Limits of the Architectural Object
Monday
22nd April 2024 | 13:00 – 14:30 CET
Aula 306 Lingotto | Streaming on YouTube
INTRODUCTION
The lecture focuses on the significance of the concept of limit for theorizing the design process, understood as the architectural object’s transition from its ideal to the real state. It assumes the importance of the concept for the existence of the real architectural object. This ideal objectivity will be interpreted within the idea of determination, delineating the limits that distinguish the object as an entity from its exterior otherness.
Such a definition will be used to inquire into the productive capacities of limits, which could be considered as something that provokes the totality and unity of the concept by relating it to the outer world. Apart from delving into the metaphysics of sameness, such a definition of limits could help us understand architectural design as a creative process of alternately defining and destabilizing the limits that separate the ideal and the real sphere of an architectural object.
BIO
Snežana Vesnić is a practicing architect and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Belgrade. Her fields of study include architectural philosophy and aesthetics, with a focus on “architectural concepts.” She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khōrein: Journal for Architecture and Philosophy.
Contacts
Snezana vesnic from university of belgrade stated the aim of her lecture to be an inspiration to pursue architecture. With a distinguished professional practice, including nominations for the Mies van der Rohe Award, Vesnic emphasized the fusion of theory and architectural thinking in defining the concept. She outlined a two-step process: first, identifying the architectural concept, and second, bringing it to fruition through material expression. Using projects like Villa Pavlovic and the RTS Memorial 16, which features kinetic sculptures based on 16 elements, she illustrated the necessity for architectural endeavors to surpass boundaries. Vesnic’s assertion that architecture is inseparable from the idea of limits suggests that these constraints serve as guiding forces in manifesting conceptual visions into tangible reality. By encapsulating theory, practice, and the transcendence of limits, Vesnic’s lecture provided a holistic perspective on the essence and execution of architectural design.
The lecture delves deep into the intricacies of contemporary architecture, focusing on the philosophical underpinnings that shape design processes. One fascinating example discussed is the project of a memorial, where liveliness of the individuals commemorated, rather than focusing solely on their deaths. This concept highlights the interplay between ideality and reality in architecture, emphasizing the need for constant translation and negotiation between the two. The lecturer’s emphasis on the temporal aspect of design underscores the dynamic nature of architectural creation, where concepts evolve into tangible structures over time. Moreover, the discussion on the relationship between the concept and the object sheds light on the complex process of materializing architectural ideas while preserving their essence. Overall, the lecture provides valuable insights into the theoretical framework that informs architectural practice, emphasizing the importance of navigating the tensions between ideality and reality in design.
It was an interesting philosophical lecture on the significance of limits and concepts for an architectural project. Professor Vesnic explained how defining limits when theorizing the design process can lead to a more focused and structured design. What I understood was that by establishing limits, you delineate the boundaries within which the design is explored. This helps narrow the focus to specific aspects of design, and thereby the theorization remains relevant and manageable. Limits also provide a framework that helps theorists delve deeply into relevant topics without being overwhelmed by extraneous information. Furthermore, limits encourage exploration of the boundaries of design theory which helps define what lies within and outside the scope of inquiry. This way, theorists can examine intersections with other disciplines, identify interdisciplinary connections, or challenge conventional assumptions about the design process. Limited resources such as time, expertise, and data necessitate prioritization by allocating the resources to the most critical or promising areas of theorization and prevent the dispersion of effort on less relevant and less fruitful inquiries.
The professor also pointed out the vitality of the concept for a real architectural project. The concept serves as the foundational idea that guides the entire design process and gives meaning to it. It Encapsulates the goals and aspirations of the architect, and without a clear concept, the design lacks direction and may fail to fulfill its intended function or meaning.
Architect Vesnić thinks that architects use concepts to create something. They use machetes to explain their concepts. She concludes that architects cannot produce Ideality and Infinity together in real objects. The limit between two objects is like the line between ideality and reality.
The concept is inside while the object itself stands in front of you. She sees transgression as an open process. Through the project we discover problems. There is a tension between A-symmetry and ideality in architecture. An architect must have an infinity, or the design won’t have an end. Once the client is saying that something is missing, this opens the process again. She defines Transgression as “going beyond limits”, distancing from present and projecting to the future. Looking at events that cannot occur during the project process itself. Transgression means mobility, leaving the same geometry but still change the contact with the horizon and the nature.
The lecture offers a captivating exploration into the role of limits and concepts within architectural projects. Professor Vesnic adeptly elucidates how the establishment of clear boundaries can refine and structure the design journey.
Moreover, Vesnic underscores the essential fusion of theory and architectural thought in conceptualization, advocating for a nuanced process: identifying the architectural concept, and then bringing it to life through material expression. Her choice of exemplary projects further emphasizes the imperative for architectural endeavors to transcend conventional boundaries.
Ultimately, Vesnic’s assertion regarding the inseparability of architecture from the concept of limits resonates deeply, suggesting that these constraints serve as guiding forces in the manifestation of conceptual visions into tangible realities. In conclusion, the lecture not only provides valuable insights into the theoretical framework informing architectural practice but also prompts reflection on the delicate balance between idealism and reality in design.
The lecture by Snežana Vesnić began focusing more on philosophical side of the limit, in a way I had not thought about it. Her speech pushed me to rethink the limiting and limits. This concept meant to me setting aside, more over consider the object as only one not as two. I enjoyed to question basic notions like object, and with its etymologic definition.
She delineated a two-part approach: initially pinpointing the architectural idea, then translating it into physical form through materialization. Examples such as Villa Pavlovic underscored the importance of architectural projects transcending conventional limitations. The lecture offers valuable perspectives on the theoretical foundation guiding architectural work, stressing the significance of balancing ideal concepts with practical implementation in design.
Architect Vesnić believes that architects use concepts to create objects and metaphors to explain their ideas. She believes that architects can not do something perfect and infinite in real life, the concept is in your head, but the real thing is right in front of you. The line or limit dividing two objects is like the imaginary line between an idea and the real thing. She thinks that breaking boundaries is a continuous process in which problems emerge during all phases of the projects themselves. For example when customers say something is missing or they want to integrate some aspects, the process starts again. Architects balance asymmetry and perfection, always aiming for infinite possibilities. Vesnić sees overcoming limits as going beyond what is possible, thinking about what could happen in the future. It’s like staying flexible while maintaining the same basic shape, but changing the way it fits into the environment.
The lecture which was held by Snežana Vesnić delved into the profound significance of limits in theorizing the architectural design process. It examined how architecture transitions from an ideal state to reality, emphasizing the crucial role of limits in defining the existence of the architectural object. By interpreting this ideal objectivity within the framework of determination, the lecture explored how limits demarcate the entity from its external surroundings. The lecturer investigated the productive capacities of limits, highlighting their role in fostering the totality and unity of architectural concepts by connecting them to the external world. Furthermore, Vesnić proposed that understanding limits as both defining and destabilizing elements can shed light on architectural design as a creative endeavor. By alternately defining and challenging limits, architects navigate the dynamic interplay between the ideal and real realms of architectural creation.
In her lecture, Snezana Vesnic covered the basics of modern architecture. She stressed the importance of having clear boundaries and strong ideas when designing buildings. Vesnic used her own experiences and achievements, like being nominated for big awards such as the Mies van der Rohe Award, to explain how theory and real skills blend in actual projects. She pointed out that architecture isn’t just about constructing buildings; it’s about turning ideas into real structures. For instance, she mentioned the RTS Memorial 16, where art plays a significant role in the building. Vesnic also discussed how architects start with an idea and then put in a lot of effort to make it a reality. This combination of theory, practical work, and knowing when to stop helps us understand how architecture functions. Her talks gave us new insights into the architecture reality limits and encouraged us to pursue our creative ambitions with clarity and determination.
Snežana Vesnić architect and assistant professor at the faculty of architecture of the univesity of Belgrade, teaches subjects such as Theory of Project, Design studios and architecture as philosophy. Within her carreer and pubblications she has been studying and investigating the position of theory in methodology, so discussing about architectural thinking.
Main topic of the lecture is the architectural concept and the importance of the limits. The concept is defined as what we can see between the theory and the practical work, is a reflection of what we can do when we produce architecture. As Peter Eisenman said, theory explains and creates typologies but doesn’t construct. The idea of architectural concept contains an idealistic image and only through the realization with a materialization in space and time it can become architecture.
Although architectural concept is different from the philosophical concept, philosophy is the art of creating concepts, architecture is the art of creating architectural concepts. So in architecture we use the architectural concept to produce the architectural object. If we agree that we have a first object (the concept) and a second object (the architectural object), then what is the limit between the two things? It is a fragile line between the ideality and reality.
Conceptus and obiectum are studies by the philosophers of the 13th century: concept, from the latin verb concapere, means putting together elements in one; object is something which stands in front, is an obstacle. The concept of limits comes from the movement from the one side to the other between roject and architectural project. Following the idea of Bernard Tschumi, the professor considers the transgression of limits as an open process, in continuous movement. Transgression does not imply the negation of the limits but rather their crossing. Limits are a necessary framework that enables theorists to put together the different aspects of the subject. In the process of design, incompletness is needed in order to create design.
But from ideal to real the concept can be lost during the translation from concept to materialization. A good project is one where concept and object match the most, which is a rappresentation that many limits have been considered in the conceptual thinking.
Many of Snežana’s projects have a strong conceptual meaning. For example the Memorial for the 60 young people killed represented by a 21mt high kinetic sculpture which encaptures the concept of emptiness and fragility of time. It is a project that antrophizes the importance of future. Many of her projects have not been realized because of external factors.
At last we can about what does architecture really need: reality or concept?
During her lecture, Professor Snežana Vesnić emphasized the fusion of theory and architectural thinking, outlining a two-step process: identifying the architectural concept and materializing it. Projects such as Villa Pavlovic and the RTS Memorial, which featured kinetic sculptures based on 16 elements, exemplified the need for architectural endeavors to transcend boundaries. Vesnić suggested that constraints served as guiding forces in manifesting conceptual visions into reality, asserting that architecture was inseparable from the idea of limits. Delving into contemporary architecture’s complexity, the lecture focused on philosophical underpinnings that shaped design processes. Emphasizing the temporal aspect of design, the lecture underscored the dynamic nature of architectural creation. It offered insights into the theoretical framework informing architectural practice, emphasizing the importance of navigating tensions between ideality and reality in design.
Snežana Vesnić’s lecture “limits of the Architectural object” emphazised and explained “limit” can be seen as the boundary between what is conceptually perfect and what is practically achievable. The transition from the ideal to the real state of an architectural object is bounded by “limits,” The deep exploration into how these demarcations both define and drive the creative process. It also define the demarcation between the ideal aspirations of the architect and the realities imposed by physical, economic, social, and environmental factors
In summary, Snežana Vesnić’s concept of limits in architecture is not just a methodological tool but a philosophical foundation that positions the design process as an ongoing negotiation between the ideal and the real. This perspective not only enriches the theoretical understanding of architectural design but also enhances the practical approaches to creating spaces that are both visionary and viable. By framing limits as both definitive edges and points of departure, Vesnić invites architects to explore the full spectrum of creativity that emerges specifically because of and within the constraints they face.
Snežana Vesnić’s lecture is about the concept of limit.
The concept for her is an act of reflection of what we do, she defines the difference between the concept in architecture and a philosophical concept.
Philosophers use the concept to explain the world, while architects use the concept to describe a structure. The architectural concept is an object able to project a philosophy and an aesthetics on an architectural real object. It gives meaning to the second object.
There are many theories about what the limit is, generally it’s said that the limit defines a border; for example, saying that a bottle is just a bottle means that it is just that, and it can’t be nothing more.
A concept can also be understood as something closed, something pregnant, something ideal that we don’t know yet.
Following Vesnić’s theory we must create a limit because what would architecture be without it?
At the seme time, we need the act of transgression, which is all about going beyond the limit.
Transgression couldn’t exist without limits, as well as limits couldn’t exist without the hope to be surpassed.
Professor Snežana Vesnić’s lecture was very difficult to understand, but she pointed out at the beginning of it that dealing with quite “philosophical” topics, it was normal to hear unfamiliar words or struggle to understand certain concepts.
Unlike the other lectures, the theme of “limit” is much more evident in this one as it is stated and reasoned about several times during the presentation.
I really liked it when he emphasizes the importance of transgressing and taking risks in the process of realization, as only then does one transcend the concept of the limit. Moreover, as he later pointed out, only in this way do we also get to know the “problems” that will arise. Through stasis, this is not possible. It gave me much food for thought, as it is indeed only by going beyond our comfort zone that we can discover new things and learn from mistakes, but to do this we have to overcome our “limits”.
Architect and assistant professor Snežana Vesnić who teaches at the faculty of architecture of the university of Belgrade, in this lesson she investigated the idea of limit and concept on architecture.
In this lecture, Architect Snežana Vesnić divided the design structure into 2 parts: first, design thinking and second, architectural thinking.She talked about the importance and reasons for the separation of these types of thinking. She mentioned that since architecture is not an art, it requires an approach of thought other than art and how these types of thought led to the concept of limit in architecture.
Architect Snežana Vesnić talked about how architectural limits are a tool for the architect and how to create and use them and overcome them when the time comes. We can better understand this concept of limit with this excerpt from the lesson.(Transgression means going beyond the limit but does not imply the negation and annulment of the limit.Transgression cannot exist without the idea of limit just as the limit cannot exist without the possibility of being crossed.)
With the help of these concepts, Architect Snežana Vesnić explained where, how to use theory and practice and integrate them into our architectural life.
The lecture by Snežana Vesnić explored the intricate relationship between limits and concepts in architecture, offering valuable insights into the design process. Vesnić’s emphasis on the fusion of theory and architectural thinking highlighted the importance of delineating clear boundaries to refine and structure design journeys. By showcasing exemplary projects like Villa Pavlovic and the RTS Memorial, Vesnić underscored the imperative for architectural endeavors to transcend conventional limitations. Her assertion that constraints serve as guiding forces in manifesting conceptual visions into tangible realities resonated deeply, suggesting that architecture is inseparable from the idea of limits. Overall, Vesnić’s lecture provided a thought-provoking exploration of the theoretical framework informing architectural practice, emphasizing the delicate balance between idealism and reality in design.