In his chapter about form Frank D. Ching claims that it is a multi-valued concept. It is represented by a recognizable appearance (his example is a man sitting on a chair) and a certain state the object or substance is in (solid, vapor, or another water form). Ching reminds us that the term of form often refers to the formal structure – as in the way we place and combine various elements making the composition whole and coherent.
Ching’s ideas about form refer to the internal structure, to the outer silhouette, and to the principle of the object being perceived as a single whole. If the form is often seen as a three-dimensional visualization, the shape is the major determinant of the form aspect determining its general appearance.
Shape is a characteristic feature or outline of the surface of a certain form. It plays a major role in the perception and recognition of any object. Furthermore, the form has the following visual properties:
Size - Physical measurements of length, width and depth. They define the form proportions, while its scale is determined by its size in proportion to the other forms. Color – the light and visual perception of the shades are viewed as individual response to color tint, intensity and tone. Color is an attribute of the form, which most clearly distinguishes it from the environment. It is also of a special visual importance. Texture – is a specific visual and tactile quality determined by the size, location and the proportional ratio of the components of the subject surface. Texture is also influenced by the degree of light reflection and absorption by the plane surface.
Ching speaks on each of these features going deep into the characterizing them individually. The Shigeru Ban Curtain Wall House is the most vivid representative of the original house forms ever built in the world. Its pillared structure, high-tech concept and slanting roof show the originality of the form the architect suggested as the perfect housing solution for Tokyo.
Works Cited
Ching, Francis D. Architecture: form, space, & order. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley, 2014.
Linus Yng, Shigeru Ban Curtain Wall House. Source: Curtain Wall House, Tokyo, Japan. 2011, Digital Image. Available from: ParralelT, http://www.tokyo.parallellt.se/2011/02/curtain-wall-house.html (accessed May 20th, 2016).
