ANALOGIES OF FORM IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN : A study of analogy in architecture, Part 2

Abstract

This paper discusses an analogical design method which makes use of a form of something else byanalogy. There are in fact numerous cases of the analogical design, and in the first part of this paper a number of examples are given in relation to their source's form. Two ideal types of the analogical design which could be identified with opposite ends of the conceptual spectrum are able to be established. The first is what is called here the "duck type" which is named on the basis of formative characteristics of architecture which Robert Venturi calls by the "duck", and the second is what is called here the "human body's diagram type" which is named on the basis of characteristics of the analogy of the human body in the "Vitruvian diagram of the human body". As Venturi says 'Where the architectural systems of space, structure, and program are submerged and distorted by an overall symbolic form. This kind of building-becoming-sculpture we call "duck", the "duck"' refers to architecture in which a form of something else is directly transferred or represented. In this case, the analogy of a form is motivated by an attitude which intends to transfer mataphorically or represent directly the source's form in the design. This type of attitude in the analogical design is called here the "expressively-oriented attitude". Futhermore, it is apparent in this case an action of embodiment which concretely represents or embodies the source's form in the design acts strongly. Therefore, the "duck type" represents the case in which the "expressively-oriented attitude" and the action of embodiment strongly act together in the analogical design. On the other hand, the analogy of the human body in the "Vitruvian diagram of the human body" does not mean to represent directly and concretely the figure of the human body in architecture but means to apply rationally and suitably the formative principle, which is abstracted from the form of the human body as idealized proportion, circle and square, to architecture. In this case, it also means that to imitate the formative principle of an ideal human body is exactly a rational way of design which follows the divinely formative principle. Such a formative attitude in the analogical design, therefore, can be regarded as the "rationally-oriented attitude" as opposed to the "expressively-oriented attitude". At the same time, an action of abstraction which abstracts the formative principle from the form of the human body acts strongly in this case. Therefore, the "human body's diagram type" represents the case in which the "rationally-oriented attitude" and the action of abstraction strongly act together in the analogical design. These two ideal types represent the extremes respectively as to characteristics of the analogical design. Therefore, the analogical design found in practice dose not necessarily fall in the category of either extreme. But, these ideal types are useful to explain characteristics of the analogical design. Two contrasting instances which are very close to the two ideal types are taken up and discussed : Saarinen's TWA Terminal Building and Corbusier's "Museum of Endless Growth". The TWA Terminal Building appears to be generated from the form of a bird which is poised for flight, and the design is analogically developed through an image of the form. This formative work of the TWA is like that of sculpture, and the design aims at figurative representation of the form of a bird from the first. Therefore, this design is considered as the analogical design which is close to the "duck type". On the other hand, the "Museum of. Endless Growth" is developed from the spiral form of the snail and the design method is clearly

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