Mythical in the works of

Charles Jencks

Presented by -
T he Statement
“To see the world in a Grain of Sand, the poetic insight of William Blake, is to
find relationships between the big and small, science and spirituality, the
universe and the landscape.
This cosmic setting provides the narrative for my content-driven work, the
writing and design. I explore metaphors that underlie both growing nature and
the laws of nature, parallels that root us personally in the cosmos as firmly as a
plant, even while our mind escapes this home”

Charles Jencks is a master at designing whimsical, intriguing outdoor spaces

that hold a much deeper meaning than just an interesting view
I ntroduction
An Architecture Theorist & Critic, Landscape Architect & Designer
•Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Jencks spent his childhood in New England.
•Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature at Harvard University in 1961
•Master of Arts degree in architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in
1965.
•Ph.D. in Architectural History.
•Spousal: Maggie Keswick Jencks, an eminent scientist.
•Synonymous with his writings on postmodernism in architecture.
•Discusses the paradigm shift from modern to postmodern architecture.
•Modern architecture concentrates on univalent forms such as right angles and square
buildings often resembling office buildings.
•Postmodern architecture focuses on forms derived from the mind, body, city context,
and nature.
I ntroduction
• With his late wife, Maggie Keswick Jencks, he was
Charles Jencks, Peter Higgs,
Rolf Heuer in the
garden of cosmic speculation.

the co-founder of Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres.

•Jencks argues that postmodernism is a critical
reaction to modernism that comes from within
modernism itself: Critical Modernism - Where is
Post-Modernism Going?
•The Iconic Building: reason that our culture seeks
the "iconic building" is because it has the possibility
of reversing the economic trend of a flagging
“conurbation”.
•He says that “enigmatic signifiers” can be used in an
effective way to support the deeper meaning of the
building.
• Has lectured at over forty universities throughout
the globe.
T he Intentions and Ideologies
Jencks' goal was to celebrate nature, but he also incorporated
elements from the modern sciences into the design.
• Jencks believes that contemporary science is potentially a great moving force for
creativity, because it tells us the truth about the way the universe is and shows us the
patterns of beauty.
•His many landforms are based on the idea that land forming is a radical hybrid activity
combining gardens, landscape, urbanism, architecture, sculpture, and epigraphy.
•Landforms often include enigmatic writing and complex symbolism.
•His landscape work is inspired by fractals, genetics, chaos theory, waves
and solitons.
•Both Charles Jencks and Maggie also believed that the design of a building and its
environment can have a positive impact on health and experience.
•He felt it was important to commission inspirational architecture that is sympathetic to
the needs of the people who will use the buildings.
•Create spaces that are both uplifting and protective.
T
he Projects
T he Thematic House
London: 1979-84
Charles Jencks' townhouse embraces postmodernism, kitsch and
theory of "cosmic time“
&
Semiology
T he Thematic House
London: 1979-84, An Alteration to 1840 House
"A sign to me is a one-liner, a symbol is very complex and my
house is a series of symbols."
 • The building has sympathetic and sensitive interiors.
• Windows and doors are abstracted human forms.

• House is entered via Cosmic Oval

• Adjacent to cosmic oval is the "sundial arcade“ , a stepped-down window seat that
overlooks the garden
• The rear windows can be read as a man, a woman, a dog and the sun and moon.

• The two principal ideas expressed in the house are cosmic time (the seasons, passage
of the moon and the sun) and cultural time (the creating and passing of civilisations).

It is minimalist with maximalist stuff.

 The house is entered through a "Cosmic
Oval" a hall panelled with mirrored doors

The "winter" room is dark, "spring" room is

in gentle cream , "summer" room is in a
gloriously sunny yellow, The seasons are
completed with "autumn", a room decorated
in burnt red.
The ground floor is organised around a central spiral staircase (solar staircase) and from each room at least
three others are visible, emphasising the cycle of seasons.
T he Cells of Life
Jupiter Art land, Kirknewton, Scotland : 2003-2010
T he Cells of Life
Jupiter Art land, Kirknewton, Scotland : 2003-2010

• A private sculptural park featuring a magical collection of outdoor land art and more.
•Nicky and Robert Wilson created Jupiter Artland on the grounds of their 80 acre home, Bonnington
House in West Lothian. It is what they call, "their life's work."
•The marvels they feature include a Charles Jencks earth sculpture called Life Mounds.

•Eight landforms and a connecting causeway

surround four lakes and a flat parterre for sculpture
exhibits.
•The theme is the life of the cell, cells as the basic
units of life, and the way one cell divides into two
in stages called mitosis (presented in a red
sandstone rill).
•From above, the layout presents their early division
into membranes and nuclei, a landform celebration
of the cell as the basis of life.
T he Garden of Cosmic Speculation
Dumfries, Scotland: 1989+
T he Garden of Cosmic Speculation
Dumfries, Scotland: 1989+
•Forty major areas, gardens, bridges, landforms, sculptures, terraces, fences & arch work
•The garden uses Nature to celebrate Nature, both intellectually and through senses:
Including sense of humor.
•A “Quark Walk” takes the visitor on a journey to the smallest building blocks of matter,
•A series of landforms and lakes recall fractal geometry.
A water cascade of steps recounts the
story of the universe.
A terrace shows the “distortion of space &
time caused by a “Black Hole”.
T he Fife Earth landform
St Ninians surface mine :Scotland
•Scottish Diaspora – the migration of
Scottish people around the world.

•The plan shows the story of immigration,

emigration and influence.
•Two representations of Scotland – one
is made by cutting the shape of Scotland
to create a water feature and the other
is a small Scotland-shaped island in the
middle of water.

•Jencks has designed walkways from one

continent to the next.
•The places where the Scots also had a
strong influence, Japan, India, China and
Africa are also illustrated through
symbols on the remaining mounds.
Thank You