It’s Time for World Architecture to Learn from Christopher Alexander: Discovering Humanity’s Relationship with the Universe

摘要

This is a commentary on Per Galle’s review of the work of Christopher Alexander. Galle covers the classic bookA Pattern Languageand the later four-volumeThe Nature of Order. Alexander spent many decades deriving a geometrical basis for beauty. The design tools he introduced create humane and living architecture, by adapting to the human body and sensibilities. Alexander discards the postwar ideology pretending that beauty is meaningless, subjective, existing only in the eye of the beholder. This provocative material re-defines architecture. Alexander has always struck a sympathetic chord with non-architects. Galle clarifies the innovative strands of Alexander’s thought for the average practitioner and reader. Implementing them could completely re-orient the way we build all over the world.