Diagrammatic clarity

screen shot from [Japanese Collection] Episode 6: Louvre-Lens by SANAA - 2012 Vincent.Hecht
https://vimeo.com/ 131126318

Bour-Chiang.Huang

Diagrammatic clarity

Bour-Chiang.Huang

Abstract
As Japanese architects Toyo Ito firstly used the word diagram to describe the
space created by Kazuyo Sejima, diagram itself suddenly free from entirely
instrumental meaning and thus become a seemingly perceivable quality to
verbalize certain image. This essay is trying to find different clue relevant to such
phenomena .Including their plausibly origin and what potentiality it may indicating.

Sejimas expression in her works is pure,simple and geometrical...it would be to say that is
diagram architecture.In orther words,that according to her,a building is ultimately the equivalent
of the diagram of the space...When we find ourselves in a space which she produced,we are
given to feel a totally new relationship between space and the body...A space of this type has
neither texture nor scent;it is physical but,at the same time,an abstract plan.We can not help but
feel that our bodies are like those androids in a space where neither body heat,perspiration nor
smell exist.* Toyo Ito 1

The word diagram architecture is firstly coined by Japanese architect Toyo Ito when he
was trying to describe the space created by Kazuyo Sejima ,who originally worked for him
and be seen as the most successful apprentice nurturing by Itos philosophy.
Thus,diagram,which originally should be used as tool for representing or experimenting the
space,suddenly become kind of seemingly perceivable quality and aspiration within
architecture. Although,what Ito means to the diagrammatic was most likely derived from
the intuitive quality in Sejimas space, which can be perceived by body in the most straightforward yet subtle way , it still offer us a whole new possibility to reevaluate Sejimas
works, or to further developed some question,like: What it can plausibly means apart from
instinctive sensation? How can we expand the context of diagrammatic and apply it into
the present development of the profession ? Can we see it as a threshold to reevaluate
our contemporary time and space ? etc. Such kind of question,in my viewpoint,can
stimulate this profession which seems gradually growing more and more enigmatic and
pointless ,since it indeed indicate the most fundamental discourse within architecture,
which is,how people perceive and understand the space they occupy,which should always
be the quintessential part and also starting point of architecture,allowing us to envision
what is the future or the present we truly desire.

Actually,how people perceive and understand space and architecture has already been a
longtime issue since the very beginning of modernism. Consequently,embodying both
objectivity and subjectivity,our body,has been reinterpreted over and over again through
out the history of architecture. As society growing more and more complicated,leading
architects seems always trying to find corresponding complexity in terms of body,space
and society; to interpret what they sensed and declared their identity at the same time.
From early 20 century, Le Corbusier seeing body as a living experience,to early 21 century
Toyo Ito reinterpreting the body as separated experience,physical and informational 2 ,the
concept of "body"indeed evolving along with the changing of the society,yet gradually
become a much more complicated and vague concept than we have ever noticed.
Obviously,the complexity is always the inherent quality and issue of architecture.
However,is it possible to bridge such kind of diverse relationship with the essence of our
contemporary ? Is it possible to amplify those complexity in different way other than
unequivocal manifesto which is mostly outweighed by pure instrumental interpretation of
technology? Perhaps, the word diagrammatic is just a plausible clue to the whole
mystery.
So,what makes such kind of diagrammatic quality amplified in the space created by
Sejima (or SANAA for the cooperated project) ? When we trying read or even experience
the space they created,a few keyword may be easily linked to our understanding. For
example: transparent,lightness,airy,fluid,bright,or even more
subtle:loose,phenomenological,non-hierarchicaletc. It seems that everyone can find
their own logic to frame their own understanding of space while they keep using and
experiencing the space. In this sense,the user are thus free from just being an absolute
object who merely occupy the space physically; on the contrary,they seemingly become
different individual presence floating in the air and become part of the environment,who
seems connected with the space in various proximity with different sense of time. (The
reason why I use the word environment here is because: such scenario include some
uncertain character,which means,in this situation,the experience itself is not simply an act
of receiving message conveyed by designer.On the contrary,it is more like the occupant
have to find the clue to understand the space.It is about using and discovery,within a more
mutual relationship.Thus,the dialogue is opened;the identity is diluted,which is more close
to the essence of nature,with more richness and freedom) For SANAA,all these
perception and dialogue with space are just their longtime purpose in their career,which is
how to let space itself involve different kind of experience coexist at the same spacetime ,or as they put it,they want to realize an architecture like a park 3 In this
sense,accordingly, the space itself should at least concern two issue: the understandability
of the concept , and the potentiality embedded within the concept which allow any further
interpretation.

image source : screen shot from [Japanese Collection] Episode 6: Louvre-Lens by SANAA - 2012
Vincent.Hecht
https://vimeo.com/ 131126318

Architecture as park

Before I trying to read the concept of diagrammatic in deeper layer, I tried to find some
relevant clue to expand the context of the concept. Consequently, I started to look at their
way of working,which I supposed can give us some plausible clue toward the origin of
such diagrammatic quality.

1) Working process :

We start by understanding the program and then try to find the design by setting out each element,there
are many ways to do this that work pretty well and ,though we never sure it is the right way ,we progress in
a design by adding our own parameters.From one day to the next we are trying to find sensible relationship
between one elements and another.It is a process of adding rules together.Sometimes it is a question of a
room being next to another ,but equally we try to connect with things outside the building 4
we starts from organizing all the requirement and precondition (regulation,budget...) into a possible system
without specific image in mind,and then trying to clarify the relationship within different components in the
architectural scheme and trying visualize them,in terms of program or structure. 5

The design process of SANAA is famous and also notorious for their endless model
making ;through incredible amount of experiment and iteration, they gradually fixed the
theme of the project 6 . However,the process itself and the purpose of doing seemingly no
different iteration is not only trying to find an appropriate formal expression to fit certain
context, but trying to built a conceptual framework in the beginning of the project which
trying to maximize the potential of the program and convey diverse relationship at the
same time. For them,potential of the space is derived from various issue as they gradually
discover though the experiment. 7 During the study process,they seems trying to reduced
the auxiliary in their articulation for different relationship8;what remains,is the first image of
the whole project,that is diagram,which act as the first and final image at the same time.
Thus, in this way, with simplest image without particular formal preference,they can keep
their following experiment keep involving different possibility and potentiality while still

keep understandability to great extent.

image resource :DESIGNING

THE PROCESS: SCALE
MODELS IN THE WORK OF
KAZUYO SEJIMAAND SOU
FUJIMOTO.
Marta Alonso Provencio and
Jorge Almazn

For us it is important to explain the intrinsic relationship of each project quite clearly.We always tried to
show what people can experience in the building,to show the idea clearly,not through figure,shape,or form
but by the most simple and direct way. 9

To be more precisely,the process of SANAA can be read in two aspect,which plausibly

result in some inherent character of there diagrammatic quality.
The one is uncertainty. In their process,they trying switch their view point all the
times,trying to reevaluate certain fact (composition..etc,) or phenomena they intended to
create, in different scale or even in different context and thus find some new possibility and
potentiality in them,which may be seen as new logic to push following research,or even,a
totally different view point with better clarity to articulate their image10. In other words,their
working process always trying to avoid arbitrary manifesto or to create a cosmology
system for themselves .It is more intriguing for them to discover something could be further

developed 11 rather than create a enclosed conceptual integrity,which sometimes might

need to convinced itself and others for not being capable of explaining everything. In this
sense,we may see their attitude of being an architects,which originally should be a more
dominant character in the working process, as a less positive gesture,or even eclecticism
to some extent.
When I write a novel I dont know whats going to happen next in the story. And neither do I know how its
going to end. As I write, I witness what happens next. For me, then, writing a novel is a journey of discovery.
Just as children listening to a story eagerly wonder whats going to happen next, I have the same exact
feeling of excitement as I write 12
once relationship is established,it motivate various creative development to happen.I imagine that human
activities will be more creative when based on such type of architecture. 13
I think that the way we understand the program is very abstract,so it cannot become a form.It cannot be
turned into something that is an identifiable form,because it is just too abstract to become so well
defined.So the most important things is how relationship occurs 14

The other keyword is relationship. In their philosophy,the word relationship maybe can be
seen as the quintessential part which functioned as the criteria and catalyst of any possible
discourse and discovery 15. Generally,the word relationship usually be read as some
perceivable connection,a linkage between two part in certain context. However,in their

understanding,the word relationship is being read and used in a wider aspect. They
understand the relationship as a way to connect individual and space as a whole, and then
open the dialogue between them,which is user,space itself and the environment16 . In one
hand,such relationship should directly facing some very practical issue like:how can
people use the space?how can it divide the space?can we explain everything within this
relationship?...etc. However,on the other hand,such relationship-approach still concerning
some question like: is it possible to convey some diversity within the same or different
context? Is this relationship have some unpredictability or some occasional quality ?17
To some extent,their uncertain character in their process is the direct reflection of their
initial attitude,which is: everything is possible. However,since they always see the issue of
relationship as the main concern and the criteria to evaluate different iteration,such
uncertainty did not cause any self-contradiction in their concept,on the contrary;it thus
become a whole new gesture facing the public,in the most clearest and legible way,which
also might be the reason to its seemingly too simple but poetic expression.

So,how to understand the word diagrammatic? Although it may be not appropriate to

understand it in such a simplified manner,I still supposed that this summarization can be
seen as a starting point to help us to discuss and develop the concept in a positive way.

Architecture in keyword :
Generally,a classy concept usually have to develop a conceptual integrity for itself,trying
to lock everything up together,from structure,program,image or even budget,with clear
hierarchy. On this point,we may see this architecture as an architecture in article
orarchitecture in grammar , which means,firstly,the development of the concept is
logically linear,and the role of the relationship is more close to the linkage to maintain the
entity as an conceptual enclosure rather than a catalyst to bring up further dialogue
between viewer and designer. On the contrary,in order to lower the egoism of designer,the
expression of the concept,in a sense, become a few keyword to be sensed by viewer
rather than a few sentences or an article to be passively received by the viewer. In other
word,the viewer can perceive,understand,and thus recombine those keyword in a more
positive way ,along with different atmosphere and emotion,and finally build up their own
experience.
Trying to rethink what is the essential meaning of diagram. As a tool for communicating
with the audience (user,customer...),undoubtedly,the diagram should have great clarity in
order to clarify those complex relationship that built up the concept. In this sense,the
concept conveyed in the form of keyword,clearly,has its inherent legibility and accessibility.
(though finding the proper keyword is always the most difficult part) Generally,the process
of making the diagram,usually means consciously ignore certain part of the concept,which
also means such representation can only be seen as modified reality or part reality.In a
sense,its more like a introduction or even after-reflection of designer. However, what
diagrammatic means is not simply the direct linkage between the representation and the
perception,between two dimensional reading and three dimensional experiencing,but also

means the new positive relationship between designer,space and viewer . Reshaping the
hierarchy between traditional authority (e.g. designer) ,object (e.g. architecture),and the
presence as receiver (e.g. occupant) or even building up a new hierarchy between
information( internal or external) and body (perception and memory) ,thus,may be seen as
the most significant and also prospective potential the concept of diagrammatic are
implying.

Transparency means creating relations.It doesnt have to be looked through.Transparency also means
clarity,not just visual but also conceptual.There are so many relation... Kazuyo Sejima.18 In uno mad en
case de los SANAA. ACTAR.Barcelona and MUSAC Leon 2007 p.17

screen shot from [Japanese Collection] Episode 6: Louvre-Lens by SANAA - 2012 Vincent.Hecht
https://vimeo.com/ 131126318

screen shot from [Japanese Collection] Episode 6: Louvre-Lens by SANAA - 2012 Vincent.Hecht

https://vimeo.com/ 131126318

Although in SANAAs works,or the origin of the word diagrammatic are mostly indicate
some internal discourse within their works,trying to understand some keyword like (e.g.
transparency ,boundary hierarchy,dialogue,freedom) in wider context ,we still can see it as
a starting point to reevaluate our contemporary profession,and to face the emerging new
tradition,which may lead us to the immediate future.

Bibliography

1. Toyo Ito , diagram architecture, ElCorquis 77 P.18

2. Toyo Ito ,blurring architecture ,CHARTA,Blurring Architecture P.50
3. Lecture: Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, "Architecture is Environment Harvard GSD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtTo9qNrQB8
4. Ulbrich: conversation with sanaa p.59.
5. EL Croquis 77 interview with kazuyo sejima
6. Cristina Diaz Moreno and Efren Garcia Grinda, Ocean of air ,p.28.
7. GA PLOT kazuyo sejima p 96
8. EL Croquis 139 liquid playgroung: in conversation with SANAA P28
9. EL Croquis 139 liquid playgroung: in conversation with SANAA
10. Koji Taki Conversation with Kazuyo Sejima , ElCorquis 77,P28
11. GA PLOT ryue nishisawa p138-155
12. Haruki Murakami:The meaning of shadow-speech
13.GA architects SANAA,-2005 ,Ryue Nishisawa: On relationship
14. Kazuyo Sejima Interview with Alejandro Zaera El Croquis 99 (2000) p20.
15.GA architects SANAA,-2005 ,Ryue Nishisawa: On relationship
16. GA architects SANAA,-2005 ,Ryue Nishisawa: On relationship
17. GA PLOT ryue nishisawa p138-155
18. In uno mad en case de los SANAA. ACTAR.Barcelona and MUSAC Leon 2007 p.17