both-and than either-or

 Modernism, in fact, focuses on purely functions therefore neglecting philosophy upon each structure. The issue rose among architects, thus many of them went beyond the modernism ideal by including specific features within the design and so called themselves, post-modernist.

Robert Venturi was one of the major architects who strongly stated that good architecture should consists of rather both-and philosophy than previously either-or concept. With his point of view described in his book, Complexity and Contradiction, Venturi believed some of architectures from modernist fit along with the method such as the falling water or the Robie house of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Heading at the same direction in his architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright tried to merged exterior and interior in both of his works. As stated in the previous blog, the Robie house holds the idea of blending natural elements and machine works together through the use of materials as well as the building's design. When coming to the famous falling water, Wright did play the say old rule, yet very effective. He blurred the sense of being outdoor and indoor together as a whole. Having water running underneath the building as well as literally falling from it, combining with a cantilever physically hanging above the cliff, the building  definitely mix the two aspects both physically and emotionally.

Using pure forms combining with ornaments, or simple design combining with complex interior programs, the concept had been used since early ages before Venturi had ever published his book. Dating back to Baroque period where this complexity and contradiction appeared, the style of this era was to create a simple design, yet complex in details through both ornaments and structures. Similarly to Venturi, Borromini, one of the Baroque architects, applied the method along with his works for example in San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane.

The facade of the building well illustrates the philosophy. It consists of both flat and linear, facade with convex and concave walls at the same time. Squares and circles were put together in this element simply to create a real contradiction. Not only the form where Borromini elaborated the idea, ornaments that were put on the facade matter as well. Contradictory to modernism, where every visible element is being exposed showing its function, in this case, the other way around. Borromini designed the facade with double columns on each side; instead of carrying building's load, these columns do not really uphold the structure but creating more complexity.

In architecture, both-and idea has appeared long before in history. However, in modernism, architects viewed it as a completely unacceptable feature; while in post-modernism, the concept rewinds back again. Therefore, both-and or either-or architecture each has its own unique points depending on people's point of view. Shifting back and forth between these twos, the good thing is that architecture would never get boring.