This reading hits on a very important point and grave problem for architects (especially today), the effect of the architect's intuition on design. Silvetti describes this through the eyes of architects as a "necessity, interest, or irrepressible desire" to create a certain form.
Out of the four cases Silvetti defines that he believes heavily affects the form-making of architecture today, 2 of them (programism + thematization) I believe have a connection with the development of my thesis topic.
Program vs function:
In most studio projects, we were given a program beforehand and we interpreted the function. The program stays the same, while the function changes due to environment, society, culture and time. Predicted function is not always the actual function (if it functions) when constructed. Time and place are the most important aspects when talking about function. A park in 1940 functions much differently than one today, and a park in China functions much differently than a park in the US. Although the program is the same, the type of actions occurring in each one in different. Focusing solely on the program and disregarding place and time has the danger of succumbing to the idea that the form of such a program supposedly "induced the ‘actions’ promoted by the program."
In most studio projects, we were given a program beforehand and we interpreted the function. The program stays the same, while the function changes due to environment, society, culture and time. Predicted function is not always the actual function (if it functions) when constructed. Time and place are the most important aspects when talking about function. A park in 1940 functions much differently than one today, and a park in China functions much differently than a park in the US. Although the program is the same, the type of actions occurring in each one in different. Focusing solely on the program and disregarding place and time has the danger of succumbing to the idea that the form of such a program supposedly "induced the ‘actions’ promoted by the program."
Thematization
Silvetti defines "thematization for living" as the "operation of mimicking a well known architecture and the promise that such architecture will deliver a predetermined, good way of life." This idea is prevalent in the misconceptions of Chinese people today. Because of centuries of crowed living environments and substandardized living conditions due to the enormous population, Chinese people today view the Western single-family house or villa as the ideal home. As a result, not only is the housing typology seen as a symbol for better life, but the architectural style itself. A prime example is in the city of Changsha, in the Hunan province, where a huge residential development has started in the summer of this year.
Silvetti defines "thematization for living" as the "operation of mimicking a well known architecture and the promise that such architecture will deliver a predetermined, good way of life." This idea is prevalent in the misconceptions of Chinese people today. Because of centuries of crowed living environments and substandardized living conditions due to the enormous population, Chinese people today view the Western single-family house or villa as the ideal home. As a result, not only is the housing typology seen as a symbol for better life, but the architectural style itself. A prime example is in the city of Changsha, in the Hunan province, where a huge residential development has started in the summer of this year.
This beast of a project, covering 612904.76 sq meters with an estimated 1.2 billion RMB (171 million USD) in project cost, features a cluster of luxury Spanish-styled villas, generously spaced within a park-like landscape. The symbol of Western architecture, represented through Spanish architecture, is the marketing strategy employed by the developers of such an area that would scream of luxurious living and promise of a better life to the potential Chinese buyers. There are examples of mimicking Chinese architecture in Western world as well, but those are found in places like Disney World, Epcot Center, the Chinese restaurant across the street. While Western societies have mimicked Chinese architecture as well, but only as a "Thematization for entertainment" while Chinese people have made Western architecture a symbol for their homes.
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