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FORM & FUNCTION PT. 1
Form is the reference to the style, technique, media and the application of these things where function is what a piece of work is about or what is the subject matter. Form and function ; two different matters , two different properties but yet well linked with each other which bring out marvellous outcomes, however, this linkage had bought up some arguments to the architects since nineteenth century because there is a differentiation between ‘form follows function’ and ‘function follows form’.
“ ONE SCOURS THE ARCHITECTURAL MANIFESTOS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY IN VAIN FOR A THOROUGHGOING STATE OF THE DETERMINISM FROM SPATIAL FORM TO FUNCTION OR ITS INVERSE ” stated by Bill Hillier (philosophical text) which is trying to emphasize that we as an architects must research and known well about the true meaning of form and function before applying them to the building.
For some reason , new uses, technologies and materials had changed the relationship between them or could be said as intensified them. The first example is Guggenheim Museum debuted by Frank Lloyd Wright.
The design idea for Guggenheim Museum is that visitors would enter the building, take an elevator to the top, and enjoy a continuous art-viewing experience while descending along the spiral ramp. This design is to allow the visitors to enjoy view from top to bottom and with the uses of spiral ramp (new uses), the spaces used in the building can be minimize and improve the viewing spot of visitors. Because of the spiral shaped, the form of the building also changed become a curved shape which can be seen from outside and inside.
“ THIS I BELIEVE TO BE NATURAL LAW ”- article Original Text, development of steel manufacture (materials) was used in most of the skyscrapers built by Louis Sullivan for the function to get a safe, rigid, and economical constructions rising to a great height. The uses of steel in building reclaims that forms would be follow after functions because without the stabilizing from the steel, the form of buildings are hard to construct out. Until now we also widely use steel manufacture in building the framing of a house. Louise Sullivan also well used the technologies in constructing the supports of the building : using lifter to carry heavy matters to a higher place. Here we can see that the uses of technologies and materials can tighten the relationship between form and function as both need to coordinate well for a greater construction.
In the nutshell, I personally agreed with the terms ‘form follows function’ because the function is the major design intention of a building whereas the form is only act as the supporting. True that we can’t be argue with ‘function follows form’ to be used in building construction because sometimes the design of the building to build as an iconic building requires a special form where else the function is only be plan afterwards.
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