LECTURE 06
ARTICLE READING (REDO)
What is the relationship between form and function in architecture today? How are new uses, technologies, and materials changing the relationship them? Use contemporary case studies, use quotes from 3 articles to support your point of view. Please reference them properly.
In architecture we always concern about how the building was to be organized, how the humans use the space, how movement would occur, the ways spaces were divide zoning, spacial quality and lastly, most importantly the looks, how the façade will be designed. “form ever follows function, and this is the law.” have heavily affect the
thinking and ideas for 20thcentury designers. But in architecture today the phrase has slowly change ,the new
concept is created— “function follows form” , it believe that a building’s form did not need to represent its use.
In fact, form could precede use; use could be determined later.
With the new and advance science and technology, new tools come, new materials come and architecture
just follows. Sometimes the functionalism is being neglected because to overly celebrate the new materials
and technology of construction of structures.
Blur Building is built Switzerland on lake Neuchatel. the pavilion creating a fog mass onto a large open-air platform where movement is unregulated. To create the fog mass, visual and acoustic references are erased,
leaving only an optical "white-out" and the "white-noise" of pulsing nozzles.
The pavilion is built by using new technologies and materials, The Blur define as there is
nothing to see but our dependence on vision itself. Different function are invented within a form space.
When new technology and materials come in it bring architecture into new level. I think since living in a
era with technology, architects should experiment and try more.
CCTV headquarters is an iconic building in Beijing ,China. The structure of the CCTV Headquarters is something
interesting, the structure is visible on its facade, a web of diagonals that becomes dense in areas of greater stress,
looser and more open in areas requiring less support. Even Beijing is an earthquake prone area, but the building
still encounters vertical and lateral loads.The building is able to construct with new technologies. New materials
are created, designs are incorporating with computer technologies to help creating this unique forms but, I think
when the design form is unique, it definitely affect the function.
As a conclusion, I think new technologies and new materials helps to express the ideas of architects. At the same
time, function is still important but it does not mean that function always have to follow form. Most importantly is
how form and function balance and help each other to achieve the best design.
