(W 11) Multivalent architecture

“The architect should be trained as a radical schizophrenic”, says Charles A. Jencks. Although this statement may not be supported visually as one observes Micheal Grave’s Portland building, it is supported conceptually. At the bottom of the structure is present a staircase like entry which may not be radical architecture however, it shows the schizophrenic concept bridging emotion and behaviour as one penetrates a wide base into a vertically elongated narrower structure. Furthermore, the sculpture rising from the top of the staircase-like base  gives a unique identity to the building which otherwise would’ve been nameless due to the ubiquitous presence of square-windows and rectilinear patterns along the face of the structure. The slight adjustments and signs of context along the surface of this project help exemplify what it truly means to make a project of this scale relevant to it’s location. Additionally, the contrast that is inevitably created between the unifying symbols of this project and the ubiquitous patterns used showcase the first signs of multivalent architecture. The idea that architecture can draw it’s meaning from several fields broadens the messages each and every one of such structures can convey as opposed to staying loyal to a binary and single point of view that  remains flat compared to the three dimensional reality. Antonio Gaudì was also mentioned as a designer using the multivalent approach to in his process of the making, however his methods were driven by the idea that his spatial conditions would remain inclusive to a wide demographic capable of celebrating their similarities regardless of how little they could be.

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