Art-based References in Architecture

Conversation with Adam Caruso about the Relationship between Art and Contemporary Architecture

Abstract

The conditions affecting architectural form are changing more rapidly and radically today. There is no longer a consistent canon nor a uniform guideline to follow. However, technological achievements offer more opportunities for architects; the buildings are isolated from their surroundings and become formulaic objects. Due to the increasing impersonality of globalized construction, the search for alignment points that help the integrity of architectural works has lost its importance.
This research examines those creators and their design methods who reject global trends and try to renew the emptiness of modernism. This paper has collected and analyzed alternative attempts, rich in multi-layered readings, emphasizing the value of the given place. These directions, seeking a connection to culture, history, and art, attempt to identify new points of alignment. How can these cultural elements become a guideline for the design process? How can they liberate formulaic modernity in crisis?
This essay explores the answers through a conversation with Adam Caruso. The architect's writings, teaching, and design practice are unavoidable among contemporary architects who represent a critical attitude towards the impersonality of construction and promote the importance of cultural embeddedness. The practice of his office – founded with Peter St John – is fascinating because, in addition to examples from the history of architecture, they also use art-based references to find relevant architectural answers that reflect today's problems. The conversation reveals how we can integrate art-based references into architectural creation and education.