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Event #3




Today I visited the California Science Center and there were so many different parts of the museum that portrayed the connection between art and science. The section that I found most interesting is a topic we briefly talked about in Unit 2, and that is architecture and science. It was super interesting to me how this exhibit described the process that we have used as a human society to progress in making stable structures. From the Great pyramids of Egypt to tall apartment buildings today, the main focus of architecture has always been to build something that can overcome time and nature. Even in the past though, as can be seen with the Great Pyramids, the aesthetic look of a structure, also holds important to the architect (Holl).

For this exhibit one would try to build a structure that could withstand an earthquake. This concept is bridging together what we have learned from science and the art of having it look like a presentable building. It allows the visitor to be creative in this space and design something to have an effective use. The exhibits explains how when you know what shapes make buildings stronger, then you can use those to withstand gravity, winds, and earthquakes. It demonstrates how even when architects are designing a building to look cool, they have to keep in mind the physics of the design and how effective the structure will be.


I found a quote when researching, and I really like the way that it bridges together science and art, in terms of architectures it says, “While artists work from the real to the abstract, architects must work from the abstract to the real”  (Wacht). This quite wonderfully describes the process of designing buildings. When architects start they must use science and math to create the blueprint and make sure that the measurements and materials are right before bringing the “artwork” to life. This sector is highly debated whether or not it is art, but after seeing this exhibit and observing others design structures it is pretty clear to me how this is art (Abdallah). Watching children create what they thought would be a sturdy structure was so similar to watching kids create sculptures with clay. When it transitions from clay to blocks it becomes more science and math oriented, since you have to focus on ratios and physics.


Overall, it was extremely interesting to get to see first hand how art and science overlap in a museum setting. I find it even more intriguing that this was an exhibit for children, and I love that. The way that shapes are portrayed as a way to make a structure stronger or weaker is a way to remind the visitors that their choices have an impact not only on how the structure will look, but also how strong the structure will be, which I think is a very important piece when looking how these two disciplines come together.




Works Cited

Abdallah, Collin. “Architecture Is a Mediation Between the World and Our Minds.” ArchDaily, 31 May 2018, www.archdaily.com/895039/juhani-pallasmaa-architecture-is-a-mediation-between-the-world-and-our-minds.
Holl, Steven. “What Is Architecture?” The Brooklyn Rail, 4 Sept. 2013, brooklynrail.org/2013/09/criticspage/what-is-architecture-art.
Wacht, Michael. “Architecture as an Art Form: Navigating Between Aesthetics and Purpose.” IntuArch, 19 Apr. 2017, intuarch.com/architecture-as-an-art-form/.



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