Share:


What do the contrasting views of Harries and Eisenman add to architectural culture in bringing aesthetic impressions back to the built environment?

    Abhijit Paul   Affiliation
    ; Kshitij Sinha Affiliation

Abstract

In the era of modernism, the natural symbols of art – expressed through aesthetic elements – have been seen replaced by the verbal notations of communication. The replacement forced the postmodernists to deconstruct the concept of modernism to bring back the notion of symbolic art superficially and to revitalize the meaning of art and its cohesive presence in the built environment. The revitalization process, however, does not seem to have gone without raising questions in the academic community. Does the aesthetic impulse come from the structural spirit of a built form alone? Is just aesthetics deeply rooted in built-form identity? Is aesthetics not associated with the social environment and economic living? Can aesthetics exist in isolation? Can aesthetics be more of a by-product of functionality than the product itself? Using the works of Harries and Eisenman, the paper develops a review sketch exploring these questions. Many other attributes, such as aesthetics production, aesthetics generation, and environmental aesthetics, and their roles in art appreciation have ensured positions in the discussion. The conclusions seem to warn that the influence of social co-existence in defining built-form aesthetics in the postmodern era and later, divorced from reality – avoiding the presence of the different layers in the social fabric and their relationships among themselves – seldom helps to produce any futuristic vision but invites chaos in thoughts and perceptions crossing over between studies and practices in architecture.

Keyword : postmodernism, environmental aesthetics, design authenticity, built-form identity, identity-identical dilemma, aesthetics production, aesthetics generation, social coexistence, artistic living, economic tenancy

How to Cite
Paul, A., & Sinha, K. (2024). What do the contrasting views of Harries and Eisenman add to architectural culture in bringing aesthetic impressions back to the built environment?. Journal of Architecture and Urbanism, 48(1), 52–66. https://doi.org/10.3846/jau.2024.19925
Published in Issue
May 22, 2024
Abstract Views
786
PDF Downloads
310
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Adıgüzel, E. N., & Şenel, A. (2022, June 1–3). Eisenman’s late concept based on contradiction: Lateness. In International Graduate Research Symposium Igrs’22: E-Abstract Book (p. 38). ITU Press.

Allen, S. (1950). Eisenman’s Canon: A counter-memory of the modern. In Ten canonical buildings: 1950–2000 (pp. 9–12). Rizzoli.

Anderson, N. (2014). Deconstruction and ethics: An (ir) responsibility. In Jacques Derrida (pp. 48–57). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315744612-7

Atkinson, E. (2002). The responsible anarchist: Postmodernism and social change. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 23(1), 73–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425690120102863

Auerbach, C. (2013). Mutation research: Problems, results and perspectives. Springer.

Aureli, P. V., & Eisenman, P. (2013). A project is a lifelong thing; if you see it, you will only see it at the end. Log, (28), 67–78.

Balling, J. D., & Falk, J. H. (1982). Development of visual preference for natural environments. Environment and Behavior, 14(1), 5–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916582141001

Banerjee, T., & Loukaitou-Sideris, A. (Eds.). (2019). The new companion to urban design. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203731932

Berleant, A. (2005). Aesthetics and environment: Variations on a theme. Ashgate Pub.

Berleant, A., & Carlson, A. (Eds.). (2007). The aesthetics of human environments. Broadview Press.

Berlyne, D. E. (1970). Novelty, complexity, and hedonic value. Perception & Psychophysics, 8(5A), 279–286. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03212593

Birkhoff, G. D. (1933). Aesthetic measure. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674734470

Bond, M. (2017). The hidden ways that architecture affects how you feel. BBC Future, 5.

Buszek, M. (2023). Reading architecture in the works of Venturi and SANAA [Photograph]. ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/photographer/maria-buszek

Callinicos, A. (1990). Against postmodernism: A Marxist critique. Polity Press.

Carlson, A. (2005). Environmental aesthetics. In The Routledge companion to aesthetics (pp. 561–576). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203390795-51

Chatterji, T. (2013). The micro-politics of urban transformation in the context of globalisation: A case study of Gurgaon, India. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 36(2), 273–287. https://doi.org/10.1080/00856401.2012.739272

Chicago Parent. (2021). Field museum. https://chicagoparent.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/FieldMuseum.jpg

Culler, J., & Derrida, J. (1987). What is deconstruction? Springer.

Dear, M. J. (1986). Postmodernism and planning. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 4(3), 367–384. https://doi.org/10.1068/d040367

Derrida, J. (1967). De la grammatologie. Ed. de Minuit.

Derrida, J., & Hanel, H. P. (1990). A letter to Peter Eisenman. Assemblage, (12), 7–13. https://doi.org/10.2307/3171113

Dickinson, D. (2020). Christopher Alexander and the inadequacy of genius in the architecture of the coming age. Urban Science, 4(2), Article 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci4020017

Dumm, T. L. (1988). II. The politics of post-modern aesthetics: Habermas Contra Foucault. Political Theory, 16(2), 209–228. https://doi.org/10.1177/0090591788016002003

Dwyer, M. M. (2023). First congregational church of Old Lyme, Connecticut. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congregationalism#/media/File:MMDA-Photos_-_2023-11-29_-_Congregational_Church,_Old_Lyme,_Connecticut,_USA.jpg

Eisenman architects. (1981–1985). IBA Social Housing. https://eisenmanarchitects.com/IBA-Social-Housing-1985

Eisenman architects. (1983–1989). Wexner Center for the Visual Arts and Fine Arts Library. https://eisenmanarchitects.com/Wexner-Center-for-the-Visual-Arts-and-Fine-Arts-Library-1989

Eisenman architects. (1999–2011). City of Culture of Galicia. https://eisenmanarchitects.com/City-of-Culture-of-Galicia-2011

Eisenman architects. (2004–2005). Il Giardino Dei Passi Perduti. https://eisenmanarchitects.com/Il-Giardino-Dei-Passi-Perduti-2005

Eisenman architects. (2009–2019). Residenze Carlo Erba. https://eisenmanarchitects.com/Residenze-Carlo-Erba-2019

Eisenman, P. (1984). The end of the classical: The end of the beginning, the end of the end. Perspecta, 21, 155–173. https://doi.org/10.2307/1567087

Eisenman, P. (1988). The authenticity of difference: Architecture and the crisis of reality. In Center (Vol. 4, special issue on “Buildings and reality: Architecture in the age of information”, pp. 50–57). Rizzoli.

Eisenman, P. (1990). Post/El cards: A reply to Jacques Derrida. Assemblage, (12), 14–17. https://doi.org/10.2307/3171114

Eisenman, P., & Belogolovsky, V. (2016). Interview with Peter Eisenman: “I am not convinced that I have a style.” ArchDaily.

Eisenman, P., & Harrison, A. L. (2008). Ten canonical buildings 1950–2000. Rizzoli.

Eisenman, P., & Ravenscroft, T. (2022). Interview with Peter Eisenman: “Deconstructivism killed off postmodernism.” Dezeen.

Encyclopedia Britannica. (2023, March 24). World’s Columbian exposition. https://www.britannica.com/event/Worlds-Columbian-Exposition

Evangelinos, C., & Tscharaktschiew, S. (2021). The valuation of aesthetic preferences and consequences for urban transport infrastructures. Sustainability, 13(9), Article 4977. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094977

Fallingwater. (n.d). https://fallingwater.org/

Gangwar, G. (2017). Principles and applications of geometric proportions in architectural design. Journal of Civil Engineering and Environmental Technology, 4(3), 171–176.

Glaser, L. (2015). Controlling supergraphics: A new challenge facing local governments aiming to limit the spread of advertising and prevent visual blight. Southern California Law Review, 89, Article 143.

Gleiter, J. H. (2014). Peter Eisenman: Or how to eliminate what one becomes. SAJ: Serbian Architectural Journal, 6(3), 228–237. https://doi.org/10.5937/SAJ1403228G

Goel, K. M. (2018). In other spaces: Contestations of national identity in “New” India’s globalized mediascapes. Journalism & Communication Monographs, 20(1), 4–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/1522637917750131

Graafland, A. (2007). Peter Eisenman. Footprint, 93–96. https://doi.org/10.59490/FOOTPRINT.1.1.670

Guptha, G. C., Swain, S., Al-Ansari, N., Taloor, A. K., & Dayal, D. (2022). Assessing the role of SuDS in resilience enhancement of urban drainage system: A case study of Gurugram City, India. Urban Climate, 41, Article 101075. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2021.101075

Gutleben, C. (2001). Nostalgic postmodernism: The Victorian tradition and the contemporary British novel (Vol. 31). Rodopi. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004488359

Haddad, E. (2009). Charles Jencks and the historiography of post-modernism. The Journal of Architecture, 14(4), 493–510. https://doi.org/10.1080/13602360902867434

Halbe, R. (2015). The memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin. https://www.psu.edu/news/campus-life/story/internationally-acclaimed-architect-peter-eisenman-deliver-lecture/

Harries, K. (1980). The dream of the complete building. Perspecta, 17, 36–43. https://doi.org/10.2307/1567001

Harries, K. (1984). Space, place, and ethos: Reflection on the ethical function of architecture. Artibus et Historiae, 5(9), 159–165. https://doi.org/10.2307/1483174

Harries, K. (1988). The voices of space. In Center (Vol. 4, special issue on “Buildings and reality: Architecture in the age of information”, pp. 34–49). Rizzoli.

Harries, K. (1992). Context, confrontation, folly. Perspecta, 27, 6–19. https://doi.org/10.2307/1567173

Harries, K. (1998). The ethical function of architecture. MIT Press.

Harries, K. (2010). On the need for sacred architecture: 12 observations. Design Philosophy Papers, 8(1), 7–10. https://doi.org/10.2752/144871310X13968744282674

Hillier, B. (2007). Space is the machine: A configurational theory of architecture. Space Syntax.

Hillier, B., & Hanson, J. (1989). The social logic of space. Cambridge University Press.

Hoteit, A. (2015). Deconstructivism: Translation from philosophy to architecture. Canadian Social Science, 11(7), 117–129. https://doi.org/10.3968/7240

Jameson, F. (1983). Postmodernism and consumer society. In The anti-aesthetic: Essays on postmodern culture (pp. 111–125). Bay Press.

Jameson, F. (1991). Postmodernism, or, the cultural logic of late capitalism. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822378419

Jennath, K. A., & Nidhish, P. J. (2016). Aesthetic judgement and visual impact of architectural forms: A study of library buildings. Procedia Technology, 24, 1808–1818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.protcy.2016.05.226

Kahraman, A. D. (2015). Relationship of modernism, postmodernism and reflections of it on education. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 174, 3991–3996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.1146

Kalyan, R. (2011). Fragmentation by design: Architecture, finance, and identity. Grey Room, (44), 26–53. https://doi.org/10.1162/GREY_a_00041

Kelbaugh, D. (2004). Seven fallacies in architectural culture. Journal of Architectural Education, 58(1), 66–68. https://doi.org/10.1162/1046488041578167

Kellner, D. (1988). Postmodernism as social theory: Some challenges and problems. Theory, Culture & Society, 5(2–3), 239–269. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263276488005002003

Kroll, A. (2010). AD classics: Ronchamp / Le Corbusier. https://www.archdaily.com/84988/ad-classics-ronchamp-le-corbusier

Kumar, K. (2020). From post-industrial to post-modern society. In The information society reader (pp. 103–120). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203622278-13

Levine, N. (1998). The architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Princeton University Press.

Little Black Book. (n.d.) Aurangabad. https://lbb.in/pune/chikhaldara-76911e/

Marling, K. A. (1992). Writing history with artifacts: Columbus at the 1893 Chicago Fair. The Public Historian, 14(4), 13–30. https://doi.org/10.2307/3377858

McEwen, I. K. (2004). Vitruvius: Writing the body of architecture. MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/7136.001.0001

McRobbie, A. (1994). Postmodernism and popular culture. Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203168332_chapter_1

Mills, C. A. (1988). “Life on the upslope”: The postmodern landscape of gentrification. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 6(2), 169–190. https://doi.org/10.1068/d060169

Morton, T. (2015). Ecology. In C. Colebrook (Ed.), Jacques Derrida: Key concepts (1st ed., pp. 41–47). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315744612-6

Nasar, J. L. (Ed.). (1992). Environmental aesthetics: Theory, research, and application. Cambridge University Press.

Nia, H. A. (2015). A model for analysing effects of urban spatial configuration on aesthetic perception.

Nichols, H. D. (1861–1897). Chicago World’s Fair 1893. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chicago_World%27s_Fair_1893_by_Boston_Public_Library.jpg

O’Farrell, C. (2006). Foucault and postmodernism. The Sydney Papers, 18(3/4), 182–194.

Powell, J. (2007). Postmodernism for beginners. Red Wheel/Weiser.

Priya, T. L. (2010). Protecting the tangible and intangible heritage of Rani ki Vav: A unique subterranean step well in Gujarat. In Advanced materials research (Vol. 133, pp. 1057–1064). Trans Tech Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.133-134.1057

Rindoff, B. (2023). Louvre raises ticket prices by nearly 30 percent. Artforum. https://www.artforum.com/news/louvre-raises-entry-prices-by-nearly-30-percent-544757/

Rowe, C., & Koetter, F. (1984). Collage city. MIT Press.

Roy, R. B. (2021). Environmentally sustainable practices. In Environmental management: Issues and concerns in developing countries (pp. 127–138). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62529-0_7

Rudolph, C. F. (1999). R. Buckminster fuller’s theories of design science and ephemeralization: Ethics or aesthetics? In ACSA-CIB Technology Conference (pp. 13–16), Montreal.

Samuel, F. (1999). A profane annunciation: The representation of sexuality at Ronchamp. Journal of Architectural Education, 53(2), 74–90. https://doi.org/10.1162/104648899564448

Seamon, D. (2018). Architecture and phenomenology. In The Routledge companion to contemporary architectural history (pp. 286–297). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315674469-18

Sharma, P. (2017). Rani ki Vav at Patan, UNESCO World Heritage Site. https://www.ravenouslegs.com/blog/rani-ki-vav-at-patan-unesco-world-heritage-site

Stamps III, A. E. (1989). Are environmental aesthetics worth studying? Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 6(4), 344–355.

Stephanson, A., & Jameson, F. (1989). Regarding postmodernism-A conversation with Fredric Jameson. Social Text, 21, 3–30. https://doi.org/10.2307/827806

Storey, J. (1994). An introductory guide to cultural theory and popular culture. University of Georgia Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/432052

Suppes, P. (1991). Rules of proportion in architecture. Midwest Studies in Philosophy, 16, 352–358. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4975.1991.tb00247.x

Tagore, R. (1861–1941). One hundred and one: Poems. Asia Publication House.

Taj Mahal. (n.d.). https://tajmahal.gov.in/

The Yorck Project. (2002). 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM). Publishing GmbH. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacob_Isaaksz._van_Ruisdael_004.jpg

Tselos, D. (1967). The Chicago Fair and the myth of the “Lost cause”. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, 26(4), 259–268. https://doi.org/10.2307/988452

University College London. (2003). Space Syntax makes the structure of city spaces work for people. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/made-at-ucl/stories/space-syntax-makes-structure-city-spaces-work-people

Vaughan, J., & Ostwald, M. J. (2022). Measuring the geometry of nature and architecture: Comparing the visual properties of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and its natural setting. Open House International, 47(1), 51–67. https://doi.org/10.1108/OHI-01-2021-0011

Venturi, R., Brown, D. S., & Izenour, S. (1977). Learning from Las Vegas, revised edition: The forgotten symbolism of architectural form. MIT Press.

Waldheim, C. (2002). Landscape urbanism: A genealogy. Praxis: Journal of Writing + Building, (4), 10–17.

Wąs, C. (2012). The structure of argumentation in early interpretations of the Chapel at Ronchamp (Part II). Sacrum et Decorum, (5), 102–135.

Watson, N. (2005). Postmodernism and lifestyles. In The Routledge companion to postmodernism (pp. 35–44). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1108/09504120510622869

Weiss, S., & Wesley, K. (2002). Postmodernism and its critics. Department of Anthropology. https://anthropology.ua.edu/theory/postmodernism-and-its-critics/

Wikipedia. (2006). Palace of Assembly Chandigarh [Photograph]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Palace_of_Assembly_Chandigarh_2006.jpg

Williams, L., & Sewpaul, V. (2004). Modernism, postmodernism and global standards setting. Social Work Education, 23(5), 555–565. https://doi.org/10.1080/0261547042000252280

Wohlwill, J. F. (1976). Environmental aesthetics: The environment as a source of affect. In Human behavior and environment: Advances in theory and research (Vol. 1, pp. 37–86). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2550-5_2