Architecture: a Civil Expression of Irrationality

What would life be like if there were no possible opportunities for us the "loosen up"? Perhaps Euripides' main point is that in order for a well-ordered, functional, and sane civilization to thrive there must be some form of release. I often reflect on several novels contemporary novels that narrate a dystopian future where there is no freedom, George Orwell's 1984 is one of the foremost examples I feel, in that novel the protagonist finds some outlets of release and freedom, and parts of some hidden, new creature are released. He feels liberated, but throughout the book, when he acts on those more carnal desires his personality almost turns animal-like. I think Orwell and Euripides make a similar point, that there is a point where suppression of our instinctive drives becomes unhealthy, and can lead to disastrous ends. So, how do we find a way to healthily control the animal drives within us that cause disorder and chaos? In the play I love that difference in between the city and the wilderness, most of the irrational things happen in the wilderness, whereas the civil and rational moments happen in the city. It is in the city that Agave comes back to rationality, and where all of the civil discourse takes place. Even the nature of worshiping Dionysus is differs by whether it is in the city or the wilderness. In the city an organized cult worships him, in the wilderness his followers change to different creatures in frenzies of ecstasy.

In the high point of ancient Greek architecture the form of their architecture was emphasized more than the utility of a space. They cared more about the beauty of their structures than the utility, at least in the grand community buildings and temples and things. The buildings were extremely well built and engineered, and all of the measurements are engineered in order to create a beautiful image. (The Parthenon, for example, is not symmetrical when measured out, the different sides of the building are different lengths and the measurements look weird when written or drawn on paper, but when they are applied and built, they look perfect.) Today architects see designing a building where form is allowed to take precedence over function (which generally means more costly buildings, but incredible works of art) as an incredible opportunity for their creativity to take over. When architects design buildings that are irrational, it stirs something within us that inspires more creative power, we relish in the opportunity to create something just for the sake of creating it, just so that we can look at it. When people attend Disney Hall (pictured above right) they see something that is, frankly, irrational, it just looks... well a little crazy, (I think it's beautiful) yet it contributes to society as a place where beautiful music is performed to uplift and inspire.