Architecture and The Object of Architecture

We usually hear about architecture, and moreover architecture word has been using by other disciplines and knowledges since long time ago. However, are we understand about architecture itself? How understand do we have about the architecture? Then, how about the object of architecture? Is Eiffel Tower an object of architecture? Are Golden Gate Bridge and Liberty Statue in United States an object of architecture? Stack of many huge stones in England that we called Stonehenge, is it an object of architecture? Certainly, these questions are not easy to be answered. Architecture has wide meaning, by the result of that, architects as well as common people have many perspectives about definition of architecture.

Buildings, structures, sculptures, roads, parks, built environment are too wide, that is make architecture could be interpreted as everything. There must be some words that could define architecture specifically. It is not easy to define architecture because of its complexities. According to a dictionary, architecture means art and discipline to build a buildings. According to Greece, Archi = head, and techton = craftsman, then architecture is a work of craftsman’s head. According to O’Gorman in ABC of Architecture, architecture is more than a shelter. Architecture can be an art which have different, there is architecture uses art as something important to be used as interior. According to Corbusier, architecture is the masterly, correct and magnificient play of masses seen in light. Architecture with a capital A was an emotional and aesthetic experience. According to prof. Van Romondt, architecture is a space that human being live in happiness. There are many books as well as opinions that define about architecture, this make architecture has wide and various definitions. Yet, from those definitions, architecture must have a formula of words that could define the meaning of architecture more specific.

Bamboo, either in tree shape or in cut shape, still we can recognize it as bamboo. After human being “touched” it and made it into something that have a certain function then we can say that is bamboo chairs, bamboo desks, etc. Stone also, we can easily recognize stone whatever it shape. And after human being made it into something that we need then we can say that is a stone chair, a stone desk, etc. The explanation indicates that man-made is always accomodates ideas and expression which communicated through form. Architecture is man-made, therefore architecture always accomodates ideas (usage / function ) and express meaning through form as it medium.

Not all of man-made are architecture. Architecture as a man-made could be seen as material object ( physic / non physic, tangible / intangible ); formal object ( descriptive, normative, efficiencive ); and the expression also. Material object of architecture is physic / tangible, that is container of the space for activity. The formal object is efficiencive, that is function / usage / needs / wants. And the expression is an effort to communicate container and function with orderly composition. Thus, the object of architecture has function, usually based on ‘needs’ and also ‘wants’; form which is physical container of the function; and meaning, that is a messege of the form and function.

Therefore, we may conclude that architecture is a human ( with conscious ) effort to create orderly composition of space and physical enclosure which accomodate function as well as express meaning. Of course this explanation is not a standard for architecture definition, but certain kind of method to look at, to think, and to talk about architecture and the object of architecture more specific.

YWS