Abstract

This paper offers a speculative reflection on the structural concept developed by Konrad Wachsmann in 1953 and built in timber by burkhalter sumi together with Marko Pogacnik IUAV at the Venice Biennale in 2018. The resulting construction, entitled the “Grapevine,” is analyzed according to changing, fragmentary viewpoints that aim to expand the field of its understanding. The Gestalt (shape)—to a certain extent the “aesthetic culmination” of the construction—is examined with regard to the object’s immediate perception. In contrast, a semantic approach questions and interprets the “Grapevine” according to its overriding meaning as a “modern totem.” The object is then brought into relation to sculptures by Joel Shapiro. “Figure” (1989) raises the question of the unstable balance as an artistic intention, while the detail of “étude” (2006) questions the fragility of the joint, in contrast to the rigidity of tectonic connections as assumed by Gottfried Semper. The argument thus comes closer to the conceptual orientation of the Wachsmann construction, namely the knot subjected to tensile stress. Centered on the “Grapevine” installation, this paper illustrates how timber knowledge is formed outside the academy, in dialogues between architects, engineers and timber contractors.

摘要

本文对 Konrad Wachsmann 于 1953 年开发的结构概念进行了思辨性反思，并于 2018 年在威尼斯双年展上由 burkhalter sumi 与 Marko Pogacnik IUAV 用木材建造。由此产生的名为“葡萄藤”的建筑根据变化进行了分析，旨在扩大其理解领域的零碎观点。格式塔（形状）——在一定程度上是建筑的“审美顶点”——是根据物体的直接感知来检查的。相比之下，语义方法根据其作为“现代图腾”的压倒一切的意义质疑和解释“葡萄藤”。然后将物体与乔尔夏皮罗的雕塑联系起来。《人物》（1989）提出了作为艺术意图的不稳定平衡的问题，而与 Gottfried Semper 假设的构造连接的刚性相比，“练习曲”（2006 年）的细节质疑了关节的脆弱性。因此，该论点更接近于 Wachsmann 结构的概念取向，即承受拉应力的结。本文以“Grapevine”装置为中心，通过建筑师、工程师和木材承包商之间的对话，阐释了在学院外木材知识是如何形成的。