Elie G. Haddad
Lebanese American University
Abstract
This paper will examine the theoretical work of one of the major proponents of a
phenomenological approach in architecture, the historian-theoretician Christian
Norberg-Schulz, examining the development of his ideas across thirty years.
While Norberg-Schulz started out with Intentions in Architecture [1963], a work
inspired by the structuralist studies in semiotics, sociology and psychology, he
soon shifted to a phenomenological approach with Existence, Space and
Architecture [1971], continuing with Genius Loci [1980] and The Concept of
Dwelling [1985]. This paper will explore the theoertical writings of Christian
Norberg-Schulz, in an attempt to evaluate his interpretation of phenomenology
and its application to architecture, as well as its ambiguous relation to the project
of modernity.
Biography
Elie Haddad is an architect and associate professor of architecture at the
Lebanese American University in Byblos, Lebanon. He has completed his
architectural studies at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned a PhD in
Architecture in 1998. He has been teaching design studios and architectural
theory at the Lebanese American University since 1994, where he also served as
Chair of the Department of Architecture & Design from 2000 to 2005.
Haddads research interests include topics in modern architecture, contemporary
architecture in the Arab world as well as urban developments in Lebanon. He has
contributed several articles on these topics to local and international journals.
is
paradoxical
that
the
and
semiotics,
while
in
prompted
the
development
of
phenomenological
discourse
in
the
later
writings
of
Martin
Norberg-Schulz.
Martin
of
essays
On
the
Essence
of
Building,
Dwelling,
Thinking,
Being
and
Time
towards
reflection
on
the
nature
of
Fig.1.Diagram
from
Intentions
in
Architecture
Norberg Schulzs first theoretical work was
very much influenced by the structuralist
tendencies of the 1960s. Intentions in
Architecture
constituted
develop
appeared
an
an
in
1963
ambitious
overarching
and
project
system
to
that
activity.
Norberg-Schulzs
Norberg-Schulz
condition
of
crisis
to
attributed
the
the
failure
of
to
the
built
environment,
and
the
process
of
which
perception
leads
to
the
account
for
the
architectural
work
with
very
indicative
title,
of
Dwelling
[1985]
which
architecture,
within
turning
point
in
Norberg-Schulzs
still
based
on
structuralist
concretize
committed
later
move
phenomenological
into
more
towards
approach
to
theoretical
attempting
to
develop
the
idea
that
concretization
schemata
or
necessary
of
images,
part
of
environmental
which
mans
form
general
of
reconciling
structuralism
with
existential
thing.
space:
In
geography
discussing
the
and
the
house,
existence:
that
by
concept,
first
given
this
as
currency
Norberg Schulz
existential
space,
derived
concretization
from
multiple
sources,
from
of
existential
space,
architectural
Lynch.
The
illustrated
Eliades
center,
by
the
discussion
works,
from
villages
and
for
instance,
was
image
drawn
from
on
mythology,
and
described
in
terms
of
phenomenological
the
axis
mundi,
which
represents
space,
manifest
attributes.
their
in
the
Existential
monumental
that
division
outer
into
the
inner
and
of
the
medieval
towns,
in
the
Norberg-Schulz
level
of
urbanism.
There,
the
figural
concluded
of
the
with
necessity
confirmation
of
re-
at
the
level
of
the
urban
and
harmonious
environments.
Norberg-Schulz reiterated the necessary
recognition
and
understanding
of
the
structured
totality
which
11
Paolo
Portoghesi.
The
latter
was
Genius Loci
Norberg-Schulz
introduced
13
his
major
as a sequel to his
two
works
despite
the
in
architectural
radically
different
influential
of
Norberg
Schulzs
of
meaning,
history,
and
discourse,
in
post-
modernist
climate
that
gave
back
this
previous
more
represented
lies
essays
works,
gathered
Thought.
this
in
one
was
Poetry,
Language,
14
poem,
as
explained
by
poets,
therefore
elements
in
that
by
Norberg
architects
reviving
this
constitute
and
poetic
our
world.
visualization,
symbolization,
attributed
16
to
complementation,
and
was
process
Heideggers
that
concept
of
more
crucial
role
in
the
the
realization
of
the
concept
of
concepts,
In
this
photographic
architecture,15
ranging
essay
from
on
the
Heideggers
concept
of
constituting
elements
of
[]
Winter
concept.
Evening,
quoted
in
one
of
Genius
Loci
According
is
a
to
Roman
ancient
and
them
and
or
from
places,
accompanies
birth
determines
to
their
fundamental
death,
character
nature
of
the
17
concept.
with
philosophy,
proceeded
to
Norberg-Schulz
develop
his
theory,
characteristic
images
of
people
Norberg-Schulzs
personal
religious
definition
village
in
Sudan.
This
photo-
position.
20
of
his
particular
theoretical
general
Jorge
Otero-Pailos,
also
encompassed
that
world,
Greek
landscape
to
Architecture.
Baroque
reference
Modern
that
places
create
within
the
favorable
Theater
Delphi,
was
to
specific
Greek
of
The
and
but
stimulates
of
course
St
mythological
specific
aspects
appropriations
that
invoke
the
of
places
by
Benedict
near
Subiaco,
offer
framework
for
the
unifying
message
condition
which
generates
by
the
totality
[the
cosmic
Subiaco
Brandenburg
by
Yet
what
the
is
most
infinite
surprising
desert],
and
in
Classical
where
seems
is
Greek
landscape].
But
these
by
the
is
saturated
extension
monotonous,
conditions;
they
appear
followed
form
of
historically
determined
to
categorize
various
Romantic
for
intimate
instance
encourages
an
architecture,
the
Cosmic
Prague,
regarding
the
other
Prague
proceeds
from
the
categories,
exudes
and
Rome.
romantic
While
sense
of
geographical
architectural
specific
style
or
same
which
Khartoum
period,
but
an
heritage,
infinite
phantastic
intimate
24
and
definition
mysterious
idyllic.
brings
This
together
but
also
unusual
illustrate
the
third
defined
cosmic
landscape
the
case,
by
upon
the
closer
disparate
everything.
complex
case
which
contains
order
the
and
supposedly
finds
its
best
contemporary
world.
This
is
in
is
not different
Fig.6. Prague
illustrations
study
into
which
in
reality
translates
accompanying
the
text
apologetic
Movement,
true
and
of
the
Modern
meaningful
existence.
The
third
Rationalism.
26
by
part
a
of
Norberg-Schulzs
framework
of
semiotic
behaviorist
Norberg-Schulz
despite
and
moving
to
lack
the
of
urban
substance
dimension
directly
In
this
and
their
studies.
30
work,
addressed
the
that
theses
of
his
Norberg-Schulz
teacher
concluded
Giedion,
that
the
the
hands
of
some
imitators
the
in
rediscovery
the
work
of
Kahn
whose
poetic
of
dwelling
in
its
10
32
The
structuralist
template
of
morphology,
topology
and
typology.
These
Mans
architecture.34
being-in-the-world
is
And further:
The
meaning
of
work
of
from
the
general
outline
to
the
sense,
the
the
space
individual
and
house,
institution,
passing
and
by
organized
in
temporal
historical
to
give
the
work
of
Mircea
Eliade
on
down
architectural
the
foundations
language,
of
an
Norberg-Schulz
11
light.36
again
make
possible.37
dwelling
architecture.38
Conclusion
Despite
particularly
to
mentioned
by
Northern
European
Germany
to
the
types
Heidegger,
of
dwelling
common
countries,
Switzerland,
in
its
theoretical
wide
work
dissemination
of
Norberg-Schulz
from
and
Holland
Hvittrask
Yet
complex,
Behrens
in
house
in
the
strongest
against
interpretation
nave
was
in
explicit,
and
the
to
arrive
author
the
phenomenology
this
more
of
attack
interpretations
Seventies.40
of
came
Heideggers
Cacciari
read
in
recognized
its
failure
at
12
desire
for
nostalgic
return
to
pre-
but
He
lays
pitilessly
insurmountable
rather
the
bare
contrary.
its
emphasizes
logic,
its
distance
from
the
actual
41
condition.
works
of
attempting
dwelling
Heidegger
can
not
be
examine
without
to
Heidegger,
some
of
architectural
project
of
Modernity.
Hilde
Heynen
phenomenology.
the
Presence,
two
she
radical,
represented
phenomenology,
Christian
Norberg-Schulz
Cacciari.
In
ideological
recognized
positions,
this
the
which
respectively
and
by
Massimo
opposition,
deficiencies
Heynen
of
both
Language,
Place;
Instead,
into
Norberg-
yet
another
give
comprehensive
architecture
43
from
all
account
periods
of
and
regions.
of
of
its
the
problematic
architectural
form,
to
the
42
a generative principle.
what
seems
like
question
other
for
Yet Heynen, in
approach
in
of
Heideggers
dwelling.
affirmation
essay
of
confirmation
phenomenological
of
Norberg-Schulzs
interpretation
on
dwelling
The
later
developments
in
implicitly
within
it
and
an
the
carried
negation
as
nostalgic
13
other
in
phenomenological
projects
in
restoring
to
architecture
its
Endnotes
14
full
22
15