Relationship between Architecture and Sculpture

What is art? There are many definitions of art like art is the aesthetic exploitation of familiarity vs. surprise, art is the imposition of order on disorder, art is the creation of illusions, art is a desire to convey meanings, art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination typically in a visual form and so on. Art has many forms like, painting, sculptures, music and dance. All art forms are based on creative ideas.

Architecture is also a form of art, habitability is its main part. Habitability requires structure to built, then 3d form and space comes in place. Sculptures are also 3 dimensional they have mass and volume. Architecture and sculptures share mostly aspects.  Which are following: -

Architecture : Non sculptural, planer, gap-site, Function, Spatial quality, Scale, Psychological comfort, environmental, etc.

Sculpture: Non habitable, non functional, scale,

Overlap: Form, volume, visual mass, profile/compositional silhouettes, scale of context. Material and technology.

  

By analyzing the overlap following questions come:-

·         Does every building have sculptural quality?

·         Is 3d form is necessary to express and idea?

·         Sculptural vs. spatial quality in architecture?

·         Idea behind a building design important?

·         How architecture/sculpture evoke emotions in observer?

·         Can sculpture become functional? Is it then architecture?

·         Sculpture is what everyday object removed from its context, does architecture also be out of context?

·         Contemporary architecture like Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry, are they architectural sculpture?

·         Does every building also have idea behind it?

Architecture as a Sensory Receptor

At first, the question of senses in architecture seems to be unnecessary. Buildings are rather functional or if possible, should include an aesthetical component. Some architects try to fulfil the function requirements and after that focus on the shape that will give the building their individual style and by that its acknowledgment in society.

Besides the functional demands the question for design should be how the people feel inside the building and how they are going to experience the space. Not only in terms of how the space looks, but also how it touches, how it smells, sounds and maybe even tastes.

Architecture is a multi-sensory experience. We should make use of this fact to create buildings that are more intense and more exciting than three dimensional objects that are waiting to be photographed for the latest magazines and addressing the vision only.

I want to focus on the five main senses and their relation both to architecture and to each other. We as architect must act as a composer that composes function and beauty through the senses – and how the human body engages space is of prime importance. As the human body moves, sees, smells, touches, hears and even tastes within a space – the architecture comes to life.Bringing a space to life means that architectural function and form is not just primarily for the visual sense. By engaging all of the senses, form and function may be more fully expressed so occupants can have deeper, more meaningful moments.

Well, much can be gathered through the eyes about touch and smell. After all, we can analyse that a textured looking wall might be rough to touch. Also, we remember from previous ­­­experience about what certain elements will feel and smell like and from there, you begin to formulate and model a design concept.We must not always rely on one tool to “see” how our design is shaping up for the occupants but we should be resourceful and should explore other tools(5-6 senses) within the design.

Architecture - Inhabited Sculpture

A sculpture is a form of art that we build by the outcome of our imagination. It is the physical expansion of our abstract mind, which is recognized by none other than artist himself.   Its presence takes its viewers on an expedition; its experience carries one through on the exploitation of the artist’s imagination. Every individual has a vision that is represented in art form.

 Every sculpture piece has something to say, it portrays the thoughts of the artist and the same goes for an architectural build mass. Without the symbolism it’s just a functional building. It might be beautiful in its form and structure, but the meaning behind it is what anchors it, justifies it and presents it as a beautiful sculptural piece in space.

Technological advancement has taken the designers to such height, that they have started to venture with architecture and design beyond our imagination. The unusual sculptural forms in architecture are beginning to dominate the skyline. This may be the turning point of design and not far from now, it would change the face of the earth. The long lost dreams of fantastical designs are soon coming alive. This may be the era that would introduce spatial revolution.

Throughout Architecture history people, architects, historians have referred to architecture as a three dimensional sculptural form in space. The question is what does make architecture a sculpture? Is its being in a space and being able to view from all sides, or is it the way  it has been placed, on a higher level than other things around it which adds character to it and then can be referred as a gem in a space, hence a sculpture on a different scale. What are the different elements that come together and make us reach this conclusion that architecture is sculpture?

Architecture by self is much more complex field of art and by adding a sculptural quality; an intangible dimension is added to it resulting in more richness and more meaning in the overall creation of space.