Typology and Memory

Architecture's relationship to the past is very difficult. For a long time, throughout the classical period, architecture changed very little, and when it did it tended to be very incremental. Therefore its relationship to the past was simple. However, as architecture has increased in complexity and innovation, its ties to the past have become more and more muddled. Finally, during the Modern Movement, these ties were purported to be severed completely. This was false. Architecture could not dissociate itself from the past, because our collective past defines us as human beings, and all of our thoughts, observations, and impressions are colored by it. All that could really be accomplished by severing ties with the past was to make architecture unintelligible.

I appreciated Moneo's discussion of Rossi here because he attacked the problem of history in a way that I believe is very meaningful. History is not a collection of facts, names, and dates from the past, although many have treated it as such. History's importance lies, as Moneo has said, in memory. History is what shapes cultural identity, and defines the essence of who we are. Therefore, I think a look at the memory of the past is critical to designing architecture that is intelligible and meaningful. The question is whether memory can be tapped into through typology, as Rossi believes. I believe it can, to an extent. There is more to the history of any place than the specific typology of a building within a given culture, but it can certainly provide a starting place for design. The problem arises when typology becomes limiting. Design must be more than simple adherence to a fixed typology. If typology is given too much importance, it can take over a building and make it generic, rather than meaningful. If it is given too little power, it becomes illegible and loses its presence. The key is to find a middle ground where a building's typology can be read, but where breaks from its typology give it interest, meaning, and a sense of self. It is also important to note that typologies are not fixed, but evolve as cultural memories change over time, as Moneo implies in his discussion of the evolution of the city. Therefore architecture is destined to change over time as it responds to these shifts, and a building's perception will always change in response to the times and the course of history.