ARCHITECTURAL IDENTITY
[Architecture] has a special physical relationship with life. I do not think of it primarily as either a message or a symbol, but as an envelope and background for life which goes on in and around it, a sensitive container for the rhythm of footsteps on the floor, for the concentration of work, for the silence of sleep (Unwin, 2003, p20).
When approaching the topic of identity, it is important to understand how this term is defined. Collins English Dictionary describe it as being "The individual characteristics by which a person or thing is recognised" (2012, p384). A person's identity is not just constructed through physical characteristics; their personal history, culture and heritage have a significant role in creating their identity. This concept is translatable into architecture.
The identity of a building is it not just defined by function or aesthetic, it is as much about unseen meanings and representations. It is the culmination of socio-cultural, economic, political and historical factors which are manifested through physical style, materials, technology and the manipulation of space (Bandyopadhyay and Montiel, 2013, pxiv). The physical appearance of a building creates unique architectural character and is what makes a structure and place distinctive.
A building visually encapsulates immaterial factors within physical trends to create an individual identity which is representative of the zeitgeist. Czumalo describes historic buildings as being "living testimonies to the prosperity and good taste of former times" (2012, p48). When these buildings are viewed as a collective, it creates a unique cumulative identity which can be interpreted on a local or national scale.
However, a city is not a product of nature nor is it of architecture, but a product of culture (Czumalo, 2012, p48). A place would have no identity if the people who inhabit and use it as part of their everyday lives did not exist and create its genius loci.
Peter Zumthor describes the role of architecture on our lives:
In turn, it is the familiarity of the context of our everyday lives that become primary means by which we stabalise our own identities (Dovey, 2010, p3). This means it is people who create the identity of the place, and the place that creates the identity of its people.
Identity is a culmination of factors which are shown though this infographic:
Cultural Memory retains elements from the recent past which people share with their contemporaries because these memories are also part of a person's memory. This personal association means old buildings harbour a sense nostalgia for many people. An emotional attachment or deepened knowledge of a building leads to the desire to see it preserved (Bloszies, 2012, p18).
Reusing architecture plays an indisputable role in preserving the identity of a town, city, or individual building. This sentiment was supported through the survey with many respondents wanting to see older buildings retained to preserve culture and heritage.
In order to assess feelings towards buildings with distinctly different identities, the survey asked people to rank buildings based on appearance with number one being their favourite.
Bloszies explains how this personal interaction with architecture is closely related to the concept of memory:
It therefore falls to the architect, the designer and the urban planner to ensure that a memory of our past is preserved for the future.
IS IDENTITY IMPORTANT?:
Graphs one and two show the results displayed by building and by rank order respectively:
GRAPH ONE:
GRAPH TWO:
GRAPH THREE:
Although respondents showed a preference towards older structures, most 'agreed' or 'strongly agreed' that having a wide range of buildings in towns and cities is important. This is because "[it] shows how a city has progressed though time by the variety of architecture". Respondent 27 supported this statement by saying "it gives the town a story and a heritage as we constantly evolve in building styles".
The results shown on this graph support these feelings:
GRAPH THREE:
The results show a preference towards older structures with buildings A and B consistently being ranked in first or second place. This demonstrates a respect towards older structures. This could be because they harbour a sense nostalgia for many people (Bloszies, 2012, p15).
The most contemporary structure was the second most popular option for first position and the results show a strong dislike for the brutalist option with the majority ranking this building fifth.
They were then asked to describe their favourite building using three words. The results show an awareness of the unique identity of each building through recognition of its style.