Theatre and Performing Art Centre

Descript a distinctive changes of old and new architecture.

Functions

Functions is always a tough one to be define. Especially to those things that were created physically to cater the present needs. Architecture is a single creation by multiple man power’s mental health and contribution, but in those day, magnificiant architecture were created for only one single functions. So, the distinctive differences I would like to discuss upon is , as earlier stated, function.

The interlace by OMA, Singapore (2015)

8 houses by BIG, Copenhagen (2010) is another ambitious mix development project.

Architecture were created to carry out different function in those day, but it’s limited to one function, to be exact. No matter we are talking about bath, opera, theatre, or administrative building, they are all limited to one function. Beside, apart from residential house, all public buildings, even condominiums are focused to be multifunctions. Last year, “The interlace” a gigantic multipurpose housing development by OMA in Singapore were controversially given the title of “Building of the Year”. In my opinions, it is a benchmark how people today’s are looking for possibilities of how architecture can create it’s own ecosystem and community within. In the old days, architecture are created to be a place instead of a confined community, such as theatre and opera building. Rem Koolhaas took a very smart steps on desig

ning multipurpose architecture, at the same time iconic, taking aside the controversial part.

KLPAC's lake by Seksan Design, Sentul (2004)

Architecture transforming from single functions to multipurpose can be breaking down into few factors such as Technology, Geo-politics, Society changes and more. People todays are more interested in cities building where strangers can live together safe and sound. In facts, our life in cities are dependent on them, no matter it is a coffee shop, library, officers, salesman or even the plumber. We are constantly design architecture that makes stranger encounter but not to gather people that we familiar with. Meetings strangers everyday sounds terrible but in fact it’s not as scary as it sounds. In my opinions, a public architecture like KLPAC is great example for people to make friends and it’s a pleasure experience to do so. So, design architecture for strangers to meet is not a bad ideas, just that we need to be much more conscious on the bigger picture and the small details too.

Interior of Seattle Central Library by OMA, Seattle (2004)

Let’s get into a smaller scope talking about only function itself. The functions of a building would keep evolve until it’s unable to fit the new alien function. Let’s take library as an example, the type of building that impact the most due to digitalisation age. Old library were facing crisis of lacking visitor as many information we are able to retrieve through the internet. Eventually, if an old library were not considered to be redesign, it would face the fate of demolition. Settle central library by OMA, in my opinion, is an example of how old function can be redefine into something new. For instance, Seattle central library not only as physical books archive, but at the same times, established an electronic library, multifunctions hall, and even as a shelter for homeless. Defining new functions seems to be the new heroic things architect can do, and i think that is a positive contribution to the current state of society.

At the end of the day, the value of functions today were so much different than the old days, even if it’s just 10 years ago. if we are aware of the societal value changes on functions, we are doing creating new disaster to our city life. We should not only aware of the functions itself, but also the bilbao effects followed by our design, as we are building more and more public architecture in these days.