Written Analysis
Applying my own curiosity, I was motivated to critically and creatively analyse the mapping processes of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown. This semester, I have familiarised myself with the process of critical thinking where I researched the distinctive qualities of Venturi and Scott Brown. After delving into Venturi and Scott Brown’s book, ‘Learning from Las Vegas,’ I noted the way they depicted the city through signs and symbols and more specifically, mapping. I have recognised their interest in pop art and how it has reflected throughout their work; in signs and symbols.
I gained knowledge from Venturi and Scott Brown by watching videos like ‘the relevance of the book ‘Learning from Las Vegas’, where it was stated their process included driving around the city with cameras whilst also collaborating with photographers; Brown said photography is crucial for ideas about architecture and urbanism (Barberie, 2020). It was clear that their focus was on Las Vegas; the city that was all about the highway. By taking ‘everyday’ things and showcasing them through signs and symbols, it depicted Las Vegas under in a different perspective of instant urbanism.
In studying the design, I have become familiar to the importance of certain approaches, one of which being visual communication. Having the kind of influence to narrate a form of imagery to the viewer, it can form a relationship between the designer and the viewer of the image (Kress & van Leeuwen, 1996). From my own personal perspective, signs and symbols can be subjective and sort of ambiguous with its meaning; so, to map out the city purely from signs and symbols, viewers are able to conclude with their personal perspective rather than be given a realistic drawing.
I was opened to a perspective that I never thought of before and it was: the city is defined by the experience of the car. I found this interesting as it insinuated the strategic placement for architecture and the well-thought mapping of the city.
Figure 1. Aerial Shot of Las Vegas. Image (Venturi, R & Scott Brown, D, et al., 1977)
‘Learning from Las Vegas’.
Figure 2. Map of Las Vegas Strip. Image (Venturi, R & Scott Brown, D, et al., 1977)
‘Learning from Las Vegas’.
So, through the approach of mapping, Venturi and Scott Brown communicated a view of the city as kind of constructed and strategic revealing patterns of behaviour. They wanted to keep a record of the city, hence, by visually mapping out the city in aerial shots and in birds eye view (as shown in figure 1 and 2), I was able to critically analyse the city as a whole in one image.
Figure 3. Map of Las Vegas Strip through symbols. Image (Venturi, R & Scott Brown, D, et al., 1977)
‘Learning from Las Vegas’.
I found it effective in the way they sorted the city out through signs and symbols, to provide sharp insights about the world; making it clear on the placement of casinos for example. Their book ‘Learning from Las Vegas’ (Venturi, R & Scott Brown, D, et al., 1977) made it clear that the architecture was a design to the environment and land and that modern architecture can be anything now; relating towards culture (Barberie, P. 2020). Vegas was noted as the kind of city that was ‘in your face’, full of life and colour (as shown in figure 4).
Figure 4. Example of the bright lights in Las Vegas. 1975 exhibition Signs of Life: Symbols in the American City
Finally, after critically analysing Venturi and Scott Browns process of design thinking, I came to a conclusion that their book was a different way of looking at the city (UNLV College of Fine Arts, 2019). I was engaged in the drawings they created as representations in order to investigate the city as all these little signs and symbols meant something and were significant in some way. So in summary, their process was to photograph the city, map out the city in drawings and then simplify and point out the patterns of the city through little signs and symbols.
Inspired by Venturi and Scott Brown, I was interested in mapping out the suburban houses in the Inner West of Sydney, NSW, and note the key patterns. I initiated this process by firstly walking around the area and taking in; experiencing the architecture around me. By just walking around the neighbourhood, I gained a ‘homely’ and comforting sense, just off the architecture. So I then photographed a few houses in my area and laid them next to each other, symbolising a strip (like the process of Venturi and Scott Brown).
This process allowed me to visualise the patterns in which the roofs are set out, insinuating that of a typical brick house. So, from here, I was able to develop my design by beginning to just simply pencil sketch the patterns; suburban housing vs. city structures. I also wanted to depict the different kinds of clusters, whether houses were directly next to each other or there was that space dividing each other.
In my final drawing, I became clear of what I wanted to conceptually depict, and it was the idea of instant urbanism that inspired me. My drawing isn’t technically analytical but is a representation of my understanding of what’s really happening ‘out there’ and the notion of beauty and design in the simplest things.
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