room for space: Explanation of the main concepts of Room For Space

Visual Structure - from Oskar Hansen and Svein Hatløy - is the most important concept. It defines forms and their connections in terms of:

scale
similarity/contrast
dynamic/static
continuity/simultanity

etc.

(For a full list, se Oskar Hansen's book "Zobaczyc Swiat" [ISBN 83-89145-70-7 & 83-87321-78-8] or attend the Visual Structure courses at Bergen School of Architecture.)

These terms can also be applied to Material Structure and Functional Structure, but these two do not have to be connected to a visual structure. As Chi Ti-Nan and others have pointed out, i.e. the wireless networks in a city creates an invisible functional structure, with no connection to the physical pathways of communication.

A visual structure may have more than one material or functional structures, and these can change over time. The main function of an object may be to serve a specific intention, and also several subintentions. When recycling an object, it is given a new set of functions, while its visual structure often remains the same. This means that some of its previous valid functional structures has become invalid, and some of its previous invalid structures has become valid. It also implies that any object has an unlimited number of potential functions. These potential functional structures may even be intentionally hidden in the object in its original context, and revealed when the object has been put into a new context.

The connections between an object, its functional structure and its intention is shown in this scheme:

Through variations in visual, material and functional structures the object's set of intentional and subintentional uses can be controlled. Using the principle of Open Form, all potential connections between object, function and intention are possible. Using the principle of Closed Form, only specific connections between object, function and intention are allowed.

The concepts of visual, functional and material structures also makes up a set of mental references:

How these mental references are programmed will affect the way we "read" and understand visual, functional and material structures and the connection between these. "Rothe Aphotek" in Berlin can be used as an example:

Most people are habituated to read letters and text, so they will notice this visual element first:

Architects and artists will notice this visual element first:

In this facade, we have at least three layers of visual (functional) structures, each connected to specific intentions: The textual element tells about the use of the building, the vertical field of stucco ornaments tells about the building's history, and the facade as a whole creates the buildings' visual identity in the cityscape.