Figural Objects
Maria SviridovaMy interest lies in the relationship of columns to each other as well as in their ability for spatial definition via their distribution andmorphology. My investigation began through a selected group of case studies and in identifying columns by their apparent formalautonomy.
For example, in the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris by Pier Luigi Nervi the columns are oriented toward each other morphologically, yetremain visually independent, whereas their regular paired linear array allows for the definition of a hallway. At the Tama Arts Library by ToyoIto, however, the employed arches visually unite a column with the next, whereas the curved linear array redefines the rectilinear four sidedbay.
Gothic cathedrals developed the use of colonnettes, or slim columns that independently are nonstructural. However, via their aggregation,the columns become a new distinct whole from individual elements, as can be seen in the Rouen Cathedral. Furthermore their aggregationallowed for the column to express an orientation or sidedness, further defining the separation between the aisle and the nave with varyingsize and density of aggregation.
In works such as Neimeyer’s Tripoli Fairgrounds pavilion, Tama Arts Library, as well as a number of Islamic Mosques, the arch is coupled withthe column to further define space, emphasizing its definition in three dimensions and unifying the column whit both wall-like and matrixexpression.
