Expressing, Symbolism and

Communication

Ar. Mohamed Ashraf

Asso. Prof., MSAJAA

Theory of
Architecture
Meaning
& Understanding
It is a THEORITICAL
AND SCIENTIFIC
CRITICISM and/or a PHYLOSOPHICAL
EXPLANATION to issues related to
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

ARCHITECTURE THEORY is useful to

JUDGE, CRITICISE and SOUNDLY ASSESS
the DESIGN PROCESS;

Architecture articulates INTENT;

Theory of
Architecture:
Meaning
Understanding
Comprise&all
design activity,

from the
MACRO LEVEL (urban design, landscape
architecture) to the MICRO LEVEL
(construction detail, furniture).

It is the process and product of planning,

designing and constructing FORM, SPACE
and AMBIENCE that reflect FUNCTIONAL,
TECHNICAL, SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, &
AESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS.

Theory of
Architecture:
Meaning
& the
Understanding
It requires
CREATIVE MANIPULATION
and
COORDINATION
of
technology, light and shadow.

material,

Architecture
also
encompasses
the
PRAGMATIC aspects of realizing buildings
and structures including scheduling, cost
estimating
and
construction
administration.

Definition of architecture
V.S. Pramar defines architecture as The
creation of UTILITARIAN SPACES with the
component of AESTHETICS achieved by
means of TECHNOLOGY.

D.K.Ching defines architecture as The

architecture of space ,structure, enclosure
through
movement
in
time-space
achieved by means of technology
accommodating a program compatible
with its context.

Definition of architecture
Space ,structure, enclosure - organisation
pattern, relationships, hierarchy, frontal image
and spatial definition, qualities of shape, colour,
texture, scale, proportion, qualities of surfaces,
edges and openings.
Movement in space and time- approach and
entry ,path configuration, and access ,sequences
of spaces.
Technology-structure
and
enclosure,
environmental protection and comfort, health
,safety and welfare ,durability.
Program- user requirements, needs, aspirations,
socio-cultrual factors, economic factors.
Compatible
with
its
contextsite
and

Definition of architecture
Simon Unwin defines architecture as a
PRACTICAL, POETIC and PHILOSOPHICAL
art by which we organize and give form to
space. It is the medium by which we
make sense of our world SPATIALLY and
PHYSICALLY.

Expressive Role:

Nicolas Le Camus de Mzires defined

the role of architecture as A LANGUAGE
EXPRESSIVE OF ITS DESTINATION AND
PURPOSE.
The aim of architecture was accordingly
to communicate the character and
social status of his clients, but he
also believed that buildings could
evoke human sensation responding
to the mind and move the soul.
It

is

claimed

that

the

essence

of

Expression in architecture:
Expression
inARCHITECTUREis
the
communication of QUALITY and MEANING.
It implies a clear and authentic displaying
of the CHARACTER or PERSONALITY of an
ARCHITECT.
The functions and the techniques of
building are interpreted and transformed
by EXPRESSION intoART,
(As sounds are made into music and words into
literature)

Expression in architecture:
The nature of expression varies with the
cultural character of different places &
times, forming distinct modes or languages
of expression that are calledSTYLES.
STYLE communicates the outlook of a
culture and the concepts of there architects.
The boundaries of a style may be NATIONAL
AND
GEOGRAPHICAL
(e.g.,Japanese,
Mayan) or RELIGIOUS (e.g.,Islamic) and
INTELLECTUAL
(e.g.,Renaissance),

Expression in architecture:
distinct linguistic, racial, and national units,
and different expressions within each of
these boundaries are produced by the
particular style of regions, towns, groups,
architects, or craftsmen.
The components of expression, which
communicate the particular values of style,
are CONTENT & FORM.
Since content can be communicated only
through form, the two are organically

Symbolism in architecture:
Society requires thatARCHITECTURE not
only communicate the aspirations of its
institutions but also fulfill their practical
needs.
Architectural forms become the vehicles of
content in plan, elevation, and decoration
they are SYMBOLIC.
The
architectural
plan,
when
used
symbolically, communicates through its
Symbolism is in the eye of the beholder.
SHAPE.
The same symbol or metaphor may have
different meanings for different eyes.

Symbolism in architecture:
From prehistoric times
and in many cultures,
theCIRCLE,
with
its
suggestion of the planets
and other manifestations
of nature, gained a
symbolic,
mystical
significance
and
was
used in the plans of
houses,
tombs,
and
structures. it came to be employed
religious
By slow processes
formemorialand shrines and for hero cults
in both the East and the West.

Symbolism in architecture:
When building techniques permitted, its
symbolism often merged with that of the
dome.

In Hindu temples, thesquare (and the cross

plans developed from it) expressed celestial
harmony.

TheCentral-plan of Christian church (circle,

polygon, Greek cross, ellipse) fascinated the
architects of the Renaissance with its
symbolic and traditional values, and it is
found in their drawings and treatises to the

Symbolism in architecture:
PLAN
SYMBOLISM
remained
almost
exclusively in the sphere of religion after
antiquity, and its traditions gradually
disappeared in the course of the 19th
century.
The modern plan is determined by problems
of form (space-mass relationships, etc.) and
by the PRACTICAL DEMANDS OF USE rather
than by symbolic communication.

Symbolism in architecture:
In elevation the most
consistent symbolic forms
have been
the Dome
the Tower
the Stairway
the Portal and
the Colonnade
Domes
imply
the
meanings of the circle and
more,
since

dome

is

Symbolism in architecture:
Long
before,
masonry
domes could be built, the
hemisphere
was
associated
with
the
heavens as a cosmic
canopy, and throughout
history domes have been
decorated with stars and
astrological symbols.
In ancient Rome and
among
Christians
and
Indian
Buddhists,
the
dome came to mean

Symbolism in architecture:

During the Renaissance it spread

from religious structures to palaces
and government buildings, retaining
some of its implications of power.
The Chinese pagoda (traditional
part of Chinese architecture, its
construction considered auspicious)
extends central-plan symbolism into
towers; many towers and spires (a
tapering
conical
or
pyramidal
structure on the top of a building)
rose from the northern European
Gothic cathedral, and the medieval
Italian city was a forest of towers
erected by nobles in constant

Symbolism in architecture:

Thestairway, employed in the past

to
give
monumentality
to
important
buildings,
frequently
became more expressive than
convenient, especially in Baroque
palaces.

The reasons for the

construction of so
many towers are not
clear.
One
hypothesis is that
the richest families
used
them
for
offensive/defensive
purposes.

Symbolism in architecture:

Portals, from the time of ancient Egyptian

temple pylons ( large gate in front of temple
having paintings of gods) and Babylonian city
gates (having animal pictures on faade),
became monuments in themselves, used to
communicate a heightened significance to
what lay behind them.
Since the development of the classical Greek
temple, the colonnade on the exterior of
buildings has borne similar implications.

Symbolism in architecture:

Such symbols have become archaic in modern

culture and appear as a sign of resistance to
new forms.
This resistance is especially evident in the popular
symbolism of domestic architecture.
HOME is often expressed by cottage-like roofs,
shutters, trellises, mullioned windows, grilles etc.,

Symbolism in architecture:

Decoration, the most easily

recognized
medium
of
content,
communicates
meaning
either
through
architectural elements or
through the figural arts
(sculpture, painting, mosaic,
stained glass, etc.).

The architectural elements

used decoratively, such as
the classical orders, usually
originate in technique and in
time lose their structural
significance
to
become

Symbolism in architecture:
Similarly, the new vocabulary of Gothic
architecture, developed with new building
techniques (the pointed arch, the flying
buttress, etc.), became in later periods a
source for religious and romantic symbolism.
TheArt Nouveau of the turn of the 20th
century, a system of ornament based on floral
and other organic forms, survived for only two
decades, perhaps because its symbols were
neither drawn from a tradition nor derived from
a structural system.

ART NOUVEAU
ANTONIO
GAUDIS WORKS

Symbolism in architecture:

The sculptures of the Hindu temple (gods,

human figures), the mosaics of the Byzantine
church (shows wealth), and the stuccoes ( lime
+ sand + water applied wet and then hardens,
plaster used inside, stucco used outside) of
Moorish palaces (west part of north Africa) are
not ornamental applications; they determine
the form of the building itself.

The virtual absence of traditional symbols in

modern architecture is evidence of the failure of
these symbols to express the cultural patterns
of the 20th century.

Symbolism in architecture:

In these times, architecture, like

painting
sculpture and
other arts
has tended to be abstract, to emphasize
qualities of form rather than the communication
of familiar ideas through symbols.

Symbolism in 19th century

Symbolism came to the force in late 19th

century, with its roots in arts and literature.
Largely a reaction against naturalism (naturally
built shelter) and realism (present needs) ,the
movement was largely in favour of spirituality,
the imagination and dreams.
Almost everything be it a building, a painting,
a movie or a tale - has its roots in some form of
symbolism or, conversely, resorts to symbolism
for expressing itself.

Symbolism in 19th century

They provide not only structure and form, but
the text
context and
meaning to
social and cultural life.

CHETTINAD HOUSING

Front (Male) Section of House

1.Veranda.
Central of House
2.Hal vitu or vitu:first courtyard;
literally, "hall house."
3.Tontu:columns.
4.Melpati, tinnai:a raised platform
on which people sit.
5.Valavu:aisle
or
corridor
surrounding central courtyard.
6.Ull
arai:
pulli'sinner
room
forpujaand storage of dowry
items.
7.Veli arai: pulli'souter room.
Back (Female) Section of House
8.Kattu:second
courtyard,
women's courtyard; where grains
are dried, foods are prepared.
9.Samayal arai:kitchen.
10.Kutchin:a small room for
women coming-of-age ceremony.
11. Veranda.

Symbolism in 19th century

Architecture
also
constitutes
powerful
expressive and symbolic vehicles in its own
right ,with monumental buildings (gateway of
India) being more noteworthy in their style
than in their functional provision.
However, we tend to connect it mainly to
historical and religious structures as the
imagery appears to be highly explicit and
profound in them.
Symbolism
exemplified
in
monuments
,mosques, churches - spiritual and historic
structures.

Sense of space:
The term sense of space has been defined
and utilized in different ways by different
people.
It is often used in relation to characteristics
that make a place special or unique, as well
as to those that foster a sense of authentic
human attachment and belonging.
History of symbolism:
Symbolism in 19th century was characterized
as spiritual or mystical in nature ,which
represented the inner life of people.
Hence , symbolism is applied use of any
iconic representations (pyramid powerful
form, has highest form of energy, sphere
completeness)
which
carry
particular

LOTUS TEMPLE, DELHI

MATRI MANDIR, AUROVILLE

Symbolism of pyramid/
triangular form through
chakras.

Religious symbolism:
Religious architecture is a record of the way
people express their faith.
Religious symbolism uses symbols, including
arches types, artwork, texts, rituals and other
signs. and Hindu temple:
Symbols
Cultures have often associated geometric
shapes with religion.
In India ,the relation
between
symbols
and
temple
architecture
is
clearly spelt out by vastu
shartra.
The various parts of a
temple are related to

SYMBOLS

BHUDDIST STUPA

SQUARE AND
VAASTU
Hence square was
used in all temple
plans.

Examples:
Symbolism : Pentagram
A pentagram is a fivepointed star drawn with
five straight strokes.
Also called pentacle, the
pentagram
was
symbolically
in
ancient
Greece and Babylonia.
The
five
pointed
star
depicts the five elementsearth, air, fire, water and
the spirit.
The pentacle ,also said to

Examples:
Symbolism in structures: The pyramids-Egypt

The
pyramids
of
Egypt symbolize the
powerful existence of
the human race on
the earth.
They represent the The shape is said to
supreme control of
represent
the
man and animal on
descending rays of
the entire earth.
the sun and most
pyramids
were
faced with polished
white limestone to
give them a brilliant
appearance
when

Examples:
Pyramid at louvre,paris

In
1983
I.M.Peis
(Chinese born American
architect)
design
included two large glasscovered courtyards to
house sculptures.
It is made out of 666
panels of glass. Formally
,it
is
the
most
compatible
with
the
architecture
of
the
louvre.
It is also one of the most
structurally stable forms

The design and the

materials used signify a
break with architectural
traditions of the past.

Today, along with the

Eiffel
tower
,the
pyramid at louvre, is
considered as one of
the landmarks of Paris.

Examples:
Guggenheim museum Bilbao
A museum of modern and
contemporary
art
,the
Guggenheim Bilbao is located
in Spain.

Designed by Frank Gehry,

widely considered the master
of pop architecture, (break to
traditional architecture) the
museum hailed as a signal
moment
in
architectural
culture.
Intended to resemble a ship ,the building reflective
titanium panels resemble fish scales and echo organic
life forms that are seen commonly in Gehrys designs.

Examples:
Bahai Temple / Lotus Temple in Delhi
Built in the shape of lotus which
symbolizesthe best human
ideals and concepts.
Nine arches that provide the
main
support
for
the
superstructure ring the central
hall.
Nine reflecting pools surround
the building on the outside, their
form suggesting the green
leaves of the lotus flower.
The first two ranks curve inward,
embracing the inner dome; the third
layer curves outward to form
canopies over the nine entrances.

Communication
Architecture can play a communicative role by
expressing
meaning
through
the
built
environment.
A variety of cultural or symbolic values can be
expressed through choices in
Materials,
Colors,
Forms,
Sizes,
Furnishings and
Landscaping for a building

Communication
The law recognizes the communicative function of
architecture in two ways.
How government regulates the appearance of the
built environment.
Aesthetic
zoning
(Billboard
and
sign
advertising, Junkyards etc.,)
Articulation
Zoning (size and content of
signs, the color of houses in covenants,
protection for historical buildings, and limiting
the design review)
They are all targeted at regulating how
buildings communicate.

Communication
The law recognizes the communicative function of
architecture in two ways.
The second recognition of the communicative role of
architecture is in the granting of copyright protection to
architectural works.
In this regard, buildings are akin to other communicative
media, such as books and motion pictures. Copyright
protection then serves as an incentive to promote the
creation of creative and communicative architecture.

Communication

Structural significance of materials and

methods (Glass visually open, Concrete
solid)
Material characteristics are important in
communicating design techniques and the
properties of their composition (e.g. Structure,
weight, durability) and the way they are used
in structure.
Materials used depend on the function of
space, eg. Shopping mall needs glass walls to
display, trial room needs solid covering.

Communication
Stone
masonry
is
not
necessarily
connected
with
structural
methods:
rustication (finishing in rough, uneven
surfaces), drafting (more refined, linear
cutting), and polishing.
Niches, projecting courses, or frames
around openings suggest massiveness.
The use of stone orbrickmasonry in
construction is emphasized by arrangement
in lintels & arches.

Communication
The properties ofwoodemphasis
Its texture in load-bearing members and
By treating the sheathing of light wood
frames in patterns (of shingling or boarding)
that communicate thinness.

Communication
The properties of Concrete emphasis
Its plasticity makes us in freedom of
modeling and
Its use in construction by emphasizing the
impressions of the wooden forms in which it
is cast.

CONCRETE BUILDING DESIGNED

BY ZAHA HADID

CONCRETE TEXTURE DUE

TO WOODEN FRAMEWORK

Communication
Gothiccathedral : the supporting piers,
each of which extends upward without
interruption to become the rib of the vault,
the flying buttress are elegant
interpretations of their functions.
In the modernsteel-frame building, the
hidden forms of the skeleton are often
repeated on the facade to enable one to
see through to the technique, but the
system also permits the alternative of
expressing the lightness and independence
of the curtain wall by sheer surfaces of glass
and other materials.

GOTHIC CATHEDRAL
INTERIORS

STEEL FRAMED BUILDING