ARTICLE READING 

Context in architecture has been around every since, and I believe it plays an very important role in architecture centuries ago as well as today. Context in architecture is a strong relation and visual relationship to the surroundings it is the external factors that influences a building design. These elements can be physical and non- physical. Over time context has become more and more complex as it changes and varies through the years.

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During the 20th century (1920’s), thoughts on architecture changed. It was decided that nothing should be put on the architecture unless it was a part of it. Everything became boxy, linear, and functional. The style focused on simple shapes, simple designs, and new ideas. During the 1920s, the main styles of architecture that emerged were Art Deco and Modern architecture. This is where context of organic architecture started to immerse and context of the environment, site and location were really looked into. The introduction of “open floor plans” was one of the idea of a way to make human and nature as one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wright‟s Falling Water is a great example to highlight organic architecture within a natural context and to show the modern and local perspectives of the organic architect. No matter how much the modernist geometry in a strict language he designed, the accentuation placed upon being part of nature and being in harmony with it, selecting natural materials, and the effort to create unity between architecture and the surrounding nature clearly highlights that architecture gives great importance to unity.  

 

The house was meant to compliment its site while still competing with the drama of the falls and their endless sounds of crashing water. The power of the falls is always felt, not visually but through sound, as the breaking water could constantly be heard throughout the entire house.

 

Context today, is still important as it was ever since the 20th century( 1920s). However, some argue that contemporary architecture does not consider context, which is not entirely true. A quote by Audrey Alverson “context is not simply a matter of architectural form. It is not only about the pitch of a roof, the choice of materials, or even the size of a building. While these can often be important pieces of the context puzzle, they are by no means the entire puzzle”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One good example of contemporary architecture that apply its context of the environment and its usefulness to the local people Chengu Museum. The New Chengdu Museum sits on the West side of the square and maximises its profile to present a façade of commensurate scale and proportion to embrace and address the huge scale of this new square and establishes a strong formal relationship to it by forming a simple enclosing rectilinear profile. The building further enjoys and celebrates  this relationship to this monumental public space  by extending an internal promenade of public foyers and circulation behind the entirety of the veiled façade addressing Tian-Fu Square.

 

Elements from the chinese culture has been encorporated into his design and the reason behind the carved out or subtraction part on the left part of the building was for the public to easily access the Square. Highlights how context of usefulness for the local is important. Through the wall materials having the visual contact with user at exterior. Gold colour is used ,because it is the best way to represent the wealthy of china imperial dynasty. In the words of Alvar Aalto,“The very nature of the art of architecture is to serve humanity. It is a utilitarian art, even in its most spiritual form.” represents this building.

 

 

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This is also an example of Critical regionalism which is what contemporary architecture is heading to. Critical regionalism, according to Kenneth Frampton, is a regional architecture approach that seeks universality. It should seek to adopt modern architecture critically for its universal progressive qualities, at the same time as considering and valuing responses particular to the context. It seeks to respond to the lack of meaning in modernism by using contextual references to assume a sense of place and meaning. Critical regionalism differs from regionalism in that the latter tries to achieve a positive communication with vernacular architecture without a conscious involvement with the universal.

 

I believe that context is and always will be important if not, should be important and be taken into an account. Without context, a building can exist in any parts of the world because it doesnt have any background or historical roots. When we include context it is designed for a specific location which the context can be seen as a problem and our design is the solution to the problem.