All designs tell a story, whether it is as straight forward as a storyboard or a portrait. With storyboards you are being told a story through a series of photographs, with a rarely any room for interpretation. When it comes to portraits it is relatively different in the sense that although there is a brief explanation to the painting you it is also more or less open for anyone to come up with their own story. Much like storyboards and paintings, architecture is also capable of narrating a story. Some buildings exteriors actually tell a story whether of its history or any current situation.

An example of architecture that tells a story is the Best retail stores. The buildings have an extra layer of brick on its exterior that appears to be demolished. (Arch Daily, 2015) When I first saw photographs of the supermarkets I was incredibly shocked and thought that it was a torn down building. After having a read online I found out that the demolished exterior was all part of a narrative. The exterior was meant to resemble destruction from natural disasters. (Arch Daily, 2015) This is the perfect example of how even architecture can tell a story. It may not be as direct or straightforward as other means of story telling, and may sometimes need an explanation, but architecture has the ability to share a narrative.

best-site_1600px(Carnegie Museum of Arts, 2015)

All types of design are forms of narrative. Although not all are clear and as easy to read, they do tell a story. Always look one step further, there might be a detail that gives a clue as to what the design is trying to say. If not some pieces such as portraits have some sort of description that makes the story easier to understand.

 

Reference List:

“When Art, Architecture And Commerce Collided: The BEST Products Showrooms By SITE”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2015. Web.

Skjeie, Alyssum, and Alyssum Skjeie. “James Wines: The Architect Who Turned Buildings Into Art”. Carnegie Museum of Art: Storyboard. N.p., 2015. Web.