Education >
Science
Removable Frames
Author: Hadar pelegIntroduction
Many leading architects and philosophers, both experienced and knowledgeable, have tried to define "space" in all its various types and meanings. Books were written; lectures were given; yet something is missing.
I believe that searching for answers to questions referring to the meaning of space, such as: what it is, how to define it, and what kind of influence it has on us; Is as necessary to ones existence as the flesh light to the Cinema Theater worker, without it he is just another person wondering in the dark. In other words, exploring space is an obligation of everyone who moves in it; most certainly a person who wish to work with space- the architect.
Nature of space and time
In many Philosophical theories TIME and SPACE are the basic elements of existence; interesting, because as for time, we all have the need (some of us the obsession) to carry a watch, get a constant idea on our location in the universal timeline; we are afraid to lose time, to be lost in the 24 hours of the day. But rarely we see somebody carrying a compass to get a sense of his exact location, as if we feel much more secure in dealing with the endless space. We give names to the material frames we build; my office, my house, the coffee shop, the park; one would say: “I’m on my way from the office to the supermarket...” and feel the illusion of understanding his location. Of course trying to locate oneself in space using those small frames (house, street, city…), is as efficient as trying to solve a mathematic equation by eating pasta.
In my few attempts to define/understand the meaning of space (defining by understanding, or understanding by defining), I searched for the point that space ceases to exists, In fact I was asking if there is such a thing; if space is temporary or timeless (illustrated in my World Trade Center project). I thought understanding the limits of space on the scale of time, will make my conception of space clearer; I had no success. It turned out to be that using those elements one versus the other, might be a enormous misconception. According to Einstein’s relativity theory, time and space are not to be separated; time is the fourth dimension of the three-dimensional space; he called it the “space-time continuum”.
Analyzing the relation between time and space led me to Einstein’s scientific theories. When in fact I was aiming in the direction of Michel Fuocault. I believe it was the perfect indication to change my direction, and focus on space as an individual two layers element, composed by two different types of space; The natural layer - given to us by nature; and the changeable layer- contracted continually by us.
Space
“…I wish there were stable places, static, spaces that haven’t been touched by anybody, untouchable, irremovable, unchangeable… places like this don’t exist, therefore space has become a enormous question, stopped being certain, stop being a part of us, space is a doubt; we have to mark it, we have to indicate it contently…we have to conquest it.” (Georges Perec)
When we are referring to space, is it the space in the form given to us by nature, or is it the result of long history of human trial to change natural space in accordance with our own needs. Constantly destroying and building bridges, tunnels, walls, roads, or any other REMOVABLE FRAME that defines a new smaller space than the one that was before.
If we are distinguishing between these two kinds of spaces; the given space and the changeable space, or in other words,
“The natural frames” and “The removable frames”, how should we analyze each one of them?
The natural space (as from our narrow point of view) is endless; we can’t see (or remember) its starting point as well as its ending; we have no concept of its time and physical limits. While the removable space is to be ruled by us, we produce it, give it life and by will take it. Its shape and measures are determined by our decisions…by our desires.
Removable Frames - Temporary spaces
The outcome of distinguishing between those two layers (two types of spaces) carries with it an necessary significance in the progress of understanding the essence of space; at one point I considered spaces (of any kind) to be as objective as reality itself; I never stopped to think about the meaning of its temporariness.
I’m holding a 25 year-old picture taken in my childhood bedroom, in a building that was destroyed 5 years ago; the 3D space on the picture is as real as my imagination. At one point it existed, now the only evidence of its existence is the photo in my hand. Is that the same stable element of existence we mentioned before? Is that space?
From an extended time perspective, those spaces created by removable frames are as significant as the smoke elevating from my cigarette as I’m writing… its essence is uncertain, as a result of its temporariness.
To describe those spaces in an accurate way, we should start use the term – temporary space.
Temporary spaces are all around us; we live our everyday life surrounded by spaces defined by Removable Frames we create; walls, partitions, windows, sidewalks, roads, columns, and other objects that divides space into smaller spaces, which we believe are more convenient for us. Maybe we are missing something being surrounded by constructed frames most of our time. choosing the right suitable frame to stay in, might be a crucial element influencing our state of mind – our attitude toward all. We all know the feeling of being surrounded by natural frames, sitting on a riverbank, watching the sun rising in the desert; practically being a part of any natural environment. In those situations we are not abstracting space, but being one with it. We feel intact while staying in spaces defined by harmonic frames; cautiously and patiently made by an extraordinary Creator. Probably our subconscious has more architectural awareness than we think.
One should be fastidious regarding the frames he chooses to be surrounded by, as well as for the ones who create them.
Continuance change
Is that the practical significance of space? Choosing the right materials and proportions, making a quality frame that creates the “perfect space”; in other words, choosing the right “something” to create the harmonic “nothing”…
Space is designeddefined by everything it contains; which turns everything, everybody into a removable frame. We can start by defining our own body as a mobile frame; we are moving from place to place changing our location and by that changing space as it being conceived by others. Every element that is not considered space, is taking a part in shaping it. Everybody pays attention to the things that make the space, but who pays attention to space itself?
Space in Buddhism
We live and experience our life in space, in all kind of spaces, in a city, in a village, inside a room, or outside, in a public garden… every single one of our awaken experiences consumes space. For some this fact seems obvious; maybe it is obvious, all in all space is substantive, therefore logical which makes it real – obvious; still we feel the urge to understand more.
Is “the nothing” makes “the something” or is it the other way around; what makes the space… the frame or the emptiness?
The Buddhism approach towards space is unique by its clear conception; in the ‘Heart Sutra’ one of the best-known Buddhist text, written 2500 years ago, there is an fascinating analogy between space and silence.
If there were nothing but silence, it wouldn’t exist for us; we wouldn’t know what it is. Only when sound appears does silence comes into existence. In the same way, if there were only space without any frames or objects, it wouldn’t exist for us.
“Just as no sound can exist without silence, no space can exist without objects “.
Or in the word of the Buddha: “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.“
Conclusion
I can’t say that any of my experiments raised any scientific results, but I was left with a strong feeling that space is timeless; never ceases to exists, as well as never changes its form; the only thing that changes is the frame that we homo sapiens build as well as destroy. Those frames can be called the REMOVABLE FRAMES, always changing their shapes and measures, but in their lifetime, those frames are necessary things for us; although the space they indicate is temporary, we should invest the best of our energy and creativity creating them; only with their presence we can define what’s around us.
Without those frames, we are lost in space.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/science-articles/removable-frames-106484.html
About the Author:Born on februery 12,1980, Israel, Hadar Peleg was raised in the city of Tel Aviv, the world wide famous city of the Bauhaus, also known as "the white city".
After successfully concluding his military service, Hadar had traveled in 2002-2003 to the far east, mostly in India and Thailand. during this period he was strongly influenced by the eastern cultures, and started studying and practicing Buddhism.
The beginning of 2005 led him to focus on architecture as the art where he could best express his passions and experience. After a short tour in Europe, he settled in Venice, Italy, where he started his studies at the architecture department of IUAV university. After a successful year of studies in IUAV, Hadar decided to hold looking for the next phase in his artistic growth.
|
|
Keywords:
space frames spaces time removable those other being frame natural