Transparency in Architectural Terms

Based on the readings, there are two types of transparency: literal and phenomenal. The meaning of transparency that these two articles focus on is the simultaneous perception of different spatial locations. Basically, this definition plays with the depth of our perception and which object we perceive first as they simultaneously seem to occupy the same space, though we know, logically, that one is in front of the other, or rather, that there is a hierarchy that may not be perceived at first glance but must be searched for. The idea of transparency is a result of the cubist movement given that many of the artists that created “transparent” pieces had studied cubism.
What I find really interesting about this movement is that it can actually be perceived holistically in architecture; that is, it is present in buildings and can be seen without the “eye of an artist.” Within architecture, the idea of transparency is present in that at different times, different layers can be perceived more strongly than others, though all are present to the observer simultaneously. The depth of perception, then, is created by a shifting of hierarchies within the building’s organization and/or façade. This also relates to the perceived geometry and symmetry of various facades of Le Corbusier including his villa at Garahas and his Algiers block.
This is one of the first times I have felt like I fully understand how this artistic movement relates to architecture and what it actually implies. I can see how perception plays heavily into how we see an object and that from different angles or even changes in lighting an object can appear to be in the foreground or background. This perception is our mind playing tricks on us based on conflicting visual data. Based on this, I think that transparency is an individualized process and one person may see one thing while another in the same viewing location may see another. Maybe I’m getting too literal…..maybe I don’t understand this at all, but I really hope so.

Quote:
“the capacity of figures to interpenetrate without optical destruction of each other.”