Rossella Failla

While reading the article, The Edifice Complex, I couldn’t help but think, what is the meaning of architecture? Is there even a meaning?

Sudjic explained that architecture can equate to power. He specifically referred to Saddam Hussein’s hunger for power in Iraq, and his constant obsession with reflecting himself in architecture. After his defeat in the first Gulf War, Hussein felt that he needed to redeem himself, in the form of using architecture as propaganda. Although I do believe that through architecture one can transmit messages, I don’t believe that it necessarily brings people power.

Gottfried Boehm said, “The future of architecture does not lie so much in continuing to fill up the landscape as in bringing back life and order to our cities and towns.” This quote definitely does bring up the very reason why I believe architecture affects our everyday life. Architecture is used to bring order and structure into our lives.

Architecture can also be seen as a method of pinpointing certain time periods. Historically, we are able to associate certain techniques to time periods. However, I don’t believe that most people take time to observe architecture and actually process its significance. To most, buildings are just concrete, something that provide us with a physical structure.