Theories of Architecture and Urbanism

1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
(ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2017)
Name: Teo Hong Wei ID No.: 0322990
Lecturer: Mr. Nicholas Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: Learning From Las Vegas:
The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form
Synopsis No: 1
Author: Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Steven
‘Symbol dominates space, Architecture is not enough.’ Having Las Vegas Strip as an example for
analysis, the author uses the key street and building elements of the Strip to remind the Architects today
about the importance of symbolism in architectural form.
The tradition of using iconology combining with architecture can be seen throughout the Las Vegas Strip.
The biggest reason behind the large signs along the road is the fast paced movement in the vast landscape.
Without the signs as a bold communication between the buildings and the drivers on the road, the street will
be like a maze and there will only be a very little chance of interaction between the drivers and the buildings.
It is agreeable that the function of buildings could not be delivered to the drivers and the orientation of space
will be confusing due to the absence of symbol, which can be seen in a lot of cities today. The building
design approach nowadays are mostly focusing on the needs of the user, putting spatial and poetics design
in the first place, and neglected the importance of creating a visible identity.
The richness of elements in Piazza and Strip is also a similarity affected by the need of bold usage of
symbolism. The only difference is the scale, from pedestrian to vehicular. From the author’s example, it can
be concluded that the difference in context will greatly affect the usage of symbolism in architecture.
Architects should analyze the context before choosing the right method to create symbols for a building or
area. For example, the usage of false fronts and signs are methods of symbolism to communicate with the
people. Although they have different goals, they dominate the spaces and create a stronger spatial
relationship in the street, for the people.
From the author’s idea to bring up the importance of symbolism in Architecture, he also reminds the
readers about the importance of designing corresponding to the context. As following the trends in
Architecture without analyzing the needs is a common mistake of an Architect today, the analysis of Las
Vegas Strip is a must, having it as a place full of ‘Architecture without Architects’.
Word Count: 361 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date Page No.1

2. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
(ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2017)
Name: Teo Hong Wei ID No.: 0322990
Lecturer: Mr. Nicholas Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: The Geometry of Feeling – A
Look at The Phenomenology of Architecture
Synopsis No: 2
Author: Juhani Pallasmaa
From the evolution of building styles, it can be seen that the availability of materials and structural ability
of buildings have been improving through time. But, the phenomenon of architecture – experience, had
been left behind. Most buildings today are built for needs, and most Architects today have overlooked the
importance of experiences that the users can get from their designs.
Form and space of a building can give visual impact to users, but that is not what Architecture should only
be. Architecture should be experienced, not being ‘looked at’. The author mentioned the wrong way of how
most Architects analyze the essence of a building, which is assuming the sum of physical elements in the
building as the key of creating the experiences, which causes failure in creating the same experience by just
inserting the physical elements from the successful examples. Feelings create experiences, and feelings
are tied with one’s subconscious memories. It is agreed that experiences are created by an Architecture
piece not just by the building itself, but with the triggered memory within the people in the building. From this
statement, it shows that the physical structure and elements of a building could not give any feeling to the
user, but memory does. So, buildings should be designed responding to the user’s memory to create the
experience that the Architects wanted the users to get from their Architecture piece.
Architecture does not express reality, but awaken imaginations. An architecture piece can be interpreted
in many ways depending on the user’s memory responding to it. Having Architecture being able to express
feelings with its objectivity, Architecture is used in different fields, using different methods to deliver the
feelings they wanted to give. In the end, the physical elements of Architecture will be forgotten, but the
feelings created will be remembered.
Architecture is not about its physical form, but the experience and feelings it gives. A great reminder for
the Architects today and the future, to create meaningful Architecture that can ‘tell’, instead of beautiful
buildings which do not communicate.
Word Count: 340 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date Page No.2

3. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
(ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2017)
Name: Teo Hong Wei ID No.: 0322990
Lecturer: Mr. Nicholas Tutorial Time:
Text Title: Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six
Point for an Architecture of Resistance (5,6)
Synopsis No: 3
Author: Kenneth Frampton
The modernization in architecture has created an international style which is used in every country, in
every context. The sense of ‘placelessness’, and the absence of tactile sensory in the modern buildings
nowadays are aspired by the lack in interaction between the international style architecture and the site
context. This issue could be prevented with the appliance of an approach - Critical Regionalism, which the
author is introducing in the texts.
The author stated the loss of connection between the building and the context by using the natural
elements, climate and the culture of the site. With the approach of Critical Regionalism, the building should
be built responding with the topography instead of making the ground flat; allowing penetration of sunlight
into the building instead of using only artificial lighting; allowing natural ventilation into the building instead of
using air conditioner; Integration of Tectonic in the building to create structural poetics instead of
meaningless structural form. The author’s point of view and the ways suggested to design buildings that are
connected with the context is strongly agreed, as the universal technique has made modern buildings
disconnected with the local context and created spaces that have lost the sense of place, and create bad
impact to the original sense of place in the context.
The usage of universal techniques in the modern buildings today has also contributed to the absence of
tactile senses from the local context. Although there is visual connectivity, users in the building will still
experience ‘loss of nearness’ with the local context and culture caused by the loss of tactile senses. In my
opinion, the climate, materiality and culture of the local context can be integrated in the building design to
create the tactile senses, but it should be limited, depending on the context. Sometimes over integration of
local elements may spoil the experience in the building, depending on the function.
In conclusion, attention on usage of tectonic and tactile elements should be raised in architecture today,
to create identity and a sense of place responding with the local culture and context.
Word Count: 345 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date Page No.3