Aesthetics of structure

Abstract

Salvadori, in his quote above, suggests that there is a middle ground between art and science where architecture exists. He suggests that the structure as well as aesthetic quality are essential for the building to be considered as architecture. As such building is a synthesis of art and science (refer to Figure I) To elaborate upon this further Alberto Perez-Gomez proposes that architecture derives form at two levels: the syntactics of a building's structure; and the semantics of its design (Perez-Gomez, 1983, p5). The syntactic, according to Perez-Gomez, is the formal relationship between the structure of the system and its constructional elements. Whereas the semantic relates these elements to the concept and spirit of the architect. Whereabouts in Figure I the architect practices varies and depends a great deal upon his or her beliefs, experiences, and knowledge. With the advent of rationalism in architecture there has been a growing division, or specialisation, between these two components. The architect has tended toward the semantic whereas the engineer governs the syntactic If the architect strays too far from the syntactic element of architecture there may be a loss of cohesion between these two components. The syntactic makes no contribution to art and architecture at all. It becomes a mere prop for design At the other end of the table we find that an engineer, with only function in mind may miss the semantic element of a structure out altogether, producing something which, although quite practical, is not particularly pleasing to the eye and mind. This report addresses the effect an architect's understanding of structure can have on the architecture s/he produces, whereby the structure and aesthetics have equally strong roles. It looks at the influence of the deeply entwined syntactic upon the semantic to produce architecture which is both expressive and highly innovative.