Architecture and Human Consciousness 2/2
Yesterday we talked about architecture and human consciousness
We saw a functional and modern design built on economic viability which I argued was the expression of a certain period of human thought. But not only are buildings and other things we build and create the expression of a certain state of mind, but we are aso affected by these things. Looking and interacting with buildings and objects change our thinking, albeit this is a very subtle and perhaps mostly unconscious process.
Next to the building I featured yesterday is an older building, maybe 100 or 200 years old. It is quite large and directly juxtaposed to the modern building, making for a stark contrast!
The difference is stunning: the walls are constructed with stones; they have delicate designs and details; ratios, shape and proportion seem to play a role in its construction. There are a lot of things which seem superfluous and redundant like the decorations on its walls (flower like embellishments and human statues); why add them to a building? It is a question that we are asking from a mind that has been raised in a mechanic and rationalized environment. As such, adding anything that does not add to functionality seems like a waste of money. What were the designers thinking when adding these details? Why bother?
There are quite a few functional elements as well: the clocks (people did not have so many clocks at that time), the towers and observational platforms (which would give a good overview over the city) come to mind. But it seems that the building had aesthetic elements which we hardly care for anymore when constructing buildings. Of course there are exceptions and there are amazing examples of great modern architecture which incorporate aesthetics, but all (?) of our regular buildings used for living have been streamlined in a similar fashion such as the modern building portrayed here.
A contrasting perspective between old and new, embellished and modern... What do you think?
Love the old buildings!
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STOPI think this and your last post about architecture is very revealing about us!
I have a friend, a sculptor, who was commissioned to make two marble capitals for use in a historic preservation project in downtown Manhattan. He worked on those two pieces for two months before they were done. So we know that buildings of the older sort in this post required much more passion and dedication to complete than many of the character-free buildings of today. Of course the laborers then may not have made any money slaving away at their difficult craft. My friend made quite a bundle!