‘Deep Space, Thin Walls: Environmental and Material Precursors to the Postwar Skyscraper’ written by Thomas Leslie, et. al.

As building technology evolved the methods of construction and climate control to create comfortable spaces changed the form approach to design drastically. The piece used Chicago as an example for innovative modern buildings utilizing windowless or more insulating structure with fewer windows as glass had not yet advanced enough to be a good insulator. While looking at a variety of materials and their applications, the author mainly focused on glass and the rise against its use after analyzing the “glass box” designs and their poor climate regulation letting in far too much heat in the summer or not being able to keep out the cold in the winter. One of the first buildings that was completely windowless was a Chicago factory that was built entirely of solid walls and “hundreds of 1000W lights” that allowed for a more uniform light distribution across the large warehouses. The factory was praised for its scientific innovation and its lack of glass helped regulate the temperature of the factory very well. As the technology for glass evolved so did its uses and surges in popularity. After heat-tempered Thermopane glass was introduced to the market following the second world war the applicability of glass as a material began to become more widespread again. Ultimately, the author outlines the evolution of technology in unison with materials as an arduous process with experimentation failures leading to the adoption of different avenues of building structures and new norms.

‘The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered’ written by Louis H. Sullivan

This piece looks at the tall office building and its integral necessity in society. With the increase in office working men and increased urbanization tall office buildings were essential for providing the space for this influx. Sullivan emphasizes the need for these buildings to follow a basic number of guidelines and an overcomplication of the construction with take away from its inherent purpose with the philosophy of form follows function. He outlines the ideal layout as the bottom stories of the building to be used as a community space and atrium entrance. The middle floors for that are responsible for office space and the top floors for the other uses and the guts of the building. He challenges the comprehensive analysis of these buildings by other architects adding unnecessary complexity to the design process and rather proposes a simple design layout which we should strive to standardize for these structures. Sullivan clearly argues for a logical continuity that should be applied to all tall office buildings and enjoys the idea of the widespread uniform design of these buildings where the nature of its function will always remain the same. There is an excitement that Sullivan describes with purity of forms following function in nature and them becoming one, inseparable.

‘Space’ written by Adrian Forty

Space is a heavily debated subject in the realms of architecture and beyond. It is also a pure form artistic manipulation that is unique to the architectural practice. The origins of the word space go back to German writers who first used the word Raum to describe space. In German “Raum” also means room so its imaginative expansion took on a scalable and tangible form to Germans. Space is influenced and shaped by its surrounding and the people that inhabit or use it. Architects saw space as place shelter or enclosure for habitation as well as a separation space between these living spaces. There was also a question of spatiality and how it influences our perception of space and how easily people have the faculty to perceive changes in space. Philosophers and architects alike looked at the negative left behind between spaces and how this relationship allowed for an expression of ideas. In earlier architectural discourse the meaning of space was used to define and legitimate ‘modern’ architecture; however, later on with the rise in modern architecture the term space was used to describe architecture, but not for the reason that a history of discussion already existed around the subject.

Critical Response

I found the readings to evoking some interesting thoughts about the change of philosophy and discussion of ideas in relation to the historical timeline. Many of these authors have a style to their writing that was popular at the time but lacks clarity and conciseness to fully flesh out and highlight their core ideas. A cycle of words coming back to the same ideas again through different avenues makes the writing and its purpose less cohesive. I understand the desire to express your opinion and thought process on a philosophy or idea; however, idolizing it and putting it on pedestal undermines the meaning of the idea to the reader and makes them question the one-sided view of the author. I think when writing these opinion pieces, it is always important to rationalize the other side of the argument and counter it logically rather than plowing ahead on one side, which Sullivan ultimately failed to achieve. I was intrigued by the evolution of the word space and how it carries different meaning and interpretations that influence our idea of spatiality across time.

Application and Interpretation

MVRDV – Markthal, Rotterdam (2014)

Visiting this food hall, I was struck by its immense dimensions to define the space. A mural covering the entire inner walls of the structure bring a liveliness to the food stall market below and distract from the windows above where the housing looks down from the ceiling. This social/community space draws in people from around the world for its sculptural nature and accessibility to the multilevel ground floor market. The staggered elevations inside of this big hollow structure emphasize the scale of the building.

This enclosed space responds to the landscape and climate around it that sees rain for most of the year. The fluidity of the building and transparency of being able to see through to the other side eases the viewer away from the vast front facade and provides a much better understanding of flow and the space inside.

I think the idea and relationship architects have with space is something that can evoke emotions across a very broad scale. Its unique ability to shape our perception and imagination as an immaterial essence allows for the beauty created by architectural structures.

Takeaways

• The availability of certain materials and innovative technologies in a time period can drastically affect design philosophy
• Fundamental ideals in design process are not always applicable in different situations
• Everybody’s perception of space is varied leading to a complex holistic understanding of the idea
• Interpretations of specific philosophies change significantly over time and shape the fundamentals of future discourses