My project over the past few months has changed direction several times. My initial aim was to investigate Architecture from natural forms however I found this too limited in that i couldn't include certain case studies i wanted to. However the title was also too vague in that i had no idea where to begin or what conclusion i might come to. I have also changed my mind about presenting a sketchbook as a final product. Although i still like the idea of drawing upon my own work i want to be able to use my existing sketchbooks to enhance my enquiry rather than forcing any drawing when an essay seems more suited to my current title. Following work experience in Cardiff over summer where i was beginning to investigate the role public art has in society I soon began discussing the 'form versus function' debate with my peers. Many of the themes were ones I have already touched upon in my natural forms research such as the pure functionality of a bird's wing and how its utilitarian structure is often referred to as being beautiful aesthetically. No human could design anything better. This inspired me to further my reading into this discussion where I came across Louis Sullivan's similar argument. He suggested that form ever follows function, this is law. in short, an objects form comes as a direct result of the pureness of its functionality.
On the other hand, there are many opposing arguments to this theory which draw upon the multi functionality of buildings meaning there can be no direct form as there is no direct function. Similarly, buildings have a cultural and symbolic significance too which suggests that its form itself becomes a function. This is reflected in Frank Gehry's dancing building in Prague which was built as an iconic structure of the city which functions as a symbol for post war freedom and optimism. if the building was designed around the office block it serves as then these significances would be lost.
Another interesting element which i chose to investigate is the role sustainability has in this debate. The current drive towards sustainable builds influences both the form and the function of a structure making each act harmoniously with the other for the most efficient outcome. In order to analyse the success of sustainable place making I have reviewed BDP's (a leading architectural practice which i worked with last summer) articles on the subject. these reflect how form is vital in ensuring social sustainability as this is the trigger in encouraging people to live, work and play in any situation. sustainable place making to them is about creating an environment which is flexible enough to adapt to its people- not belittle them. Therefore sustainability influenced the debate on a huge scale.
I have chosen to investigate manchester for my project for several reasons. practically, it is easily accessible to me and first hand research will be easy to obtain. Secondly, having worked in Manchester and know many people who have lived and helped develop the city, i have the contacts who i can interview and will offer their opinions on the redevelopment's success. Following the IRA which destroyed much of Manchester's inner city in 1996, the area has had the chance to reinvent itself; form a new identity. Therefore form and function would have been critical in recreating the city's image as a vibrant capital of culture. many of the building have symbolic status to Manchester such as the Beetham tower- which is the country's tallest building outside London and is an iconic structure which many Mancunians take pride in. contrastingly there has been some identity lost. For example Manchester's corn exchange has re-established itself as the 'triangle' shopping centre and food outlet separating itself from its cultural history as the centre for small traders. many would argue that it is time for the building's function to go full circle and reinvent itself once again. This raises the point that a building's function is constantly adapting and changing with each generation therefore purely utilitarian buildings are not flexible enough to be sustainable.
My project aims to assess whether form does indeed follow function in the redevelopment of Manchester following the bombing in 1996 and to evaluate the success of the area's sustainability 15 years on. One of the most exciting things about this project for me is that the city is still constantly thriving and adapting to establish itself at the forefront of sustainable place making and the world.
