Form vs Function ------ Yan Chyuan Kai 1001542562

FORM         vs        FUNCTION

A short survey of the meaning behind form and function:

Form - refer to the shape of the building 

Function - the purpose for this building to be built 

Form Follow Function ....

the infamous phrases by the late architect , Louis Sullivan which intended to deliver the meaning of :

The principle is that the shape of the building object should be primarily based upon its intended purpose and function . 

The phrases caused a major battle-cry among the modern architect over the centuries ever since the articulation as designer - architects , they have their own perception in designing their building . As for now , i will voice my viewpoint . 

Architecture has always been there for decades and growing along with us . That is well to be said , Architecture also been changing from time to time , eras to eras and evolving from stone age to current days. Form follow function always been the "guideline" to architects and designer out there when designing a building as the function be the priority , the function will eventually comes . But , what if the function changed after the form of the building was constructed ? I believe we have to bear in mind the possibilities of a building might changes its initial function to another more appropriate function based on the time of the era while the form of the building is already fixed that way . 

 Case study .......

Sekeping Pinang Info

Location : 62 , Lebuh Melayu , Georgetown

                 P.Penang , Malaysia

Coordinate : 5.414413 , 100.334376

Architect : Mr Seksan

The Sekeping Pinang is a well-known retreats stay and a guesthouse located in Pulau Penang . The very reason i chose this is because the renovation history happened before this even done and after to become Sekeping Pinang . Form follows function it seems , but the shop were once function as a chinese cafe shop and renovated and adaptive reused to become a totally different function from before .

Chinese Coffee Shop ---> Retreats Homestay

The renovation happened to the old chinese cafe in the row of the same typical shoplots . But in fact when this event happened , the form of the building is unable to change , the exterior remains the same , the structure remains origins . The function previously is to serve as a chinese cafe area for customers , but with the creativity with the designer of Sekeping Pinang , Mr Seksan able to revert the designated space into whole new spacing quality for home-stay purposes . 

As for the interior of the shop , it become significantly lively compared to the old one . It brings out the quality of spaces even though the initial idea for the shop was different . And after all , it is able to succeed with the current day architecture technologies as well . With the technologies given , Mr Seksan able to re-design the spaces quality be using partition wall , creating a different quality each by each .

The initial idea for the old shop ( Coffee shop ) has yet completely extinguished , Mr Seksan had creatively re-create part of the space quality with  designing a cafe on the ground level .

He maximized the full used of the shop .



Event, movement, and spaces were analytically juxtaposed in mutual tension ,the work moved toward an increasingly synthetic attitude, every event can fix in the spaces , depends on how you satisfied with the feeling inside it 
- Bernard Tschumi


As for my opinion , I am glad that today's architecture has evolved way beyond form follows function . The rapid advancement of technologies will change the way we view or we design the buildings and how the surrounding , the people , the spacing will be affect by it . I strongly emphasized that form is not fully just follow the function , but both terms(function x form)  must be compliment to each other and the weightage of this two must be balanced in order to create a sustainable architectural style .







Reference link :

https://earth.google.com/web/@5.41379925,100.33488422,13.21154404a,0d,90y,51.71007592h,97.31531495t,0r/data=CgAiGgoWQXdwc01XRXVQblBWckNYRVp3SmFuQRAC

http://www.seksan.com/victoria.html

http://www.journeymalaysia.com/islandpenangsekepingvictoria.htm

ucsi lms - article week 6

http://www.penang-traveltips.com/sekeping-victoria.htm

https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&rlz=1C1CHBF_enMY753MY753&biw=1024&bih=473&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=sekeping+penang+floor+plan&oq=sekeping+penang+floor+plan&gs_l=psy-ab.3...2632.3491.0.3582.6.6.0.0.0.0.63.280.5.5.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..1.0.0.l5iF7cTMDEI#imgrc=_

https://www.google.com/search?q=sekeping+pinang+cafe&safe=active&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjc6te-pI7WAhVFORQKHc-VB-cQ_AUICygC&biw=1024&bih=473#imgdii=Ba0OOgKWRxNPEM:&imgrc=WnWATTYUVMW56M: