Reading 2

"Learning from Las Vegas" - Robert Venturi
“A Skateboarder’s Guide to Architecture or an Architect’s Guide to Skateboarding” - Bobby Young

When I first read both articles, I wasn’t able to understand the context perfectly, and honestly I don’t think I still do. The reason to that was because I have never thought or studied about space design before. However, it was indeed interesting and made me want to know more about it.

What I understood so far about both articles was the importance of signs and symbolism in a space than the architectural form. In the reading “A Skateboarder’s Guide to Architecture or an Architect’s Guide to Skateboarding”, it explains the relationship between form and function, comparing it to the relationship between skateboarding and architecture. He explains that, while a normal person sees the architecture in a form, the skateboarder identifies the architecture on a specific level and in a functional way. Therefore he explains that architects must “create a space that holds the possibility of improvisation by the user”.

In the reading "Learning from Las Vegas", Robert Venturi argues the importance of symbolism of an architecture, rather than the form, in creating spatial relationships. In order to support his argument he provided a study he did in Las Vegas. He describes Las Vegas as a sensation of architectural communication and how the ‘strip’ is an effective communication over space, accomplished through sign. He emphasizes that modern architecture should also see architecture as a symbol in space, rather than architecture.