Towards A Rhetoric of Architecture: A Framework for Understanding Cities
Issue Date
2008-01-01Author
Frewen Wuellner, Cynthia
Publisher
University of Kansas
Format
240 pages
Type
Dissertation
Degree Level
Ph.D.
Discipline
Communication Studies
Rights
This item is protected by copyright and unless otherwise specified the copyright of this thesis/dissertation is held by the author.
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Show full item recordAbstract
In order to articulate meaning in cities and architecture, I propose a framework of enacted architecture that considers the built environment in everyday spatial practices. Building on Henri Lefebvre's work, we know architecture in terms of conceptual space, perceived space, and lived-in space, which supplies multiple levels of meaning. As we use a city, we enact spatial narratives, myths, and metaphors that weave our lives and experiences into a place. Through spatial practices, we gain a sense of identity, a sense of power, and a sense of publicness, which are analyzed in three extended examples: the new town of Seaside, Florida, the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site at Ground Zero, and the National Mall in Washington D.C., respectively. While a city reflects society as a deeply cultivated symbol system, we are constituted by and reciprocally shape the city and architecture.
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