ARTICLE READING 

 Nature is an important part in architecture, it is the representation of nature environment, the context, physical and environmental factors to be considered in design, like topography, sun orientation, the prevailing wind, rainfall, so on and so forth. Nature has always been a source of inspiration for the human being in different aspects of their life. 

 

Nature in architecture today plays many roles, there are those who completely neglect nature and construct buildings without having any target or goals and just for the sake of completing the requirements given by the clients, there are some who takes considerations of the surrounding nature by using clear natural concepts from the surrounding environments to be solving the designs problems, and there are those who use nature as a design metaphor or a physical factor to emulate their design making it unique and iconic.

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kunsthaus Graz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking more into today’s  architecture is heading, which one if it is designs that are inspired by nature itself. Designers taking elements or forms from nature, metaphor in other words.One example is the kunsthaus Graz. Like some colossal, stranded deep-sea blob, the biomorphic Kunsthaus Graz rises up amid angular, red-roofed buildings. Dr Marcus Cruz, who was involved with planning the Kunsthaus in Austria along with main architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier says the building took inspiration from natural forms but didn’t mimic them exactly. Cruz’s own research included looking at microscopic images of sea creatures. He actually wanted to make the nozzel’s on the roof to move and interact with the sun, and wanted the facade to be a skin of some “creature”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Taichung Theater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another example of how nature is being incorporated into a design as a metaphor amd physical factor to emulate, a building designed by Toyo Ito is the National Taichung Theater. The design is notable for its cavernous, curved and folded interior forms, which produce a dramatic and complex section that is neatly resolved into a rectilinear exterior form. Taiwan-based photographer Lucas K Doolan visited the new Opera House to study its impressive internal spaces and its presence in the surrounding urban environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toyo Ito drew inspiration from the formation of rocks, caves and the transience of water for his design for The National Taichung Theater, which he hoped would provide a soft and mellow respite within the city of Taichung, Taiwan.

 

Not every architect choose to design by putting greens in their buildings as their main focus, however nature still plays a huge and important role in architecture, its just not everyone’s cup of tea.

I think architecture would be better and be more appreciated if we don’t take nature lightly and try to design with the natural environment and not just use nature as an idea milking machine.