Form & Function
Form, “may refer to shape, structure, or appearance: custom or conduct; a document or outline; linguistics; or fitness or health” by Adrian Forty in the philosophical text. Form also can defined as the shape or configuration of a building.
Function, which came as encompassing all criteria of use, perception, and enjoyment of a building, not only the practical aspects but also in terms of aesthetic, psychological, and cultural. Also can be defined as a building or a space based on the purpose of it, non the space is being ignored or wasted in use.
“Form ever follows functions” by Louis Sullivan, is a principle associated with modernist architecture and industrial design in 20th century, which the shape of a building or object should be primarily based upon its intended function or purpose. This principle are similar as nowadays architecture, which the relationship between utility and beauty are inseparable. As example, when architect design a space, the first consideration will be the space quality, continue with the function and used of space and then only proceed to the form of building. In the others hand, “Form follows function” is a principle that shape of a building or object should be primarily based upon its function or purpose.
Architecture is a professional which has to be integrate the balance point in between art and science, which also has to integrate perfectly with the usability, beauty and economy. Functionality always become the priority than form, when come to the consideration of human need, interests, sentiments & values.
“Form follows function” is not a strange phrase not only in architecture, but also in engineering, designing product, urban design, culture and others. In my opinion, architecture today are more appropriate in terms of “Function follows form” As the most obvious example is the variety of adaptive reuse project. For example, existing warehouse turned into retail spaces, historical building turned into hotel.
One of the case study is the Sekeping’s projects by Local architect, Ng Sek San. This can be explain by how Ng Sek San apply ‘new life’ into the existing building with the raw ambiance. He is expert in the technique of handling the materials and spaces arrangement, which the Sekeping’s projects are strongly promoting sustainable design, and raising awareness of conserving the historical building (form).
Refer to the reflective text by Bernard Tschumi, stated that “the relation between program and building could be either highly sympathetic or contrived and artificial,” and that was “fascinated” more by the latter. The concept gained validity through a variety of examples of adaptive reuse. The argument was not that function was irrelevant but that form need not rely on function for its expressive character.
“The general public will almost always stand behind the traditionalists. In the public eye, architecture is about comfort, about shelter, about bricks and mortar” by Bernard Tschumi
In this 21st century, the new construction technology and also materials being more variety and can be create by either customize or mass production. So, to create a form with the function is not that hard to balance in between, due with the latest technology. For example, Louvre Museum by I M Pei. The structure are fully applying with steel and glass. “A museum does not has to be like a house : A pyramid does not has to be in Egypt. A creative and “out of box” project, which merging the organic shapes with function.
In conclusions, Form and function should go hand in hand in every projects, so there is not a really right or wrong in architecture design. It is all depending on personal perception and resolving. It is one of the issues that give us more than one solution to design with the issue. Both form and function are equally important in architecture design and cannot be neglected for the other’s sake and must be integrate together.
