Helen Li

IDC 4001H-Prof. Maciuika

February 15, 2014

Originally buildings served as a shelter or haven, but as horticultural societies developed, architecture is commonly associated with economic, social, and political values. And, behind every standing or demolished building, is a meaningful story. The meaning of a building is projected through the time period and location of which it was built, the design and function of the building, and the reason for its existence. And this is what makes each building unique.

It is not a coincident or an accident that certain buildings were chosen to be demolition targets. Why the Twin Towers in 2001? Why the White House in 1812? To the human eye, these buildings are just bricks and cement, but that is just the surface. The meaning of these buildings is their importance and function to society.They are symbols of the United States’ capital and government. And this is what differentiates each building from others.

According to Deyan Sudjic in The Edifice Complex, “Architecture is used by political leaders to seduce, to impress, and to intimidate.” Sudjic brings up Saddam Hussein’s buildings that scatter across Iraq which indirectly symbolizes his power and leadership over Iraq. However, because art can be perceived in so many ways, interpretations can be conflicting or used as forms of propaganda. For instance, Sudjic states that Saddam Hussein’s mosques present Hussein as a “devout defender of the faith, despite his taste for whisky and murder.” However, the New York Times militaristic interpretation of the mosque proposes the idea that the rings of the mosque represent Hussein’s birthday and the bombings of the Gulf War. Because the meanings of buildings are what people instill in these monumental pieces of artwork, all interpretations are determined by people’s perceptions and perception is mainly comprised of the five simple what, where, when, how, and why.