Architecture as Space...or the lack there-of.
Reading Zevi's Architecture as Space article brought many interesting things to light to me; Zevi describes architecture as not only the building, but it is actually the extension of the world around it. It is quoted in fact, "...content of the internal space as important as the outside...the interior space and all the surrounds or includes us is the basis of our judgement of a building." It's interesting to think of the contents and details of an area as the actual definition. I like the idea of Architecture as the environment; not something singular or alone, but as a collective whole and interconnected between space and tangible objects.
When I try and apply this concept to architecture as I know it, it makes a lot of sense. Like, the use of space between old roman pillars...that is using the lack of area between physical columns. Maybe if we thought of architecture as too inclosed, it would be considered too much like art (or sculpture, looking at it in the 3-D sense). We are adding more dimensions, more factors in the equation than just the aesthetic. It boggles my mind to think about the complexities of which the building becomes. Does this mean that interior decorating addresses the emotional issues of how a space functions? Or is it just a more shallow version of combining colors and fashions? Does that mean architecture is the manipulation of space and the physical entities inhabiting it? There are a lot of interesting ways to look at this...and just goes to show when you are researching a location for building (or building for remodeling), there are so many outter intricacies playing into the situation.
So, then, does this diminish the existence of architecture without an interior space? Does this even count as architecture? Where does it cross into art? But then again, architecture can also be considered as art itself. Maybe this could be the branch into landscape architecture, or the manipulation of outside space (without an interior area). Anyways, I'm not entirely sure there is a definite answer to this speculation, or that it can even really be defined. Does any relative philosophical conversation really have an answer? Not really. I expect this is one that will continue.