregrounding' the elements of architecture by turning them on their side, extending them out from their usual, functional context and painting them like a Juan Gris Cubist composition. His houses are poetic distortions of a Cubist syntax, whose only fault, in terms of communication, is in the choice of a limited syntax and undercoding. You need a reader’s guide to appreciate the fact that a blue balustrade is a column lying down. [...]
    
    Peter Eisenman produces beautiful syntactic knots which dazzle the eye, confuse the mind, and ultimately signify for him the process that generated them. How enticing; how banal. The spirit of process is supposed to lift you heavenwards so you overlook the prosaic assumptions. Once again, as with Mies, the analogy of beautifully consistent form is meant to stand for the missing values, transport the mind above ordinary concerns. But this Architectural Ascension is not quite miraculous enough; there is no lift-off, that is, syntactically speaking. Semantically, (a mode of communication Eisenman disdains), his buildings convey the sharp white light of rationality and the virtues of geometrical organisation: the exciting ‘bridges to cross’, surprising punched-out ‘holes of space’, the framed 'vistas', the Chinese puzzle of structure. So far as one can recognise these semantic meanings and connect them with other associations, (Protestantism, the white architecture of the twenties), then these buildings have a wider meaning. In other words, the pure realm of syntax is only relevant perceptually when it is incorporated into semantic fields.
    
    Semantics
    In the nineteenth century, when different styles of architecture were being revived, there was a fairly coherent doctrine of semantics which explained which style to use on which building type. An architect would pick the Doric Order for use on a bank because the Order and the banking function had certain overtones in common: sobriety, impersonality, masculinity and rationality (a bank was meant to look tough enough to discourage robbers, and sensible enough to encourage depositors). Not only were these semantic properties set by comparison, by looking at the Orders in opposition to each other and other styles, but so were a host of syntactic aspects: the size of the Doric capital, the column's relation to other columns, and its proportion to the cornice, frieze and base. Since these forms and relationships were used coherently, people felt able to pass judgement on their suitability. They could tell what the building signified, and they could read a slight change in emphasis, a variation of proportion, as a change in meaning.
    Of course, this is to idealise the situation, as only a small part of the community could make these distinctions. But at least some could, and this community (echoing the root-word 'communication') kept the architect responsive to the whole enjoyable game of signification. He knew that if the semantic system were violently overthrown or became too complicated, his communication would be reduced to primitive gestures. [...]
    Nonetheless, revivalist architects did at least justify their choice of a style in terms of appropriateness, suitability; and this gave a degree of coherence to their formal choice. One architect, J. C. Loudon, proposed a theory of 'associationism' based on the notion of ‘association of ideas’, and even went so far as to say that each house should convey in its manner the character and role of its owner. If the inhabitant were a country parson, the house should be dressed in castellated Gothic or related clothing. Thus the environment would become more and more legible as society became more differentiated.
    To a certain extent this doctrine was followed in the nineteenth century, and you find that the introduction of a new style is assimilated into the appropriate semantic field. The Neo-Egyptian Style, popular in 1830 because of the Rosetta Stone and Napoleon's previous campaigns, was used sensibly on banks, tombs, prisons and medical colleges. The argument for its use might be based either on conventional or natural meanings. In the first cases, Neo-Egyptian was appropriate because the Pharaohs buried their treasure in temples of this style; or famous Egyptian doctors, healers and practitioners of medicine were sometimes also architects. Hence by the association of ideas, you could properly use the Egyptian style on banks and chemists’ shops. Secondly, this style had natural meanings of heaviness, impenetrability and massiveness. The walls are battered and the openings small - use it on prisons, it 'naturally' signifies high security. « [pages 72 - 75]
    Multiple references to Umberto Eco

Links

• Conceptions
  http://www.youtube.com/ [http://oyc.yale.edu/]
  http://www.youtube.com/ 2 3 4 5 PDF
• Definitions
  http://web.mst.edu/ [...]
  http://users.aber.ac.uk/ 2
• Interpretations
  Innsbruck 2
  http://www.aaschool.ac.uk/
  http://vimeo.com/
  http://vimeo.com/
  http://vimeo.com/
  http://vimeo.com/
• George Spencer-Brown
  http://www.br.de/ [audio, German]
  http://www.lawsofform.org/
• Patrik Schumacher
  http://sma.sciarc.edu/ 2 3 4 ['Parametric Semiology', October 10, 2012, Southern California Institute of Architecture, L.A. entire talk]
  http://youtu.be/ [UCLA A.UD Lecture Series: November 18, 2013, London, second half starting 1:07:00]

more Bikini Hypotheses

• Super-Flat MediaArchitecture
  Venice Beach - The Art of Systems
  Bikini Bottom ('The Autopoiesis of Architecture')
  Urban Space Pattern ('Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Built Bikini')
  Philip Johnson [discursive taxonomy]
  Models (in the Temple of Science)

File Log

• Very very very preliminary version ... Proceed with extreme caution.
  Trying to figure an informed opinion on what Patrik Schumacher calls "Semiological Project" - I've been compiling this miscellany since May 13th 2013.