In our last discussion we continued with another chapter of Rasmussen book, solids and cavities in architecture. In architecture we play with both solids and cavities, or forms and spaces respectively.
The solids enclose and form the cavities we live in; or in other words, solids are containers and the cavities are the contained. We can easily compare their relationship with an example of our daily life, glasses and the liquids that are kept in them.
Solids and cavities in architecture differentiate according to the function and structure of the building. They are being created by some elements such as objects or boundaries and planes which define limits. These limits may be more or less explicit, constitute continuous surfaces forming an uninterrupted boundary, or on the contrary, constitute only a few cues that the observes will use to perceive the space.
Horizontal elements that create solids and cavities may be in different positions, for example: base plane, elevated base plane, depressed base plane or overhead plane. Vertical elements may also be in different types such as: vertical linear elements, single vertical plane, L-shaped plane, parallel planes, U-shaped planes or four planes closure. Using openings (within planes, at corners, between planes) is another way of defining forms and spaces. Some organizing principles of formal and spatial elements can be: centralized, linear, radial, clustered or grid.
Solid and cavity has the figure and ground relationship between themselves. A good architect should think about the forms and spaces altogether at the same time, that’s why it is not preferred that he chooses to start designing firstly by the design of main forms and then think about the space and other details. One example of this case is the Beauvais Cathedral. Here the architect has focused on the design of the structural forms for the creation of the fantastically high nave.
Another way an architect can work is by using with the empty space, the cavity between solids, and considers the forming of that space as the real meaning of architecture. For example, in Karli in India there are a number of cave temples that were actually created by eliminating material that is by forming cavities.
Architects can be grouped into two, depending on the way they design:
Cavity-Minded Architects and
Solid-Minded Architects.
Consequently, different architectural periods work either with solids or cavities:
· Gothic Architecture (12th to 14th centuries), most works were based on forms. Forms were mostly vertical and designed as sharp pointed structures. In the City Hall we observe such a usage. The building demonstrates how it was constructed by way of its irregular, pointed silhouette of gables and tower tops.
· Renaissance Architecture (14th to 17th centuries), most works were based on cavities. A favorite Renaissance form is the circular, domed cavity, which was enlarged by the addition of niches. In the Police Headquarters building in Copenhagen, we observe such a usage.
Personally, I better prefer being a cavity minded architect, because most of my favorite buildings are created by using the technique of emphasizing spaces.
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