jayen pancholi - the beauty of function and the function of beauty

8/10/2019 Jayen Pancholi - The Beauty of Function and the Function of Beauty

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THE BEAUTY OF FUNCTION

and

THE FUNCTION OF BEAUTY

Jayen Pancholi



Architecture has always had its reason and has always been a necessity due to

its function. Throughout history it has been a necessary element, not only in terms of

domesticity but also for society. I think that through the nature of architecture being

largely subjective and shaped in this way, by the eyes of the architect, and not only by

its functions and location, it begins to become an art. Architecture is not formulated in

a way that is rigid and requires critical and analytical thinking and this generates a

subjective response to a wide range of conditions. Additional conditions which add to

this development towards a unique architecture are any specific requirements of the

client and so a second subjective view is added. All of this gives each building its own

uniqueness. This is then further enhanced after the design process and during the

construction process. However the long processes that architecture goes through is not

the only factor adding to this uniqueness. Architecture creates feelings in people in

ways that they often lack awareness of, as do other arts, and this unique feeling

created by each building points it to being something of an art. The materiality of a

building and the light that it receives can play a large role in enhancing this feeling. I

want to research this dilemma of architecture being purely of function or a social art

as well as for function through the use of the villa both historically and

contemporarily.

There are many people who would cast architecture outright as purely

functional. The only way in which its economic setback could be so great, yet

necessary, is that it would provide a great deal of function, one that is an absolute

requirement of life. Logically, this would come entirely first before any aesthetic

reasons for architecture. CIAM, or the International Congresses of Modern

Architecture, was hugely influential during its time, and strongly believed that

architecture was something purely under economic, political and functional influence.



"1. sex life, 2. sleeping habits, 3. pets, 4. gardening, 5. personal hygiene, 6. weather

protection, 7. hygiene in the home, 8. car maintenance, 9. cooking, 10. heating, 11.

exposure to the sun, 12. services - these are the only motives when building a house.”

(Meyer, 1928) (Leeuwen, 71) Here Hannes Meyer lists what he believes to be the

only factors in the process of designing a house. However this appears to me to be

very generic and unsuitable for every application or house. Aesthetics affect the

buildings’ users, often subtly, creating slight emotional differences and altering

perception. “We examine the daily routine of everyone who lives in the house and this

gives us the functional diagram - the functional diagram and the economic programme

are the determining principles of the building project."(Meyer, 1928) (Leeuwen, 71)

He goes on to talk about how the function is developed and is then combined with the

economic constraints to influence the building. I feel that this narrow line of influence

alone would not be enough to create a unique building unless the architects’

subjective thoughts were also applied. He also mentions only weather and sun

exposure when talking about the site. The sites opportunities and constraints are

neglected.

Hannes Meyer was a director of the Bauhaus school from 1928 till 1930. His

philosophy on building was already fundamental within the Bauhaus, Bauhaus

literally meaning house of construction or school of building. The school became

famous for its approach to design which it taught and publicised. The Bauhaus

website says of Hannes Meyer once saying that “Building is just organisation: social,

technical, economic and physical organisation.” (Hannes Meyer)(Bauhaus Online) He

talks of architecture being purely a combination of the organisation of four elements.

This kind of thinking I think leads to the ideas and theories of form following function



which is something widely discussed and proclaimed by the modernist manifesto. A

form following function can be given beauty as well however.

He “began his architectural career in 1905 with training as a mason and

construction draughtsman in Basel. He also attended construction courses at the

vocational school there.” (Bauhaus Online) I think that, because his career began with

construction first, this had a great impact on his thinking and methods as an architect.

There may have been a lack of creativity initially, and there was only construction to

provide an influence, which could have led to his unique approach towards

architecture and his lack of desire towards the beauty of it.

His ideas were so strong that not only was he interested in designing around

function, but so much so that he was against the influence of art. “An important goal

for Meyer was to “curtail the influence of the artist”.” (Bauhaus Online) He disliked

the idea of beauty for the sake of beauty, and pressed that the form should be a result

only of the function as well as what the budget would allow, the economics behind a

project.

His ideals and approach to architecture also have a connection with

constructivism and functionalism. “He experimented in 1926/27 with constructivist

forms and functionalist methods.” (Bauhaus Online) I think that the strong connection

is apparent and many of his ideas lend themselves to or from these two additional

styles. Another style that shares connections with these others is structuralism.

Constructivism shared a lot with the ideas of Hannes Meyer, and had great influence

on him. It combined advanced technologies with engineering and also had a

communist social approach. This communist social approach was something that

Hannes Meyer took on; he also claimed that he was a Marxist.



Front, detail, towards the patio at Lovell Beach House

Lovell House, Newport Beach



Lovell Beach house is a constructivist building, by the architect Rudolph

Schindler. Though entirely constructivist within modern architecture, it displays a

sense of beauty, through its exposure of structure and construction. Its form is

uniquely adapted to its site and function. The way the building interacts with the light

through its basic forms it creates a sense of beauty, complemented by the colour

scheme applied to the building. Function still however is primary in this building with

structure fitting around function. The beauty was not necessarily designed or perhaps

even intended but it remains that it can be result of the function and structure.

Houselife is a film about Rem Koolhaas/OMA’s Maison A Bordeaux. It

primarily features people involved with maintenance in the house who are unnamed,

particularly the cleaner of the house.

Looking up towards the porthole



The house at first sight appears to me to be something beautiful, elegant in the

way in which it divides its three floors with great contrast and creates this illusion of

the upper floor being much heavier than the middle. It appears as if it should not be

able to hold up, yet it does.

The elevator platform

The building overall is primarily a product of designing for function. It was designed

for a wealthy couple; the man was disabled and required a wheelchair. The disabled

man’s considerations were clearly at the forefront of the design process. The house

featured a specific room, or station, which was essentially a large elevator platform

for the man, which would go up and down through the three floors of the house, each

designed for specific activities. The house was in effect “three houses on top of each

other.” (OMA) The movement of the elevator alters the architecture of the house.

Koolhaas says about the house, “A machine is its heart.” (OMA)



In this house, the design through means of functionality has given it its beauty.

However, there are signs that beauty has been sought after in some aspects,

particularly in those where function appears to lack. The gardener or care taker of

house speaks a section of grass near to the house “You see, this is not real earth…

...does not keep the humidity… …the grass has burnt here.” (Ila Beka and Louise

Lemoine) The grass had burnt due to being very close to a reflective part of the house,

which was reflecting an overdose of light and heat onto a specific patch of grass. He

goes onto say “Here, you will find Art! Not…” (Ila Beka and Louise Lemoine) This

poor placement of grass would have served no function, other than to look beautiful.

The cleaner of the house speaks highly of it and likes it very much despite the

many problems of it that she herself sometimes unintentionally, points out. “The

house was only made for him. You see. Only for him. Because of his disability.” (Ila

Beka and Louise Lemoine) The fact that the house was purpose built and specifically

for a couple, but primarily the man, made it highly functional and ideal for them.

However this meant that after their lifetimes the house would not be nearly as

functional for other people of future generations.

An aspect of the house which I found particularly ill designed but filled with a

sense of elegance and beauty is the foot bridge. The footbridge leading from one part

of the building to another is a small exterior bridge, which has two outwards opening

doors parallel to each other. The doors’ swings intersect each other and this causes a

great impracticality when using the footbridge. The movement between the adjacent

rooms is awkward because of this. The function has not been fully achieved here.

Other flaws in the building consist of many leaks and glazing related

problems. One of the large windows once shattered because its frame had contracted,

causing pressure on the glass. The formwork of the concrete was not used to any



effect and one of the holes was left unfilled, resulting in leaking water pouring

through it. The floor in various places where leaked water has landed and rested has

blistered up, creating an uneven surface. I believe these issues could all be a result of

a wanting for beauty but it not being fully resolved in terms of functionality and

construction.

Maison A Bordeaux Plans

They created an illusion of a heavy, massive object resting on very little; the

top, opaque floor on top of the middle, transparent floor. “I don’t know, the house,

you see, it’s hanging. Ah! No! There are no walls, I don’t know how it holds.” (Ila

Beka and Louise Lemoine) This great contrast in visibility and weighting creates this

sense of awe and makes people question as to how it works. This arrangement was

initially all about organisation of interior space, making it functional. The bottom

floor appears as a heavy volume carved into the hill. It is hidden away where all the

intimate activities of the house happen. The middle floor is the most revealed and

occupied space. It houses the living area and can be used for many different activities

because of its open plan. The top floor is again opaque, keeping the bedrooms of the

family hidden. However it has penetrations through the walls, giving views out from



the rooms. “The views are superb.” (Ila Beka and Louise Lemoine) I think that the

way in which the exterior is allowed to be seen from all around the house effectively

brings the beauty of the outdoors in.

A fundamental aspect of the design is the large openable porthole looking over

all of Bordeaux. I feel that although very special, it is limited, both by the door and its

shape as well as the fact that it is the only view from the top floor over Bordeaux.

The cleaner finds a lack of interestingness to one aspect of the interior spaces;

the kitchen. “You see, the kitchen, is all concrete!” (Ila Beka and Louise Lemoine)

The lack of colour makes the space bland and deficient in feeling. The overuse of grey

is too much for the cleaner and she admits that if she was to design it, it wouldn’t be

like it is. “It’s too grey. It’s all grey!” (Ila Beka and Louise Lemoine) This shows that

despite all the functionality of the space the lack of beauty affects its users.

Vitruvius wrote in the first century B.C. of the three essential components of

architectural design being Utilitas, Firmitas and Venustas. These translate to solid,

useful and beautiful. Solidity and usefulness are elements covered within the building

philosophy of Hannes Meyer and the Bauhaus as structure and function; however the

beauty of a building is not. It is this beauty which often makes a building unique.

The beauty of a building has often historically, before the modernist

movement, been completely intentional. Robert Tavernor talks about Palladio’s views

towards maintaining beauty in terms of length, height and breadth, “ensuring that it

will remain ‘beautiful to the eye.’” (42) He goes on to say that “This is typical of his

approach.” Palladio clearly valued the beauty of his buildings and felt that it was of

great importance that proportions and ratios were aesthetically pleasing. He felt this

so much so that he created his own methodology based on his ideal objectives, and

then simplified this and created practical methods to achieve similar results to the



ideals. Tavernor says that Palladio simplified “down the ‘laws of nature’ to the

essential required by architects.”(42)

This methodology was applied by Palladio in the Villa Barbaro in Maser.

Although beauty and aesthetics were of great importance to him, this did not imply

that function was of any less. The functionality of the building was something he saw

to maximize. One such way in which Palladio did this was by making use of the

existing natural spring fountain at the back of the Villa Barbaro. This was done by

extending the first floor of the villa back as it was on the slope of a small hill. This

helped to increase the functionality of the villa further, forming an open terrace area

as well as a semi circular nymphaeum to collect water from the natural spring behind.

Plan and elevation of Villa Barbaro, Maser



This elegant and integral increase in functionality shows that the beauty of a

building may not necessarily be physical, but a result of its response to its

surroundings or the way in which it fulfils its function.

Palladio sought to follow the Vitruvian triad and believed that the three

elements were of upmost importance in his architecture. He was also strongly for

maintaining symmetry within his buildings, both internally and externally, keeping

unity within his architecture.

Villa La Rotonda in Vicenza

Palladio’s most famous and well renowned work, the Villa Almerico Capra,

also known as the Villa Rotunda, follows many of the principles as his other works as

well as being inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. The design, as many of Palladio’s

other buildings, was one of complete symmetry. It was to be square in plan with four

facades, each with its own portico. Each of the porticos have their own steps, leading

up into the villa and eventually leading to the domed central hall through a small

cabinet or corridor. Like Vitruvius, Palladio used mathematics and proportions in



precision according to his own rules of architecture which he published as Quattro

Libri dell’Architettura, The Four Books of Architecture. The rules within his book

were heavily influenced by Vitruvius.

Plan and part elevation/section of the Villa Rotonda

Unfortunately Palladio died in 1580, before the completion of the project and

so another architect, Vicenzo Scamozzi, was employed to continue it. A major change

made to the original design by Scamozzi, was to modify the central double height

space. He changed it from the intended high semicircular dome to a lower dome with



an oculus, however this was later changed and the dome was completed with a cupola.

Through these changes the function remained the same but Scamozzi wanted to alter

the design to give it his own beauty.

Villa Rotonda Section by Scamozzi

The villa’s parts were designed using Palladio’s modular system of

proportions which relate to the dimensions of the individual columns. The columns in

turn relate to the scale and proportions of the human form. In his treatise on

architecture, Palladio said, “But the most beautiful and most regular forms, from

which the others derive, are the circle and quadrangle…” (Palladio) These forms were

used primarily to shape the plan of the building, and give it its regularity and

symmetry. Palladio says that they are beautiful despite them being simple geometric

forms and relating to function. In The Ten Books on Architecture, Vitruvius said that

beauty was a result of form and the relationship between the parts of a building.

It cannot be denied that there is a sense of beauty within nature, and Vitruvius’

thinking was that architecture should be inspired by nature. “For Nature leads to

Beauty, which fundamental to the practice of architecture, once Utility and Strength

have been achieved in a building.” (Tavernor, 11-12) Referring back to the Vitruvian



triad, here a hierarchy of them is implied. Utility and strength are put first here but the

fact that beauty is still considered essential gives it great importance nonetheless.

“You can’t have one without the other.” (Melvyn Bragg, Serafina Cuomo, Robert

Tavernor, Alice Koenig) Of the Vitruvian triad, Tavernor emphasises here that all

three components are equal in requirement and so the hierarchy is merely the order in

which the three should be resolved.

“The body was a microcosm of universal harmony, and so it was an analogy

for all that was perfect in nature” (Melvyn Bragg, Serafina Cuomo, Robert Tavernor,

Alice Koenig) Vitruvius read texts of Pythagoras and Plato. He noticed that the

perfect numbers, such as six and ten, occurred in nature and in the human body. A

foot is one sixth of the height of the ideal man and we each have ten fingers and ten

toes. These numbers were described as being perfect because six is achieved through

the addition of one, two and three. Ten is made up of one, two, three and four.

Vitruvius noticed such occurrences within the human form, and also said that

geometry was essentially derived from the human form, which Learnado later

illustrated through his Vitruvian man.

Vitruvius wanted to use these perfect numbers, derived from nature, within

architecture to create perfect buildings. “Combining perfect numbers, perfect

geometry and putting them together, you create an architecture which reflects the

natural world.” (Melvyn Bragg, Serafina Cuomo, Robert Tavernor, Alice Koenig)

Vitruvius was heavily interested in nature and was influenced greatly by it. He

believed that if perfect numbers occurred in nature, that they should be used within

architecture to create something responsive to nature and worthy in terms of form and

beauty.



The interrelationships between the numbers used to form the Vitruvian man

created a modular system. “Vitruvius’ notion based on that was that a modular system

should be applied to architecture to create a coherent, homogenous whole.” (Melvyn

Bragg, Serafina Cuomo, Robert Tavernor, Alice Koenig)

“Interested in making sure every room in every house is fit for purpose.”

(Melvyn Bragg, Serafina Cuomo, Robert Tavernor, Alice Koenig) He talked of

libraries facing north so that the books wouldn’t get damp, and dining rooms facing

west to enjoy the setting sun in the evenings during dinner. Pure function was not

something he sought, however was something greatly valued.

I believe that architecture is an art, one which is crafted and shaped through

designing for specific functions. Without function architecture would be no more than

a large sculpture, one that is interactive, but without purpose. It would be

unnecessary. Additionally, beauty does not have to be ocular; it can also be

experienced through the other senses. I think that functionality can give architecture

its beauty. People adore beauty and so beauty is functional.



Bibliography

Leeuwen, Theo Van (2004). Introducing Social Semiotics. London: Routledge.

Palladio, Andrea (2002). The Four Books of Architecture. (trans. Tavernor, Robert

and Schofield, Richard). Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.

Pollio, Vitruvius (1998). The ten books on architecture. (trans. Hicky Morgan,

Morris) New York: Dover Publications.

Ruskin, John (2006). The Poetry of Architecture Or, the Architecture of the Nations of

Europe Considered in its Association with Natural Scenery and National Character .

Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.

Tavernor, Robert (1991). Palladio and Palladianism. London: Thames and Hudson

Ltd.

Bauhaus Online. Hannes Meyer, Bauhaus Online. Web. [http://bauhaus-

online.de/en/atlas/personen/hannes-meyer] 6 April 2012.

OMA. Maison A Bordeaux, France, Bordeaux, 1998 . Web.

[http://oma.eu/projects/1998/maison-%C3%A0-bordeaux] 21 April 2012.

Melvyn Bragg, Serafina Cuomo, Robert Tavernor, Alice Koenig. (2012) Vitruvius

[podcast]. BBC Radio 4, 15th March. Available from:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/iot#playepisode4 [12th April 2012]

Koolhaas Houselife (2008) Film. Directed by ILA BEKA and LOUISE LEMOINE.

France: BekaFilms.

Illustrations

Palladio (c. 1550-58) Plan and elevation. [Architectural drawings]. In: Tavernor,

Robert. (1991). Palladio and Palladianism. London: Thames and Hudson.

Palladio (1565/66) Plan and part elevation/section of the Villa Rotonda.

[Architectural drawings]. In: Tavernor, Robert. (1991). Palladio and Palladianism.

London: Thames and Hudson.

Hans Werlermann (1998) Maison A Bordeaux, Looking up towards the Porthole.

[Online image]. Available from: http://oma.eu/contentimages/projects/1998-

MAISON-%C3%80-BORDEAUX/Bordeaux-0275-008_big.jpg [Accessed

21/04/2012]

Hans Werlermann (1998) Maison A Bordeaux, the Elevator Platform. [Online image].

Available from: http://oma.eu/contentimages/projects/1998-MAISON-%C3%80-

BORDEAUX/Bordeaux-bxdiapo6x6-085_big.jpg [Accessed 21/04/2012]



ikkoskinen (2006) Front, detail, towards the patio. [Online image]. Available from:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Lovell_Beach_House_04.jpg

[Accessed 16/04/2012]

ikkoskinen (2006) Lovell House, Newport Beach #1. [Online image]. Available from:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Lovell_Beach_House_01.jpg[Accessed 17/04/2012]

Marco Bagarella (2009) Villa La Rotonda in Vicenza. [Online image]. Available

from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Larotonda2009.JPG

[Accessed 17/04/2012]

Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi (1778) Villa Rotonda Section by Scamozzi. [Online Image].

Available from:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Palladio_Rotonda_seccion_Sca

mozzi_1778.jpg [Accessed 17/04/2012]

Rem Koolhaas (1998) Maison A Bordeaux Plans. [Online image]. Available from:

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/133/6247/1024/RK-c.jpg [Accessed 21/04/2012]



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