Aesthetics And Architectural Composition

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Originally published in 1995, this title is a result of an interdisciplinary study in architectural theory, psychology and philosophy and the author's experience as a practicing architect. It tries to relate theories of aesthetics and recent advances in the psychology of visual perception to the practice of design.

Total serialism as a concept, has progressed beyond the twelve-tone technique of composers Schoenberg and Webern, and since the 1950s it has been constantly developed. Today, it refers to far more than just a technical process for composing, rather it offers one possibility of creatively integrating knowledge on man and nature into works of art. On all levels of artificial, man-made creations - from musical compositions to architectonic designs - it allows properties and dimensions to be systematically organised, with criteria such as mass and proportions playing decisive roles. Markus Bandur (born in 1960) studied science of music, philosophy and history and now teaches at the universities of Freiburg i.Br, Berne and Kassel

Site and Composition examines design strategies and tactics in site making. It is concerned with the need for a renewed understanding of the site in the twenty-first century and the need for a critical position regarding the continued tendency to view the site as an isolated ‘fragment’ severed from its wider context. The book argues revisiting the traditional instruments or means of both siting and composition in Architecture to explore their true potential in achieving connections between site and context. Through the various examples studied here it is suggested that such instrumental means have the potential for achieving greater poetic outcomes. The book focuses on the works of twentieth century architects of wide-ranging persuasion – Peter Eisenman, Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Alvaro Siza, Herzog and de Meuron, and Charles Correa, for example – who have strived in quite different ways to achieve deeper engagement with the physical qualities of place and context. Departing from a reconsideration of the fragment, Site and Composition emphasises the role of the ‘positive fragment’ in achieving both historical continuity and renewed wholeness. The potential of both planimetric and sectional compositional methods are explored, emphasising the importance of reciprocity between ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ – between fragment and the whole, as well as materiality. Written in a clear and accessible manner, this book makes vital reading for both researchers and students of architecture and urbanism.

Rob Krier is a unique voice in today's architectural discourse through his commitment to developing a relevant and pragmatic theory of architecture based on his own experience and observations of architectural practice and opposed to the easy, abstract theorising so common in contemporary architectural writing. Together with his brother Leon, he has perfected a form of presentation in which the potency of his thinking finds its perfect counterpoint in detailed drawings and sketches which argue his case visually through the power of example. Following the success of his widely acclaimed "Urban Space", a work which looked at the problems of our cities from a historical, theoretical and practical standpoint, Krier now applies his particular, highly influential mode of didactic criticism to contemporary architecture in continuing search for fundamental architectural truths. Architectural Composition is both a theoretical and visual analysis which clearly illustrates the creative process which informs Krier's vision and praxis. The culmination of a lifetime's thought and experience by one of Europe's most important architectural theorists, it is without doubt a major achievement and is a standard work of reference for both students and practising architects. The book, published for the first time in 1988 by Academy Editions in London, has been supported by funds from the Fond zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung der Republik Österreich, and it was carried out at Krier's former Institut für Gestaltungslehre at the Technische Universität in Vienna.

This book expands our understanding of the role of formal aesthetic criteria in twentieth-century artistic practices and reveals potentially transformative aspects in the art of architectural composition. The book stages an encounter of philosopher Gilles Deleuze?s (1925?1995) constructivist sensibility and architect Louis Kahn?s (1901?1974) mode of architectural figuration. This book is of interest to architects, artists, historians and theorists and to those wishing to learn about contemporary aesthetic practice and theory.