„Dancing and architecture are the two primary and essential arts. The art of dancing stands at the source of all the arts that express themselves first in the human person. The art of building, or architecture, is the beginning of all the arts that lie outside the person; and in the end they unite.”
Havelock Ellis, The Dance of Life (1923)
What is architecture? A seemingly basic question, but actually one that is open to a diverse range of subjectivity. However, it is impossible to conceal that architecture is a positive balance between Science and Art, a point at which the two fields collide yet, finding the right balance is not always so easy to do. An architect should not only be familiar with the architecture and engineering principles but also have the ability to creatively manifest an emotive idea into something tangible. The ability to capture and physicalize invisible elements of our world through storytelling is an art itself. The building is not only the walls, the floor and the roof but also the atmosphere and feelings it celebrates. Many architectural projects are based on creating a narrative and engaging users into this relationship between space and mind. Architecture is an inseparable part of all cultures and the context in which it exists. It has the ability to comment on all the immaterial structures of our societies, such as the social, cultural, economic and political, immortalizing them as physical structures. It is important to identify the greatest needs of your local society and their environment. In architecture, just as in nature, nothing is accidental. Therefore, a discussion on the same topic in a multicultural environment can lead to very interesting and unexpected conclusions, „Quot homines tot sententiae: suo’ quoique mos” eng.: „So many men, so many opinions: to each his own way.” (Terence, 161 BC).
AIMS
A workshop will be conducted remotely between universities, we wish to discover different approaches to the narration in architecture, depending on the background of the participants. First, try to imagine the feeling of the space(s) you are designing and its atmosphere before drawing the architecture. Each participant will have to discover himself and take his own position in the given topic, devise its greatest needs and respond to them through their work. Through the discussion of the brief and the individuality of each member of the group, we will try to broaden our perception and discover new ways of observing the world to develop material and immaterial storytelling. The drawing will allow us to experiment with scale, proportions, colours material, light and shadow.
METHOD
Based on the brief issued during Day 1 of the workshop we will define the needs of local society in a given topic and each individually considers the question:
What is the most significant aspect of the brief that can be reflected in an Architectural narrative?
Each participant will discuss their initial intuitive response to the brief, their experience, passion, and hobbies, in order to ascertain a narrative for the brief, whilst simultaneously, revealing something of ourselves to the group. To help with the preparation of the narrative, a lecture will be conducted where the topic will be discussed with examples and ideas. Everyone will have the opportunity to exchange their thoughts and discuss an outline with their lecturers, along with colleagues in the group, where all will receive support in the development of their project. We will conclude with short presentations of each narrative and 500mm x 500mm drawing, discussed in the forum. Everyone will have the opportunity to ask questions, comment on other works and provide feedback.
SCHEDULE
Week 1:
(Monday) 25 Jan 2021 – Introduction and Brief Release
(Thursday) 28 Jan 2021 – Lecture and Open Discussion
Week 2:
(Monday) 01 Feb 2021 – Tutorials
(Thursday) 04 Feb 2021 – Final Presentation
EVALUATION
The workshop will focus on drawing as a primary medium. The conclusion piece will be a 500mm x 500mm drawing, exploring a range of mediums. In addition, our global studio will be required to produce a 200-word synopsis to compliment his or her work. Each piece will be considered under the following points:
- Individuality and creativity in the process of generating an architectural narrative,
- Understanding and responding to the needs of the local society,
- Understanding the context and environment of the given topic,
- Graphical representation of your idea and the ability to include the whole story in one drawing
- Ability to express yourself through your drawing.
London South Bank University (UK)
Luke Murray – murral13@lsbu.ac.uk
Piotr Smiechowicz – smiechp2@lsbu.ac.uk
Yianna Moustaka – moustay3@lsbu.ac.uk
Ibrahim Rajah – rajahi2@lsbu.ac.uk
https://vimeo.com/514680294