1.1A Diagramming
The “field” assumes two diverse systems of organization compiling into wholes that rely on algebraic or geometric conditions. Following rigid principles of axiality and symmetry, Classical architecture is based on geometric organization of forms i.e. line, plane, solid to establish organized wholes. In contrast, as seen in The Great Mosque of Cordoba, individual repetitive elements (algebraic) create an indicative organization while maintaining a relationship among the parts. The geometric systems demand great morphological transformation to add to the form while the algebraic organizations allow addition with little morphological change.
In response to the exhaustion Cubism exhibited, minimalism emerged to restore order and connection to the whole of the piece. By engaging gallery and viewer minimalism anticipated to confirm an architectural condition within sculpture, “a fluid zone of perceptual interference populated by moving bodies.” The relationships of minimalism were defined by unitary forms, industrial materials and simple combinations. There was a full connection of the parts to whole. “Postmodernism” developed, subsequently, as an informal and materially diverse movement, rekindling abstraction. The relationship of elements remained, but in a more organic manner. Artist of this movement created conditions with their materials and allowed the materials to work freely. The outcome was relinquished as the local relationships of the elements became greater than the piece itself.
A field is fundamentally a horizontal phenomenon functioning in a two-dimensional sense. A moire, again in a mathematical relationship, arranges two fields to break the 2D plane and creating what would appear to be a peak or vortex. It appears as thickening and intensification at specific moment on the plane not demarcated by borders. There is a semiotic relationship between the thickening and vertical experience on the plane and within the context of an urban field. Just as the lines appear to protrude from the page, fortunate architectural works will stand out from the fabric of the city.
The parameters of the system determine the outcomes. Given local conditions, the ‘boids’ naturally flocked even though they were indifferent of the form they were to take. This can be seen naturally in the theory of chaos. Furthermore, crowds tend to be more complex and autonomous, nevertheless congregate in some manner. Understanding these behavioral patterns can allow architecture to better accommodate the masses in motion instead of containing said masses in an implied way. For instance, people naturally gather near covered or spaces containing one plane in outdoor spaces to feel that sense of security. You can alter your design to respond to these patterns.
The formal principles and precise rules of classical architecture are not an adequate resolution to the rapid societal, political, and technological shifts. Typologies must evolve as space and use evolve. Libraries were once only meant to house books and those who read, today they have expanded to meeting houses and digital access points. The inevitable uncertainty of the future cannot be contained by the rigidity of classical principles. Using the city, landscape and urban fabric as a field condition, architecture can constantly reinvent itself for future use.