Architectural Form Reading: Understading Different Approaches from the Essays by Colin Rowe and Peter Eisenman

Abstract

The form in relation to architecture, has always been difficult to understand due to its dependence on various constraints. Priority of form is always an issue when analyzing architecture, since it has always been read with respect to its symbolic aspects. However, there are two types of form; conceptual and perceptual. It’s the perceptual form based on material, context, related to the extrinsic qualities and which has symbolic reading, that is preferred over conceptual form which is intrinsic, based on formal language and which needs a deeper understanding. The particular study focuses on the reading of conceptual form, based on the theories by Colin Rowe and Peter Eisenman. Form as an object and the conceptual form-reading has been explored in the twentieth century architecture and art theory. The notable theoretical work on analyzing form can be seen in the theoretical works of Rudolf Wittkower, Colin Rowe and Peter Eisenman in their essays, “Architecture Principles in the Age of Humanism, “The Mathematics of the Ideal Villa” and “The Formal Basis of Modern Architecture” respectively. The thesis however, focuses only on the essays by Colin Rowe and Peter Eisenman in order to understand the form-reading approaches by them. Based on the selected essays by Colin Rowe and Peter Eisenman, two different approaches of form-reading can be observed i.e., I. Analytical approach and II. Transformational approach. Form-reading on the basis of these two different approaches gives different understanding and meaning of the form. While analytical approach of form-reading is based on geometry and mathematics, transformational approach of form-reading is based on the process of transformation of generic form, into specific form of the building. First, the thesis is aimed to understand these approaches and their different indicators and components through the literature review of the selected essays and later the cases are analyzed based on these indicators and components, in order to understand the implications of these approaches, the understanding it gives and their limitations.