ARCHITECTURE = FROZEN POETRY
Tower bell, Mendrisio, CH
Its been said on countless times that architecture is frozen poetry.
Perhaps it is.
GAM
Projects by Zaha Hadid and Herzog & DeMeuron. Basel. CH
Projects by Frank Gehry, Buckingham Fuller, Nicholas Grimshaw and Santiago Calatrava. CH
Projects by Zaha Hadid, Mario Botta and Herzog & DeMeroun. CH
Above: Rotterdam. Below: Antwerp, Zurich, Basel inc. the Vitra Design Museum.
Vitra Design Museum and Mario Botta's Tinguely Museum, Basel
Lecorbusier's last building. Zurich:
Architecture as frozen poetry is a metaphor I particularly like. In my view architecture is just like poetry where building materials substitute a writer's vocabulary, where a particular kind of grammar is applied to create graceful compositions. The result can be literal or it can be abstract using no more, nor less of those precious materials and components, all in precise quantities. It all comes down to a balancing act of well crafted proportions which deserves recognition. The vocabulary of materials, patterns and textures can be either colorful or monochrome. A more sublime palette is that of the intangibles such as light, air, space that entice our senses! ... but just like with poetry, architecture requires a level of understanding and sensibility, some times a level of maturity to be experienced in meaningful yet emotional ways.
GAM
Guillermo Aranda-Mena © 2011