Antonino Saggio has written a great introduction to Kas Oosterhuis‘s recent book Towards a New Kind of Building: A Designers Guide for Non-Standard Architecture. He mentions Quantum City and puts his finger on one of the fundamental keys to understanding quantum urbanism: it allows for both model and metaphor to co-exist in a self-reflective theory:
I am particularly interested in discussing the point in which the author of a book dedicated to the application of quantum mechanics to Urban Design – “Quantum City” by Ayssar Arida ≠describes two ways of concretely applying quantum theory (or in reality any other scientific theory) to the field of design. One is by way of modeling; the other is via metaphorization. Naturally Kas, also a builder and an architect extremely attentive to the concrete resolution of the interactive system of components he designs, has a great suspicion of any vague ideas of metaphorization (i.e., the use of a scientific theory as a “generic” form of inspiration). Kas clearly works, and continues to work, to produce real “modeling,” i.e., the mathematical extrapolation of several fundamental connections between quantum mechanics and his Hyperbodies (that is then a method of describing this new type of building, but you already understand this). In his book, Arida presents both ways, but then in one step (p. 119) realizes one fundamental characteristic. Quantum theory, as opposed to other scientific theories, shares several principles with the metaphor itself. In particular the principle of complementarity; i.e., “both/and” logic exists in quantum theory. In other words, elements can be modified by evolving in one direction or another. This observation (it is not further developed in Arida’s book), yet is instead a crucial question for us.
Of course Saggio is not the first Italian author to write in/about models and metaphors…
Saggio would have surely read by now my further development of that observation in iA4: Quantum Architecture, edited by Kas Oosterhuis. I could add that paper here eventually, so let me know in the comments if you would like to read it.
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