John Hejduk

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JOHN HEJDUK

John Hejduk believed that the post - modernist landscape was not communicative and desired to create stories through the exterior combination of elements in the urban landscape for the new design of buildings. The buildings in post - modernist times lack communication as most buildings appear to have the same structure and form. However, John Hejduk created a way for buildings to possess their own unique features which generates a maze of characters and diversity amongst the building landscape. Similarly, this reflects the community of people amongst the surrounding landscape. It was also intended that the buildings do not directly communicate but evoke a story, personality which could ultimately represent the purpose of each individual architectural structure.

Hejduk implemented characterisation into the building landscapes by associating human personality or attributes with the unique elements of his buildings. In the planning process he incorporates the use of essential symbols that communicate and combines them to create more engaging stories about the buildings. The use of characterisation allows Hejduk to demonstrate an in – depth understanding on the reality of human nature and culture. Hejduk’s use of symbolism in architecture creates an effect of theatricalization ‘by which Hejduk has built a new language for architecture’ (Gilley 2010, p. 10). Additionally, the site of Hejduk’s plans are strategically chosen, this is so that symbolic meaning of the elements are enhanced by their placement in the site.

The choice of site and theatricalization are prominent in Hejduk’s work in Victims I. The site of the landscape is the former garden of Prinz Albrecht Palasi, and also the site of the SS gestapo building from WWII. The work in Victims aims to reflect the period of WWII and the holocaust but it is demonstrates ‘without specially naming the victims as this or that nationality’ (Gilley 2010, p. 112). The powerful work of Victims aims to represent the expose the truth through indirect uses of images and words.

In this draft sketch, it is evident that Hejduk has implemented the use of symbolism to provide the elements that inhabit a role within the site. This effect of symbolism additionally means ‘each citizen is also provided with a trades, and the sharing of duties is remarkably utopian’ (Gilley 2010, p. 117). The composition of the drawing shows the elements laid out in an organised format, which suggests a specific order of elements and also highlights their individuality as they are singled out and drawn on their own. The organisation of the elements also demonstrates a sequence of items that are individual but separate. The drawings in this draft are documentary as they represent a list of contents and the individual roles of each. The use of loose sketch lines demonstrates an abstract translation of shapes and objects and emblematic displays of expression, which conveys the emergence of a process.

In contrast to the previous draft, the drawing here is more refined. The composition of the layout demonstrates a lack of organisation in terms of the items not represented as a list but are strategically placed within the site to evoke the story of the past and historical value. When the previous draft is compared to the current drawing, Hejduk’s process of transformation in objects is revealed. Hejduk has mapped the plan from an aerial perspective to demonstrate the relation of the objects to each other, and the value within their specific placement.

This draft also reflects the process of transformation in an object by using the shapes and structures from a variety of elements in the previous drafting process. The combination of different shapes allows for Hejduk to represent a mixture of cultural and social meaning in his project, which is ‘We are each Victims and we are each Witnesses’

(Gilley 2010, p. 113). In this drawing, there are fewer items and they’re displayed at eye level, this provides a more intimate view on the combination of shapes and structures, and the process on the development of each object. The lines are much more crisp and visible which suggests refinement, yet the object as a whole still remains as abstract. The composition is organised and reflects aspects from the original draft, where in which items are laid out in a structured way as they have not been placed on site.

Through my understanding of Hejduk I intended to represent my own recreation of the city space through the illustration of mundane objects surrounding the landscape. During the illustration process, I decided to provide them with a role/ name to convey a sense of individuality within the items. Through the power of symbolism and theatricalization I was able to provide more value to objects that are symbols of everyday life.

After the Illustration process, I decided to combine features from the illustrations in the city to create unique transformations of the objects. For example I used the existing shape of the pianist to create a ‘home’, where in which the pianist resides.

These sketches are still transformations, however I started to combine a variety of objects together to create more refined spaces and models derived from the shapes seen in the original sketch. For example I combined the secret keeper and the robot together, which ultimately perpetuates a feeling of utopia.

Ultimately, I produced two final drawn drafts of my concept for a space in the city. I implemented a variety of the individual items. Additionally I used 2 of the objects as a border which is significant to the cultural meaning of the site; the poet and the pianist are the objects used as the border which symbolises the site as an area for creative pursuit.

The drawing above is a digitalised reflection of the elements utilised to produce a final outcome. The final outcome below displays an aerial view of the space to represent a reflection of the spaces objects and their connection between each other. It also displays how the individual roles of the inhabitants in the site work cohesively to provide a site that is easy to navigate. Ultimately the site beholds the opportunity for a user to explore its symbolic meaning in more depth.