Architecture:the making of metaphors

Architecture:the making of metaphors

The lecture

www.bariefez-barringten.com

”BarieFez-Barringten

Life's vehicle by Barie Fez-Barringten

First appeared in: Main Currents in Modern Thought/Center for Integrative Education; Sept..-Oct. 1971, Vol. 28 No.1, New Rochelle, New York.

Architecture:the making of metaphors”©The Book;

Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: Feb 2012
12 Back Chapman Street
Newcastle upon Tyne 
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United Kingdom

Edited by

Edward Richard Hart,

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Glasgow

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UK

                                                                               
It is well known that role playing, game theory,  pretending, creative
perception, invention and discovery are ways to not only solve problems but
by thinking outside of the box and expanding limits one can better ones
design skills. But how can we apply this to our work. To simply claim that
architecture is an art because it too makes metaphors is not enough it must translate into application.
1.)Background:
How did this all start?
1.1 During the series of lectures on art at Yale University,
Irving Kriesberg had spoken  about the characteristics of
painting as a metaphor.Because I had already been interested in
metaphors and so many claimed that architecture was an art it
seemed at once that this observation was applicable to architecture and to the design  of occupiable forms.
VincenteScullyintroducedmetothemetaphysicalphilosopher
PaulWeisswhosuggestedthatweturntoEnglishlanguageand
literatureinordertodevelopacomprehensive,specific,andthereforeusabledefinitionofmetaphor.
1.2Thefirstlectures"Architecture:theMakingofMetaphors"wereorganizedandconductedneartheArtandArchitecture
buildingattheMuseumofFineArtsYaleUniversityin
NovemberandDecemberof1967.Theguestspeakerswere:PaulWeiss,WilliamJ.Gordon(Synectics;ThemetaphoricalWayofknowing)),ChristopherTunnard,VincentScully,TuranOnat,KentBloomer,PeterMillard,RobertVenturi(learningfromLasVegaspreviewed),CharlesMoore,Forrest
Wilson,andJohnCage.Sincethenmyfortyfouryearsofresearchhasbeenpublishedinmanynationalandinternationallearnedjournals.Inadditiontoapplyingittomyarchitectural
practiceIhavealsoappliedtheresultsofmyresearchinthe
classroomatPratt,TexasA&M,KingFaisalUniversity,Ohio
University,UniversityofHouston,UniversityofPetroleumandMineralsandGlobalUniversity.

1 of 87:"Gibe" by Barie Fez-Barringten

3
Metagram:1971NYC
2.0Sowhatisametaphor?
2.1Metaphorisaliterarytermwhichmeans"carrying-over"andsynonymistheword“transfer”.
2.2Itassociatesmeanings,emotions,things,timesandplaceswhichotherwisewouldnothavebeenrelated.
2.3Itisatwo-wayprocesswherethemetaphorpointsbeyondeach
ofitsmemberstotherealitytheydiverselyexpress,articulatinga
characteristiccommontoboth,tellingusthattheybothhaveanintrinsicnature:suchas“RichardtheLion-hearted”
2.4Themetaphorpointsbeyondeachofitsmemberstothereality
thendiversityexpress,articulatingapowercommontoboth,tellingusthattheybothhaveanintrinsicnature.
2.5Ifthereisnotinitialseparationbetweenthetwoelements,thereis
nometaphor.Themetaphorinvolvestheintrusionnotof
neighborsbutofaliens.Itbringstogetherwhatseemstobe
radicallydifferentinnature.Thisistheheartandsecretofgreatart,andofgreatarchitecture.
2.6Itisanorganicwhole,whereineachelementwiththeworkexplainstheexistenceandmeaningoftheothers.
2.7Metaphorisacatalystwhichfusesmemories,experiences
4
andothermodesofexistence;itembodieswithinitsown
distinctivenesscertainuniversalsymbolsandconceptscommontomankind.
2.8Metaphoricallythings,timesandplacesknowntohavea
preferential,specificorlocalizeduseinonecontextareexplicitlyemployedinanother.Onefamiliarandonestrange
termareusuallycomposedintoasingleformwhereoneterm
normallyusedinonecontextisbroughtoverintoanotherwith
theobjectofilluminating;makingmoreevidentsomethingintheseconddomainwhichotherwiseremainsobscure.
Mertaphordiagramfrom“Gibe”Questions/comments?

"Docking at Sheba-Land" by Barie Fez-Barringten

5
PiazaSanMarco,Venice
3.0Letuscontinuewithsomeexamples.
3.1Inthecaseofcertainbuildingtypestheoriginalprototypeor
modelmayilluminatetheproposedandtheproposedthe
originalmodel.Foranyoneworkwecanseekthework’ssimilaritiesanddifferencesandfindthecharacteristicscommon
toboth.Eachworktalksaboutonethingintermsofanotherwithpartsthatarebothoppositeandequal.
TurkishfortinTaroutIslandinArabainGulf
3.2Whatmaybetrueatonelevelmaynotbetrueatanother;yetthere
maybesimilaritiesatoneleveltoanelementatanotherlevel.
Levelsmayinteract.Inotherwords,apparentdifferencesandapparentsimilaritiesmayin-facttransferbutondifferentlevels.
6
3.3Italwayshascommonplacewhereelementshavenon-apparentcommonality.
BeleizeHousedrainageculvertforms
3.4Therearechoicesandselectionsofmaterials,systemsandstructuresthatcanbefittedtogether.Eachisapparently
unrelated,dissonantandincompatibleuntileachisadaptedtoharmonies,fitandcontribute.
3.5Anarchitecturalworkisanorganicunityinwhicheachpartisnot
merelyinjuxtaposition,groupedwithotherparts,butinwhichallpartscloselyaffectoneanother.
3.6Strictlyspeaking,ametaphorinvolvesthecarryingoverofmaterialordinarilyemployedinaratherwell-definedcontextintoawhollydifferentsituation.

Photo of  IRT Simpson Street  passenger platform by Barie Fez-Barringten

7
SimpsonStreetElevatedtrainstationBronx
3.7Themetaphorisabridgeandbridges.
3.8Architecturecombinestechnologieswithoneanotherandwith
commonsense,whileaccommodatingthepeculiaritiesofits
users,andbecausethethoughtwhichorganicallyscalesthe
facilitycanmakeclear,throughtheresultingwork,theoperations,goals,andidealcharacteristicsoftheuser’ssystem.
3.9Thearchitecturalworkisasynthesisofspaceandthedescription
ofthatspace;theworkorganicallysustainsitselfasawholeaswellasinitparts.
8
3.10Itconnectsthepresentwiththepastandthefuture;itachievesinteractionbetweeninteriorandenvironmentalspaceinwaysthatyieldnewmeaningandexperience.
3.11Itmediateschangeofoccupancy,useandoutsidepressures;itbringstogethercomponentswhichheretoforehave
characterizedotheruses,operationsandgoals;itexpressesthe
physical,social,intellectualandspiritualrequirementsofhumanbeings.
Questions/comments?
4.0Therearecultural,social,politicalandsoverignmetaphorsWhatdotheyallhaveincommon?
4.1Consideraprocesswhichistothemutualbenefitofbothcreatorand
user.Musicisagoodplacetostart.
Dammamconcert
9
4.1.1Musiciansandanaudiencetoaperformancesharecommonoperations.Theyparticipateinakindofreproduction(mimesis)whichrevealstheoriginalcomposition.
4.1.2Boththestrangeandthefamiliarcanberead.Users,musicians
andaudiencesdonotimitatethecomposer'sspecificactionbut
ratherhiscreativeprocess.Architecturalworkswhichuse
space,planes,materialstoelicitusersfeelings,directand
provideresources.Asthemusicianswrittencompositionthe
designforaworkofarchitecturemaybefixedintimebutisonlypartoftheconception.
5.0Toclarifyhowthisworksletusaskhowthesamemetaphorisdifferentlyexperiencedbybothdesigneranduser.
5.1Itistheuserwhowillultimatelyperceiveandexperiencethepersonalizedideasofthedesigner.Habitable,structural,volumetric,
useablemetaphors,likemusicarecomposed,assembled,and
conjured.Metaphorsarereifiedandcreatedbytechniquefrom
experienceswiththeelementsofthemetaphor.Thedesignerhasexperiencedthemetamorphosisoftheelements.
5.2Thedesignerhas"seen"thecommonalities,thedifferencesandthe
essencecommontoboth.Inanycasethebuildingisavariableintheexperienceofthemetaphoranddependingonthedesigner’schoices,
decisions,confidence,discipline,conditioning,skill,commitmentand
languageskillswillthedesignerparticipate.Butthedesignerispartofthemetaphor.
10
ShebaLandafaledcityontheEuphrates
6.0Whatroledoesthecontextplay?
6.1Whileactualworksisalwaysinacontextastudymayormaynot
includethatcontext.Contextsmaybeatseverallevelsinscopeas
social,cultural,location,immediate,neighborhood,landscape,lot,etc.Excludingthecontext(laterwewilllookattheSovereign
Metaphor)mayallowthewarranttolookdeeperintotheinnerworkingsofthemetaphor’sintrinsiccommonalitiesanddifferencesandthewaytheytransferintoaform.
7.0Potentiallyhowmanydifferentmetaphorsarethereinanygivenworkofarchitecture?
7.1Architectureisnotonlythemakingofmetaphorsandisametaphorbutarchitectureisasymphonyofdominant,subdominantandtertiarymetaphors.Eachdifferentlyconceivedandperceivedbydifferent
players,creators,users,buyers,owners,etc.Thereistheoverallbuilding,itsdifferentsystemsandsubsystemsanditsvariouselements.
Questions/Comments?
11
8.0Whataretheunseensovereignandnon-publicallyinteractivemetaphors?
8.1Thesovereignmetaphorisdistinctfromitscreator,programs,processandexistsassomethinginitsownright.Itiscomposedofsupportive,
subordinate,unseenelements,notperceivedandoftenunknownto
users.Yet,theessenceofthecreativeprocessanditsproductisthatit
encapsulatesnotonlyitsowninherentqualitiesbutthosewhichhavetheiroriginselsewhere(otheruses,lives,contexts,metaphors,symbolismplusdistantandnear-sourcecontexts).
8.2Oftenthemetaphorofthesovereignmetaphordealswithcommonplacespertinenttoitssocial,historicalandculturalcontextbutisnotthequalitiesofthesovereignmetaphor.Thesovereignmetaphorexistsonanotherlevelofdesignedandintegratedelements.
9.0Sohowdoesthesovereignmetaphorwork?
9.1Sinceeachconstructedelementhasametaphorbetweenitanditsreferent(object),thisparticularmetaphorignoresthisrelationship
andisonlyconcernedwithhowselectedelementsworkwithotherswheresuchorphansorisolatesareinthemixoftheextant(existing)metaphor.
10.0Whataretheseelements?
10.1Theyarenarcissisticandintrovertedbecausetheycenteronaninternalunspoken,butseeminglytelepathicdialogue-intheprocessofwhich-itspartsundergoasortofphysicalandbiologicalosmosis.
Theserelationships,whicharereadinphysics,mathematicsand
science,underpinthepropertiesandstrengthofmaterialsplustheengineeringandaestheticsofanygivenproject.
10.2Theserelationshipsinformthemannerinwhichthepartssupport,
attach,migrate,bond,flexandbendtoaccommodateoneanother.Soinessencetheyformasynthesis,whichbeginswiththepracticalitiesandtheaestheticsofproportion,scale,color,texture-andculminateintheendproduct–thebuilding.
10.3Afterassembly,creationandmanufacture,thewholeorpartsofa
buildingmayneverbeperceived,seen,orunderstoodbyathirdparty.Itcanbe,butevenwithoutbeingperceiveditisstillametaphor.
Thatiswhyitissovereign
Questions/comments?
12
11.0Howdoesthesovereignmetaphorwork?
11.1Atraintickettakesyouonajourney.Theprocessoftravelisnot
merelyaphysicalthing.Itinvolvesboththeideaoftheactitself,theprocessoftheactandtheactitself.Italsoinvolves
leavingonemodeforanother,bothinaphysicaland
metaphoricalsense.Theprocessisoneofbeingtransferredbut
nottransformed.Inasimilarway,onecansaythatthe
architecturalmetaphordoesnottransformitselementsbut
placestheminasystemofrelationshipswheretheycarryover
theirownuniquequalities,properties,characteristicsandfunctions.
SoverigndetailSUNYinAlbany12.0Howdoesthetransferwork?
12.1Directtransferisalsothewayweightisconveyedfromoneobjecttoanotherbygravity,forceandjuxtaposition.Transfer
worksinthemetaphorbyactingonotherreferentspassinga
propertysuchaspowerfromonetotheother.Thequalityisconveyedwithoutnecessarilylosingtheoriginatorsorcomposure.
Anattributeisconveyedfromonetoanother,yetthatsame
attributestillremainspartoftheoriginaldespitebeingshared.It’s
amatterofpositioning.Sidebysidetheweightofonewillnot
exertontheotheruntilitisattachedorplacedabovetheother.Asinaliterarymetaphor,thepositioningofwordsandphrasesmattersinthattheirtransferabilityandimportancearedependentononeoranotherreferent.Nowbothweigh,illuminate,radiate,
etc.Theelementmaynotbestructuralbutanaccommodationofanoperationorperformanceofagoal,wherethecommonplacedrawsthereferentsintoaffectingoneanother.
13
13.0Whatareexamplesoftransfers?
13.1Manufacturingandconstructionallrelyontheabilityofunlike,disparateanddifferentelementstotransferandworktogether.Inahabitablemetaphortransfersareencouraged,discouragedandprevented;preventedasinthecaseofmoistureprotectionandtheapplicationofpaint,stucco,masonry,etc.Metaphors
may,ofcourse,bepositiveornegative.Similarly,transfersmay
bedesirableorharmful,buttheyarealwayspresentintheelementsofawork.
13.2ThehorizontalflangeoftheWF(wideflange)beamandthe
horizontalsurfaceoftheslab,transfertheirloadssothatthe
slabbearsontheflangewhilethebeamsupportstheslab.
Richardisthefirstreferentandthelionthesecond.Inthestructure,theslabisthefirstandthebeamissecond.
13.3ThereisosmosisastheliterarymetaphorRichardtheLionhearted,Richardandthelionstillremain“lionhearted”
althoughbysharingthesamecontext,theyinteract.Theyare
presumedtohaveacommonplaceandthispresumptionistheveryinertiathatdefinestheircommonality.
14.0Whatisthepurposeofcommonalityinabuildingmetaphor?
14.1Commonplaceorcommonalityisthecharacteristicproperty
sharedbyelements.Thesecharacteristicsareusuallyunseenbut
knownineitheroftheelementsbutnotinbothandwhenjuxtaposedtheelementshighlightthecommonality.
Questions/Comments?
14
15.0Whatarethedominantelementsofthethreedimensionalmetaphor?

Sheba-Land by Barie Fez-Barringten

15.1Theyareplanes,volumes,forms,spaceandscale
15.1.1Whenconstructedplanes,volumes,forms,spaceandscalehavepeculiarrelationships.Planeslimitandboundspace.
Themetaphoroftheplaneisthatwereaplanehabitableit
wouldbeaspaceandwerespacelimitingitwouldaplane.Bytheirjuxtapositiontheymanifestcharacteristicstheybothhaveincommonandsomethataredifferent.EachmaintainsitsownpropertyofplaneandspacejustasRichard(Richard
thelion-hearted)maintainshishumanityandthelionitsnature.Eachpointstoapropertybeyonditsowninherent
characteristics.Theyareboththepropertiesthatmakeavolume;avolumeinanyscaleorproportion.
15
15.1.2Thepropertythatiscommontoalltheplanesisthespaceorsub-spaceswhichtheplanesthemselveslimit.Theplanes
define,floatand/ordefinespace.Thespaceisthereality
allplaneshaveincommon.Thevolumeofthespaces
variesbythewaytheplanesarearranged.Planesthat
limitandplaneswithinthespacemodulateandform
relationships.Similarly,thefacadesorcolonnadesthat
surroundasquare,plazaoratriumdefinethevoidandmakeitwhatitis–ergo,partofthewhole.
15.2Theplanesthatdefinetheconstructionmaydifferfromoneanotheraseachmustbethecommonalityordifference
betweenitsadjacentspace,sub-spaceandcontext.Itmay
alsobeaffectedbytheinhabitant’suseofvolumeand
spaceanditselfbethecharacteristiccommontoboth.As
such,itsfacesmaybedifferentlycolored,constructedorsupportedthusformingabridgeforitsreferents
(inhabitantsandvolumes).Asthiselementbecomesasub-metaphor,soitiswitheachotherplane,volume,spaceandsub-space.Eachlinkstoanadjacentorrelated
elementandinsodoingmakesametaphor.It’slikethe
do-se-domovementinsquaredancinginwhichtwo
dancersapproacheachotherandcirclebacktoback,then
returntotheiroriginalpositionswhereonepartnerisexchangedforanother.Thereisadominoeffectamongthecircleofdancersandlikewiseinconstruction,whereeachelementbridgesandaffectstheother.
15.3Thecommonplaceofplanesinspaceistheirtensionalasymmetricalorsymmetricalrelationshipswhichgivethem
equipoise;equipoisethatcouldfixtheminspacewasitnot
forgravityorthelawsofphysics.Hencetheyneedsomestructureintheformoftensionalwires,orskeletalgravity
supportssuchascolumns,beamsandslabs.Yetequipoiseis
thecommonplacebeyondtheirownsizes,weightsandcomposition,whichcomposestheirformandallowsthemtotransfertheirproperties.
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15.4Acorridorenclosedbywallsimpliesadjacentrooms,a
beginningandendtothecorridor-andinthecaseofamulti
storybuilding-connectingstairsandelevatorsserveas
ambulatories(transfersandconnections).Thespacelimitedby
horizontalandverticalplanesinthecontextofaschoolcarriesoverintoadjacentspaces.Boundandlimitedspaces
characterizedbyamatrixofconnectedspacesofvaryingor
equalvolumescollectivelyformabeehive-likemetaphororinterrelatedandconnected“cells”.
Multiplehorizontalplanesformingbuildingfloorswhenstackedbecomea“high-rise”whereasadjacentverticalplanesseparatedbyvolumescanbecomeashoppingcenter.
15.5Scaleistheproportionoftheplanes,spaceandvolumeofonesub-spacetothewholeconstruction.Theplanes,spaces,sub-space(s),volumeandscalehavecommonalitiesanddifferences
betweenthem.Theyallpointtoarealitybeyondtheir
individualandcommonnaturetotheirexternalcontextandpotentialoccupant(s);occupantswhosecultureandbehavior
mayvary.Therelationshipbetweenoccupantsandcontextis
exploredinthepropertiesaffordedbyscale,volumeandplane.ThescaleandelementsofSt.Peters,Rome,draftsitsstructureanddecorativeelementstoascalebeyondanysingleinhabitantandalwayssuggestsaccommodatingmuchlargersized
inhabitantsorcrowds.Scale,volumeandsizearethe
commonplacedemandingreferencestosomethingbeyondanysinglespaceordetail.
Questions/Comments

"Narrow is the way"by Barie Fez-Barringten

17
Shapesandforms
16.0Howdodesignerscollaboratetoformmetaphors?
16.1Noconstructionisdevoidofthehumandecision-makingprocess.BothartandarchitecturePeculiarizepersonalizeand
authenticatefortheirmetaphortolive.Thiswaytheuser
metaphorizestheusingprocessandtheuserandwork
empathize.Inthisistheartofmakingmetaphorsforthe
architectofpublicworks.Hismetaphormust“read”thecultural,socialandrightnessofthemetaphor’sproposed
context.AnexcellentexampleofthisthePaulRudolph’sArt&
ArchitecturebuildingatYaleUniversity,thoughinitiallyanarchitectonicofplanesandshapes,itsoonbecomesconditioned
bybuildingcodes,operations,idealsandcomplexgoals.The
asymmetrictensionalrelationshipsofplanesandsolidsare
shiftedfromtheirprimarypositionstoallowforclearancesandaccess.
18
Tentinthedesert
Canyouthinkofothers?
17.0Howaremetaphorsconditioned?
17.1Planes,spaces,volumesandscalecarry-over,transferandrefertoprecedingconditions,operations,idealsandgoals.
Architectureisnotmadeinavoidandisimpactedbyhistory.AHabitablemetaphorisconditionedbybuildingcodes,zoningordinances,siteandlocalstatutes,FEMAregulations,structural
systems,utilities,heatingventilationandcoolingsystems,siteandsiteconditions,contexts,andbuildingmaterials.Metaphorisconditionedalsobyoperationssuchasidentifiedfunctions,areas,sizes,humanandvehicularaccess,traffic,circulation,andadjacencies.
17.2Metaphorisalsosymbolizedbystandards,class,qualitylevel,
relationshiptocontextandlikeusesandfinalmetaphoris
establishedbyitsgoaltoaccommodatewhatpurpose,forhow
manypeopleinwhatcontextandwhatperiodoftime.Disregardingconditionsofregulation,structure,circulation,
numbersofpeopleandqualityclasswilltransferandseeka
commonality;usuallyofbuildingtypeinoroutsideofitscontext.
19
Architectonicgeometryscaleillusion
18.0Sowhatisthepurposeofthearchitecturalmetaphor?
18.1Bothartandarchitecturemetaphor-buildingclarifyourplace,statusandvalue.Asmetaphoristhemainmechanismthroughwhichwecomprehendabstractconceptsandperformabstractreasoning;soworksofarchitectureinformoursocial,psychologicalandpoliticalcondition
18.2Whatisbuiltisfirstthoughtandconceivedseparatelyfrombuilding,asthinkingandconceivingareseparatefromoutward
expression.(Aswethinkbeforewespeak,wedesignbeforewebuild.)
18.3Architecturalmetaphor-likeitslinguistic/cognitiveassociate–
isaprocessandwhatweseeistheissueofthatprocessandnot
themanifestmetaphor.Forexample,whenwehearasymphony,poem;watchadanceorseeapaintingweperceive
thewhole–thesynthesisofthecreativeprocess.Whatwedon’tseequitesoreadilyisthecomponentparts,thestructure,
thecontext,theaestheticsandthestoryetc.
20
Dohaunderconstruction
19.0Conclusion:Asusersanddesignersweshouldstrivetoenjoythemetaphor.
19.1Metaphorisaverypracticalandpragmaticmatter.Habitable
transfermechanismsareinourmidst,everywhereand
demandingourattention.Lookatthemknowingtheytoohavea
lifeoftheirown-itisincumbentonustofindawaytorelate,understandandenjoytheirpresence.
Questions/Comments
1
16imageversion:May92011
Studyingtheapplicationofthemetaphortheprimaryobjectiveofthis
seminaristoenhanceAIAmember’spracticalday-to-dayworktothe
moreidealaspectsofarchitectureandarchitecturaldesign.Thisseminarwillprovidememberstheopportunitytodiscussarchitecturalideasandtheirmeanings.
“Architecture:themakingofmetaphors”havefourlearningobjectives:
1.Reviewthebackgroundandapplicabilityofmetaphorsandbuildingdesign
2.Reviewtheinteractiveprocessofthecommonmetaphortothesovereignandnon-publicallyinteractivemetaphor
3.Understandhowthearchitecturalmetaphorworksinbuildingdesignanduse.
4.Learnhowmetaphorofplanes,scale,form,andbuildingcomponentsimprovesdesign,reading,usingandenjoyingarchitecturaldesign.
BarieFez-Barringtenisbothanarchitecturalpractitioner,theorist,researcher,environmentalist,urbanist,artist,educator,inventor;author
practicedarchttectureintheUSA,SaudiArabia;Qatar;PuertoRico;andBelize.AsAssociateProfessorhehastaughtatTexasA&MUniversity,KingFaisalandGlobalUniversities,UniversityofPetroleumandMinerals,
UniversityofHouston,andPrattInstitute“Anarchitecturalhistoryofmetaphors”hasrecentlybeenpublishedbySpringer.
2
“Architecture:themakingofmetaphors”BarieFez-Barringten
Seminaroutline
Itiswellknownthatroleplaying,gametheory,pretending,creative
perception,inventionanddiscoveryarewaystonotonlysolveproblemsbut
bythinkingoutsideoftheboxandexpandinglimitsonecanbetterones
designskills.Buthowcanweapplythistoourwork.Tosimplyclaimthat
architectureisanartbecauseittoomakesmetaphorsisnotenoughitmusttranslateintoapplication.
1.)Background:
Howdidthisallstart?
1.1DuringtheseriesoflecturesonartatYaleUniversity,
IrvingKriesberghadspokenaboutthecharacteristicsof
paintingasametaphor.BecauseIhadalreadybeeninterestedin
metaphorsandsomanyclaimedthatarchitecturewasanartit
seemedatoncethatthisobservationwasapplicabletoarchitectureandtothedesignofoccupiableforms.
VincenteScullyintroducedmetothemetaphysicalphilosopher
PaulWeisswhosuggestedthatweturntoEnglishlanguageand
literatureinordertodevelopacomprehensive,specific,andthereforeusabledefinitionofmetaphor.
1.2Thefirstlectures"Architecture:theMakingofMetaphors"wereorganizedandconductedneartheArtandArchitecture
buildingattheMuseumofFineArtsYaleUniversityin
NovemberandDecemberof1967.Theguestspeakerswere:PaulWeiss,WilliamJ.Gordon(Synectics;ThemetaphoricalWayofknowing)),ChristopherTunnard,VincentScully,TuranOnat,KentBloomer,PeterMillard,RobertVenturi(learningfromLasVegaspreviewed),CharlesMoore,Forrest
Wilson,andJohnCage.Sincethenmyfortyfouryearsofresearchhasbeenpublishedinmanynationalandinternationallearnedjournals.Inadditiontoapplyingittomyarchitectural
practiceIhavealsoappliedtheresultsofmyresearchinthe
classroomatPratt,TexasA&M,KingFaisalUniversity,Ohio
University,UniversityofHouston,UniversityofPetroleumandMineralsandGlobalUniversity.
3
Metagram:1971NYC
2.0Sowhatisametaphor?
2.1Metaphorisaliterarytermwhichmeans"carrying-over"andsynonymistheword“transfer”.
2.2Itassociatesmeanings,emotions,things,timesandplaceswhichotherwisewouldnothavebeenrelated.
2.3Itisatwo-wayprocesswherethemetaphorpointsbeyondeach
ofitsmemberstotherealitytheydiverselyexpress,articulatinga
characteristiccommontoboth,tellingusthattheybothhaveanintrinsicnature:suchas“RichardtheLion-hearted”
2.4Themetaphorpointsbeyondeachofitsmemberstothereality
thendiversityexpress,articulatingapowercommontoboth,tellingusthattheybothhaveanintrinsicnature.
2.5Ifthereisnotinitialseparationbetweenthetwoelements,thereis
nometaphor.Themetaphorinvolvestheintrusionnotof
neighborsbutofaliens.Itbringstogetherwhatseemstobe
radicallydifferentinnature.Thisistheheartandsecretofgreatart,andofgreatarchitecture.
2.6Itisanorganicwhole,whereineachelementwiththeworkexplainstheexistenceandmeaningoftheothers.
2.7Metaphorisacatalystwhichfusesmemories,experiences
4
andothermodesofexistence;itembodieswithinitsown
distinctivenesscertainuniversalsymbolsandconceptscommontomankind.
2.8Metaphoricallythings,timesandplacesknowntohavea
preferential,specificorlocalizeduseinonecontextareexplicitlyemployedinanother.Onefamiliarandonestrange
termareusuallycomposedintoasingleformwhereoneterm
normallyusedinonecontextisbroughtoverintoanotherwith
theobjectofilluminating;makingmoreevidentsomethingintheseconddomainwhichotherwiseremainsobscure.
Mertaphordiagramfrom“Gibe”Questions/comments?
5
PiazaSanMarco,Venice
3.0Letuscontinuewithsomeexamples.
3.1Inthecaseofcertainbuildingtypestheoriginalprototypeor
modelmayilluminatetheproposedandtheproposedthe
originalmodel.Foranyoneworkwecanseekthework’ssimilaritiesanddifferencesandfindthecharacteristicscommon
toboth.Eachworktalksaboutonethingintermsofanotherwithpartsthatarebothoppositeandequal.
TurkishfortinTaroutIslandinArabainGulf
3.2Whatmaybetrueatonelevelmaynotbetrueatanother;yetthere
maybesimilaritiesatoneleveltoanelementatanotherlevel.
Levelsmayinteract.Inotherwords,apparentdifferencesandapparentsimilaritiesmayin-facttransferbutondifferentlevels.
6
3.3Italwayshascommonplacewhereelementshavenon-apparentcommonality.
BeleizeHousedrainageculvertforms
3.4Therearechoicesandselectionsofmaterials,systemsandstructuresthatcanbefittedtogether.Eachisapparently
unrelated,dissonantandincompatibleuntileachisadaptedtoharmonies,fitandcontribute.
3.5Anarchitecturalworkisanorganicunityinwhicheachpartisnot
merelyinjuxtaposition,groupedwithotherparts,butinwhichallpartscloselyaffectoneanother.
3.6Strictlyspeaking,ametaphorinvolvesthecarryingoverofmaterialordinarilyemployedinaratherwell-definedcontextintoawhollydifferentsituation.
7
SimpsonStreetElevatedtrainstationBronx3.7Themetaphorisabridgeandbridges.
SludgetometphanegasforpoweronRuhr
3.8Architecturecombinestechnologieswithoneanotherandwith
commonsense,whileaccommodatingthepeculiaritiesofits
users,andbecausethethoughtwhichorganicallyscalesthe
facilitycanmakeclear,throughtheresultingwork,theoperations,goals,andidealcharacteristicsoftheuser’ssystem.
3.9Thearchitecturalworkisasynthesisofspaceandthedescription
ofthatspace;theworkorganicallysustainsitselfasawholeaswellasinitparts.
8
3.10Itconnectsthepresentwiththepastandthefuture;itachievesinteractionbetweeninteriorandenvironmentalspaceinwaysthatyieldnewmeaningandexperience.
3.11Itmediateschangeofoccupancy,useandoutsidepressures;itbringstogethercomponentswhichheretoforehave
characterizedotheruses,operationsandgoals;itexpressesthe
physical,social,intellectualandspiritualrequirementsofhumanbeings.
Questions/comments?
4.0Therearecultural,social,politicalandsoverignmetaphorsWhatdotheyallhaveincommon?
4.1Consideraprocesswhichistothemutualbenefitofbothcreatorand
user.Musicisagoodplacetostart.
Dammamconcert
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4.1.1Musiciansandanaudiencetoaperformancesharecommonoperations.Theyparticipateinakindofreproduction(mimesis)whichrevealstheoriginalcomposition.
4.1.2Boththestrangeandthefamiliarcanberead.Users,musicians
andaudiencesdonotimitatethecomposer'sspecificactionbut
ratherhiscreativeprocess.Architecturalworkswhichuse
space,planes,materialstoelicitusersfeelings,directand
provideresources.Asthemusicianswrittencompositionthe
designforaworkofarchitecturemaybefixedintimebutisonlypartoftheconception.
5.0Toclarifyhowthisworksletusaskhowthesamemetaphorisdifferentlyexperiencedbybothdesigneranduser.
5.1Itistheuserwhowillultimatelyperceiveandexperiencethepersonalizedideasofthedesigner.Habitable,structural,volumetric,
useablemetaphors,likemusicarecomposed,assembled,and
conjured.Metaphorsarereifiedandcreatedbytechniquefrom
experienceswiththeelementsofthemetaphor.Thedesignerhasexperiencedthemetamorphosisoftheelements.
5.2Thedesignerhas"seen"thecommonalities,thedifferencesandthe
essencecommontoboth.Inanycasethebuildingisavariableintheexperienceofthemetaphoranddependingonthedesigner’schoices,
decisions,confidence,discipline,conditioning,skill,commitmentand
languageskillswillthedesignerparticipate.Butthedesignerispartofthemetaphor.
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ShebaLandafaledcityontheEuphrates
6.0Whatroledoesthecontextplay?
6.1Whileactualworksisalwaysinacontextastudymayormaynot
includethatcontext.Contextsmaybeatseverallevelsinscopeas
social,cultural,location,immediate,neighborhood,landscape,lot,etc.Excludingthecontext(laterwewilllookattheSovereign
Metaphor)mayallowthewarranttolookdeeperintotheinnerworkingsofthemetaphor’sintrinsiccommonalitiesanddifferencesandthewaytheytransferintoaform.
7.0Potentiallyhowmanydifferentmetaphorsarethereinanygivenworkofarchitecture?
7.1Architectureisnotonlythemakingofmetaphorsandisametaphorbutarchitectureisasymphonyofdominant,subdominantandtertiarymetaphors.Eachdifferentlyconceivedandperceivedbydifferent
players,creators,users,buyers,owners,etc.Thereistheoverallbuilding,itsdifferentsystemsandsubsystemsanditsvariouselements.
Questions/Comments?
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8.0Whataretheunseensovereignandnon-publicallyinteractivemetaphors?
8.1Thesovereignmetaphorisdistinctfromitscreator,programs,processandexistsassomethinginitsownright.Itiscomposedofsupportive,
subordinate,unseenelements,notperceivedandoftenunknownto
users.Yet,theessenceofthecreativeprocessanditsproductisthatit
encapsulatesnotonlyitsowninherentqualitiesbutthosewhichhavetheiroriginselsewhere(otheruses,lives,contexts,metaphors,symbolismplusdistantandnear-sourcecontexts).
8.2Oftenthemetaphorofthesovereignmetaphordealswithcommonplacespertinenttoitssocial,historicalandculturalcontextbutisnotthequalitiesofthesovereignmetaphor.Thesovereignmetaphorexistsonanotherlevelofdesignedandintegratedelements.
9.0Sohowdoesthesovereignmetaphorwork?
9.1Sinceeachconstructedelementhasametaphorbetweenitanditsreferent(object),thisparticularmetaphorignoresthisrelationship
andisonlyconcernedwithhowselectedelementsworkwithotherswheresuchorphansorisolatesareinthemixoftheextant(existing)metaphor.
10.0Whataretheseelements?
10.1Theyarenarcissisticandintrovertedbecausetheycenteronaninternalunspoken,butseeminglytelepathicdialogue-intheprocessofwhich-itspartsundergoasortofphysicalandbiologicalosmosis.
Theserelationships,whicharereadinphysics,mathematicsand
science,underpinthepropertiesandstrengthofmaterialsplustheengineeringandaestheticsofanygivenproject.
10.2Theserelationshipsinformthemannerinwhichthepartssupport,
attach,migrate,bond,flexandbendtoaccommodateoneanother.Soinessencetheyformasynthesis,whichbeginswiththepracticalitiesandtheaestheticsofproportion,scale,color,texture-andculminateintheendproduct–thebuilding.
10.3Afterassembly,creationandmanufacture,thewholeorpartsofa
buildingmayneverbeperceived,seen,orunderstoodbyathirdparty.Itcanbe,butevenwithoutbeingperceiveditisstillametaphor.
Thatiswhyitissovereign
Questions/comments?
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11.0Howdoesthesovereignmetaphorwork?
11.1Atraintickettakesyouonajourney.Theprocessoftravelisnot
merelyaphysicalthing.Itinvolvesboththeideaoftheactitself,theprocessoftheactandtheactitself.Italsoinvolves
leavingonemodeforanother,bothinaphysicaland
metaphoricalsense.Theprocessisoneofbeingtransferredbut
nottransformed.Inasimilarway,onecansaythatthe
architecturalmetaphordoesnottransformitselementsbut
placestheminasystemofrelationshipswheretheycarryover
theirownuniquequalities,properties,characteristicsandfunctions.
SoverigndetailSUNYinAlbany12.0Howdoesthetransferwork?
12.1Directtransferisalsothewayweightisconveyedfromoneobjecttoanotherbygravity,forceandjuxtaposition.Transfer
worksinthemetaphorbyactingonotherreferentspassinga
propertysuchaspowerfromonetotheother.Thequalityisconveyedwithoutnecessarilylosingtheoriginatorsorcomposure.
Anattributeisconveyedfromonetoanother,yetthatsame
attributestillremainspartoftheoriginaldespitebeingshared.It’s
amatterofpositioning.Sidebysidetheweightofonewillnot
exertontheotheruntilitisattachedorplacedabovetheother.Asinaliterarymetaphor,thepositioningofwordsandphrasesmattersinthattheirtransferabilityandimportancearedependentononeoranotherreferent.Nowbothweigh,illuminate,radiate,
etc.Theelementmaynotbestructuralbutanaccommodationofanoperationorperformanceofagoal,wherethecommonplacedrawsthereferentsintoaffectingoneanother.
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13.0Whatareexamplesoftransfers?
13.1Manufacturingandconstructionallrelyontheabilityofunlike,disparateanddifferentelementstotransferandworktogether.Inahabitablemetaphortransfersareencouraged,discouragedandprevented;preventedasinthecaseofmoistureprotectionandtheapplicationofpaint,stucco,masonry,etc.Metaphors
may,ofcourse,bepositiveornegative.Similarly,transfersmay
bedesirableorharmful,buttheyarealwayspresentintheelementsofawork.
13.2ThehorizontalflangeoftheWF(wideflange)beamandthe
horizontalsurfaceoftheslab,transfertheirloadssothatthe
slabbearsontheflangewhilethebeamsupportstheslab.
Richardisthefirstreferentandthelionthesecond.Inthestructure,theslabisthefirstandthebeamissecond.
13.3ThereisosmosisastheliterarymetaphorRichardtheLionhearted,Richardandthelionstillremain“lionhearted”
althoughbysharingthesamecontext,theyinteract.Theyare
presumedtohaveacommonplaceandthispresumptionistheveryinertiathatdefinestheircommonality.
14.0Whatisthepurposeofcommonalityinabuildingmetaphor?
14.1Commonplaceorcommonalityisthecharacteristicproperty
sharedbyelements.Thesecharacteristicsareusuallyunseenbut
knownineitheroftheelementsbutnotinbothandwhenjuxtaposedtheelementshighlightthecommonality.
Questions/Comments?
14
15.0Whatarethedominantelementsofthethreedimensionalmetaphor?
PlanesinSpace:FallingWaters:FLW
15.1Theyareplanes,volumes,forms,spaceandscale
15.1.1Whenconstructedplanes,volumes,forms,spaceandscalehavepeculiarrelationships.Planeslimitandboundspace.
Themetaphoroftheplaneisthatwereaplanehabitableit
wouldbeaspaceandwerespacelimitingitwouldaplane.Bytheirjuxtapositiontheymanifestcharacteristicstheybothhaveincommonandsomethataredifferent.EachmaintainsitsownpropertyofplaneandspacejustasRichard(Richard
thelion-hearted)maintainshishumanityandthelionitsnature.Eachpointstoapropertybeyonditsowninherent
characteristics.Theyareboththepropertiesthatmakeavolume;avolumeinanyscaleorproportion.
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15.1.2Thepropertythatiscommontoalltheplanesisthespaceorsub-spaceswhichtheplanesthemselveslimit.Theplanes
define,floatand/ordefinespace.Thespaceisthereality
allplaneshaveincommon.Thevolumeofthespaces
variesbythewaytheplanesarearranged.Planesthat
limitandplaneswithinthespacemodulateandform
relationships.Similarly,thefacadesorcolonnadesthat
surroundasquare,plazaoratriumdefinethevoidandmakeitwhatitis–ergo,partofthewhole.
15.2Theplanesthatdefinetheconstructionmaydifferfromoneanotheraseachmustbethecommonalityordifference
betweenitsadjacentspace,sub-spaceandcontext.Itmay
alsobeaffectedbytheinhabitant’suseofvolumeand
spaceanditselfbethecharacteristiccommontoboth.As
such,itsfacesmaybedifferentlycolored,constructedorsupportedthusformingabridgeforitsreferents
(inhabitantsandvolumes).Asthiselementbecomesasub-metaphor,soitiswitheachotherplane,volume,spaceandsub-space.Eachlinkstoanadjacentorrelated
elementandinsodoingmakesametaphor.It’slikethe
do-se-domovementinsquaredancinginwhichtwo
dancersapproacheachotherandcirclebacktoback,then
returntotheiroriginalpositionswhereonepartnerisexchangedforanother.Thereisadominoeffectamongthecircleofdancersandlikewiseinconstruction,whereeachelementbridgesandaffectstheother.
15.3Thecommonplaceofplanesinspaceistheirtensionalasymmetricalorsymmetricalrelationshipswhichgivethem
equipoise;equipoisethatcouldfixtheminspacewasitnot
forgravityorthelawsofphysics.Hencetheyneedsomestructureintheformoftensionalwires,orskeletalgravity
supportssuchascolumns,beamsandslabs.Yetequipoiseis
thecommonplacebeyondtheirownsizes,weightsandcomposition,whichcomposestheirformandallowsthemtotransfertheirproperties.
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15.4Acorridorenclosedbywallsimpliesadjacentrooms,a
beginningandendtothecorridor-andinthecaseofamulti
storybuilding-connectingstairsandelevatorsserveas
ambulatories(transfersandconnections).Thespacelimitedby
horizontalandverticalplanesinthecontextofaschoolcarriesoverintoadjacentspaces.Boundandlimitedspaces
characterizedbyamatrixofconnectedspacesofvaryingor
equalvolumescollectivelyformabeehive-likemetaphororinterrelatedandconnected“cells”.
Multiplehorizontalplanesformingbuildingfloorswhenstackedbecomea“high-rise”whereasadjacentverticalplanesseparatedbyvolumescanbecomeashoppingcenter.
15.5Scaleistheproportionoftheplanes,spaceandvolumeofonesub-spacetothewholeconstruction.Theplanes,spaces,sub-space(s),volumeandscalehavecommonalitiesanddifferences
betweenthem.Theyallpointtoarealitybeyondtheir
individualandcommonnaturetotheirexternalcontextandpotentialoccupant(s);occupantswhosecultureandbehavior
mayvary.Therelationshipbetweenoccupantsandcontextis
exploredinthepropertiesaffordedbyscale,volumeandplane.ThescaleandelementsofSt.Peters,Rome,draftsitsstructureanddecorativeelementstoascalebeyondanysingleinhabitantandalwayssuggestsaccommodatingmuchlargersized
inhabitantsorcrowds.Scale,volumeandsizearethe
commonplacedemandingreferencestosomethingbeyondanysinglespaceordetail.
Questions/Comments
17
Shapesandforms
16.0Howdodesignerscollaboratetoformmetaphors?
16.1Noconstructionisdevoidofthehumandecision-makingprocess.BothartandarchitecturePeculiarizepersonalizeand
authenticatefortheirmetaphortolive.Thiswaytheuser
metaphorizestheusingprocessandtheuserandwork
empathize.Inthisistheartofmakingmetaphorsforthe
architectofpublicworks.Hismetaphormust“read”thecultural,socialandrightnessofthemetaphor’sproposed
context.AnexcellentexampleofthisthePaulRudolph’sArt&
ArchitecturebuildingatYaleUniversity,thoughinitiallyanarchitectonicofplanesandshapes,itsoonbecomesconditioned
bybuildingcodes,operations,idealsandcomplexgoals.The
asymmetrictensionalrelationshipsofplanesandsolidsare
shiftedfromtheirprimarypositionstoallowforclearancesandaccess.
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Tentinthedesert
Canyouthinkofothers?
17.0Howaremetaphorsconditioned?
17.1Planes,spaces,volumesandscalecarry-over,transferandrefertoprecedingconditions,operations,idealsandgoals.
Architectureisnotmadeinavoidandisimpactedbyhistory.AHabitablemetaphorisconditionedbybuildingcodes,zoningordinances,siteandlocalstatutes,FEMAregulations,structural
systems,utilities,heatingventilationandcoolingsystems,siteandsiteconditions,contexts,andbuildingmaterials.Metaphorisconditionedalsobyoperationssuchasidentifiedfunctions,areas,sizes,humanandvehicularaccess,traffic,circulation,andadjacencies.
17.2Metaphorisalsosymbolizedbystandards,class,qualitylevel,
relationshiptocontextandlikeusesandfinalmetaphoris
establishedbyitsgoaltoaccommodatewhatpurpose,forhow
manypeopleinwhatcontextandwhatperiodoftime.Disregardingconditionsofregulation,structure,circulation,
numbersofpeopleandqualityclasswilltransferandseeka
commonality;usuallyofbuildingtypeinoroutsideofitscontext.
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Architectonicgeometryscaleillusion
18.0Sowhatisthepurposeofthearchitecturalmetaphor?
18.1Bothartandarchitecturemetaphor-buildingclarifyourplace,statusandvalue.Asmetaphoristhemainmechanismthroughwhichwecomprehendabstractconceptsandperformabstractreasoning;soworksofarchitectureinformoursocial,psychologicalandpoliticalcondition
18.2Whatisbuiltisfirstthoughtandconceivedseparatelyfrombuilding,asthinkingandconceivingareseparatefromoutward
expression.(Aswethinkbeforewespeak,wedesignbeforewebuild.)
18.3Architecturalmetaphor-likeitslinguistic/cognitiveassociate–
isaprocessandwhatweseeistheissueofthatprocessandnot
themanifestmetaphor.Forexample,whenwehearasymphony,poem;watchadanceorseeapaintingweperceive
thewhole–thesynthesisofthecreativeprocess.Whatwedon’tseequitesoreadilyisthecomponentparts,thestructure,
thecontext,theaestheticsandthestoryetc.
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Dohaunderconstruction
19.0Conclusion:Asusersanddesignersweshouldstrivetoenjoythemetaphor.
19.1Metaphorisaverypracticalandpragmaticmatter.Habitable
transfermechanismsareinourmidst,everywhereand
demandingourattention.Lookatthemknowingtheytoohavea
lifeoftheirown-itisincumbentonustofindawaytorelate,understandandenjoytheirpresence.

Main Currents in Modern Thought/Center for Integrative Education; Sept.-Oct. 1971, Vol. 28 No.1, New Rochelle, New York.

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