Note. When the text of Aesthetics of built form was submitted as part of a PhD thesis in 1996, the Notes were greatly extended. As the reader may prefer to ignore them, they have been collected into separate web pages of which this is one. They are a mixture of: simple page references; additional examples or quotations to justify generalisations; and some afterthoughts.
[1.1] Sculptural form in clay versus bronze. An example is the difference between a clay horse sculpture of the T'ang dynasty (Ridley 1973, p.101) and the bronze 'flying horse of Kansu' (Tregear 1980, p.69).
[1.2] This was a reference to the concepts of 'the aesthetic' and of 'the aesthetic object' developed by philosophers in grappling with the problems of the definition of beauty and its location somewhere between the object and the mind of the observer. The statement was based on sources such as Charlton (1970), pp.48-60 and Beardsley (1958), pp.61-63, pp.526-535, pp.552-554, pp.574-576.
[1.3] Aesthetics an important factor. Examples which inspired this were:
Colorado Highway Bridge: ENR 5 Jan 1978, p.15.
Tay Road Bridge: Report of the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board, 1966.
Tyne Metro: Civil Engineering (UK) Nov. 1977, pp.31-5.
Electrostatic particle accelerator: NCE 5 May 1977, pp.24-5.
Mosel Valley Bridge. Civil Engineering-ASCE April 1975, pp.60-4, Steinborn (1970), also Linse, A. and Wössner, K. Lochertalbrücke - Entwürfe einer Grossbrücke. Bauingenieur, Vol.53, No.12, Dec. 1978, pp.453-63.
Klus, J. P. and Wortley, C. A. Finns Emphasise Aesthetics in Water Towers. Civil Engineering-ASCE, Sept 1973, pp.84-7.
Percey, E. C. The Emancipated Water Tower. Concrete, Sept 1975, Vol. 9, No.9, p.22.
[1.4] Comments regarding industrial zones on the edges of towns were inspired by a remark of Parent and de la Selle. "Recent years have seen the regulation of building on the edges of towns through the policy of industrial zones. With increasing control, it is now demanded that the factory respect the environment in which it is built and have a compatible architectural appearance." ("Les dernières années ont vu la codification des implantations en bordure des villes par la politique des zones industrielles. Cette planification s'intensifiant, on en est arrivé à exiger que l'usine prenne conscience de l'environnement dans lequelle elle se bâtit et envisage une expression architecturale compatible avec le lieu." Parent, C. and de la Selle, S. Architecture pour l'industrie, Construction Moderne No.37, March 1984, p.12.).
For French colour consultants, see Chapter 3.
[1.5] Oscar Faber quotation: Faber, 1945, p.5. He was referring of course to the common situation in which there are several technologically sound alternatives of approximately equal economic merit. Its occurrence is frequently noted in TAISD and AOBF, based on personal experience reinforced by the writings of prominent practising engineers. The following instances may be cited:
Nervi compares the steel trussed arch bridges at Paderno d'Adda and the Truyère. In the former, the ends of the arch are 'fixed' against rotation at the supports, inducing large bending moments at these points. The profile of the truss is consequently deeper at its ends than at the centre. The bridge at Truyère is pinned at the supports, and thus the bending moments at these points is zero. The profile is shallow at the ends and thickens towards the centre. Nervi notes "It is difficult to find a substantial technical reason that could have influenced the designer of one of these bridges to choose a fixed-end arch and of the other, a two-hinged arch. Both fall within the realm of indeterminate structures and require immovable supports, though to a varying degree of tolerance with respect to possible differential settling of the foundations. Therefore one might imagine that the choice of structural system was due to the difference in aesthetic or architectural result sought, in one case emphasis on the lightness of the arch and in the other, its strength" (Nervi 1965a, pp.9 and 20).
Muthesius, an architect and founder of the Deutsche Werkbund wrote "In most cases there are several mathematically correct solutions from which [the engineer] can choose. For the engineer also, many roads lead to Rome …" ("Denn die Verhältnisse liegen meist so, daß es gleichzeitig mehrere mathematisch richtige Lösungen gibt, unter denen [der Ingenieur] wählen kann. Auch für den Ingenieur führen viele Wege nach Rom …" Muthesius, H. von. 'Das Form: Problem im Ingenieurbau', pp.23-32 in Deutsche Werkbund 1913. Quotation, p.31.)
Isler writes "Today it appears possible to find not only one, but several statically satisfactory shell forms for each set of requirements. Owner, architect, or engineer may then choose the form which best suits function and architectural imagination." ("Es scheint heute möglich, praktisch zu jeder gestellten Rahmenbedingung nicht nur eine, sondern mehrere statisch günstige Schalenformen zu finden. Bauherr, Architekt oder Ingenieur können dann diejenige form auswählen, die der Funktion und der Vorstellung am besten entspricht." Isler 1983, p.37.)
Schlaich writes: "It seems to be forgotten that for every engineering task there are a practically unlimited number of solutions and that as a result, selection is never possible on purely functional grounds but as a matter of necessity is made subjectively." ("Es scheint vergessen, daß es für jede Ingenieuraufgabe praktisch unbegrenzt viele Lösungen gibt und daß demzufolge die Auswahl niemals nach rein funktionellen Gesichtspunkten möglich ist, sondern notwendigerweise subjektiv getroffen werden kann." Schlaich, 1986, p.49.)
[1.6] Plant that looks good is better cared for. Personal communication from a Melbourne consulting engineer, Roy Hardcastle, based on knowledge of international experience.
[1.7] Aesthetics of bridges. At the time of writing examples included: Leonhardt (1982), Allan (1976), Billington (1977a, 1977b, 1979), Japan Soc. Civ. Engrs (1982), Menn (1985), and IABSE (1980). The last includes interesting papers on the general aesthetics of structures.
[1.8] Arnheim on human need for aesthetics: Arnheim (1977), p.3, 101, and 249.
[1.9] At the time of writing, sources consulted on the work of Calatrava were Blaser (1989), Nolli (1985), and Buchanan (1987, 1989).
[1.10] Faber quotation: "A beautiful structure does not mean an ordinary structure …". Faber,O. The Aesthetic Aspect of Civil Engineering Design, Faber/ICE 1945, p3.
[1.11] See Holgate 1986a, Chapter 8, especially the Candela quote on p.89 and the Dunican quotes on p.95 and pp.100-1.
[1.12] Charlton quotation: "natural to see in a rectangle …" Charlton (1970), p.49.
[1.13] Smith reference to two towers pushing apart. Smith (1979), p.12.
[1.14] Arnheim quotation: "… floating like an anchored balloon …" Arnheim (1977), p.28.
[1.15] Arnheim quotation: "One function of a row of columns …" Arnheim (1977), p.238.
[1.16] Stratagems employed by engineers and architects in early stages of project design. See e.g. Holgate, A. The art in structural design, Chapters 13 et seq.
[1.17] Ackerman on the Laurentian Library. Ackerman (1986). In 1971 edition, p.117, p.120.
[1.18] Moore quotation: "Architects' words seem to rile people." Moore and Allen (1976), p.7.
[1.19] An example occurs in Scruton (1979), pp.155-6.
[1.20] Original Note: This was implied by Philip Johnson whose own 'Glass House' [TAISD p.96] is in similar style to Mies van der Rohe's 'Farnsworth House' (Fig. 3.17). [AOBF p.68].
Note added for thesis: As reported in TAISD (p.96), when Philip Johnson was asked whether his Glass House was a monument, he replied: "Of course. It has nothing to do with a house. I live here, but I'd live in a barn." When asked whether a certain building was successful in functional terms, he replied: "That's mighty low terms to be successful" (Cook and Klotz 1973, pp. 43 and 46).
[1.21] Users' modification of modernist architecture. An example is the way in which the occupants have altered Le Corbusier's model workers' houses at Pessac. See Boudon (1972), Figs 12-15 and 18-21 and accompanying captions.
[1.22] This statement is supported by reference to fashions in the following instances. In box girder bridges, see NCE, Feb. 15, 1973, p.11. In cable-stayed bridges, Bauingenieur, 61, 1986, pp.51-52 (a comment by Jörg Schlaich). Re the use of concrete versus steel, Construction Moderne, No.37, March 1984, p.10 (a comment by Claude Parent). Several leading engineers have commented that consultants design exciting and challenging structures such as tents for the fun of it and this must be cross-subsidised by 'bread-and-butter' work on conventional structures. Two active and successful consultants have made this statement: the late Professor E. Happold of Buro Happold at a Conference on Non-Conventional Structures (London 1987) and Professor Jörg Schlaich in private discussion.
[1.23] See Smith's comments on Victorian engineers (Smith 1979, p.180), and Holgate 1986b (TAISD) pp. 103-5 and p.143.
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