Beyond Direction and Control: Irrational Grids as Architectural Design Method

Abstract

This paper proposes the possibility of the grid system to operate irrationally in producing
architectural space. This proposition challenges the rational-functionalist paradigm that has
dominated the use of grid in modern architecture. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of
détournement, the study conducts a qualitative comparative analysis of three architectural case
studies: Hejduk’s Bye House, Tschumi’s Parc de la Villette, and MVRDV’s Pavilion at Expo
2000. The study identifies criterias of irrationality, comprising of ambiguity, separation, non
predetermined function, and diversity. Based on such criteria, the research demonstrates how
irrational grid systems do not constitute as design failure but represent a productive alternative
design methodology. These findings suggest that there are some transformations that occur
when the grid is détourned. Such transformations exist when the design purpose shifts from
control to disruption, when uselessness is reframed as a generative spatial strategy, and when
architectural meaning shifts from functional prescription to human interpretation. Thus, the
paper contributes by expanding the understanding and application of grid as the basis of design
method, moving beyond functionalist perspectives of architecture.