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The importance of diagrams in architecture as a field of cultural-political plasticity
The architectural diagram can be used as a device that blurs the distinction between subject and object, bringing forth tensions of looking in and through, of being in and out. Jacques Derrida, a French continental philosopher primarily interested in deconstruction, has notably theorized the use of the architectural diagram, and an important idea the Derrida has raised was that of différance. Différance, for Derrida, means not only to ‘differ’ but also to ‘defer’ the meaning if anything, endlessly, because it is never total or finished. This open process of meaning is an obvious fact of cultures since they are historical and changing. For Derrida, an architectural diagram subverts the dominant oppositions and hierarchies currently constitutive of the discourse, and can be modes of becoming an emergence of différance. Architectural diagrams in this sense can operate as an abstract machine that describes the power relations and the narratives of the city.
Operating from a place similar to that of writing, the diagram can be experimental in the sense that it can achieve emancipation and autonomy in the discipline, it can be anti-hierarchy, anti-form, anti-structure, and it can reveal clearly the power relations and mosaic of the city. The diagram as an abstract machine composed of these elements are activators that help trigger constructions that are neither objective or subjective, neither before theory nor after theory, neither conceptual or opportunist, the location of the diagram is in the inter-subjective, durational and operational field where meanings are formed and transformed interactively.
This thesis will outline the methods of achieving such a diagram, will analyze the current use of diagrams in architecture, outline the implications of which (history, trends, influences), and will aim to bring about a contemporary (in an Agamben sense of the word), autonomous place of abstraction where objective aspects of location (Buffalo, NY as test site for this thesis) combined with subjective experience will be achieved through compressing the GIS data acquired (objective aspects) with the subjective experience of the city (the perceptions of the people who live there), found by geo-referenced* data from the internet, as well as subjective maps used to narrate the city to outsiders (e.g., tourism maps).
*Georeferencing here means to associate something with locations in physical space
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The importance of diagrams in architecture as a field of cultural-political plasticity
The architectural diagram can be used as a device that blurs the distinction between subject and object, bringing forth tensions of looking in and through, of being in and out. Jacques Derrida, a French continental philosopher primarily interested in deconstruction, has notably theorized the use of the architectural diagram, and an important idea the Derrida has raised was that of différance. Différance, for Derrida, means not only to ‘differ’ but also to ‘defer’ the meaning if anything, endlessly, because it is never total or finished. This open process of meaning is an obvious fact of cultures since they are historical and changing. For Derrida, an architectural diagram subverts the dominant oppositions and hierarchies currently constitutive of the discourse, and can be modes of becoming an emergence of différance. Architectural diagrams in this sense can operate as an abstract machine that describes the power relations and the narratives of the city.
Operating from a place similar to that of writing, the diagram can be experimental in the sense that it can achieve emancipation and autonomy in the discipline, it can be anti-hierarchy, anti-form, anti-structure, and it can reveal clearly the power relations and mosaic of the city. The diagram as an abstract machine composed of these elements are activators that help trigger constructions that are neither objective or subjective, neither before theory nor after theory, neither conceptual or opportunist, the location of the diagram is in the inter-subjective, durational and operational field where meanings are formed and transformed interactively.
This thesis will outline the methods of achieving such a diagram, will analyze the current use of diagrams in architecture, outline the implications of which (history, trends, influences), and will aim to bring about a contemporary (in an Agamben sense of the word), autonomous place of abstraction.
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The importance of diagrams in architecture as a field of cultural-political plasticity
The architectural diagram can be used as a device that blurs the distinction between subject and object, bringing forth tensions of looking in and through, of being in and out. Jacques Derrida, a French continental philosopher primarily interested in deconstruction, has notably theorized the use of the architectural diagram, and an important idea the Derrida has raised was that of différance. Différance, for Derrida, means not only to ‘differ’ but also to ‘defer’ the meaning if anything, endlessly, because it is never total or finished. This open process of meaning is an obvious fact of cultures since they are historical and changing. For Derrida, an architectural diagram subverts the dominant oppositions and hierarchies currently constitutive of the discourse, and can be modes of becoming an emergence of différance. Architectural diagrams in this sense can operate as an abstract machine that describes the power relations and the narratives of the city of Buffalo, New York.
This thesis will analyze case studies of diagrams from architects such as Bernard Tschumi, AMO, Lateral Office, Archizoom, UNStudio, and Morphosis, that are research-focused, theoretical, experimental, and exhibit elements of clear communication, as outlined in Edward Tufte’s book, Envisioning Information. Architectural research diagrams tend to reveal the power relations in forms, hierarchies, and structures. Experimental and theoretical diagrams in architecture implement the ideas of Derrida for the emancipation and autonomization of the discipline, as seen in Peter Eisenman’s work, where he sought to achieve psychic autonomy and the “unmotivated sign” through his use of diagrams. This thesis is concerned with clear communication design because the information that reveals relations of power should be made obvious.
From the case studies, the thesis will develop as diagrams that represent the narratives of Buffalo, that configure a role not to express an extant social structure, but to function as a tool for questioning and revising the structure. To represent Buffalo, ethnographic research and GIS analysis will be compressed into a series of visualizations that are experimental and theoretical in design and purpose. The use of diagrams in this way is important for questioning and revising the social structure, instead of simply re-iterating it. This use can be seen, for example, in the work of Bernard Tschumi who also framed his work with Derrida.
The importance of diagrams in architecture as a field of cultural-political plasticity
The architectural diagram can be used as a device that blurs the distinction between subject and object, bringing forth tensions of looking in and through, of being in and out. Différance, for Derrida, means not only to ‘differ’ but also to ‘defer’ the meaning if anything, endlessly, because it is never total or finished. This open process of meaning is an obvious fact of cultures since they are historical and changing. For Derrida, an architectural diagram subverts the dominant oppositions and hierarchies currently constitutive of the discourse, and can be modes of becoming an emergence of différance. Architectural diagrams in this sense can operate as an abstract machine that describes the power relations and the narratives of the city of Buffalo, New York.
This thesis will analyze case studies of diagrams that are research-focused, theoretical, experimental, and exhibit elements of clear communication, as outlined in Edward Tufte’s book, Envisioning Information. Architectural research diagrams tend to reveal the power relations in forms, hierarchies, and structures. Experimental and theoretical diagrams in architecture implement the ideas of Derrida for the emancipation and autonomization of the discipline, as seen in Peter Eisenman’s work. This thesis is concerned with clear communication design because the information that reveals relations of power should be made obvious.
From the case studies, the thesis will develop as diagrams that represent the narratives of Buffalo, that configure a role not to express an extant social structure, but to function as a tool for questioning and revising the structure. To represent Buffalo, ethnographic research and GIS analysis will be compressed into a series of visualizations that are experiemental and theoretical in design and purpose. The use of diagrams in this way is important for questioning and revising the social structure, instead of simply re-iterating it. This use can be seen, for example, in the work of Bernard Tschumi who also framed his work with Derrida.
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