Adventures in Scale

Deriu, D. 2021. Adventures in Scale. Vesper. Journal of Architecture, Arts & Theory. 5, pp. 92-107. https://doi.org/10.1400/285881

TitleAdventures in Scale
TypeJournal article
AuthorsDeriu, D.
Abstract

Architectural model making is a field of ceaseless enquiries. While the scale model is designed to be apprehended in the round, its materiality has been radically altered in the age of mechanical reproducibility. Over the 20th century, new visualisation techniques and practices fuelled a relentless quest for realism, as the perception of miniature was reconfigured through the camera lens. Further experiments with model-video simulation addressed the discrepancy between human and model scales that is known as Gulliver Gap. The recurring references to Jonathan Swift’s novel in the discourse on model making attest to the allure of scale narratives within architectural culture. This is corroborated by the work of contemporary photographers, such as Naoya Hatakeyama, who have explored the uncanny space we imaginatively inhabit when moving between scales. Weaving together theories, experiments, and narratives, the essay traces how adventures in scale are embedded in the architectural imagination.

KeywordsGulliver Gap
miniature
model
realism
scale
JournalVesper. Journal of Architecture, Arts & Theory
Journal citation5, pp. 92-107
ISSN2704-7598
Year2021
PublisherQuodlibet
Publisher's version
License
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
File Access Level
Open (open metadata and files)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1400/285881
Web address (URL)http://www.iuav.it/DIPARTIMEN/IRIDE/IRIDE/PARD/RIVISTA/ENGLISH/ARCHIVE/vesper5/abstract/DERIU/index.htm
Publication dates
Published22 Nov 2021

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