C for Curve

“In architecture the pride of man, his triumph over gravitation, his will to power, assume a visible form. Architecture is a sort of oratory of power by means of forms.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Form is a three-dimensional response to volume. When one talks about the form of an object, that person is referring to the fullness, the three-dimensionality of that object.

Thinking in terms of drawing, form is the translation of the characteristics of what is happening between the lines:

• The inside of an object,
• The positive spaces, and
• The negative spaces.

Drawing can be broad; it has many things it has to deal with- line, composition, figure/ground relationships, focal point, color, etc.The line work of drawings can be either objective, revealing the physical nature of the object; subjective, revealing the personal attitudes and emotions of the artist, or a combination of the two.Think how personally we know the emotional intensity of Vincent Van Gogh through his treatment of such a mundane object as a little wicker chair.

Sculpture too exists on these levels. By nature, sculpture is very specific. It’s very much about forming an object, having three dimensions, existing in space, but, of course, it will also take on the personality and the thoughts of the artist who is crafting the piece.

Leonardo Da Vinci attempted to establish that Art is a mental activity and a science, searching for objective reality. On the other hand, we know that art is an expressive act, relating directly to the subjective experiences of the artist, springing from an “inner necessity” as Kandinsky pointed out. Searching for the structural form of an object is an intellectual part of the objective processes of seeing. Feeling the emotional form of that object is also an important part of art making.

Art is never accidental and arbitrary- the great artist is always purposeful and focused. There are undoubtedly two ways of drawing visible things- by using outlines to define them precisely, or by treating the planes and curved surfaces as masses through surface directional lines, values, and tones. The lines are either drawn on a flat plane, as a drawing, or in a three-dimensional space, as a sculpture. The way the artist thinks of the object in relation to the space around it is a key decider on his approach to the work. Frank Gehry, the architect for Disney Hall, used sculptural principles when designing this building. Just as any good sculpture, this building activates the space around it.

Antoni Gaudi, eminent Spanish architect, once observed, “The straight line belongs to man, the curve to God.” Gaudi, who is known for his irregular and fantastically intricate designs, claimed that his works were inspired by nature. Throughout his life, he studied nature’s angles and curves and incorporated them into his designs. Some of his greatest works, most notably the La Sagrada Família in Barcelona, have been acclaimed as original works with an almost hallucinatory power.

“Architecture (is) a theatre stage setting where the leading actors are the people, and to dramatically direct the dialogue between these people and space is the technique of designing.” – Kisho Kurokawa

Creating dramatic architecture can be challenging even for the most accomplished architect. That is perhaps why most modern-day architects have preferred the straight line to the curve despite the advantages offered by computer-aided design. For the few who have, defied conventional attitudes to strike it out on their own, curves are a gift from nature. A number of architects today are willing to experiment with curves. The challenge is creating flamboyance without compromising on function. Today, one finds houses and commercial buildings with winding staircases and curved rooms, balconies, sit-outs, roof slabs and driveways.

As students, we find Curves extremely fascinating, be it in plans, sections, views and elevations. Curves can be liberally used in designs to achieve interesting, energizing, and favorable effects. Everything in nature is in curves. Curves reflect and resonate with nature. They constitute the original geometry and are flexible, unlike straight lines that are rigid.

The first shelter man had ever built was a tribal hut which had curves. Eskimo igloos and caves where the human settlements were evident had curved profiles in their appearance. Designing a building with curves helps it to blend easily with the natural environment.

Curves, divide the inside and outside spaces smoothly. In conjunction with natural light, they generate so much positive energy inside a building. But unless handled carefully, curves can also disorient the occupants by deflecting and dissipating energy. After all, the objective of Architecture is to create vibrant spaces that are enjoyable and inhabitable.

Skylights in elliptical or curved shapes are a popular method of bringing natural light into a building to achieve the right harmony with the interior elements. If straight lines can create rigid, hard, harsh, and oppressive spaces, curves generate flexible, soft, and smooth spaces.

In reality, one of the reasons for poor acceptability of curves as an architectural element is that it creates dead spaces. There is reason in the argument that curves create incidental dead spaces but only when it clashes with non-merging, non-assimilating elements. It is also a question of creating coherent space. Incorporating curves into the design of a building does not only add much to the cost of construction but it needs practiced masons and a vast multitude of other facilities and also it cannot be ruled out that it results in considerable amount of wastage in material.