Image: Front Architects
Caught in piles of reading this semester, there is a sense of cognitive development that causes concern. As the first semester in 3 ½ years, that I have decided to not partake in design studio due to a lack of inspiration, I spend considerable time questioning my definition of architecture. There are constant struggles between the purely conceptual and what is reality, usually defined as a distinction between art and construction, the latter I find tedious but compulsory.
Drawing: Atelier Bow-Wow
Recently, as prompted by a friend’s flickr page, I came across this exhibition happening at The Hayward in London called Psycho Buildings: Artists Take On Architecture featuring a few of my favourite architects and/or artists Atelier Bow-Wow and Rachel Whiteread. With Atelier Bow-Wow’s recent visit to Sydney for the Biennale and Lebbeus Woods gracing the cover of the NY Times, I think the ambiguities of architecture as art (and vice versa) are beginning to be answered. In architecture school, conservative modes of thought are usually applied with the occasional process that places less significance on things like sustainability or structure and I’m certain this varies across schools. However, I feel particular processes myself and other students have come to adopt fall under tough scrutiny on jury day.
Photo: Stephen White
Given the recent publicity and development of architecture, this gives me hope that one day we can grow our food and simultaneously row boats on our roof.
It will be amazing.
