No Architecture

These thoughts are influenced by the book Architecture without architects by Bernard Rudolfsky issued in 1964. A set of examples of build environment by people without engineer plans or any sense of architectural education. No Architecture is a manifestation of common sense, a creation which deals with important things that interests the user. It is about rejection of architectural problems like the visual appearance of a plan, a form of a street, or interest about visual smog of the city. No Architecture emphasize the role of public interest, of a man´s preoccupation and perception. 

There is probably a certain correlation between good buildings and famous architects who have not studied architecture. Take the most influential architect of the 20th century, Le Corbusier. He studied engraving and he take an architectural experience in studios of brothers Perrets and in a studio of Peter Behrens. Another contemporary example is Japanese architect, Pritzker price winner of 1995, Tadao Ando. He is the self-taught architect, gaining his experience from books and by traveling to Europe and South America. It is not proving that the best architecture is done by nonarchitects. On the other hand, it is not necessary to be graduated architect to create the hight quality architecture. Sometimes is the architectural education an obstacle and those who are trained in schools are separated from the reality and real building problems. 

No Architecture is the concept of putting the art of building from heaven and conceptual level back on the ground to the user. Architecture should not deal with questions like: style, the truth or even moral and ethical problems. Architecture is a service for people. It is an expression of a certain problem solution like: Where the people would live? How the one will move through the space? Where the man would relax or work? What will surround him/her? How safe is my children on the street? and etc. This is architecture raised from the necessary needs of human. No Architecture is not dealing with composition problems, it doesn´t matter if the window is on the side or on the centre. The important thing is to bring enough light.

Rem Koolhaas (born on 1944) says at the first annual Paul S. Byard Memorial Lecture[1] at Columbia GSAPP in February 20, 2009, and later published in his book Preservation is overtaking us[2] following words about architecture: I think that architecture is gone. It’s a very interesting question whether it is gone forever or whether under certain circumstances, we can imagine that it will come back. In any case, it is gone for now. It is thirteen years old thought. It is still truth? What is the condition of architecture in 2022? Koolhaas continues: To be considered a genius for producing a serene order is also over. And describe Frank Gehry´s creations as an example of what happened to architecture or, what we have made happen to architecture.

Can No Architecture be a way that paradoxically brings the Architecture back to our consideration? Can No Architecture enrich the world of art with its preoccupation of user needs and dealing with everyday troubles? Building Art is in No Architecture brought from conceptual and rhetoric level back to the art of building. The serious issue is questioning wrong questions which leads to the wrong answers. Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889 – 1951) was one of the philosophers looking for the right questions. His thoughts deal mainly with the question of language and the right expression of a meaning. He said: The limits of my language means the limits of my world and his famous quote is: Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent. Architecture is about questioning. The famous architectural question was putted by Louis Kahn (1901 – 1974) and it is: What do you want, brick? Kahn asked the building material about the way it should be used. His designs reflect his questioning, and he has never used the material against its construction potential. 

No Architecture is the design approach, that is not standing against the essence of materials, constructions, and people. No Architecture involves the common sense and seeks for reasonable harmony and balance between human and building.  

[1] Rem Koolhaas at the Paul S. Byard Memorial Lecture is available on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJJshaEbMYQ

[2] The book Preservation is overtaking us is available on: https://www.arch.columbia.edu/books/reader/6-preservation-is-overtaking-us


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