“Architectural research: Incorporating Myth and Science”

Review of Julia Robinson, W, “Architectural research: Incorporating Myth and Science”

Robinson discussed myth and science in terms of methodology especially in the field of architectural design with architectural movement from modernism to postmodernism. The essay points out that there are some misunderstandings of categorizing and it produced some problems. According to Robinson, in modern period, architecture tried to develop scientific buildings by scientific process and ignored myth. On the other hand, in postmodern period, the challenge was to create mythopoetic architecture because postmodernists thought the field of architecture lost myth in modern movement. However, the understanding of scientific and mythopoetic approaches was limited. Consequently, what modern architecture achieved was not really scientific but just image of science, in other words the myth of science. Postmodern architecture also achieve only image of myth not really mythpoethic. In Robinson’s opinion, architecture is related with culture so it is necessary to consider mythical side of architecture. Author thinks it is not necessary to align science to learn myth, but it may make research stronger. Anthropology is expected to connect science and myth in the architectural practice.

            I do not understand how anthropology works to combine science and myth, however, I agree that combining two methods are valid. I support her discussion that the explanation of design by using both of science and myth methods, could be very powerful. I think that the integration of science and myth in research or design process is expected to produce real scientific and mythic architecture, no more just images.

Robinson, Julia W. “Architectural research: Incorporating Myth and Science”. Journal of Architectural Education, 44 no.1 (1990): PP20-32.