COMPLEXITY AND CONTRADICTION IN COMPLEXITY AND CONTRADICTION IN ARCHITECTUREARCHITECTURE

Robert Venturi 1966Robert Venturi 1966

Review by: Yousef Taibeh

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION::

-- Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture by Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture by Robert Venturi 1966 (most of the book was Robert Venturi 1966 (most of the book was written in 1962) written in 1962)

-- Published by the Published by the Museum of Modern ArtMuseum of Modern Art (the (the classical advocate of Modern architecture) classical advocate of Modern architecture)

- -Venturi as aVenturi as a: :

- -Practitioner Practitioner ArchitectArchitect (graduated from Princeton (graduated from Princeton Uni. In 1947) Uni. In 1947)

- -Artist Artist (M.F.A from Princeton Uni. In 1950)(M.F.A from Princeton Uni. In 1950) - -Scholar, Author & teacherScholar, Author & teacher (Pennsylvania, Yale, (Pennsylvania, Yale,

Princeton, Harvard, UCLA, Rice and the American Princeton, Harvard, UCLA, Rice and the American Academy in Rome in which previously was a Prize Academy in Rome in which previously was a Prize fellow between 1954-56 fellow between 1954-56

THE CONTEXTTHE CONTEXT::

The 60s, age of pluralism & revision (a key transitional period)The 60s, age of pluralism & revision (a key transitional period)

Political conditionsPolitical conditions::

New International Order New International Order post WW II, a shift from Europe to Americapost WW II, a shift from Europe to America .. ..Cold warCold war -war of ideologies, warmed up in the 60s (Cuba crisis & outer-space race) -war of ideologies, warmed up in the 60s (Cuba crisis & outer-space race) , ,as The Economic as The Economic boom slows dawnboom slows dawn..Liberation & individualism Liberation & individualism civil rights, King & X, Feminists & the pill, the Hippies & the Greenscivil rights, King & X, Feminists & the pill, the Hippies & the Greens..

Conditions in citiesConditions in cities::

- -Post WWIIPost WWII, vast construction project & rebuilding for the destroyed European cities, vast construction project & rebuilding for the destroyed European cities - -Modern architectureModern architecture actualizing the mass production and the social theories actualizing the mass production and the social theories..

- -AmericaAmerica getting out of the war unscratched getting out of the war unscratched.. - -Corporate firmsCorporate firms adapting the Modern Style. Striped from its original social program adapting the Modern Style. Striped from its original social program..

- -Modern ArchitectureModern Architecture proves to be failure in dealing with urban problems or social aspects proves to be failure in dealing with urban problems or social aspects - -Zoning regulationsZoning regulations urban renewal& anti-city theories of design added to the problem urban renewal& anti-city theories of design added to the problem . .

- -The resultThe result is Eroded urban fabrics, dull and dangerous built environments is Eroded urban fabrics, dull and dangerous built environments.. - -SuburbiaSuburbia and other urban sprawls as lived realities and other urban sprawls as lived realities..

Design & planning theoryDesign & planning theory::

- -The symbolic event of CIAM break The symbolic event of CIAM break up in Late 50sup in Late 50s

- -The emerging new voices critiquing The emerging new voices critiquing & questioning Modernism & questioning Modernism (Jacobs, Newman …)(Jacobs, Newman …)

- -Architectural journals boom Architectural journals boom supporting the different new supporting the different new schools of thought trying to solve schools of thought trying to solve problems of Modernism problems of Modernism (the rise of theory)(the rise of theory)..

- -A series of influential architectural A series of influential architectural exhibitionsexhibitions..

Design & planning practice:

The Neo-Empiricists (according to Broadbent, recalling: Locke, Berkeley & Hume). Putting Venturi in this category with:

-Cullen in Townscapes- Lynch in the image of the city- Alexander in pattern language

- Robert Stern- Rowe & Koetter in collage city

The Wider cultural climateThe Wider cultural climate::

Academic Architects tried to borrow new thought Academic Architects tried to borrow new thought paradigms from other fieldsparadigms from other fields::

ArtsArts::

Pop artsPop arts & its playing on scale and/or context to & its playing on scale and/or context to give new meanings for the ordinarygive new meanings for the ordinary..In addition to the use of mixed media (impurity)In addition to the use of mixed media (impurity)..

Op ArtOp Art and its richness in complexity and and its richness in complexity and contradictioncontradiction

SurrealismSurrealism in minimizing the role of the artist in minimizing the role of the artist

ScienceScience::

GestaltGestalt stating that the whole is more stating that the whole is more than the sum of its partsthan the sum of its parts..

& &that the same thing in that the same thing in different contexts gives different contexts gives different meaningdifferent meaning

PhenomenologyPhenomenology methods (systematic methods (systematic investigation of consciousness investigation of consciousness & its object)& its object)

The Death of the Artist

The Death of the Author

The Death of the Designer

The Death of the . . . .

LinguisticsLinguistics::

The general trend to reject the vantage point of the The general trend to reject the vantage point of the author or subject in favor of the text or the objectauthor or subject in favor of the text or the object

- -Semiotics Semiotics (Fernand De Saussure & Michel (Fernand De Saussure & Michel Foucault, Broadbent in architecture) Foucault, Broadbent in architecture)

- -Structuralism Structuralism (the true nature of things is in the (the true nature of things is in the relationships we construct & then perceive relationships we construct & then perceive between them) between them)

CONTENTCONTENT::

FocusFocus::

Eclectic compendium of visual Eclectic compendium of visual examples in architecture examples in architecture illustrating the qualities of illustrating the qualities of complexity and contradiction complexity and contradiction (between form & content, image (between form & content, image & meaning, inside & outside …)& meaning, inside & outside …)Studying mostly architectural Studying mostly architectural examples and reflecting on examples and reflecting on urban contexts bearing in mind urban contexts bearing in mind that the level of complexity and that the level of complexity and contradiction will increase more contradiction will increase more and more as the reach the and more as the reach the scale of the cityscale of the city..

The last part including The last part including description for several projects description for several projects designed by VSBA, and in designed by VSBA, and in which they tried to employ the which they tried to employ the ideas and theories embodied in ideas and theories embodied in

the bookthe book..

Both-And rather than Either-Or

Ambiguous rather than Articulated

Ordinary rather than Original

Compromising rather than Clear

Mixed rather than Pure

Complex rather than Simple

Multiple rather than Monitory

Vulgar rather than HeroicBoth-And rather than Either-Or

Ordinary rather than Original

Mixed rather than Pure

Multiple rather than Monitory

Vulgar rather than HeroicComplex rather than Simple

Ordinary rather than Original

Ordinary rather than Original

Ambiguous rather than Articulated

Ordinary rather than OriginalDistorted rather than Straightforward

Vulgar rather than Heroic

Multiple rather than Monitory

Distorted rather than Straightforward

Complex rather than Simple

Vulgar rather than Heroic

Both-And rather than Either-Or

Mixed rather than Pure

Vulgar rather than Heroic

Vulgar rather than HeroicBoth-And rather than Either-Or

Ordinary rather than OriginalDistorted rather than StraightforwardMultiple rather than MonitoryOrdinary rather than Original

Both-And rather than Either-Or

Theory, PropositionsTheory, Propositions

The difficult whole, the difficult unity of inclusion rather The difficult whole, the difficult unity of inclusion rather than the easy unity of exclusion (the Modernists than the easy unity of exclusion (the Modernists approach), is the method able to match the richness approach), is the method able to match the richness and ambiguity of the 20th century experience. A unity and ambiguity of the 20th century experience. A unity that creates tensions between the different fragments that creates tensions between the different fragments (as unresolved situation) and gives them new values (as unresolved situation) and gives them new values and meanings in this new contextand meanings in this new context..

PrinciplesPrinciples::

-- Conscious sense of the past / the presence of the Conscious sense of the past / the presence of the past past..

-- Historical precedent is thoughtfully consideredHistorical precedent is thoughtfully considered..-- The multiple levels of meaningThe multiple levels of meaning..

Approaches & techniquesApproaches & techniques::

-- Contradiction juxtaposed (the difficultContradiction juxtaposed (the difficult whole) rather than contradiction adaptedwhole) rather than contradiction adapted

- -Using elements in strange positions orUsing elements in strange positions or contexts (Irony & parody)contexts (Irony & parody)

-- Using Mixed mediaUsing Mixed media

Favored examples, forms Favored examples, forms & models& models::

The ordinary (even the ugly) The ordinary (even the ugly) rather than the heroic & the rather than the heroic & the originaloriginal..

Everyday landscape, the Everyday landscape, the vulgar and disdained vulgar and disdained (lesions from Las Vegas -(lesions from Las Vegas -commercial strip, or the commercial strip, or the suburban town of Levittown -suburban town of Levittown -urban sprawl)urban sprawl)..

Double functioning elementsDouble functioning elementsThe complex architecture of The complex architecture of Mannerists, Baroque, Mannerists, Baroque, Lutyen, even some works of Lutyen, even some works of the modernist themselves the modernist themselves particularly Le Courbiser, particularly Le Courbiser, Kahn & Alto (with vitriol Kahn & Alto (with vitriol towards Mies & Wright)towards Mies & Wright)

Continuing ValidityContinuing Validity::

Vincent Scully while introducing the book compared Vincent Scully while introducing the book compared it to le Corbusier's “Towards a New Architecture”, it to le Corbusier's “Towards a New Architecture”, hailing it as: " among the few basic texts of our time hailing it as: " among the few basic texts of our time …, despite its anti-heroic lack of pretension and its …, despite its anti-heroic lack of pretension and its shift perspective from the Champs-Elysees to main shift perspective from the Champs-Elysees to main

streetstreet."."This statement wasn't far from true as Venturi's This statement wasn't far from true as Venturi's "gentle manifesto" went through nine re-prints "gentle manifesto" went through nine re-prints within twenty five year and was translated into within twenty five year and was translated into sixteen languages. This book is considered to have sixteen languages. This book is considered to have the founding role (beside Rossi's “the Architecture the founding role (beside Rossi's “the Architecture of the city”) in the rise of Postmodernism and of the city”) in the rise of Postmodernism and breaking the stranglehold of functionalist thoughtbreaking the stranglehold of functionalist thought..