Functional architecture

An addition to „Alphabet and Algorithm“: Mario Carpo goes on, telling how Giedion looked at repetitive tasks (and eventually the Japanese tea ceremony) as a precursor for our technology. In “Rethinking technology” I have once read the marvelous story of Oliver Evans and his magic machines. It reminded me a lot of the autocracy in “Walden” or “Just enough architecture”. Giedion was one of the ideologists behind CIAM, postulating separated districts and as means to achieve at a new architecture of “human scale”, a new humanism through the “functional city”. This made me think on Japanese cities and its structures that emerge out of simple rules, almost like A New Kind Of Science. If we could establish as simple rules and boundaries we could govern systems as efficient and elegant. Creating a functional architecture that actually matches organizational systems. If this would be possible we might eventually forget about technology.

Looking forward to read “Architectural Principles in the Age of Cybernetics” which I found researching for some keywords. It connects Giedion’s work to the Cyborg Manifesto – something I have become curious about again after watching “Real Humans”.