Iconicity versus Contemporary Architecture

Iconicity versus Contemporary Architecture

Ehad Nasr, Helwan University, Cairo*
Alaa Mandour, Helwan University, Cairo*

Abstract

Iconic buildings are considered as symbols where they set strong foothold and dominate the site context in major cities of the world. These buildings exemplify place making, where its characterization opt to create and design the place in a manner to make it exceptional and competent of exerting signature of inimitability innate in its setting. Buildings, which are recognized and envisaged as iconic buildings are usually appreciated not only by professionals but also the wider societies.

Iconic buildings are ones that create and generate the distinctive aspect of the place, and thus, these incorporate architecture that reverberate human life. Consequently, iconic buildings do not only transcend basic architecture, but also incorporate a phenomenal relationship with the place and humanity. The unique nature of iconic buildings; their location; the combination of different architectural elements; and the message they are intended to convey across all collectively demonstrate the phenomenological approach to architecture. These iconic buildings have a significant impact on tourism as well.

The question here is how a building could be qualified as iconic? What are the reasons for this qualification? What are the design attributes to be qualified as icon? In order to understand the architecture of iconic buildings and their architectural characteristics, this paper underpins the subject of iconicity owing to its strong symbolic questions within a City.

Keywords: Architecture symbols, iconic buildings, vernacular architecture, contemporary architecture.

Dr. Ehab Nasr Assistant Professor of Architecture. Prof. Dr. M Alaa Mandour – Professor of Planning and Urban Design. Helwan University. Correspondence Email: alaa_mandour2004@yahoo.com

Iconic Building definition

As defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘an icon is an image, figure, or representation; a portrait; an illustration in a book; image in a solid; a statue. A representation of some sacred personage itself is regarded as sacred, and honored with a relative worship’. (Dictionaries, 2011).

Related to the definition of icon, aesthetic is the basic aspect, which Morris (1998) has considered it in the definition of icon. The aesthetic sign is an iconic sign in that it embodies these values in some medium where they may be directly inspected. In short, the aesthetic sign is an iconic sign whose design is a value (Morris, 1998).

The issue of iconicity in architecture is a significant one as it reflects the increasing commodification of the profession and its marginalization within society. It can be seen as an indicator of architecture's shift from serving the public good to serving private interests; operating as a marketing instrument and symbol of wealth and excess. Architects generate efficient, cost-effective structures that harmonize with environs with a design that is genuine, attractive, and striking to observer. However, most architects seek to do much more by having the passion for transforming a mere functional and purpose-built structure into art form. Just as artists dream of creating an immortal masterpiece, architects hope to build structures that stand the test of time ones they are memorized as iconic. Iconic buildings are so much more than structures. They are symbols of creativity and originality. Some clearly echo signs of the times, while others are way ahead of their time. Either way, iconic design thrives to a greater extent in the absence of boundaries and restrictions.

Today, buildings must be powerful enough to last decades, even centuries, and be compliant enough to meet building code, standards and public safety requirements. Moreover, they should be conformist enough to balance the prescribed style du jour. With all of these ‘design parameters and guidelines’, is iconic even achievable?

Utterly, since emergence of technologies, architects have long used computers to mechanize the design process. But it is prudent to investigate how technologies have been incorporated into the design itself. Digital mediums have opened a whole new design attributes to architects, offering fresh paths to generating buildings that are simultaneously signs of the present times that may have lasting influence on place making in the future. Today's digital technology offers the ideal media for producing iconic architecture.

Should architecture endeavor to be iconic? Now more than ever, most global cities are searching for icons, such as ‘Infinity Bridge Stockton; or Calatrava’s most impressive modern bridge design projects ‘Alamillo Bridge’ situated in Seville (figures 1 and 2); the skyscraper ‘Burj Khalifa’ in Dubai (figure 3); a museum, such as, the new louver in Abu Dhabi, UAE by

Jean Novell (figure 4) – all of these have successfully represented technological innovations to the world. How and why did this trend begin and, most importantly, how might it evolve?

Figure 1: Infinity bridge stockton-UK

Figure 2: Alamillo Bridge-Seville-Spain

Figure 3: Burj Khalifa-Dubai-UAE

Figure 4: New louver in Abu Dhabi-UAE

To clarify an iconic building, Jencks (2006) promulgated that an iconic building is created to make a splash, to make money, where the normal criteria for valuation do not apply. He added that the building must give a strikingly new impression to viewers that may be caused by its height or shape or even its unique location. It must also be noted that some cities erect icons not only for the purpose of generating revenues but also to attract attention that they possess a remarkable landmark. All great iconic buildings have a considerable amount of popularity mostly propelled by the critic in general media and architectural journalism. This draws attention to the city and, in turn, makes it popular the more widespread the society knows about them. The Sydney Opera House is an undisputed icon that was built at the time that has established an amazing radical with a strong aesthetic value but with somewhat peculiar shape and size, which represents the socio-cultural aspect of Sydney. The Eiffel Tower also is a perfect representation of a radical first time structure that used specific materials for construction, which paved the way for others to explore with steel structures.

Iconic Building in History

When the ancient Egyptian pharaohs erected their pyramids (Figure 5), did they mean it to be iconic buildings or were they just building monuments? Any of the seven ancient wonders of the world would qualify to be iconic. King (1990) writes in the introduction to her book ‘The Seven Ancient Wonders of the World’, “The Wonders were chosen not only for their grandeur, but for the vision and purpose that inspired them. Their size, design, and craftsmanship were without equal in the ancient world.”

Traditionally, craftsmanship and efficacy were as significant as opulence and apparition. Palladio’s villas (Figure 6) and churches are icons of Italian Renaissance architecture; just as Wren’s Protestant churches are for 17th century England. They served explicit rationale, apart from being majestic, well built, and considerate superfluities to the instant environments they occupied.

Iconic Buildings and Modernism

Early 20th century design brought Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie houses (Figure 7), Le Corbusier’s Citrohan House (Figure 8), and Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion. Each has become an icon, although not immediately recognized as such at the time of conception.

In his profile of Wright, Frank Lloyd Wright: Architecture and Space, Peter Blake observed that Wright was influenced by Louis Sullivan, who famously wrote that beautiful form could only be created after functional expression had been satisfied. Later modernism would stretch this definition of form and function to its limits, as in Jorn Utzon’s Sydney Opera House in 1957. As Charles Jencks writes in Modern Movements in Architecture, the shell vaults, meant to mimic sailboats in Sydney harbour, were initially criticized for not relating to their specific purpose (acoustic halls suitable for opera). Today, most viewers would agree Utzon’s opera house is an asset, transcending mere utility. It is arguably Australia’s most iconic building and an international destination (Iffrig, 2010).

Signature Architecture and Post-Modernism

Post-modern architecture criticism is stranded in an argument concerning the rationale of architecture. Critics point to the advent of so-called signature architects or starchitects who monopolize short lists for design competitions and sometimes build edifices that don’t seem to address programmatic or functional needs very well (Iffrig, 2010).

These buildings’ sustainability credentials are in question and some are inimical additions to the surrounding environment. Iconic has become identical with crazy caps on high rise buildings and tall structures that come down hard at grade, and unusual architectural forms. A walk through Daniel Libeskind’s museums (Figure 9) rapidly divulges the dearth of an iconic approach when it comes to displaying the museum’s collections.

It is time to re-suitable the word iconic for the purpose for which it was firstly anticipated, as a way of identifying entrenched architecture which is gorgeous, efficient, a welcome appendage to the communal and physical surroundings, and a commendable evidence to the culture of its time.

Figure 9: Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto. Designed by Daniel Libeskind (2007)

Analysis of elements

To consider Norberg Schulz’s idea, sign is an object or form that should be fixing in the environment to organize a surrounding (Figure 10), expressing our manners, socio-culture, tradition and history are the features of sign (Schulz, 1968). He has separated the environmental organization into three aspects ‘physical, social and cultural’. The three aspects have a specific correlation and integration to each other. The definition impacts of cultural object, idea, impression and art works are identified by social or physical manifestation, while social objects are identified by our manner which is a physical manifestation. An observation is the factor that has identified the physical objects. Understanding this separation aid to architect constructs the building referring to the humanity actions. Culture is one of the prominent characters, which identified the image of societies and symbolizes the collective life (Schulz, 1968).

Figure 10: Church of the light by Tadao Ando

Iconicity and Architecture

Icons are considered a momentous symbol where the architect uses a representative imaginary language to precept and alleviate the perception. The viewer precept a special meaning or symbol to create a special language crafted by the physical entity represented by a structure and a living human. This increases a rapport between both the perceptual and the preceptor in terms of sensation, emotions and feelings, which widen a linkage of considerate between both

where a reciprocal language is created rather than a crude vision between an observer’s eye and a static building.

Iconicity and Contemporary Architecture

Any architectural invention is perceived by identity with its connotation and signs, which is edifice its context and then building the codes where this context will restrain through apprehension raved through the recipient. Where the icon affects in ensuring the requirement of local identity whether positive or negative. In consideration of this codes coming uvular and culture of this countries of which appraise indicates on signs of this forms and connection to culture and the civilization.

Iconicity and Identity and culture

The ties between place identity and human identity, meanings and codes that the place posses and forms defined assent to the role of the recipient, and the identity of any product affected by meanings and signs contains the context through the apprehensions the recipient precept that context and aired him to contribute and insure the requirements of identity of the individual and gathered designating context. Icons and the codes are essential methods in the symbolic knowledge formation and forms the collective culture assimilates a reversal for language, religion, legends and scientific knowledge.

Iconicity and Memory

Indeed the innovative memory from masts and concepts and attempts affecting collective memory from situations, conditions and feelings and believes, and the memory uses realistic masts of architecture, fictional and historic as executors to express itself.

Theoretically, an iconic building must not only be a stunning building constructed to use contravention edge technology. It must also depict some intrinsic inimitability and pass across the intended message for which it was constructed. It must be meaningful for precipitant, embody the place in which it is located in and most prominently be functionally efficient. It must fulfill these basic requirements and possess an additional frown to make it unforgettable and striking to the community.

Iconicity and Meaning

According to Jencks he mentioned that the semantic signs could be symbolic ones when a new secondary functional representation to recipient is perceived. The iconic building can also be considered a work of excellence and a mean for publicity. A role in a position where its codes carry a meaning and a message for the recipients and in this case sensual and realistic signs are transmitted. The secondary role as a definite informational definitive, signs assimilation of individuals or political organizations social, religious, professional and educational, signs relates to the religious issues and the legendary personalities and fictional and signs relates to the general concepts and the abstractionism expressing philosophical thoughts, moral, social, political or thoughts connects in different branches of knowledge and humanitarian interests.

Analysis Methodology

The progression of iconic buildings for many decades has been very vibrant due to a multitude of diverse observations on the major role planned to be functioned by the building. As such most iconic buildings are representation of one or more values of society. To better comprehend the rationale behind these transformations, a qualitative techniques will be employed to draw presumption on how these iconic buildings empower and/or popularize their environment when created.

Certain cases of well prominence iconic buildings are selected and the analysis are done by concentrating mostly on the characteristic of life they represent, the exceptional attributes they acquires as iconic buildings, and the impacts on the place in which they are located. These common factors are separated from the unique factors and the impact of each will provide a baseline on which factor propels the iconic building and impacts on the place in which it is found. To conclude, these factors will aid to provide a comprehensible understanding of iconic buildings which assist to making a place.

Four case studies were chosen representing different period of time from the early historical era, early contemporary and neo-contemporary. The cases are The Pyramids, Sydney Opera House, Burj ElArab and Guggenheim Museum Fig 11,12,13 & 14)

Figures 11,12,13 & 14: Case Studies

THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZA

Architectural and Iconic Characteristics

Image

Mass Configuration

Space Organization

Facade Composition

Iconicity and Contemporary Architecture

Iconicity and Identity and Culture

Iconicity and Memory

Iconicity and Meaning

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

Architectural and Iconic Characteristics

Mass Configuration

Space Organization

Facade Composition

Iconicity and Contemporary Architecture

Iconicity and Identity and Culture

Iconicity and Memory

Iconicity and Meaning

Nasr, E, Mandour, A
GBER Volume 9 Issue 3 pp 3-18

BURJ AL ARAB

Architectural and Iconic Characteristics

representation
-A symbol of the modernity of the city.
-A design that carries within cultural signifiers and symbols.
-Innovative and iconic structure.

image
-Huge scale and visibility.
-The building enforced the new emerging identity and image of Dubai as a modern city.

Mass Configuration
-A new geometrical form inspired by the cultured background created a new image for the city.
-A simplistic form that stands out as significant identifier for the city.

Space Organization
-A contrast in style, identity, and form of various spaces creates a unique organization and experience.

Facade Composition
-A combination of contemporary and symbolic cultural signifiers.
-A harmonised geometrical form and elements.

Iconicity and Contemporary Architecture
-The building helped enforce the new identity of the city by creating an important cultural symbol, affecting the perception of individuals.

Iconicity and Identity and Culture
-Creates a symbol, that reflects the identity and the urbanization of the modern society of Dubai.

Iconicity and Memory
-A significant symbol and landmark that affect the memory and the sense of the place in recipients.

Iconicity and Meaning
-The design, form, and structure considered as mean of publicity.

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM, BILBAO

Architectural and Iconic Characteristics
representation

image

Mass Configuration

Space Organization

Facade Composition

Iconicity and Contemporary Architecture

Iconicity and Identity and Culture

Iconicity and Memory

Iconicity and Meaning

Concluding remarks;

Merging context between past, present and future:

In order to understand how the physical environment of the city icons came about, one can look at it as a 'whole' and attempt to provide an interpretation of urban forms through their historical and cultural contexts. We will not deal with elements of urban forms, but look at the forms themselves as part of a broader Islamic tradition.

The Past

The preservation of tradition works at different levels reflects if anything, differing contemporary functions and ideological needs (e-g. the need for legitimacy) by ascendant elites or their rivals. On one level, there is the effort to preserve the best examples of traditional buildings as exemplars, sources of contemporary inspiration and/or custodians of part of what its bearer regard as their contemporary cultural identity.

On a different level, the preservation and reuse of individual buildings in contemporary society raises serious functional and ideological problems. Yet, such adaptive reuse appears to be the only possibility of maintaining vitality for the buildings and avoiding the museum approach to important elements of an organic living city.

The preservation of a single building, whether reused or not, is different from the preservation of the character of an area and, here, different criteria come into play. Of these, the sense of urban context is a fundamental one, as is the question of scale, proportions, street alignments, fenestration, articulation of volumes, relations between solids and voids, and, most of all, activities permitted in the public space and inter-relationship between the public and private domains.

Decoding Symbols of the Past. Architects must acquire the sophistication to read the symbolic content of this heritage in a manner that enriches their ability to produce relevant buildings for today and tomorrow, and to guide the "authentication" efforts between the twin shoals of Kitsch and alien inappropriateness.

This sophistication can only come through a strengthened educational process which engenders in future architects the critical sense required to decode the symbolic content of the past in a realistic, as opposed to an ideologically mystifying, fashion. This, of course, necessitates a broad knowledge of the methodology as well as the content of historical studies, a sense of the growth of societies as a process of successive attempts at tantalization and above all an ability to see the built environment of the past as it was perceived by contemporaries.

Understanding the Present

The societies of the world are inescapably societies in transition, however much some members of those societies may try to avoid this basic process by denying it, or by

absolutising a past which exists only in their own minds as a counterweight to the present reality they deny and the future which they fear. The demographic, technical, economic, cultural, political and ideological components of this transition process are well known. Drowning in a flood of Western technology and cultural imports that are frequently ill-matched to local conditions and insensitive to cultural traditions, societies are today struggling to create a cultural environment that provides them with a viable sense of self-identity and which is suited to regional and national conditions. Authenticity for an Indonesian will not be the same as authenticity for a Moroccan. Yet there is this fine thread of commonality of the nature of the search with variability of the conditions under which it is undertaken. This is part of the creative genius of culture, whose hallmarks have always been unity with diversity. Contemporary "regionalism" must express itself in new and contemporary ways. This truism must be restated frequently in the face of a strong current that seeks refuge in perpetuating the myth that traditional vernacular architecture is enough. This "escape into the past" must be forced to recognize the scale and technology that increasingly link and undergird the urban built environment. Slavish copying of the past is not the answer. For those who would try, the dimensions of modern technology and its related infrastructural requirements will quickly remind them that the path of excellence requires creativity.

Anticipating and Preparing for the Future

A timeless continuity: reading the signs. Architects must be masters of a wide range of skills and their deployment - a range fat greater than architectural education currently prepares them for. First, architects must be able to decode the past so they can understand how their predecessors viewed their past, present, and future. Armed with this comparative knowledge, they must secondly attempt to read the signs and trends of the present. This is particularly tricky as, while buildings last a long time, current trends may prove ephemeral, and become so within the space of a few years. Third, architects must not only think of their single building, but of its relationship to the wider community. Fourth, and most significantly, they must pull all of this analysis together and design and implement a product which, over its lifetime, can justly win a place in the timeless continuity of world architecture, as have the great buildings of the past which, speak of excellence, not of an age, but for all time. (Serageldin, Ismail, 1991)

Significantly, the historical and civilizational depth of a nation play a vital role in providing impetus toward narrowing the technological gap which resulted in creating two different worlds. One is the place of the human beings who belong to the industrial world, and the other is for those who survive on minor industries. That gab generated more uncalled-for racism into this world. Amid these circumstances, the non-industrial nations turned to centers for modern alienation. All the activities relating to economy have been ideologized, the specialized scientific discoveries were monopolized away from them, and generally, measures were secured to keep the human being of the less developed countries in a state of scientific deterioration to the interest of the industrial countries.1 Some researchers predict that in the next three decades, the scope of the scientific and technological branches of knowledge that are exigent for the progress of nations will be identified. This is because, in the coming

period, the contemporary generation will witness the hugest scientific and technological advancements. The scientific technological gap places the modern Arab thought in a permanent challenge, that is primarily financial, because the Arab nations, like in the western countries, need to allocate handsome funds for science and technology in order to bring about a scientific uprising in their countries.

The West calculatedly attempts to marginalize the role of the Arab individual in the global production rates. Consequently, he will become a consumer of others' productions, namely western products, intellectually as well as economically. The more the scientific technological gap grows, the more consumptive that individual will become. Breaking free from that technological dependence can be attained through continuous scientific work and commitment, and through delving deeper in the field, and sparing no time in establishing strong financial and moral infrastructures. Time is running out more than ever. A group of exterior factors are created to mold the Arab thought in a certain way, as a means of obstructing the efforts done to retrieve an authentic identity, and to keep it from taking right steps in the direction of scientific and technological progress. As matters stand, it seems that the wars fought by the occupied nations for independence had aspired for intellectual independence mainly. The Arab nations must engage in a scientific and technological competitive war in order to meet the challenges posed by west. It is of paramount importance to find the road to this.

Reference List

Antoine Zahlän: “Al-'Arab wa Tahadiyat al-'Ilm wal-Taqānah: Taqaddum min dūn Taghyīr,” Beirut, Center for Arab Unity Studies, first edition, March, 1999, p. 19.

Celia King writes in the introduction to her book, The Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, Publisher Chronicle Books; Pop edition (September 1, 1990) ISBN-10: 0877017077

Church of the light by Tadao Ando. (n.d.). Retrieved December 25, 2011, from every line tells a story: http://everylinetellasasty.blogspot.com/2009/02/church-of-light-by-tadao-ando.html

Frank Gehry 1991-1995, 1. (2010, October-November). Case Study - Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (1993-1997). Retrieved December 14, 2011, from Rosemarie Still ARCH1390 2010: http://rosemariestillarch1390-2010.blogspot.com/2010/10/case-study-guggenheim-museum-bilbao.html

Iffrig, A. 2008, 25-Juli: Iconic Architecture Redefined http://www.suite101.com/content/iconic-architecture-redefined-a61760 on 13-11-2011

Jencks, C. 2004: Towards an Iconography of the Present. In Log 3, ed. Cynthia Davidson, p. 101-108. New York: Anyone Corporation

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Nāgī Nu’mān: “Al-‘Alam al-‘Arabi ‘alā ‘Atabat al-Qarn al-Wahid wal-‘Ishrīn,” Lebanon, Dār Luqmān for Culture, 1993.

Riyadh al-Asadi: “Al-Fikr al-‘Arabi al-Mu’āsir, wa Imkanāt al-isti’āb al-Jadidah,” Sep, 2005.

Samīr Amīn: “Al-Tarakum ‘alā Sa’id ‘��lami: Naqd Nadhariyat al-Takhalluf,” translated by: Hasan Qubaisī, Beirut, Dār ibn Khaldūn, p. 406.

Schulz C. N., Intentions in Architecture, 1968

Serageldin, Ismail, 1991, Architecture and Society, Seminar Ten in the series Architectural Transformations in the Islamic World, Granada, Spain, April 21-25, 1986 Published by Concept Media for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Singapore, 1986, pp 75-88.

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