BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURETHEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2015) [5 MARKS]

NAME: CHIA WEE MIN ID: 0315186LECTURER: NICHOLAS NG TUTORIAL TIME: 4pm to 6pmSYNOPSIS NO: 2 READER TITLE: SEMIOTICS AND ARCHITECTURE IDEOLOGICAL

CONSUMPTION OR THEORITICAL WORKAUTHOR: DIANA AGREST AND MARIO GANDELSONAS

Based on "Semiotics and Architecture: Ideological Consumption or Theoretical Work " Agrest discussed about the

architectural ideology, architectural theory and the comparison of semiotics and other elements such as language and

economy.

Architectural theory, it grows out of architectural ideology and at the same time is in radical opposition to it

said Agrest. Architectural theory use architectural ideology with no real or concrete things but beliefs as a concept

and performed it in an opposite way. For example, before modernism, ornament is belief as luxury the more

ornamented a building the more luxury it is. But, during modernism, the same ornament is discussed but the result

is different. " Forms follow function" is the main principle during modernism and it asserts that form should be

simplified that the design should bear no unnecessary ornaments than is necessary to function. Modernist believe

that ornaments should follow the structure and purpose of the building thus ornaments have no longer have the

meaning of luxury during modernism. This shows how the architectural theory is derived from architectural

ideology but at the same time is in radical opposition to it.

Other than that, the comparison between semiotic and language is discussed. Based on Saussure, semiotics is the

science of different system of sign and language system is only one of the various system. He said that the concept of sign is

composed of signifier, acoustic image and signified, the concept and signification as the relation linking signifier and

signified. Saussure concept of sign is similar to "Semantic Triangle" created by Ogden and Richards involved relationship

between thought, symbol and image. The thought in Semantic Triangle can represents signification, symbol represents

signifier and the image as signified. Saussure said the he opposed the concept of traditional semantics, semantic triangle,

but both of the theories stated that the linkage between the three elements cannot be breakdown for the sign to operate

correctly. The only difference is the medium used to convey the message.

In a nutshell, I agree on what Agrest and Gandelsonas had discussed about on architectural theory is derived from

architectural ideology by in opposite way and comparison of semiotic and language and this theories still can be used in our

current context.

WORD COUNT: 369 DATE: 25/4/2016 MARK: GRADE: ASSSESSED BY: