<<

Thinking and

In ‘Delirious New York’ (1978), Rem Koolhaas argues that the underlying grid of the streets of Manhattan forms the basis of all future activity of Manhattan since it works as an ordering tool for the buildings. However, the two-dimensional restrictions imposed by this grid, give way to a three-dimensional freedom in the skyward extrusion of the buildings. Order is inscribed on the surface; reigns in the sky. This interaction between two complementary although opposing forces, the grid and the skyward extrusion of buildings, creates a field of tension, perhaps the reason for Manhattan’s success as a city. The relationship between order and chaos brings to mind Nietzsche’s theory of the Apollonian and the Dionysian, the two opposing and complementary forces in the creation of as described in ‘Die Geburt der Tragödie’ (1872). The one cannot thrive without the other: The Apollonian, in this case represented by the Manhattan grid, is a form-giving force, imposing a physical order; this order stands for the beautiful. Order imposed upon something offers a dream-like illusion of understanding. This force is given the name of Apollo, the Greek of light, control and dreams. The Dionysian manifests itself in the skyward and chaotic extrusion of the grid. The Dionysian stands for the dark primordial unity of things, the unbearable truth, only accessible in an ecstatic drunkenness, a delirium. It is derived from the Greek God of wine, music and intoxication, Dionysus. The higher the buildings rise, the more the illusion of order breaks down, and the more the idea of a primordial chaos takes over.

This table is the product of a tension between the illusion of order and the visible emergence of chaos, between forces. It is built up of a grid made up of line segments, extruded in three dimensions so that the interstices and volumes are proportioned according to the golden section: 0,618 to 1,000. With this the Apollonian foundation of the table has been established. By removing parts of the line segments, an ergonomic table frame is carved out of this undifferentiated order, superimposing a second order, complicating the first. A third element of orderly distortion is introduced by the wooden elements inserted into the grid. The lower you get to the floor, the more freedom is permitted in their placement. The irony is that these disturbing wooden elements contribute to a more complex model of order, simply by providing a practical and workable workspace.

Marloes Everts, 2013