Cesar Pelli intended his firm’s design to be contextual, meaning that the design of the proposed building consciously seeks to fit into the existing built environment.117 In reference to a previous design proposed for a project in Miami, for example, Pelli has said that his intention was to avoid superficial stylistic references, but to make a building that “will be a comfortable new member of the [urban] family”. Consistent with Pelli’s self-description, architectural critics have often referred to Pelli’s work as “self-effacing” and “right” for the place.118 From our own expert point of view, the renderings produced by Pelli’s office do seem to take a conventional approach to rendering reality. They do so by placing the viewing point at the eye level of a pedestrian and making the proposed new building a backdrop for a normal street scene populated by normal people and their normal cars in the act of coming to and going from the museum, which is a normal activity in Hartford. In all, this set of renderings was interpreted by architecture critics and the authors to say that “this building fits in.”
In their interpretation of renderings by Pelli a majority of respondents saw a world that looked colorful, happy, realistic, complete, and familiar. From memory, they associated this set of characteristics with the commercial malls they have experienced in everyday life. The dominant interpretation of the Pelli design, then, could be said to be conventional, meaning that respondents did not find the design, or the way of life portrayed therein to be challenging. Rather, respondents understood this design to be an appealing example of an architectural typology that they understood well.
The architect’s intention to design a contextual building and the respondents’ reception of it as conventional is a close match (See Figure 1).
 |
| Fig. 1 Connecticut Museum of Science and Exploration by Cesear Pelli & Associates Architects (courtesy Pelli & Associates) |
The design proposed by Zaha Hadid was intended to be abstract in a manner consistent with critical aesthetic theory. This design is critical because it asks the viewer to suspend what s/he knows about reality so as to explore alternative possibilities. Perhaps the best definition of critical representation comes from Theodor Adorno who argued that:
Art turns into knowing as it grasps the essence of reality, forcing itself to reveal itself in appearance and at the same time putting itself into opposition to appearance. Art must not talk about reality’s essence directly, nor must it depict or in any way imitate it. (Adorno, 1983)
Consistent with Adorno’s declaration, Hadid has said her design intent “... is always to challenge the typology ... how you rethink the museum space, the terminal, even the parking lot” (2005). In acting as a Pritzker prize juror, Karen Stein said of Hadid that she “. has built a career of defying convention -conventional ideas of architectural space, of practice, of representation and of construction” (2004). From our own expert point of view the renderings produced by Hadid’s office do seem to abstract or decontextualize normative experience of the city. The renderings defy an understanding of scale because there are generally no people present and if there are they are only silhouettes. The renderings are unfamiliar to us, in part because they employ radical perspectival views that no one without a helicopter at their disposal could possibly recreate. In all, this series of renderings make us reappraise our urban situation in a way that would, no doubt, please Adorno.
In their interpretation of renderings by Zaha Hadid a solid majority of respondents saw a world that looked somber, unfamiliar, and non-linear. The design evoked strong reactions on both sides of the spectrum - some rejected the design as “ugly” yet others found it to be “cool”. From experience respondents associated this set of characteristics with [modern] art. The dominant interpretation of the Hadid design, then, could be said to be abstract, meaning that respondents found the design and the way of life portrayed there to be both unfamiliar and challenging.
The architect’s intention to design a critical building and the respondents’ reception of it as abstract is again a close match (See Figure 2).
 |
| Fig. 2 The Connecticut Museum of Science and Exploration by Zaha Hadid Architects (Courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects) |
Educating decision makers so that they may make informed choices is an intention consistent with pragmatism. This observation is not to claim that Behnisch has consciously adopted American pragmatism as a philosophical foundation for design, only that their attitude toward the design process is consistent with that articulated by Dewey, Rorty, and others. For example, Dewey regularly argued that the role of professionals in society is not to make choices for citizens, but to educate them to make choices on their own behalf.119 The logic behind his argument is that citizens in a democratic society must command technical knowledge in order to make rational and just choices about how they should live rather than submit to technocratic rule from above or indulge popular tastes that bubble up from below.
Consistent with Dewey’s logic, Behnisch’s website tells visitors that, “Our vision is to unite [with the client and city] to build a shared vision of architecture” rather than impose a personal vision. This personal declaration of intent is confirmed by educator and theorist Tom Dutton who has characterized the intent of the Behnisch firm as an attempt to “. transform ... meaning through the arrangement of program, form and content” and by solving problems articulated by the client.120 From the authors’ expert point of view, the digital renderings produced by the Behnisch office do seem to offer more explanation of possibilities than fixed solutions. The renderings are, unlike the conventional (Pelli) or critical (Hadid) ones, pedagogical, meaning that they explain to decision makers how the building solves problems spatially and technologically. Text, photographs, and diagrams are used freely, suggesting the architects think that decision makers are capable of and willing to invest time and effort in reading about alternative possibilities rather than quickly consuming graphic images as a fait accompli. This is to say that decision makers are treated as intelligent citizens rather than impatient consumers. In all, this series of renderings posed as many problems requiring consideration as they offered solutions.
117