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"I W A N T D I S O R D E R -- G E T IT?": T H E P A R A D O X I C A L R E P R E S E N T A T I O N S IN
C Q N T E M P D R A R Y A R C H I T E C T U R A L N A R R A T I V E S
Dr.Açalya Allmer
Dokuz Eylül University
Department of Architecture
İzmir, Turkey
acalya.allmer@deu.edu.tr
Abstract:
Underneath outwardly exhibited randomness and disorder
in contemporary architecture today, there is a tendency
towards greater organization for its representation. And this
tension—between order and disorder—provides much of the
narrative power of contemporary architecture. The seemingly
chance encounters of surfaces, materials, or forms - which are
generallyjudged to be negative - are today seen as immensely
exciting. And yet, behind this seemingly disordered outlook,
which demands the attention of the viewer, there is an
enormous organization without which it would be impossible
to build such designs in reality. To demonstrate paradoxical
representations in contemporary architecture this paper turns
toaSimpsonsepisode which features Frank Gehry as the guest
architect who builds a concert hall in Springfield. This paper
argues that playfulness, hollow virtuosity, and mystery are
some of the conditions driving the language of contemporary
architecture - but largely neglected in the current discourse.
Exemplified by the scenes In the episode, the recent work of
Frank O. Gehry will be studied for how it encourages, even
impels, these conditions.
Frank Gehry : ...And none of this would happen if
it weren't for a letter written by a little girl.
Marge Simpson: I wrote that letter.
Frank Gehry : You wrote "You are the bestest
architect in the world"?
Marge Simpson : Well aren't you?
{Simpsons, Season 16, Episode 14)
Figure 1
Underneath outwardly exhibited randomness and disorder in
contemporary architecture today, there is a tendency towards
greater organization for its representation. And this tension—
between order and disorder—provides much of the narrative
power of contemporary architecture. The seemingly chance
encounters of surfaces, materials, orforms-which are generally
judged to be negative - are today seen as Immensely exciting.
And yet, behind this seemingly disordered outlook, which
demands the attention of the viewer, there is an enormous
organization without which it would be impossible to build
such designs in reality.
To accentuate myconcern with the paradoxical representations
in contemporary architecture, I would like to draw attention
to the Simpsons, the most favorite animated family in the
world. In the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons' sixteenth