Transitional Perspective

           Discussing  the  post-modernity issues of design nowadays need to have a deep exclusions to the old terminologies and approaches. Further more, the main dilemma of the post-modernist architects was the content of  the modernist architects in the designing process. The post-modernist  tried to redefine the problem behind the reason of the modernist architects failure. The solution for this problem was through Semiology and Semiotics which is: the study of signs. They were appeared with two foundations:

1-First, appeared by the Swiss theorist Ferdinand de Saussure's Course of General Linguistics in aposthumous publication at 1916. He made his own rule by dividing the meaning into two main terms:

A.    Language

B.      Speech

Ferdinand defined them as a circle that is operating through conventional signs and meanings. Ferdinand de Saussure's named his rule as a Semiology the study of signs.

2-Second, appeared by the American philosopher Charles Sanders Pierce around the turn of the twentieth century, he postulate a logical study of language then he named it Semiotics.

3-Third, Charles W. Morris a professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago was against Ferdinand de Saussure's rule coordination and organization, then Morris proposed in his foundation of the theory of signs in 1938, a threefold term of  linguistic analysis by classifying the field into the domain of the threefold terms:

A.    Syntactics

B.      Semantics

C.    Pragmatics

Then Morris made a definition for each area:

A.    Syntactics : Relations of signs to one another

B. Semantics : Relations of signs to their meanings (as an architectural interest area, which will be concentrate later on the meaning of forms)

C.    Pragmatics : Relations of  signs to their interpreters

The question is how they are related to architectural meaning ?

The answer will be through Morris Semantics area,  by making an extension that will be later on related to the architectural circles by dividing Semantics into three categories:

A.    Indices

B.      Icons

C.    Symbols

Then Morris made a definition for each categories:

A.     Indices : Indication point to their meaning ,such as street signs for example

B.      Icons : Exhibit properties of the content to which they refer

C.  Symbols : Arbitrary or culturally established signs such as using the Doric columns on a bank to designate the strength and security of the financial institution for example.

Moreover, how it is connected to architecture by the relation and the connection of the famous movement which is the "New Bauhaus"movement in Chicago which was found in 1937 by the Chicago Association of Arts and Industries,  Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, recent refugee to the united states.  Then semantics Morris theory was rapidly bandied at 1960's in the architectural field. After that, they found the linguistic theory which is included Structuralism, post-structuralism and deconstruction. A movements which presents the new era of the post-modern architecture through the Semiotics language which were a new sign system with a dimension of structure (syntactic) and one of meaning (semantic). Structural relationships bind the signs and their components (signifier/signified ) together.
How can we understand architecture through meaning is by (form/content):

A.    Type

B.      Function

C.    Tectonics

That terms can be connected and related  the Master of the Architects whom is Vitruvian points of a utopian architecture:

A.    Delight (beauty or ideal form)

B.      Commodity (utility or accommodation)

C.    firmness (durability)

       Finally, through the semantic study of environment, we can discover the means of the discoursing in our building. Then, language becomes the key factor that have the power to construct our structure perfectly.

Vs

World Trade Center PATH Station by Calatrava

Mishal Al Musaileekh

Nesbitt, Kate (ED) (1996). Chapter II, Theorizing a new Agenda for architecture: An anathology of architectural theory;Princton Architectural Press, NY.

              

From Bahrain with Love of Architecture

The Kingdom of Bahrain is a small island in the Arabian/Persian Gulf. The Island’s area is 665km?. Bahrain was inhabited by people since prehistoric times which are Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Persians, and Arabs. All ruled and influenced the Island. In 1971, the British withdrew from the Island leaving it to be an independent country*. Today Muslim Arabs occupy and rule Bahrain. Bahrain architecture nowadays is facing a real threat from the expansion growth of the expatriates inside the country, sooner rather than later the conflict will explode more wider than what is happening now. This article  will be about the oldest cities of the kingdom which are Manama and Muharraq cities.  

 Four-fifths of the population live in cities, the majority in Manama which is the capital and the largest urban center. Manama has modern buildings which are wide and tree-lined roads as well as an older section with a traditional souk, or marketplace. 

Muharraq is the oldest town, and used to be the capital. The city has been modernized but in the old sections, people can still see traditional architecture. The houses have tall gates and shuttered windows which are designed around a central enclosed garden or courtyard. Some have wind towers and an old-fashioned form of air-conditioning (بادكير). It is similar to our traditional Kuwaiti houses but the Kuwaiti houses did not contain wind towers.

Courtyard houses

The plan of the houses were designed in Bahrain which looks like having a courtyard at the center of the house which makes it protected and having all the rooms around it, while still being open to the sky.

The reason for using courtyards is that it allows the rooms to be cross ventilated. This is extremely important in the hot and humid climate of Bahrain. The courtyard is usually designed as a form of an indoor oasis, Fountains, decoration, and sometimes greenery are placed in the design of the courtyard. By doing this, the house will be inward focused, where the best views from the windows will be towards the courtyard and not towards the streets.

Windows

In traditional houses, Windows were designed mainly for light, air flow, and for the view. To allow the sun light penetrate inside the rooms, the windows used to have transparent glass or stained glass on the top of the opening of the window. That part of the window is never covered because it is so high in the room, therefore, no one can look inside. The lower part with the large opening is for air flow and for the view. It has shutters with grooves in them to allow the flow of air inside the room without opening the shutters.

 Building Materials

The materials that were used for traditional construction are mostly materials that were abundant in the land. Bahrain’s most abundant building material is limestone  which is the geological surface of the Island. Traditional buildings were first made out of limestone masonry. Then they used to fire the limestone and to turn it into powder. After that, they would add water to the powder and plaster it over the stone in order for the walls to have smooth surfaces. Limestone in its nature absorbs water really well and this is why it works really well in MENA region because of humid climates. In  fact, limestone is a good absorber for humidity which makes the rooms cooler than rooms that use different construction materials.

Connection

Houses in traditional neighborhoods usually share walls with each other. Having the houses compacted with each other is very beneficial in sustaining energy because the houses are all connected. They will act together to stay as cool as possible at the summer and as warm as possible at winter. Therefore, it will be easier to stabilize the temperature in the house.

Wind towersبادكير))

These are tower structures rising several meters above the house. They have large openings on all four sides for channeling down even the slightest breeze that is inside.

The living room was situated just below the wind tower to give some relief from the heat and humidity. The openings of the wind tower contains doors which will be closed during the winter season.

Mishal Al Musaileekh

*Archive Maitham Al Ali

**Ministry of Culture - Kingdom of Bahrain

www.moc.gov.bh/en/top10/Name,7528,en.html