ABSTRACT
The concern of tectonics is threefold: the finite nature and formal properties of constructional materials, the procedures of jointing, and the visual statics of form. In this chapter, Eduard Sekler and Kenneth Frampton ground their essays in the rich lineage of tectonic thought, providing a foundation for discussion centered on both an etymological understanding of the terminology and the theories of primary scholars in the historical timeline. In “Structure, Construction, Tectonics,” Sekler states that the terms structure and construction are often conflated, concealing the true nature of tectonic expression. In “Rappel a l’Ordre: The Case for the Tectonic”, Frampton observed that trends of the 1980s had reduced architecture to a visual discourse, influenced by the commodification of culture and the many “-isms” arising from intellectual efforts in the figurative arts and infiltrating architectural circles. Throughout his text, Frampton places emphasis on the materials and jointing while focusing on the dualities latent in the architectonic reading of architecture.
