Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2009 / 1
Reflections on Deconstructive
Architecture
AR
UDK 72.01
COBISS 1.02 pregledni znanstveni lanek
prejeto 09.2.2009
izvleek
abstract
kljune besede
key words
the Constructivists. Yet he claims that the featured architecture does not
share nor have a common aesthetic.
In a lecture delivered in Columbia University in February 1991, Swiss
architect Bernard Tschumi, recognized the fact that many architects
who are considered to be deconstructivist refuse to be associated with
a style and do not accept the deconstructivist prefix attached to their
work.
In order to underpin the reason that causes this refusal of belonging to a
certain style, Tschumi refers to the aims of the deconstructive thinking.
Tschumi claims:
deconstructivism was born immediately called a style
precisely what these architects had been trying to avoid. Any interest in
poststructuralist thought and deconstruction stemmed from the fact that
they challenged the idea of a single unified set of images, the idea of
certainty, and of course, the idea of an identifiable language[Tschumi,
1996: 251].
Tschumi endorses his reasoning with the argument that whilst the
deconstructive architecture true to deconstructive philosophy is
supposed to question the established and unified methodology of
thinking, how it can still serve its purpose if in turn it becomes a style.
However, upon deciding what work is eligible to represent the
Deconstructivist Architecture, Johnson and Wigley in determining
the decisive factor have not implicated the above statement. At what
point does an architect begin or end to generate Deconstructive
Architecture?
The year 1998 marked a turning point in the very essence of architecture,
when Philip Johnson and Mark Wigley from the curators standpoint
presented the exhibition titled Deconstructivist Architecture. At the
aforementioned event held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
the public had a chance to observe the work of seven architects; Zaha
M. Hadid, Peter Eisenman, Bernard Tschumi, Coop Himelblau, Daniel
Libeskind, Frank O. Gehry and Rem Koolhaas. The architectural
projects featured at the aforesaid exhibition have been summarized
with the generic brand of Deconstructivist Architecture.
In his attempt to draw a universal perspective that describes
Deconstructivist Architecture, Johnson claimed that this new rising
architectural tide did not respond to a particular style, nor is obedient to
a specific set of rules and it does not constitute a movement [Johnson,
Wigley, 1988: 7].
Taking the above suppositions by Johnson into consideration, one
remains puzzled upon facing the following question; what is the criteria
that the curators embraced when selecting the projects that are the
correct representation of Deconstructivist Architecture?
Both the curators have emphasized that the architecture housed in
the MOMAs exhibition seventeen years ago, is linked to the Soviet
modern movement drawn from the 1920. Wigley does admit that
Deconstructivist Architecture is devoted to the principles of adopted by
Valon Grmizaj
AR 2009/1
Deconstructive Thinking
But the nature of deconstructive thinking is not to set out to
destroy what has been taught in the past but instead to develop
and revisit those values by analysing them in detail, hence the
description deconstruction. The general assumption of a house
is that it is constructed of walls, floors, ceilings, living room,
bathroom, and bedrooms. Deconstruction is concerned with the
in-between of those already established attachments of the house
more than dealing with issues that have already been established.
In philosophy the matter under the spotlight has evolved around
providing generalised answers to questions troubling humanity.
In the past we were accustomed to establishing something as
true or definite. Deconstructive thinking scans through those
predetermined thoughts and values by challenging them to be
interpreted in a new form [Ryan, 1982: 1].
Michael Ryans diagnosis of the Deconstructive movement offers
more insight into the subject by describing it as investigative of the
dominant principles applied in the widely accepted movements.
It analyses previously established macroscopic issues through
microscopic lenses focusing in detail to a particular treatment
of an architectural element or theory and furthermore explores
modernist views that have been undermined as trivial and
underated.
Derridas strategy has been considered by many to be one of
destruction of the past ideologies. Deconstructions existence lies
in the very existence of perceived absolute structures.
The very existence of deconstruction is liaised with the actual
presence of normative thinking and if the claims of its destructive
nature are true then this could pose a threat to Derridas concept.
How can it pursue its interrogative discourse when, by destroying
them in the process, it no longer has any scene left to investigate?
Furthermore to ascertain the non-destructive nature of
deconstruction, Derrida in Of Grammatology, has affirmed that
the deconstructive movement acknowledges certain established
views. It does not carry the tendency of destructing but in looking
for different ways of non-customary forms of recuperating it:
The movements of deconstruction do not destroy structure from
the outside. They are not possible and effective, nor can they take
accurate aim, except by inhabiting those structures. Inhabiting
them in a certain way, because one always inhabits, and all the
more when one does not suspect it. Operating necessarily from
the inside, borrowing all the strategic and economic resources of
subversion from the old structure, borrowing them structurally,
that is to say without being able to isolate their elements and
atoms, the enterprise of deconstruction always in a certain ways
falls prey to its own work [Derrida, 1976: 24]
Derrida argues that the featured discourse inhabits the established
structures in order to look for ways for it to be complemented with
an improving aim.
Deconstructive Architecture An External Perspective
Deconstruction endeavours to construct the deconstructed (not fully
constructed) structure. A viable example of the aforementioned
supposition could be considered the interpretation of the street
and place by Michel de Certeau.
In the past it has been a general assumption that the role of an
Valon Grmizaj
Reflections on Deconstructive Architecture
2009 / 1
AR
AR 2009/1
Valon Grmizaj
AR 2009/1
Conclusions
Architecture has to constantly evolve and question its established
perceptions and principles of working order to deliver inventive
and exiting architectural creativity.
If an architect is preconceived to be a designer then we should
interrogate the nature of the word design. The word design
derives from two French words de and Signum, which in The
Chambers Dictionary prefix de stands for off, and the word
Signum is translated as a mark. Thereby, the word design reflects
the process in which one steps off a mark which literally means
taking something away from a sign. The word designer does not
stand for reproducing the sign and its essence is not for it to follow
a consistent path. This in effect constitutes that the incentive of
the designer, which is not in being faithful in reproducing icons
from the past but instead to create new icons. In relation to the
above statement a deconstructive architect corresponds more to
the essence of the conception of design. How can a Classical or a
Modernist architect be true to taking away the signage by actually
producing a signature building true to their values constantly
throughout their career?
The heterogeneous and un-repetitive buildings are without a doubt
one of the principal characteristics of Deconstructive Architecture.
This associated quality in Deconstructive Architecture is what
causes the confusion when one tries to define it. The concept
of conceiving genuine and not so familiar spaces distinguishes
deconstructive architecture from other movements. Whereas
Paladio found his professional enlightenment in symmetry
Valon Grmizaj
Reflections on Deconstructive Architecture
2009 / 1
AR
AR 2009/1
Valon Grmizaj
AR 2009/1
Notes
Neil Leach exploited the various ground breaking philosophical movements that influenced architecture. Whilst his descriptions of other postmodern movements featured in his book, in
his introduction he openly admitted the fact that there is a lot
confusion that surrounds Deconstruction. [Leach, 1997: 317].
Although, Johnson and Wigley, both curators of the Deconstructivist Architecture in the 1988 at MOMA exhibition,
complied a list of projects that portray Deconstructive Architecture. However, although they have attributed the movement
to be linked to Constructivist, neither of them was able to
explain what actually constitutes Deconstructivist Architecture.
[Johnson, Wigley, 1988: 7].
Bibliography
PG Dip Arch
Valon Grmizaj
valon.germizaj@universitetiaab.com
Head of Research Institute in Arts & Architecture
AAB University Prishtina
Republic of Kosova