Alfredo Desideri

Winston Churchill’s statement, “We shape our buildings and afterwards, our buildings shape us,” illustrates the static nature of real life architecture.  It is a rigid and immovable artifact, and the occupants are passive observers.

Generally, the first generation of architecture in Second Life has been an attempt to import the same monolithic state into a virtual enviornment.  Bringing this baggage into Second Life is a logical phase of transition, given that we learn to organize our environment based on visual cues we learn from early childhood. It makes sense that we import those familiar patterns as a first instinct.

However, we quickly learn that avatars and their cameras flow through virtual architecture more like a liquid than an artifact.  No amount of implied rigitity can prevent or restrict this freedom.  The architecture is either artistic sculpture or pure interface.    

The experiments and installations in this exhibit are an attempt to create a 'reflexive architecture', one that is as fluid and dynamic as the community it hopes to serve.  The occupant can now transcend the role of passive observer, and become an active part of the architectural and musical composition.  The architecture knows you're there, and reacts to your presence.

We need a new language of virtual architecture, based on the inherent opportunities and characteristics of this virtual fabric.  Reflexive architecture is one step toward this new language. 

Visit: Gallery of Reflexive Architectur, Architecture (193, 111, 601)

Installation architecture and conceptual development by Keystone Bouchard

Scripted by Fumon Kubo 

Per domani 28 settembre 2007

«Tutti in maglietta rossa per la Birmania» - Corriere della Sera

SL Award - 1st Annual Architecture & Design Competition in Second Life

Second Life @ the Design Museum for RIBA Architecture Week 2007, by Fraser Fonda / Kate Allen « The ARCH