Articles
ARCHITECTURE IN CYBERSPACE OR
CYBERSPACE IN ARCHITECTURE?
A Study into Cyber Technology, Cyber Culture and the Impacts on Man at the Turn of the
Millennium
Paper by
Yang Li
National University of Singapore
Section 3
5.0
TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT FOR CYBER ARCHITECTURE
With the different scenarios illustrated in Chapter 4, there are two kinds of
interpretation or two schools of thought with regard to the search for the meaning of
cyber architecture: one being cyber architecture in cyberspace and the other justifying it
in physical space.
Cyber architecture in cyberspace intends to go through the evolution of architecture
leading to the de-materialisation of architecture. In contrast, cyber architecture in
physical space defines what is architecture, giving a limitation or boundary to this
definition that justifies its presence in physical space.
5.1 Cyber Architecture in Cyberspace
From the 1920s to 60s, the whole notion that architecture is about the experimental
modulation of space and time - that is the "fourth dimensional" - captivated
architectural theory.
Architecture seen for its symbolic content or "message system" has taken on a
life of its own. Not only have architecture drawings generated art markets in their own
right - as illustrated conceptual art, buildings have begun to become arguments in
architectural discourse about architecture, as propositions, narratives, and inquiries
that happen also to be inhabitable.
In the avant-garde guise, the movement goes by the name of Deconstructivism, or
Post-Structuralism. Its interest is neither a building as an object of beauty nor
inhabitation, Architecture becomes an object of information, a collection of ciphers and
"moves", junctions and disjunctions, reversals and iterations, metaphorical
woundings and healings, and so on, all to be "read".
Architecture, in its physical form, is no longer an important issue, the meaning or
what can be read reigns supreme. Would the next step of cyber architecture in cyberspace
be a logical approach. Furthermore, cyberspace can provide and do what architects have
been dreaming of all the time, e.g. build a castle in the air without being constrained by
gravity.
Architecture in cyberspace provides an opportunity for architects to explore and test
out and idea before actually building it. It allows the user to do walkthroughs and
provides a more realistic view of what it would be like in real life. It allows different
professionals to interact and simulate an idea before actually building. It allows
theories and concepts to be realised and explained even with a physical body and thus
generates newer ideas never though possible. It is like paper architecture, except that it
is much more.
Fundamentally, the idea of architecture per se as a ground for discourse and theorising
works fine. But the question remains whether there is architecture in cyberspace.
Cyberspace architecture can be easily related to a physical parallel. It is like the
museum in real life and a model in cyberspace. But buildings in cyberspace are constructed
from programming language and not bricks and mortar.
Although there is so much hype about cyberspace in the media, how cyber can
architecture be? An article recently posted in the newsgroup, alt.architecture, stated
that “After all, Internet is just an electronic billboard!”, the author said
that users were becoming irritated by animations which took up considerable time when
downloading web pages…he wrote, “Just get to the point!”. This applies to
cyber architecture too, if the design remains in bits and bytes, architects often face a
difficult question of “So what?”.
5.2 Cyber Architecture in Physical Space
In relating to cyberspace, architects like Steven Holl instead of proposing a scheme in
cyberspace chose to use it as a metaphor in physical space. Using work performed in
cyberspace and translating it to the elements of his architecture as a metaphor, Holl
endowed meanings into physical parts of his architectural work, simply because one cannot
live in cyberspace.
Although cyberspace can try to imitate the physical space, it can never be real.
Comparing a cybercafe in physical space and a cybercafe@cyberspace, one cannot taste a cup
of cappuccino in cyberspace. Even in "The machine stops" by E.M. Foster, one
purchases a cup of cappuccino by a simple click on the computer - it is the physical
component of the "machine" that is churning out the drink.
Architecture can be defined fundamentally as the art of science of a building;
style of building
Cyberspace, as defined in the introduction, is a parallel in computer and communication
forms, that which is made up of electronic bits. Although the limits of a cyberspace are
constantly expanding, and the capabilities of cyberspace are improving, it can be switched
off in a split second. Although one can use virtual goggles, virtual gloves and so on, it
is the physical components that make cyberspace present.
The fundamental justification for cyberspace in physical space, as far as architecture
is concerned, is defined by the limits of what cannot be done in cyberspace. As long as
one cannot step through the computer screen, architecture must still be in a physical
environment.
6.0
CONCLUSION
To be truthful to cyber architecture, one has to look into what can be done, in
architecture, in cyberspace and in physical space. Thus focusing into that direction.
Because of the virtual reality, our perception has changed such that there could be a
change in the physical world. It is not as simple as putting ten monitors or an electronic
information kiosk at the entrance to a building but one which has impact on the whole
relationship of spaces.
6.1 Perception of a Cyberian and the effects
Imagine the effects of advertising and propaganda. A good advertisement will make
people buy a poor product. On the contrary, a simple rumour can crash the stock market and
lead even to suicides. For a building, the effects are similar. After a virtual
walkthrough or even reading articles about the building may make a user either go all the
way to search for the building or decide not to go at all. Without the existence of the
virtual space, on the Internet with video, sounds, graphics and text, will knowledge of
the building be as what it is now?
If one can check out the availability of a book through a computer at home, why would
one bother to go all the way to the library and that particular shelf to search for it?
Think of it as a multiple of the number of person using the library. What about insurance
agents and property agents who practically spend most of their time outdoors and just need
to update the main office? The time and money saved by using video conferencing facilities
would be considerable. Think of how much fuel and how many trees that have been saved
since the implementation of the electronic mail.
Virtual reality could lead to reduction in waste. But that is not enough. With the
expansion of cyberspace, virtual reality games centre, video arcades, cybercafes,
neighbourhood computer shops etc. With the changing expectations of users, it is not wise
to use post-modernist vocabulary for cyberspace.
6.2 Analysis and Criticism for Architecture in Cyberspace
Although architecture has dematerialised, there is a limit. We still need to live in
real architecture even as notions of dematerialisation and abstraction can help to produce
useful and interesting real architecture.
Thus, the strategy is not to design assuming an enclosed, independent
virtual world. Instead we should ask how virtual reality might be created within the
context of the real world. Instead of asking how cyberspace can be realised in a physical
world, it should be how ordinary practices and objects of reality might be cyberised. It
should be a distributed and augmented reality rather than an enclosed, simulated reality,
a reality in which integrates cyberisation with activities of the real world. It is to
bring cyberspace to people and not people to cyberspace.
Thus, it is now not to look into question of architecture in cyberspace but how
cyberspace has been realised in a physical space.
6.3 Revitalising and Rejuvenating Architecture
Since the evolution of mankind, there is a tendency towards
'beauty'. The so called 'beauty' is an image that shows the status of a person, for a
Chinese, this term could be called "face." The picture shown on the right is an
example of a primitive tribal man from Pupua New Guinea. It is to illustrate the natural
behaviour of man.
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The failure of modernism in architecture at present is perhaps due to the lack of
ornament or decoration. There is no relationship with the activity inside despite the
success of modernism during the post war period. When society becomes more stable, and
richer in some sense, what people look for is not just a place to live in. Icons and
symbolic deities are sought after. That explains the success of post modernism all around
the world. Although post modernism is a success in terms of mass popularity, it is a
failure in architecture due to the fact that there is no progress.
One soon realises that Corinthian columns and pediments have in the end no relationship
to the user. It is like the African man in the movie, "The Gods Must be Crazy",
wearing a cowboy hat with his half naked body covered by a tiny piece of animal skin and
holding a wooden spear and slinging a primitive bow across his shoulders.
As the realm of cyberspace expands rapidly, the number of people joining this
cyberworld is constantly increasing. Cyber architecture in a physical space may be an
alternative to post modernist architecture. By proving that it is human nature not to be
minimalist, it therefore implies that the idea of the death of architecture is no longer
valid. It is a revitalisation of architecture, a rejuvenation of architecture a new
celebration.
In searching for meaning for cyberspace and architecture, it is found in the physical
space and not cyberspace itself. But that does not deny that fact that much could also be
done in cyberspace. Cyberspace provides a ground for testing and visualising, the physical
space provides a ground for realisation. Thus instead of looking for an architecture in
cyberspace, one should look for cyberspace as a tool for architecture. In cyberspace,
wonders could be done to architecture. Virtual walkthroughs, animation, calculation,
project programming and monitoring, simulated co-ordination, real time working through
Internet, electronic mail and etc. are only some examples of what could be done.
The actualisation of which relies on the physical built form.
The problem that most architects face is to look for architecture in cyberspace. Many
find no significance or relevance in cyberspace. A virtual museum on the Net does not
affect the viewing of pictures in a gallery in cyberspace. Whether there is a cyber museum
designed by an architect or not does not affect the end user. After all, we are all living
in physical reality.
Cyberspace has a complementary role to architecture. Cyberspace, in trying to create
realism refers back to the physical world. Architecture, with the evolution of cyber
technology, thus begins to reflect images and meanings from cyberspace.
Therefore, instead of looking for architecture in cyberspace, one should be looking for
cyberspace in architecture.
Selected Bibliography
Benedikt, Michael. Cyberspace: First Steps. MIT Press. 1991
Blowers, Andrew and Hamnett, Chris and Sarre, Philip (Editors). The Future Cities.
Hutchinson Educational in association with the open university press. 1974.
Coupland, Douglas. Microserf. Harper Collins Publisher, Inc. 1995
Daly, Steven and Wice, Nathaniel. alt.culture: an a-to z guide to the ‘90s -
underground, online, and over the counter. Harper Collins Publishers, Inc. 1995
Meyrowitz, Joshua. No Sense of Place: The Impact of Electronic Media on Social
Behaviour. New York: Oxford University Press. 1985
Mitchell, William J. City of Bits: space, place, and the infobahn. MIT Press.
1995 http://www-mitpress.mit.edu/City_of_Bits/
Negroponte, Nicholas. Being Digital. Hodder & Stoughton. 1995
Riley, Terence. Light construction. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. 1995
Tan, Yu-Jin, Patrick. Realism in Architectural Representation: The Challenges of
Virtual Reality in Enhancing Design Perception. National University of Singapore.
School of Architecture Dissertation. 1995/96
Winner, Langdon. The Whale and the Reactor: A search for limits in an age of high
technology. University of Chicago Press. 1986
Noever, Peter. Architecture in Transitions. Prestel, Munich. 1991
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