Quad City Times, IA
12-07-07
LEARN TO LIKE ARCHITECTURE: Function vs. form
By David Burke | Friday, December 07, 2007 | No comments posted
Some works in the art world require just a moment’s notice from their audience.
Some pieces live on in the home of a patron.
But architecture is something that has to be lived in as well as appreciated. It’s in
the places where we sleep at night, the office buildings where we work and the
stores where we shop.
“A piece of architecture goes far beyond the aesthetic realm and gets into the
functioning of the building, which many people probably don’t take the time to
evaluate but still appreciate,” said Bruce Bassler, an associate professor of
architecture in the College of Design at Iowa State University, Ames.
A customer walking into a big-box retail shop might not notice or care about the
architecture of a building, he said, which makes unique designs stand out that
much more for other types of buildings.
In the Quad-Cities, Bassler cites the Deere & Co. World Headquarters in Moline
for its unique design. The architect of the building, which was completed in 1964,
was Eero Saarinen, who also designed the famous Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
That structure was completed two years later.
“I’m certain the people who work and live there have some appreciation for the
quality of the design,” Bassler, a 27-year faculty member as well as a design
consultant, said of the Deere headquarters.
Architecture needs more of an acquired knowledge, but it is at the same time
more accessible than most other art forms, said Deborah Dietsch, the author of
several books, including “Architecture For Dummies.”
“A lot of people view architecture in terms of their home,” said Dietsch, a writer
for the Washington Times newspaper. “That’s where they feel they know it best.
In terms of the streetscape, it just depends on where you’re from.
“Cab drivers in Chicago will talk about architecture because it’s a city of
architecture and great architecture. In other places, it’s just lost on the radar
screen.”
Architecture was chosen by readers at qctimes.com as the subject they wanted
to know more about in our monthly “Learn to Like” series, which has featured
stories on appreciating various art forms, including theater, classical music,
painting, sculpture, jazz, the blues, opera and ballet.
A recent Quad-City plunge into the architectural world was the construction of the
Figge Art Museum in downtown Davenport. The museum, which opened in
August 2005, was designed by David Chipperfield, a British architect who has
since developed concepts for the Des Moines Public Library and an addition to
the St. Louis Art Museum.
“Museums are, a lot of times, hiring name architects, star architects, to create an
addition or a new building as a tourist attraction,” Dietsch said. “Architecture is
definitely becoming a part of tourism.”
There is a danger, she said, of the architecture overshadowing the work inside.
“Cultural institutions are using architecture to boost attendance,” said Dietsch,
who has not visited the Figge. “I think architecture overshadows the art, and a lot
of artists particularly complain about museums being very assertive and
aggressive in their architecture.”
Bassler said the combination of form and function makes judging architecture
very difficult.
“There’s always the aesthetic appreciation factor, and people are going to have
to have different tastes,” he said. “The aesthetic is personal preference, but there
are many performance criteria that are very factual.”
When a hospital, for example, builds a corridor to create a warm, sunny skylight,
will the public notice the design of it or “are they just going to appreciate it for the
fact that it’s a delightful space?”
The automotive industry, he said, is smart to trumpet the features of a car in its
ads, including an auto’s fuel economy, maintenance, aerodynamics, resale value
and cost.
“In many ways, buildings are the same way,” he said. “What is the initial cost?
What is the maintenance? How efficiently does it heat and cool? How efficiently
can people move through it? How easy is it to maintain?
“Those are all things that people value but don’t necessarily evaluate when they
look at architecture. They just know it’s comfortable there.”
Dietsch said the public can learn more about architecture by taking tours and
getting involved with local historical societies, gaining information about a
building’s history and aesthetics.
“It’s like any art form,” she said. “You learn by looking and reading and listening
and becoming educated on the subject.”
Thanks to a multitude of shows on cable’s HGTV, Dietsch said there is more
general knowledge of architecture than there used to be. She’s just not sure
whether there is as much of an appreciation.
“I don’t think it’s appreciated enough as an art form. It used to be more than it is
now,” she said.
Centuries ago, she said, great architects also were great artists, Michelangelo,
for example.
“Now, there’s a professionalism of architecture,” she said. “I think, in the mind of
the public, it’s not perceived as as much of an art form.”
David Burke can be contacted at (563) 383-2400 or dburke@qctimes.com.
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