Architecture of Presence.... and Absence

My first day in the Architecture Journal class of Bro. Bela Lanyi was uneventful. Students already got wind that I will be joining them. I also tried to keep a low profile so as not to intimidate the students. What is more important is the lecture which Bro. Bela gave. I don't know if he did it on purpose but after mulling over the lecture he gave I suddenly realized that he was talking about two opposing phenomena in architecture. On one hand, there is an architecture that seems to command presence; on the other hand, there is an architecture that must emphasize what is absent.



Iconic buildings command attention. They stand out in their immediate environment. They manage to find their way into magazines and post cards. Iconic buildings, however, are very effective if they are far apart from each other. It is easy to imagine how the Sidney Opera House and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao would compete for attantion if they were constructed side by side.



There are a few exceptions, of course, as in the case of China's Water Cube and the Bird's Nest. Although each is iconic in themselves, they are also contextual.



Bro. Bela referred us to the book of Charles Jencks entitled "Iconic Buildings" for a more thorough discussion on the subject. It is interesting to know that what makes a building iconic is not its perfection but its unique character which must capture the eyes of media. The key player then is media. Even if a building is unique if it does not meet the fancy of media it will ultimately fail to gain the status of an iconic building. One great factor that contributes to a building's uniqueness is its form. A building may fail in terms of function and still become iconic.



The approved design for the World Trade Center is one example of an architecture that must emphasize what is absent. The saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" immediately comes to mind. It is a way of viewing a memorial from a different perspective. The concept, however, seems applicable only for a memorial in situ. The proposed design is envisioned for the site where the World Trade Center used to stand. The design seems to speak of "hope" amidst tragedy. This is emphasized by trees growing at random around the site, water flowing out, and a vessel containing unidentified remains waiting for science to remove their anonymity.

Personally though I find the design crowded with elements. Maya Lin succeeded with her Vietnam Veteran's Memorial with very few elements: a mere scar on the ground, made permanent by granite where the names of those who suffered were etched.



I have not studied the proposed World Trade Center design. Although the footprints of the two towers were left as a hole on the ground their absence could be further emphasized if there were pathways leading towards where the building should be but are cut short because of the building's absence... an expected door that wasn't there, or an expected stair for example.

It is facinating how architecture can express any idea. It is also facinating how new ideas continue to evolve. It is exciting to know that there are still many of this to be explored.