NO LONGER, NOT YET

FORMALISM?

COURSE: ARCH 430 | INSTRUCTOR: HENRY YANG | FALL 2022 | WSOA

“Formalism,” with a question mark, investigates what it means to practice formalism in the current architectural context. Each person will have different definitions of formalism. Considering such differences, the goal is to attempt to

identify the boundaries of formalism in architecture. We start with the question, when does an object become architecture? Can we explore more the difference between an object and an architecture?

To achieve such an ambitious goal, we are going to research the technique of a French artist named Bernard Pras. He is a master of perspective and anamorphic artworks. Anamorphosis means “backward formation” in ancient Greek. Google defines anamorphism as “a distorted projection or perspective, especially an image distorted in such a way that it becomes visible only when viewed in a special manner.”

Studying Bernard Pras is being used as a technical tool to navigate different boundaries of formalism. Exploring how he deals with the found objects and the idea of perspective as a technique then translates this technique into a method. Once this stage is reached, the concept is to formulate a thesis on formalism by designing a college campus on a desert site.

Narrative

A billboard promoting American life standards as a campaign against the fallouts of the Great Depression, on Highway 99 in California, the U.S., March 1937 — A billboard promoting American life standards as a campaign against the fallouts of the Great Depression, on Highway 99 in California, the U.S., March 1937. Photo Credit: Margaret Bourke-White

No Longer, Not Yet describes the relationship between the truth and the lie of the American Dream; The hope being advertised and the survival being experienced. The lie is that America is made up of immigrants, people lining up under the billboard hoping to get the life portrayed above them. Whether it’s racism, sexism, structural and social injustice, or loads and loads of loans and

credit, the average American is barely getting by. In addition, the American Dream achieved by the family in the advertisement was reached by the heavy workload and diligent labor done by the immigrants. To this day, immigrants are still coming to the United States, hoping they will get the life advertised decades and centuries ago, but the reality of the lie unfolds as they start to experience day-to-day struggles.

ANAMORPHIC VIEW

Looking from the back, one only sees the picture-perfect family and life being advertised. While slowly walking around, one starts seeing hints of other people appearing and disappearing. It is not until you reach the exact spot in the front, bending down, essentially being part of the image, that one will see the full picture, which shows how no one will know the truth about the American Dream until they actually experience the lie.

Using objects from different countries and cultures and American objects, Americanized cultural foods and objects representing Capitalism portray the truth about real America. Leaving one's country makes him no longer a part of that context of their origin, but coming to America as an immigrant makes him not yet a true American.

Plan & Section

In the drawings, I wanted to show as much of the plan as possible while still cutting the section in an area with objects that have a lot of height. The 4 departments in the university are shown in the objects most related to them. Art, architecture, fashion and political science departments have more curvature in the walls and floor plates in both the plan and section while supporting buildings like the dorms have more linear and rectangular shapes.

Shared areas between departments include both linear and curved shapes. Since the first thing a person notices when seeing my physical model is the “money tree”, I decided to use that for my chunk detail and show how the 100 dollar bills are displayed through the exterior of the building as a design on glass that can be reflected on the inside.

DETAIL

Physical model