COMPLEXITY AND CONTRADICTION IN ARCHITECTURE

Robert Venturi , the prophet of Post Modernism wrote this book in the early 1960s as a practicing architect , about the pre conceived notions of architectural design which existed at that time . Complexity and Contradiction is one of the two important books Robert Venturi wrote in his life. Complexity and Contradiction is a book only about architectural forms and elements whereas Learning from Las Vegas is a book about symbols. Nevertheless both these books were structured around the similar lines both, critical and historical as Vincent Scully says in his introduction to the book as a historian. This book Complexity and Contradiction a gentle architectural manifesto is by far the most important piece of writing since Le Corbusier Vers une Architecture in 1923. Corbusier used his manifesto as a recipe or strict principles which were religiously replicated in the next generation however, were not that great , this was the tyranny of Modernism . Complexity and contradiction was the result of this tyranny and a response to the disappointment modernism resulted in. In my opinion this book is a brave book that questions the manifestos and principles which had been there for so long , as some people would say it challenged the status quo ( as things were). The two major reasons why Venturi wrote this book were one , for criticism and two , he wanted to explain his work . The two techniques he has used to write this book is analysis and comparison. This book unlike Corbusiers was written for the common people and was meant to be understood by all . Venturi being an American, wrote a book with many opinions in easy words, not judgmental and very pluralistic. This book is very challenging and does affect its readers and welcomes complexity and contradictions in architecture. Venturi gives multiple solutions to the same things and advises people to use conventional resources unconventionally cause for Venturi believes there is choice in design. His book is divided into topics which are all related to one another and if one chapter is skipped one gets disorientated as all ideas are co related and the best part is that he supports his idea or opinion with examples of not only his but

other architects work also and great emphasis has been given to diagrammatical explanation too. The other thing that was quiet interesting to read in this manifesto was that this book deals with the present and the past in relation to the present making things easier to understand.

AMUN JUNEJO ARCHITECTURE SEMESTER 8