Melting solidity: evolution of the mechanical paradigm

Abstract

Architecture represents cultural condition. This leads to the relevance of paradigms in architecture - specifically the mechanical paradigm of the early 20th century and the recently arrived electronic paradigm. The electronic paradigm is the evolution - not the opposite - of the mechanical. That is the hypotheses here. Each paradigm is defined extensively. The mechanical is modelled by the machine, the electronic by cyberspace and its associated technologies. The use of machine forms is a popular, traditional way of creating culturally significant architecture. The most important aspect of the mechanical paradigm for architecture is the scale of the machine. The mechanical paradigm allows architecture to create inhabitable spaces. The machine relates to the human body. The architecture of Neil Denari, Toyo Ito Peter Eisenman illustrates that the architecture of the digital age has mechanical and electronic aspects to it. They represent the disappearance and new reality of the world caused by electronics and the media. This cannot be done without the form provided by the mechanical paradigm. The mechanical paradigm is still relevant in a digital world.