Atmospheres

1. How does Peter Zumthor talk about the "Magic of the Real" and explain how this compares, in terms of the subtleties, to Michael Benedikt's "Architecture for Reality"?

Zumthor discusses the possibilities of how to create an atmosphere, how to take a feeling or mood and translate it into a physically defined space. Benedikt talked about architecture in more of an analytical tone, looking at how structures affect us, while Zumthor looks to make the architecture the cause for Benedikts affect.

2. Material Compatibility, Temperature of a Space and Levels of Intimacy are some conditions that both Peter Zumthor, in “Atmospheres”, and Richard Serra, in “Weight and Measure”, make a point of articulating when consider space. Where in their explanation of these overlapping conditions are they similar and where do they differ?

Their explanations are similar in that they want to define the mood and or reaction of whoever is occupying or inhabiting the space. Serra seems to want to create a hard definition of the space and an instant recollection of the experience while Zumthor wants to create a space that creates a mood without the occupant noticing.

3. Zumthor looks towards experiential conditions when creating architecture, what are other methods architects use when generating architecture and what is the corresponding building?

4. For Zumthor at the end of the day, after figuring use, sound, place, light and the other listed conditions, if the coherence isn’t beautiful the process is started again. Beauty is simultaneously subjective for the individual, as held “in the eye of the beholder”, and universally recognizable. Define your subjective understanding of what beautiful architecture is.

Beauty of architecture is very difficult to define, as it is usually a composite of several aspects. My subjective understanding of beautiful architecture is a definition of space that allows that moves the user both physically and spiritually while remaining also aesthetically appealing.

Weight and Measure

1. What were Richard Serra's goals for the installation?

He wants the installation to create it's own space, separate from the building within which it is being installed. Also, he wants the sculpture to create a lasting experience.

2. Define the field Serra is referring to when he states that his sculptural elements need to create "enough tension within the field to hold the experience of presence in the place". How do you define "experience of presence"?

The field he is referring to is the relation of the sculpture to the gallery space. The tension he is describing is the difference of the sculpture from the gallery space. The experience of presence is defined by this difference and the way the the sculpture is not to blend in with the gallery but be a separate element within it.

3. How do the columns, pedestal condition, octagonal space and vertical axis challenge Serra?

The columns challenge Serra because he does not want to mimic them in his sculpture. He wants to maintain a separation between his installation and the galleries preexisting structure. The pedestals also challenge him by creating a visual plane. The octagonal space eventually renders itself unusable because of it's pompous self implication.

4. What is effective in terms of the shape, scale and number of the two square elements in the Duveen Galleries?

The elements create a balance within the space. The original idea of five elements, that changes to three and eventually two, places to much emphasis and visual weight on particular elements. When it is narrowed to an idea of three elements there is too much visual weight placed on the element residing in the octagonal space. This would be the same even if there was not such a drastic space for a middle piece, there would still be an imbalance. The shape that is used comes about as an effort to separate the piece from the existing structural elements. Instead of using the original round or multi-faced form, which would relate too much to the existing structure, Serra chooses a square form. This rectilinear form relates to the space rather than the structure.

5. Describe the differences and similarities between Barnett Newman's and Richard Serra's work.

Both men are expressing a "cut" in space. Each going about it in his own way. The difference is that Serra's work strives to create an experience while Newman's work reminisces about, and clarifies a past experience.

Serra creates an experience while Newman references experiences.

Reading Selection

Theme-

Axes That Reach / Paths That Wander

Compositions-

Types That Recur / Order That Comes And Goes

Site Model Diagrams

Cast Documentation

Memory Drawing

Shoe Plan