Towards A Rhetoric of Architecture: A Framework for Understanding Cities

Abstract

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.