HARTAIXX2016-V010200

Summary

In this script, K. Michael Hays explores Adolf Loos' aphorism on architecture, highlighting the encounter with a constructed mound in the forest shaped like a pyramid. The discussion delves into the architectural imagination, the craft and technique involved in construction, and the emotional response it evokes. Hays emphasizes that while the physical and sensory aspects of architecture are immediate, the true essence of architecture as an autonomous entity transcends the individual's experience.

Takeaways

• 📜 Adolf Loos' aphorism emphasizes the importance of the architectural imagination in interpreting the constructed form of a mound in the forest.
• 🔍 The encounter with the mound is unprepared and prompts a serious response, suggesting an inherent architectural affect.
• 🛠 The mention of the shovel indicates the involvement of tools and craft in the construction process, highlighting the role of technique in architecture.
• 🏺 The mound's shape, resembling a pyramid, is a genre or type that the architectural imagination constructs, differentiating it from the actual form of the mound.
• 🎨 The mound's indexicality, or its marking of being constructed, is part of the sensuous experience, which is distinct from the conceptual understanding of the object.
• 💡 Loos suggests that the architectural affect comes before conceptualization or theorization, emphasizing the emotional response before intellectual understanding.
• 🤔 The mound's appearance leads to the conclusion that someone is buried there, illustrating how architecture can evoke a narrative or story.
• 🏛 The 'that' in Loos' statement refers to architecture itself, which is autonomous and separate from the individual's encounter with it.
• 🧩 The real object of architecture is withdrawn and inaccessible, existing independently of the sensuous qualities experienced during the encounter.
• 👁️ The distinction between the sensuous object and the real object of architecture is crucial, as the former can be lost when the senses are closed off, while the latter remains.
• 🎭 The script invites reflection on the nature of architecture, suggesting it is more than just the physical form but also the emotional and intellectual responses it elicits.

Q & A

What aphorism by Adolf Loos is discussed in the script?

The aphorism discussed in the script is about encountering a mound in the forest shaped like a pyramid by a shovel, which evokes the feeling that someone is buried there, and Loos concludes that this is architecture.

What does the mound in the forest symbolize according to the script?

The mound symbolizes an architectural form, specifically a pyramid, which is constructed and shaped by human intervention, indicating the presence of craft and technique.

How does the script describe the encounter with the mound as an architectural experience?

The script describes the encounter as an unprepared one that triggers the architectural imagination, leading to the recognition of the mound as a constructed form and evoking a serious response.

What is the significance of the shovel's role in shaping the mound according to the script?

The role of the shovel signifies the involvement of tools and techniques in the construction process, highlighting the craft involved in creating the architectural form.

What does the script suggest about the relationship between the mound's shape and its indexicality?

The script suggests that the mound's shape and its indexicality, or the markers of its construction, are part of the sensuous experience that contributes to the architectural affect.

How does the script differentiate between the sensuous object and the real object of architecture?

The script differentiates by stating that the sensuous object, which includes the mound's appearance and associated features, is part of the encounter and can be affected by it, while the real object of architecture, the 'that,' has its own autonomy and identity separate from the encounter.

What is the 'architectural affect' mentioned in the script?

The 'architectural affect' refers to the emotional or psychological impact that the mound, as an architectural form, has on the observer, making them become serious.

What conclusion does Loos draw about architecture after describing the encounter with the mound?

Loos concludes that architecture is not just the sensual experience but also the real object that is autonomous and inaccessible, which is the essence of architecture.

How does the script relate the concept of a tomb or a grave to the idea of architecture?

The script relates the concept by suggesting that the mound, which is shaped like a pyramid and evokes the idea of a tomb or grave, is an example of architecture because it is a constructed form that has an architectural affect.

What does the script imply about the autonomy of architecture?

The script implies that architecture has its own autonomy, meaning it exists independently of the observer's encounter with it, maintaining its identity regardless of the observer's perception.

How does the script suggest that the real object of architecture is experienced?

The script suggests that the real object of architecture is not directly experienced through the senses but is conceptualized and theorized after the initial architectural affect.