Expressing, Symbolism and

Communication

Ar. Mohamed Ashraf

Asso. Prof., MSAJAA
 Theory of Architecture
Meaning & Understanding
 It is a THEORITICAL AND SCIENTIFIC
CRITICISM and/or a PHYLOSOPHICAL
EXPLANATION to issues related to
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

 ARCHITECTURE THEORY is useful to JUDGE,

CRITICISE and SOUNDLY ASSESS the DESIGN
PROCESS;

 Architecture articulates INTENT;

 Theory of Architecture:
Meaning & Understanding
 Comprise all design activity, from the MACRO
LEVEL (urban design, landscape architecture) to
the MICRO LEVEL (construction detail, furniture).

 It is the process and product of planning,

designing and constructing FORM, SPACE and
AMBIENCE that reflect FUNCTIONAL,
TECHNICAL, SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, &
AESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS.
 Theory of Architecture:
Meaning & Understanding
 It requires the CREATIVE MANIPULATION and
COORDINATION of material, technology, light and
shadow.

 Architecture also encompasses the PRAGMATIC

aspects of realizing buildings and structures
including scheduling, cost estimating and
construction administration.
Definition of architecture
 V.S. Pramar defines architecture as “The creation
of UTILITARIAN SPACES with the component of
AESTHETICS achieved by means of
TECHNOLOGY.

 D.K.Ching defines architecture as “The

architecture of space ,structure, enclosure
through movement in time-space achieved by
means of technology accommodating a program
compatible with its context.
Definition of architecture
 Space ,structure, enclosure - organisation pattern,
relationships, hierarchy, frontal image and spatial
definition, qualities of shape, colour, texture, scale,
proportion, qualities of surfaces, edges and openings.
 Movement in space and time- approach and entry ,path
configuration, and access ,sequences of spaces.
 Technology-structure and enclosure, environmental
protection and comfort, health ,safety and welfare
,durability.
 Program- user requirements, needs, aspirations, socio-
cultrual factors, economic factors.
 Compatible with its context- site and environment,
climate, sun and temperature and precipitation,
geography, soils, topography, vegetation and water,
Definition of architecture
 Simon Unwin defines architecture as “a
PRACTICAL, POETIC and PHILOSOPHICAL art
by which we organize and give form to space. It is
the medium by which we make sense of our world
SPATIALLY and PHYSICALLY”.
Expressive Role:
 Nicolas Le Camus de Mézières defined the role
of architecture as A LANGUAGE EXPRESSIVE
OF ITS DESTINATION AND PURPOSE.

 The aim of architecture was accordingly to

communicate the character and social status of
his clients, but he also believed that buildings
could evoke human sensation responding to the
mind and move the soul.

 It is claimed that the essence of architecture

was FICTIONAL & POETIC.
 Expression in architecture:

 Expression in ARCHITECTURE is the

communication of QUALITY and MEANING.

 It implies a clear and authentic displaying of the

CHARACTER or PERSONALITY of an
ARCHITECT.

 The functions and the techniques of building are

interpreted and transformed by EXPRESSION
into ART,
(As sounds are made into music and words into literature)
 Expression in architecture:
 The nature of expression varies with the cultural
character of different places & times, forming distinct
modes or languages of expression that are
called STYLES.

 STYLE communicates the outlook of a culture and

the concepts of there architects.

 The boundaries of a style may be NATIONAL AND

GEOGRAPHICAL (e.g., Japanese, Mayan) or
RELIGIOUS (e.g., Islamic) and INTELLECTUAL
(e.g., Renaissance), embracing
 Expression in architecture:
distinct linguistic, racial, and national units, and
different expressions within each of these boundaries
are produced by the particular style of regions,
towns, groups, architects, or craftsmen.

 The components of expression, which communicate

the particular values of style, are CONTENT &
FORM.

 Since content can be communicated only through

form, the two are organically united.
 Symbolism in architecture:
 Society requires that ARCHITECTURE not only
communicate the aspirations of its institutions but
also fulfill their practical needs.

 Architectural forms become the vehicles of content

— in plan, elevation, and decoration—they are
SYMBOLIC.

 The architectural plan, when used symbolically,

communicates through its SHAPE.
Symbolism is in the eye of the beholder.
The same symbol or metaphor may have
different meanings for different eyes.
 Symbolism in architecture:
 From prehistoric times and in
many cultures, the CIRCLE,
with its suggestion of the
planets and other
manifestations of nature,
gained a symbolic, mystical
significance and was used in
the plans of houses, tombs,
and religious structures.

 By slow processes it came to be employed

for memorial and shrines and for hero cults in both
the East and the West.
 Symbolism in architecture:

 When building techniques permitted, its symbolism

often merged with that of the dome.

 In Hindu temples, the square (and the cross plans

developed from it) expressed celestial harmony.

 The Central-plan of Christian church (circle, polygon,

Greek cross, ellipse) fascinated the architects of the
Renaissance with its symbolic and traditional values,
and it is found in their drawings and treatises to the
virtual exclusion of the more practical longitudinal
basilicas that architects were often commissioned to
build.
 Symbolism in architecture:
 PLAN SYMBOLISM remained almost exclusively in
the sphere of religion after antiquity, and its
traditions gradually disappeared in the course of the
19th century.

 The modern plan is determined by problems of form

(space-mass relationships, etc.) and by the
PRACTICAL DEMANDS OF USE rather than by
symbolic communication.
Symbolism in architecture:
 In elevation the most
consistent symbolic forms have
been
the Dome
the Tower
the Stairway
the Portal and
the Colonnade

 Domes imply the meanings of

the circle and more,

since a dome is a covering.

Symbolism in architecture:
 Long before, masonry domes
could be built, the hemisphere
was associated with the
heavens as a “cosmic canopy,”
and throughout history domes
have been decorated with stars
and astrological symbols.

 In ancient Rome and among

Christians and Indian Buddhists,
the dome came to mean
universal power.
 Symbolism in architecture:
 During the Renaissance it spread from
religious structures to palaces and
government buildings, retaining some of its
implications of power.
 The Chinese pagoda (traditional part of
Chinese architecture, its construction
considered auspicious) extends central-
plan symbolism into towers; many towers
and spires (a tapering conical or pyramidal
structure on the top of a building) rose
from the northern European Gothic
cathedral, and the medieval Italian city was
a forest of towers erected by nobles in
constant competition to express their
supremacy.
 Symbolism in architecture:

 The stairway, employed in the past to give

“monumentality” to important buildings,
frequently became more expressive than
convenient, especially in Baroque palaces.
The reasons for the
construction of so many
towers are not clear.
One hypothesis is that
the richest families used
them for
offensive/defensive
purposes.
 Symbolism in architecture:
 Portals, from the time of ancient Egyptian temple pylons
( large gate in front of temple having paintings of gods)
and Babylonian city gates (having animal pictures on
façade), became monuments in themselves, used to
communicate a heightened significance to what lay
behind them.
 Since the development of the classical Greek temple, the
colonnade on the exterior of buildings has borne similar
implications.
 Symbolism in architecture:
 Such symbols have become archaic in modern culture
and appear as a sign of resistance to new forms.

 This resistance is especially evident in the popular

symbolism of domestic architecture.

HOME is often expressed by cottage-like roofs,

shutters, trellises, mullioned windows, grilles etc.,
Symbolism in architecture:
 Decoration, the most easily
recognized medium of content,
communicates meaning either
through architectural elements or
through the figural arts (sculpture,
painting, mosaic, stained glass,
etc.).

 The architectural elements used

decoratively, such as the classical
orders, usually originate in
technique and in time lose their
structural significance to become
symbols.
 Symbolism in architecture:
 Similarly, the new vocabulary of Gothic architecture,
developed with new building techniques (the pointed
arch, the flying buttress, etc.), became in later periods a
source for religious and romantic symbolism.
 The Art Nouveau of the turn of the 20th century, a
system of ornament based on floral and other organic
forms, survived for only two decades, perhaps because
its symbols were neither drawn from a tradition nor
derived from a structural system.
ART NOUVEAU

ANTONIO
GAUDI’S WORKS
 Symbolism in architecture:
 The sculptures of the Hindu temple (gods, human figures),
the mosaics of the Byzantine church (shows wealth), and
the stuccoes ( lime + sand + water – applied wet and then
hardens, plaster – used inside, stucco – used outside) of
Moorish palaces (west part of north Africa) are not
ornamental applications; they determine the form of the
building itself.

 The virtual absence of traditional symbols in modern

architecture is evidence of the failure of these symbols to
express the cultural patterns of the 20th century.
 Symbolism in architecture:
 In these times, architecture, like
painting
sculpture and
other arts
has tended to be abstract, to emphasize qualities of form
rather than the communication of familiar ideas through
symbols.
Symbolism in 19th century
 Symbolism came to the force in late 19th century, with
its roots in arts and literature. Largely a reaction against
naturalism (naturally built shelter) and realism (present
needs) ,the movement was largely in favour of
spirituality, the imagination and dreams.
 Almost everything –be it a building, a painting, a movie or
a tale - has its roots in some form of symbolism or,
conversely, resorts to symbolism for expressing itself.
Symbolism in 19th century
 They provide not only structure and form, but

the text
context and
meaning to

social and cultural life.

CHETTINAD HOUSING Front (Male) Section of House
1. Veranda.

Central of House
2. Hal vitu or vitu: first courtyard; literally,
"hall house."
3. Tontu: columns.
4. Melpati, tinnai: a raised platform on
which people sit.
5. Valavu: aisle or corridor surrounding
central courtyard.
6. Ull arai: pulli's inner room for puja and
storage of dowry items.
7. Veli arai: pulli's outer room.

Back (Female) Section of House

8. Kattu: second courtyard, women's
courtyard; where grains are dried, foods
are prepared.
9. Samayal arai: kitchen.
10. Kutchin: a small room for women
coming-of-age ceremony.
11. Veranda.
12. Pin kattu: open garden space with or
Symbolism in 19th century
 Architecture also constitutes powerful expressive and
symbolic vehicles in its own right ,with monumental
buildings (gateway of India) being more noteworthy in
their style than in their functional provision.
 However, we tend to connect it mainly to historical and
religious structures as the imagery appears to be highly
explicit and profound in them.
 Symbolism exemplified in monuments ,mosques,
churches - spiritual and historic structures.
Sense of space:
 The term sense of space has been defined and
utilized in different ways by different people.
 It is often used in relation to characteristics that
make a place special or unique, as well as to those
that foster a sense of authentic human attachment
and belonging.
History of symbolism:
 Symbolism in 19th century was characterized as
spiritual or mystical in nature ,which represented the
inner life of people.
 Hence , symbolism is applied use of any iconic
representations (pyramid – powerful form, has highest
form of energy, sphere – completeness) which carry
particular conventional meanings.
 LOTUS TEMPLE, DELHI

MATRI MANDIR, AUROVILLE

Symbolism of pyramid/ triangular
form through chakras.
Religious symbolism:
 Religious architecture is a record of the way people
express their faith.
 Religious symbolism uses symbols, including arches
types, artwork, texts, rituals and other signs.
Symbols and Hindu temple:
 Cultures have often associated geometric shapes with
religion.
 In India ,the relation between
symbols and temple architecture
is clearly spelt out by vastu
shartra.
 The various parts of a temple
are related to corresponding
parts of the body.
SYMBOLS

BHUDDIST STUPA
SQUARE AND
VAASTU

Hence square was

used in all temple
plans.
 Examples:
Symbolism : Pentagram
 A pentagram is a five-pointed
star drawn with five straight
strokes.

 Also called pentacle, the

pentagram was symbolically in
ancient Greece and Babylonia.

 The five pointed star depicts the

five elements-earth, air, fire,
water and the spirit.
 The pentacle ,also said to be a
pre-Christian symbol that relates
to nature worship .
Examples:
Symbolism in structures: The pyramids-Egypt

 The pyramids of Egypt

symbolize the powerful
existence of the human
race on the earth.
 They represent the
supreme control of man  The shape is said to
and animal on the entire represent the
earth. descending rays of the
sun and most pyramids
were faced with polished
white limestone to give
them a brilliant
appearance when viewed
from far..
 Examples:
Pyramid at louvre,paris
 In 1983 I.M.Pei’s (Chinese
born American architect)
design included two large
glass-covered courtyards to
house sculptures.

 It is made out of 666 panels  The design and the materials

of glass. Formally ,it is the used signify a break with
most compatible with the architectural traditions of
architecture of the louvre. the past.

 It is also one of the most  Today, along with the Eiffel

structurally stable forms and tower ,the pyramid at louvre,
tends a feeling of is considered as one of the
transparency. landmarks of Paris.
 Examples:
Guggenheim museum Bilbao
 A museum of modern and
contemporary art ,the Guggenheim
Bilbao is located in Spain.

 Designed by Frank Gehry, widely

considered the master of pop
architecture, (break to traditional
architecture) the museum hailed as
a signal moment in architectural
culture.

 Intended to resemble a ship ,the building reflective titanium panels

resemble fish scales and echo organic life forms that are seen
commonly in Gehry’s designs.
 Examples:
Bahai Temple / Lotus Temple in Delhi
• Built in the shape of lotus which
symbolizes the best human ideals and
concepts.
• Nine arches that provide the main
support for the superstructure ring the
central hall.
• Nine reflecting pools surround the
building on the outside, their form
suggesting the green leaves of the lotus
flower.
• The first two ranks curve inward,
embracing the inner dome; the third
layer curves outward to form
canopies over the nine entrances.
 Communication
Architecture can play a communicative role by expressing
meaning through the built environment.

A variety of cultural or symbolic values can be expressed

through choices in
Materials,
Colors,
Forms,
Sizes,
Furnishings and
Landscaping for a building

(Rapoport, 1990).
 Communication
The law recognizes the communicative function of
architecture in two ways.

How government regulates the appearance of the built

environment.
Aesthetic zoning (Billboard and sign advertising,
Junkyards etc.,)
Articulation Zoning (size and content of signs, the color
of houses in covenants, protection for historical
buildings, and limiting the design review)
They are all targeted at regulating how buildings
communicate.
 Communication
The law recognizes the communicative function of
architecture in two ways.

The second recognition of the communicative role of

architecture is in the granting of copyright protection to
architectural works.

In this regard, buildings are akin to other communicative

media, such as books and motion pictures. Copyright
protection then serves as an incentive to promote the
creation of creative and communicative architecture.
 Communication
 Structural significance of materials and methods (Glass –
visually open, Concrete – solid)
 Material characteristics are important in communicating
design techniques and the properties of their
composition (e.g. Structure, weight, durability) and the
way they are used in structure.
 Materials used depend on the function of space, eg.
Shopping mall needs glass walls to display, trial room
needs solid covering.
Communication
 Stone masonry is not necessarily connected with
structural methods: rustication (finishing in rough,
uneven surfaces), drafting (more refined, linear
cutting), and polishing.
 Niches, projecting courses, or frames around
openings suggest massiveness.
 The use of stone or brick masonry in construction is
emphasized by arrangement – in lintels & arches.
 Communication
 The properties of wood emphasis

 Its texture in load-bearing members and

 By treating the sheathing of light wood frames in
patterns (of shingling or boarding) that communicate
thinness.
 Communication
 The properties of Concrete emphasis

 Its plasticity makes us in freedom of modeling and

 Its use in construction by emphasizing the
impressions of the wooden forms in which it is cast.

CONCRETE BUILDING DESIGNED BY CONCRETE TEXTURE DUE TO

ZAHA HADID WOODEN FRAMEWORK
Communication
 Gothic cathedral : the supporting piers, each of
which extends upward without interruption to become
the rib of the vault, the flying buttress are elegant
interpretations of their functions.
 In the modern steel-frame building, the hidden forms
of the skeleton are often repeated on the facade to
enable one to “see through” to the technique, but
the system also permits the alternative of expressing
the lightness and independence of the curtain wall by
sheer surfaces of glass and other materials.
GOTHIC CATHEDRAL
INTERIORS
STEEL FRAMED BUILDING