Symbolism (metaphorical or literal) links the Form (spatial) and Function (information) of Spatial Information

Good Example:

Bunker Hill Monument projection ( Wodiczko 1998)

They said to me, if only monuments could speak. And so I suggested, "Why don't you speak through this monument?" If only this monument could speak. "Why don't you become a monument--at least for several evenings?" The monument should speak because the monument saw what was happening, who was murdered where and by whom. The monument could then imagine itself saying: "This happened just behind me," or "on the left side," or "in front, where you are, down there. You small people, among whom there may be one of those who killed my son or someone who didn't say anything." -Professor Krzysztof Wodiczko

Symbolism strongly links information and form

• Function
  Give voice to community's stories of murder victims to break "Code of Silence" in Charlestown
• Form
  Projected interviews onto Bunker Hill Monument
• Symbol
  Bunker Hill Monument
  Icon of Charlestown
  obelisk symbolizes higher power watching (all seeing eye)
  obelisk symbolizes rays of light/ bounty (but now in the dark)
  Monument to Revolutionary War and Charlestown violence*
  Battle against tyranny and oppression*
  vigil candle

http://www.fathom.com/feature/190245/index.html
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/inaug-arts-0427.html
http://www.pbs.org/art21/education/public/lesson2-6.html#

Bad and Ugly Example:

Hancock Building (NOT Prudential Building)- Weather Beacon

NOT

Combines structure and information collection/display poorly

• Function
  Weather Beacon displays local weather
• Form
  Flashing red and blue lights at top of Prudential Building
• Symbol
  See rhyme mnemonic
  .
  Steady blue, clear view.
  Flashing blue, clouds due.
  Steady red, rain ahead.
  Flashing red, snow instead.
  .
  During baseball season, flashing red means the Boston Red Sox game has been called off on account of weather.

Symbols do not link structure and information well.

• Unknown purpose (Function) to uninitiated (1 year in Boston w/out knowing)
• Unknown meaning (Symbols) to uninitiated (I didn't know rhyme)
  (arbitrary, non-universal, not-obvious, inconsistent)
• Indecipherable (Form) to some (I'm colorblind!)
• Redundant (looking outside to see beacon anyway!)

Hancock Bldg = Weather_Rock
(NOT Prudential)

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Expand upon in-class so-so Example to make it good:

Church with cruciform floor plan .
St.Peter's Basilica (martyrium), Vatican (new example)
Old St.Peters.jpg

Floor plan's function, form and symbolism mirror and reinforce each other

• Form
  Old St.Peter's church first use of cruciform layout.
  The church is centered on the crypt of St.Peter.

• Symbol
  Christ and St.Peter crucified on cross
  Cross represents the Church
  The Church is built upon the "rock" of St.Peter
• Function
  The church is center of pilgrimage, worship, and the Church.
  Cruciform layout allows full view of crypt at center.

In other churches in cruciform layout, is the form forced onto the function, since function more limited and symbolism weaker?

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Other cool examples
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Lotus of Bahapur Bahai temple, New Dehli, India

Zoomorphic Islamic Calligraphy

Chinese astronomical tower with water clock

472px-ChineseCelestialGlobe.JPG

Egyptian temple

egypt-as-nilometer II.jpg