The Jencksiana Symbol

Jencks’ interest in symbols, signs and semiotics led him to design the Jencksiana, a flexible motif resembling an abstracted human face that is repeated in different variations throughout The Cosmic House. The curved elements and a stagger combine to create a suggestion of a forehead, eyes and a chin. This personal motif – modelled on the Palladian Serliana window – returns in various versions and scales throughout the interiors and exteriors of the house, framing windows, doors, furniture, or the corners of rooms below the ceilings. As its name suggests, it was designed both as Jencks’ personal trademark and as an anthropomorphic symbol, giving the building a face to look back at its inhabitant.