Reading the (Interior) Landscape

In finishing up this semester, thinking about the work ahead and going over what we have covered earlier this Spring and last Fall, I'm taking a moment to look again at Peirce Lewis’ Axiom’s for Reading the Landscape.

At the time we first read the piece, I was put off by it because I felt that it seemed to discount the experiences of many people—hikers, hunters, gardeners, farmers, aviators, artists, etc. —that do read the landscape but don’t necessarily write about it.

Now I regard it in a different way, because the concept of reading the landscape is useful even if Mr. Lewis seems determined to make a hard distinction between himself and those he feels he has not yet taught how to see.

Looking to the landscape to give us information about human culture, migration of ideas, history, technology, conflict, class, and many, many subtle detailed things within these broad categories is great. I don’t know that I will carry phrases like “the axiom of landscape obscurity” around with me, but I am interested in translating the idea of reading the landscape to the interior environment, where the essential idea of careful observation seems like a cornerstone of good design practice.

Looking at existing interior spaces—renovations, historic buildings, demolished structures, FIT, anything—there are many, many things to “read”. The buildings are like stories you walk through. The materials tell things about the environment. The fixtures tell things about history or culture. The arrangement of spaces tells things about technology and economics.  Doing a survey can be much, much more than measuring and the designer can spend time reading the spaces, asking questions of them, and following up with further research.

Pearls Before Class

In reflecting on our recent trip to 41 Cooper Square, the contemporary academic building at Cooper Union, I found my mind turning to the the Washington Post Weingarten article, Pearls Before Breakfast, where wealthy, celebrated violinist Joshua Bell plays a multi-million dollar instrument in the subway while working people walk past him on their way to their jobs.

They just didn't appreciate great music!

It was exciting to have the opportunity to tour the building described by our tour guide as a vertical campus, with different disciplines stacked one on top of each other. The center of the building is a large, open, sculptural staircase intended to serve as a commons, allowing people to interact and sit.

Hmmm, a campus?

Knowing the limitations and confinements of working within FIT’s campus and feeling the “green” envy of other institutions that have more light, trees, lawns, and generally more space, I immediately wondered about the experience of the students at Cooper Union. What is it like to go to school in that building? (We were there on Good Friday, so things were quiet.)

When I was at Pratt we had a campus that had a number of different options where one could go to find a comfortable spot, or some activity, or something to eat. I wonder what kind of options these students have, particularly regarding finding a comfortable spot. Do they like to sit on the stairs? Maybe they do. I hope so!

I hope so, because legal concerns prevent them from sitting on the balcony. How sad, 115 million dollars, and there wasn’t money to think that through so that it could be designed and managed in a way that would give students access to the outdoors.

What the students have is a very impressive, sculptural environment created by Thom Mayne, a celebrated architect.

But, do they have a campus?

We asked our guide about how he used the building and he said he does not spend time in it. The costs are highly controversial among students as the college is now considering charging tuition, something it has never done.

One student even played a clever hoax

Some kids just don't appreciate good architecture!