Metaphors in Design

Metaphors in Design by Leena Deshpande

Metaphor is a powerful, conceptual tool for structuring and thinking about an unusual, new, or abstract of experience or knowledge in terms of another aspect that is more familiar or concrete. Many designers use spatial metaphors to classify and structure the expected environment by the end user of a selected space. Although spatial metaphors provide a useful framework for development and inspiration they also raise additional challenges. While looking at the ways the metaphors highlight, emphasize, and enable some ways of thinking about design, these reflections may point us to new ways of seeing and doing design.The term metaphor meant in Greek “carry something across” or “transfer,” .The transferring of things and words from their proper signification to an unseemly likeness or approximate a psychological sense of an encounter.Design metaphors are influential devices that can help to describe and explore new ideas in terms and concepts found in more familiar domains.   

                                                            

“…one generation’s realizations of a metaphor can become part of the next generation’s experiential basis of that metaphor” (Lankoff 1993). 

Many have argued that the power of a metaphor to explain, organize and structure the unfamiliar terms answers to problems that are due to use of that metaphor.

 Why are some designers more creative than other?  What are the personalities attributes of creative people. Fundamentally we conceptualize design as a process. This has also been design as a cyclic process or period of convergent and divergent activities. Each of these conceptualization help us justify our actions and decide what to do next. Very often we conceptualize a design as a process with the solution as being the goal. Metaphors play a large role in design and structuring our thought about how we can approach .They can act as an intuition, provoke imagination and inspiration. Metaphors are indirect representation of a concept which makes it more interesting. If any design solution is too direct or specific then it kills the spirit and impact. Metaphor is pervasive in every day life, not just as in language but in thought and action.       

Our ordinary concept system in which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature. (Lakoff & Johnson, Metaphors we live by1980).Metaphors in their more traditional sense are regularly applied to design in the role of inspiration and image. This is undoubtedly a dominant tool to improve and guide the design process. the influence of Metaphors in design we are studying here is both subtle and more pervasive.

 In the dictionary, the meaning of a “metaphor” is: A figure of speech in which a word or a phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an explicit comparison. E.g. All the world’s a stage- Shakespeare. In describing what is taking place in a vibrant metaphor such as “Society is a sea “the power of particular metaphor lays in its use in particular context of understanding and surroundings. With metaphor, we can build layers and layers of understanding such that the metaphor is refined, and thus a long to create (X )one object from  translated in to (Y) another object. Understanding the problems people experience and digging beneath the surface to reveal the underlying causes, and either creating or applying solutions .In this metaphor the essence of design is not a collection of methods; the essence of design is critical thinking. Critical thinking is what is needed to discover the underlying causes of the experienced problem, and recognize the actual potential causes from mere appearances. In other words metaphors is a tool or bridge designers use to connect with users through physical appearance, performance and function or even emotional value of the space. A metaphor activates imagination and transfers the user into other world.  

  Our behavior in certain space is always linked to surroundings. The space determines some particular purpose of our existence, may be working, playing, traveling etc. Initially before this modern materialistic world design and creation of space was a more social and vernacular process with certain aspects of culture. Bryan Lawson (2001) .The requirement of space is global one and its roots can be found in fundamental characteristics of humans. The essence of a good design is to facilitate all kinds of relations that intend to take place in that space, without any stress. Any good and useful design enables its users to communicate about what is happening now, what has happened and what might happen in future. Hence a space conveys stories about the past, present and future. Bryan Lawson (2001)

Louis Kahn’s (1901-1974) work infused International style with a choosy highly personal taste, poetry of light. One of the most powerful aspects of Louis Kahn’s architectural space is his handling of natural light. He believes that architecture stared with the “making of room” and Light. Kahn used passionate light and functional light, glaring light, indirect light, warm light and cold light, each working differently in his architecture. According to Kahn natural light gives mood to space, time of the day and seasons of the year, as it enters and modifies the space.It would hardly have been possible for an architect who had carried the attitudes and to quickly and effortlessly carry off the attempt to become an unconditional proponent of modern architecture. Indeed, with Kahn it required a very long and tedious process to integrate modern with the tried-and-proven, and the prosaic with the noble, into a process which bore his own, individual signature.Greek Architecture taught him that the column is where light is not, and the space between is where the light is .It is a matter of light and no-light. A column and a column bring light between them. To make a column which grows out of the wall and which makes its own rhythm of light and no light is, that is the marvel of the artist.              

Louis Kahn’s metaphor of light can be is explained in the following statement. “A Building begins with light and ends in shadow” and “The sky is the roof of a square” and “A room without natural light is not a room. Hence it is said Light is the architecture of Louis Kahn.

 The effects of day light in Kahn’s structures make them alive and do interact with the users of that space. Kahn mixed his deep desire for mass and volume with a high level of transparency which is added through light. The space has its own character which changed according to day light and seasons of the year. The appearance is not permanent and hence is poetic. A sense of light promises the existence of some holy spirit around you. Every building, every room should have natural light because natural light gives the mood of the day. It can even be said that sun never knew how great it was until it struck the surface of the building.His control of light, light modulation, the play of light and shadows in his buildings, the amount of light in relation to this space and structure, and the change which a building undergoes as natural light varies throughout the year. His metaphor is translated into function as well. An individual window to be a formal and functional entity, one which in turn, became a highly essential component of his spatial structure. Kahn’s many different experiments also included the functional and formal integration or separation of window and ventilation opening. Archaic openings and forms particularly characteristic the architectural impression made by those of Kahn’s buildings was subjected to extreme climatic conditions, and for which sunlight must be filtered such as works for India, Angola, Bangladesh and Israel. Giant Light filters were designed here on one hand which furnished the shadow; on other hand ensure sufficient ventilation and a view towards the outside. His designs caters for all Social, political, geographical and programmatic context.

Kahn realized relatively few buildings, yet the formal restraint and emotional expressiveness of his Jonas Salk Institute, Kimbell Art Museum and the Capital Complex in Dhaka are regarded as an inspired progression from the International Style. Convinced that contemporary architects could – and should – produce buildings which were as monumental and as spiritually inspiring as the ancient ruins of Greece and Egypt, Kahn devoted his career to the uncompromising pursuit of formal perfection and emotional expression.

Kahn worked with simple materials, notably brick and concrete. Kahn applied his principles to create buildings instilled with the spiritual qualities for which he strove through a masterful sense of space and light. From the 1951-53 Yale Art Gallery extension, to subsequent projects such as the 1954-59 Trenton Boathouse in New Jersey and the 1957-62 Richards Medical Towers in Philadelphia, Kahn combined visually compelling spaces with drama as the changing light transformed the sensory experience of being in the building at different times of the day and night. By the time he began the 1959-67 Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, Kahn had mastered this approach to create his first masterpiece, an extraordinarily inspiring sequence of buildings.Louis Kahn achieved his goal of creating a monumental modern architecture, which is at once spiritually uplifting and humane. About Louis Kahn, one of the titans of modern architecture is akin to a Kahn building: squarish, monumental, monkish yet passionately designed. The layout is exemplary, the straightforward chronological account of Kahn’s career interspersed with conceptual histories of each of his important buildings, from theYale Art Gallery to the Salk Institute to the National Capital of Bangladesh.He was drawn to investigate monumentality in architecture, creating buildings out of heavy, solid materials and forms and incorporating vivid plays of light, in complete contrast to the lightweight glass and steel structures being created elsewhere by his peers. This monumentality was also imbued with his concern for the ritual of human experience. His career, although extending to just over twenty years, was a rich and varied one, where he continually readdressed the issues of light, mass, structure, monumentality, geometry and materials.

Architect Louis Kahn discovered late in life how to transform the ruins of ancient Rome into modern buildings. His pursuit of an ideal geometric order was informed by a keen sense of history. Based on platonic shapes, his buildings, at once monumental and human in scale, marked the end of the international style and opened the way for a revival of vernacular and classical traditions. His best known works, located in the United States, India, and Bangladesh, were produced in the last two decades of his life. They reveal an integration of structure, a reverence for materials and light, a devotion to archetypal geometry, and a profound concern for humanistic values.

Kimbell Art Museum- 

       

 Fig.1   Kimbell Art Museum                                             Fig. 2 Natural light illuminating the ceiling     

The interior of the Kimbell is highly praised, largely for the quality of light. Although the light is indirect, it is for the most part natural light, although it is sometimes described as being quasi-mystical. Skylights run down the center tops of the vaults, admitting natural light. At the same time, metal reflectors underneath bounce the light back to the ceilings and diffuse the light. The ends of the vaults have a thin arc of glass between the wall and ceiling creating this unusual light. The support free structure gave a great deal of flexibility with in the exhibition area. One particular feature makes Kimbell Art museum a very independent structure which is the horizontal quality which is alien to Kahn.  Kahn shows another aspect of his architecture, always very important to him, that of retaining and perceiving wholeness of the parts that help him to shape the design.

       

   Fig.3 play of shadows.   

      

National Capital of Bangladesh (Dhaka).

The key design philosophy was optimum use of space but clearly representing Bangladeshi heritage and culture through the architecture. The architecture evolved from the basic human requirement of protection from the glare and fury of nature. This has been achieved by organization of the enclave into different groups of buildings. External lines are deeply recessed by porticoes with huge openings of regular geometric shapes on their exterior, forming the outer visual impact of the building. Klaus-peter Gast (2001) Thus need to provide traditional protection for external windows has been removed while adding compositional effect of these huge openings which befits buildings of huge scale.  In the assembly he has introduced a light-giving element to the interior of the plan. If you see a series of columns you can say that the choice of columns is a choice in light.

                    

      Fig 4. Pattern of light.                                                   Fig 5. Light filtering through voids.

                                         

The overall structure is tied together by the homogeneity arising from is tied together by the homogeneity arising from concrete as material and the contrasting light marble strips, alternating casting shadows like relief. The columns as solids frame the spaces of light. Now think of it just in reverse and think that the columns are hollow and much bigger and that their walls can themselves give light, then the voids are rooms, and the column is the maker of light and can take on complex shapes and be the supporter of spaces and give light to spaces. He worked to develop the element to such an extent that it becomes a poetic entity which has its own beauty outside of its place in the composition. In this way it becomes analogous to the solid column.  Kahn stated that” Assembly is of transcendent nature. He thought that when walking through the mail entrance with the prayer room above, the building required an appropriate spiritual character. This Kahn calls the parliamentary building calls a “citadel” for the legislative assembly. Klaus-peter Gast (2001). The assembly building is surrounded by water and thus tends to reflect the Mogul architecture, yet the name “citadel” is not intended to give it the quite unmotivated character of a fortress. The secure strong qualities of the citadel are transferred symbolically to a spiritual one initiated by the mosque. The different buildings of the complex linked in circular shape emphasize on concentricity motif of Kahn’s design. Klaus-peter Gast (2001). The impressive shadow drama of its façade figures doubles in the secretarial and office area, their geometrical openings, and cut outs, stand in sharp contrast with concrete cubes, which is almost white in the sunlight. They define light volume-spaces designed with out exception for the moderated light and acquire independent light. Their archaic and symbolic character intensifies the spiritual “aura” for the building as a whole. Kahn explained the form of the openings as especially resistant to the danger or earth quakes and tried to call pragmatic spirits down with this. He also has mail building constructed in concrete for the reason related to terrain. This material is alien to the country and requires its own manufacturing methods. He also combined the “masculine” with marble as apparently a “feminine” character. Klaus-peter Gast (2001) As sunlight entering through glass blocks into the roof, flows like a stream of water over the walls and into the interior. The character, the atmosphere of the common space changes with the daily progression of sun. The archaic, ponderous, castles like, language of the assembly complex seems to stand in contradiction of the fragile vaulted roof. He mentioned above as a giver of light. It was not belief, not design, not pattern, but the essence from which an institution could emerge. The Assembly complex is indeed Louis I. Kahn’s most fascinating work characterized by the idea of modulation of light.

 

                     

    Fig.6 Exterior view of Assembly building.                                                        Fig.7 Bright Geometric cut outs.

 

The presence or light in Kahn’s work gives a heavenly experience. Light is omnipresent like the almighty and introduces purity, serenity and divine presence. The space enlightens the soul and the aura makes you feel the difference in the environment. Conclusion The studies of metaphors provide a valuable insight to an ordinary abject which acts as an inspiration and understanding the language. A designer will have to do a deep study and research to explore a particular thought to transform it into design. Metaphor as a part of the design studies appeal to tradition of thought and also common experiences of architects till today. The psychology of an inhabitant in the space, he experiences and reacts to the physical, social and geographical context. The belief of metaphors also reflects to certain branches in psychology and cognitive science. Hence designers make themselves less ordinary by cultivating a high order of sensibility and create a resonating design with use of metaphors.

References  1. Bryan Lawson (2001). Language of Space .Architectural press ,Burlington
United Kingdom. 2. Mary Cambert (2004) Top Architects of the World.(Trans) Mark Holloway,Eva Marin. Ferre Olsina SA,
Spain.3. Urs Buttiker (1994) Louis L. Kahn LIGHT AND SPACE, (Trans)  David Bean,
Singapore. 4. Jonathan Hey(May 2004) Creativity assessment report-(Neutral Theory of Thought and Language.)

5. Yan Yan Qian (May 2004) Metaphor’s as Design Inspiration, The University of Texas at Austin, Masters of Fine Art.

6. Birkhauser (2001)Louis .I Kahn The Idea of Order, Trans-Michael Robinson, Birkhauser –Publisher for
Architecture ,Germany.

7. Website - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Kahn

8. Website- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimbell_Art_Museum

9. Website- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphors

10. JSTOR Journal of Architectural Education (1984) Vol_48, No-2 (Nov-1994) pp 113-125.

11. Richard Coyne, Adrian Snodgrass and David Martin , Metaphors in Design studio ( University of Sydney).p 113.

12. Website - http://members.ozemail.com.au/~ddiamond/analog.html