Narrative Architecture: Architectural Design Primers series by Nigel Coates

by Nigel Coates

The first book to look architectural narrative in the eyeSince the early eighties, many architects have used the term "narrative" to describe their work. To architects the enduring attraction of narrative is that it offers a way of engaging with the way a city feels and works. Rather than reducing architecture to mere style or an overt emphasis on technology, it foregrounds the experiential dimension of architecture. "Narrative Architecture" explores the potential for narrative as a way of interpreting buildings from ancient history through to the present, deals with architectural background, analysis and practice as well as its future development.Authored by Nigel Coates, a foremost figure in the field of narrative architecture, the book is one of the first to address this subject directly Features architects as diverse as William Kent, Antoni Gaudi, Eero Saarinen, Ettore Sottsass, Superstudio, Rem Koolhaas, and FAT to provide an overview of the work of NATO and Coates, as well as chapters on other contemporary designers Includes over 120 colour photographsSignposting narrative's significance as a design approach that can aid architecture to remain relevant in this complex, multi-disciplinary and multi-everything age, "Narrative Architecture" is a must-read for anyone with an interest in architectural history and theory.

Genres: Architecture

Paperback

First published June 15, 2007

Reviews

[d · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Architecture can hardly be narrative unless it contains a degree of tension, and incorporates the visitor in a thinking, being experience. To be narrative, the space, the treatment of surface, the pictures that the building forms around your path all have to engage with you and tease you-to create a field of meaning, without resorting to fake history or atmosphere, that gives off a continuous matrix of time, connects with time, recounts its time, your time, imaginary time.”

While containing some insightful thoughts, I fault this for being the kind of modernist strain of thinking that will mention the word orgasm at least once. By virtue of this, the ideologies and examples discussed are so painfully encaged in Western masochist trappings. Seriously, one of the examples was a Female Slave University mentioned. We’ve gone past the age for this to be a mere thought experiment such that we can finally criticize the problematic ideals behind them. Much of the problems this book aims to confront are feel contrived because oppression is not real for white people (“punk”, “suburbs”). This is definitely from the Koolhas/BIG school of thought.

I also question the attempts to be encompassing/diverse in human experience but the only non-Western highlight is Coates’ obsession with Japan. Always, always the white man’s obsession with only Japan, the definitive representative of Asian architecture (sarcasm.). The moments that do bring up diversity are straight-up weird and stereotypes which again, transcend the thought experiment excuse because their problematic nature demands criticism. Seriously, what was with the Cowhead mosque/meat packing plant?

Regardless the mildly interesting ideas were explained with some very interesting examples and I am all the better for it but overall, it’s nothin revolutionary. I really liked the heart cathedral by Tobias Klein (?) though. I do appreciate the breadth of examples even within its geographical and ideological limits.

Lastly, there is not a single definition of “narrative”. For a book called narrative architecture, I’d been waiting. Did I miss it? Like somehow he deconstructs and reconstructs it but I have no idea what it is. Too abstract and hodgepodge for me to have enjoyed or found value in.