The Influence of Robert Venturi on Rem Koolhaas' Chinese Central Television Headquarters

U21321-16YR History and Theory of Architecture (220) Student Number: UP778131

THE INFLUENCE OF ROBERT VENTURI ON REM KOOLHAAS' CHINESE CENTRAL TELEVISION HEADQUARTERS (2000 Word Essay)

THE INFLUENCE OF ROBERT VENTURI ON REM KOOLHAAS'

CHINESE CENTRAL TELEVISION HEADQUARTERS 

Robert Venturi's book Complexity and Contradiction was a response to the sense of de-humanisation engulfing modern architecture.

Disdained by modernist architects following its publication in 1966 it was ridiculed as an architectural understanding that disregarded the modernist style of the high art movement.

Venturi released a further book with his wife Denise Scott Brown titled Learning from Las Vegas which outlines a language to understand post-modern architecture. Just as Venturi looked to Las Vegas, Rem Koolhaas ventured to New York where he formulated his own findings of how architecture has responded to popular culture with his book Delirious New York. Koolhaas accepted an invitation in 2002 to submit an entry for the Chinese Central Television headquarters at Beijing. Koolhaas proclaimed China was the "biggest story" of the twenty first century so far in an article with Dickey (2012, p. 46-51). Venturi's approach can be seen to have attracted Koolhaas to China because it exhibits a largely new urban approach just as Las Vegas once posed when Venturi first studied the city. Both architects are captivated by popular culture because they believe more meaningful resolutions can be formed when they are designed using the social structure they will fit into.

Both Venturi and Koolhaas look to popular culture rather than high art because they both believe architecture should respond to both client and the social identity of its context.

Venturi (1966, p.41) stated he looked to Las Vegas "to acknowledge the relevance and significance of the automobile city." Significantly this provided an insight to how the city worked for the modern man behind the wheel of his automobile. This methodology to decipher the relationship between people and place also forms the conceptual basis for the CCTV building. Koolhaas studied China extensively recognising the project as a unique opportunity to work with different people from a usually secretive nation possessing unique values.

Koolhaas (CCTV - Headquarters, 2017, para.1) aimed to create "an alternative to the exhausted typology of the skyscraper" because he found the "Chinese have an enormous obsession with stability" (Dickey, 2012, p. 46-51). This prompted

a subversive response from Koolhaas who felt a new form that "introduces an experience of what creativity means" would be most appropriate.

This concept shows Koolhaas unlike Venturi has gone beyond studying the interaction between architecture and its inhabitants. Instead Koolhaas looks towards popular social attitudes to formulate an architectural response. The people of Beijing were driven by a rigorous daily routine where productivity and efficiency were prioritised over creativity and idleness. Koolhaas wished to subvert the stability by diversifying their everyday experience and broadening their horizons concerning the possibilities of architecture.

Both architects learn structural typologies and break them to evoke new meaning. Venturi's Vanna house was composed referring to the classical rules of symmetry which contrast with the Pennsylvanian vernacular home they were applied to. [Figure 1] Venturi (1966, p.119) describes it as "a little house with big scale" which achieves "tension rather than nervousness." This can be understood by Venturi's principle quest "for richness of meaning rather than clarity of meaning" (Venturi, 1966, p.16). The grand scale of the internal elements subverts their typical symmetrical composition when applied to a small-scale structure such as Vanna House. This creates a state of antithesis between the old and current rules of architecture which conjures Venturi's richness of meaning.

Correspondingly Koolhaas modifies the steel skeletal system dressed with glass that forms the basis of the skyscraper typology originating from Mies Van der Rohe's Seagram building [Figure 2]. Koolhaas declares the facade of the CCTV "a visual manifestation of the building's structure" (CCTV - Headquarters, 2017, para. 3) The network of triangulated steel tubes "instead of forming a regular pattern of diamonds, become dense in areas of greater stress, looser and more open in areas requiring less support."

[Figure 3] The CCTV building follows the structural conventions of the skyscraper typology continued on page 6 

Figure 1: Diagram showing symmetrical geometry of Robert Venturi's Vanna House in elevation and plan (Primary Source)

Figure 3: Net plan showing how the stress levels of the structure effect the form of the steel skeletal system (OMA - Rem Koolhaas, 2003)

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Figure 2: Seagram Building exterior (ARTstor digital library - Ezra Stoller, 1958)

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but undermines its recognised visual representation. Koolhaas rather than following Berlage's theory of structural honesty has devised his own approach.

The structural elements remain exposed with no decoration but uniquely take a form which represents the structural performance to further illustrate how the building can stand.

Amelar in an article for the Architectural Record believes the structure and materiality projects "an image of an open and transparent company" (CCTV Headquarters: Rem Koolhaas reimagines the skyscraper and a Chinese network in the process, 2004).

This can be substantiated because importantly the CCTV contrasts with surrounding buildings that use less glazing. Given there are "frequent sandstorms blowing into the city" Amelar implies that this structural choice must have a higher meaning. Conversely, Koolhaas did not wish to "pin the building down to any kind of message" in an interview with Rauterberg (2008, p. 100). This is important because this resonates with Venturi's pursuit for dual coding in architecture. By composing a design through a series of meaningful layers, just like the layers of symmetry in Venturi's Vanna house, buildings unlock different meanings to different people.

Evidently both architects follow this idea of palimpsest of place in a pursuit to create humane buildings that associate with the society they serve.

Venturi and Denise Scott Brown categorised building iconography into two typologies following their trip to Las Vegas. [Figure 4] Maxwell (2007, p. 105) in an open debate with Venturi concludes "Koolhaas' building for Chinese TV is a duck." Evidently, the building has not taken the form of a shed nor is it decorated to suggest it is the headquarters for a national

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media body. Dickey (2012, p. 46-51) describes the CCTV as "looming on the horizon above the rooftops of working-class neighbourhoods and of the Chinese Imperial Palace." [Cover Image] This illuminates Koolhaas' claim that the building has a "mysterious ability to associate itself with almost anything around it, with both the poor and the rich." This is achieved by the grand scale of the CCTV which permits the building to reach into every neighbourhood so it is always experienced. Inhabitants can recognise that it "is not the same from any angle" and it "changes as you move" around the city. This explanation sustains Maxwell's view that the CCTV is a duck because it "tells you something about itself, or about its architecture, through its overall shape or structure" (Maxwell, 2007, p. 105). In the case of the CCTV the sculpted form is superimposed over Beijing's urban fabric so it can promote an impression of creativity throughout a resident's daily journey.

Maxwell (2007, p.105) discredits the Duck as a forward-thinking typology for modern architecture because it fails where Venturi and Scott Brown have succeeded in finding out "how to be both ordinary and interesting." In this sense Koolhaas has stepped away from Venturi because the CCTV is certainly an icon but it is not pretending to be familiar. Maxwell discredits the CCTV as interesting stating "we're entering the era of Ducks." Venturi (2007, p.107) also accepts the current era of Architecture as a "period of decadence" however this does not subtract from the CCTV as humane architecture.

Koolhaas revealed he "didn't think there was a lot of creative life left in skyscrapers" in an article by Urstadt (2013, p. 6). Nonetheless Koolhaas chose to use the familiar

structural elements and materiality of the skyscraper typology. It can be argued therefore that Koolhaas has developed Venturi's idea of the duck to accommodate familiarity as well as interest. Urstadt (2006, p. 6) resolves the CCTV as "a tower that started out ready to soar, thought better of it, took a turn, and plunged back into the ground" which resonates with Venturi's idea of familiarity because Urstadt immediately associates it with the skyscraper form.

Greenhalgh (n.d., para. 4) argues Venturi "took modernism seriously enough to want it to continue in a tradition, but one which demoted its heroic aspect and dictatorial grasp on taste making to a more democratic level." The CCTV, can easily be disassociated with Venturi and perceived as an undemocratic tool of Chinese propaganda because the CCTV is an endless loop keeping watch over all of Beijing. In contrast Verschaffel (2003, p. 159) argues "Koolhaas' 'public' architecture is not political" because Koolhaas recognises public buildings are "flow controls that regulate densification and acceleration of mass."

Koolhaas contrasts the "intensified activity with voids in the building that open up the experience and where the glance can always escape." This undermines the imposing exterior of the CCTV disconnecting the interior with the architecture of monument Venturi wished to avoid. In addition, Verschaffel recognises how Koolhaas utilises "the play of light and colour" to encourage freedom of experience rather than a program that prescribes a set mood or feeling.

The skyscraper can be synthesised as a modern-day temple where large corporations are impressed upon the masses just as the Gods were impressed upon the citizens of classical

antiquity. However, the CCTV cannot be strictly associated with an autocratic architecture of monument. it does not follow the skyscraper typology that moulds the modern metropolis which is significant given the competitive economy that China prides itself on. It cannot be a strictly political tool because otherwise it would focus on enlarging the skyscraper typology just as the Burj Khalifa did to reinforce the United Arab Emirates vast wealth and power as the tallest building in the world.

The political impetus is not entirely nonexistent because of the way the CCTV imposes itself upon the city. This does become looser inside the building where Koolhaas creates an "atrium stretching three floors underground, and three floors up." This is not a characteristic of an entrance lobby wishing to impose a closed political agenda upon its visitors.

This becomes more apparent given the vast amount of glazing allowing one's gaze to escape to the outside world.

From this it can be argued the flow of the building is a manifestation of China's hybrid political system which Koolhaas in an interview with Rauterberg (2008, p. 106) concludes "is neither clearly communist nor clearly capitalist." The monumental exterior can be perceived as a metaphorical association with the socialist attitudes of the country.

Koolhaas' described the Chinese as being inherently obsessed with stability which was most evident in their daily routine. Just as the Chinese are conscious of their efficiency during the day they will also be aware of the CCTV standing ominously above them in the background. Conversely once people are inside the building their attention is diverted outside as if it is encouraging the outward looking notion of the Chinese people who in recent years have desired and attained elements continued on page 10

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Figure 4: Diagram explaining the architectural typologies of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown: Decorated Shed, Duck (46) and Decorated Duck (47) (Venturi Scott Brown Associates - Denisde Scott Brown, 2007)

Figure 5: Axonometric diagram showing the public and services loop (orange) inside the CCTV Headquarters (OMA - Rem Koolhaas, 2003)

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Figure 6: Axonometric diagram showing the internal order of the CCTV Headquarters (OMA - Rem Koolhaas, 2003)

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of the capitalist lifestyle. The CCTV cannot be compared with the democratic architecture of Venturi because of its unique context. If Koolhaas like Venturi wished to design in response to the client and popular culture it would have been just as inappropriate to design a capitalist skyscraper as it would a soviet palace.

Venturi (1996, p. 41) believed "a valid order accommodates the circumstantial contradictions of a complex reality." In the case of the CCTV the circumstantial contradiction was to house all elements of Chinese central television under one roof. Daalder (2003, p. 504) predicts a "fully networked future." Viewers will be "connected to a massive computerized utility that will dramatically change CCTV's way of interfacing with the public." This highlights the importance of a forward thinking and adaptable internal order. The state media arm driven by popular culture's compulsive expectation to be kept in the loop of international news forms the complex reality Venturi discusses.

Koolhaas responds to the void between the Chinese media and the people creating a public loop that "takes visitors on a dedicated path through the building" (Millard, 2003, p. 491) revealing each stage of the media process creating a more transparent relationship. [Figure 5] Millard states the CCTV's service loop "resembles the modularity and redundancy of 'primitive' organisms adapted for difficult environments."

This is because the services loop can still function when one element is detached or replaced alleviating the chance of system failure. Millard commends how all major functions of a national-scale media firm which "in most other cases are distributed across disparate and sometimes physically

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separated structures, can be integrated within the CCTV-organism." The public loop system Millard describes as the "communicative organs" because it forms a common infrastructure that serves the whole building. Through designing a self-contained scheme with internal freedom which can adapt to change Koolhaas has created the only future proofed headquarters for a national media arm.

In addition, Millard argues "the looping structure around an absent centre" creates "patterns that organize the behaviour of individual human occupants as well as the collective functions of the CCTV community." This can be substantiated because just like a central courtyard the "absent centre" creates a focal point which orientates all journeys through the building. The public loop interlocked with the service loop serves as an endless promenade to which all functions of the CCTV can be accessed from. [Figure 6] The internal order responds to popular culture's expectation to feel current through the public circulation loop where the entire media process is exposed for visitors.

Moreover, the internal order prioritises immediacy and efficiency because each function of the CCTV can interact through the single circulation loop without obstacle. Altogether the internal order responds to both client and the social identity of its context. Unlike Venturi's schemes which subvert rules of Architecture Koolhaas implements new styles abstracting architectural devices like the central courtyard to give the CCTV's "absent centre" new meaning.

Venturi's understanding of post-modern architecture is strongly suggested through Koolhaas' design choices for the CCTV headquarters. As a place of contact between the Chinese state

and its people it was inevitably going to take the form of Venturi's duck typology. It had to provoke thought and engagement to offset the obsessive stability in Beijing.

Venturi and Koolhaas choose to evoke their social connotations by different subversive methods. Venturi calls on the nostalgic iconography of past civilisations whereas Koolhaas dissects icons like organisms to display their spirit in a new format. Venturi (1966, p .42) believes "our buildings must survive the cigarette machine" meaning architecture must have a richness so it can accommodate variety. Koolhaas by referencing the skyscraper typology that popular culture associates with fashionable contemporary architecture succeeds in this.

It is an architecture of both and more like Koolhaas' rethought skyscraper that the two architects believe to be the greatest accommodator of both social identity and diversity.

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Bibliography: Amelar, S. (2004). CCTV Headquarters: Rem Koolhaas reimagines the skyscraper and a Chinese network in the process. Architectural Record, 192(3), 108-109. Retrieved from http://search. ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&d b=vth&AN=12583511&site=eds-live Betsky, A., Buruma, I., Enwezor, I., Hofland, H.J.A., Koolhaas, R., Leach, N., Patteeuw, V., Stadler, M., Sterling, M.B., Verschaffel, B. (2003). What is OMA: considering Rem Koolhaas and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture.

Rotterdam: NAi. CCTV - Headquarters. (2017). Retrieved from the OMA website: http://oma.eu/ projects/cctv-headquarters CCTV Headquarters / OMA (21 May 2012). Retrieved from the ArchDaily website: http://www.archdaily. com/236175/cctv-headquarters-oma/ Daalder, R., Koolhaas, R., Millard, W.B. (2003, August, 4). The Enemy.

Go East. Retrieved from http://apps. o5.no.s3.amazonaws.com/oma/ www/20150903122842-9hnd/contentthe-enemy-cctv.pdf Dickey, C. (2012). Koolhaas builds the next World Wonder. Newsweek, 160(4/5), p. 46-51. Retrieved from http:// search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc t=true&db=a9h&AN=77855488&site=e ds-live Greenhalgh, M. (n.d.). Postmodernism: A discussion of two definitive texts.

Retrieved from the Australian National University ArtServe website: http:// rubens.anu.edu.au/htdocs/bytype/arch. sources/venturi.html

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Koolhaas, R. (1994). Delirious New York: a retroactive manifesto for Manhattan. New York: Monacelli Press.

Koolhaas, R., Mau, B., Sigler, J., & Werlemann, H. (1995). Small, medium, large, extra-large: Office for Metropolitan Architecture. New York: Monacelli Press.

Rattenberry, K., & Hardingham, S. (2007).

Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown: learning from Las Vegas. Abingdon: Routledge.

Rauterberg, H. (2008). Talking architecture: Interviews with architects. Munich: Prestel.

Urstadt, B. (2013). The Skyscraper Hater Behind the Year's Best Skyscraper.

Bloomberg.Com, 6. Retrieved from http:// search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=tru e&db=bth&AN=92618727&site=eds-live Venturi, R. (1966). Complexity and contradiction in architecture. New York: Museum of Modern Art; Chicago: Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.

Venturi, R., Izenour, S., & Brown, D. S. (1977). Learning from Las Vegas: the forgotten symbolism of architectural form.

Cambridge, Mass; London: MIT Press.

Zalewski, D. (2005). Intelligent Design. New Yorker, 81(4), p. 110-125. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire ct=true&db=lfh&AN=16353651&site=eds-live Images: Cover Image: CCTV Headquarters, Beijing - Jim Gourley (2012). Retrieved from the OMA website: http://images.oma. eu/20150803204249-1500-ui1c/5000.jpg Figure 2: Seagram Building exterior - Erza Stoller (1958). Retrieved from the ARTstor digital library: http://library.artstor.org/library/

ExternalIV. jsp?objectId=8CNHbzYmIyMoIjZUej54RHsp XXwsew%3D%3D&fs=true Figure 3: Loading analysis at brace connection - Rem Koolhaas (2003). Retrieved from http://apps. o5.no.s3.amazonaws.com/oma/ www/20150903122842-9hnd/content-theenemy-cctv.pdf Figure 4: Decorated Shed, Duck (46) and Decorated Duck (47) by Denise Scott Brown (Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown: learning from Las Vegas, 2007, p. 86) Figure 5: Axonometric diagram showing the public loop of the CCTV headquarters - Rem Koolhaas (2003). Retrieved from http://apps.o5.no.s3.amazonaws.com/oma/ www/20150903122842-9hnd/content-theenemy-cctv.pdf Figure 6: Axonometric diagram showing the internal order of the CCTV Headquarters - Rem Koolhaas (2003). Retrieved from http://apps.o5.no.s3.amazonaws.com/oma/ www/20150903122842-9hnd/content-theenemy-cctv.pdf

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