Architecture reflects on itself since Vitruvius, but it is difficult to define its epistemological base, so interpretations are sometimes developed in other disciplines. Thinking about architecture is about reflection on and extension of architectural concepts, cultural practices, and interrelated areas of art, philosophy, politics, etc. Incompleteness of understanding is obvious, and it points us toward a paradigm of complex thinking. Contemporary theoretical field of architecture is largely a product of postmodern architectural thought. This paper examines the position from which to build a modern architectural phenomenological opinion through three methodological models-creative, emotional and rational. This research should contribute to the way of understanding contemporary architectural phenomenon, with the intention of providing a general level of credibility and understanding in order to open the possibility of methodological application for a specific job or field.

This paper researches different transformation models of unused spatial resources in order to recognize aspects which could lead towards a sustainable activation of space. The relevance of the research lies in both scientific interpretations, and the clarification of the transformation phenomenon relating to the activation of unused spatial resources, especially in the context of post-socialist Serbia with a focus on its capital. The theoretical framework of the research relates to different aspects of urban sustainability regarding the activation of unused spatial resources, including further clarification of the role of the transformation principles in architectural discourse. The empirical part of the research regards a case study analysis of the precise spatial framework of "Magacin" Cultural Center in Belgrade using a student involved workshop as a research method. The students were expected to explore different possibilities and propose design solutions for the given space applying a transformation method in the context of space activation. The final part of the research includes the synthesis and the result interpretation regarding the research context and the problem setting, but more importantly, it demonstrates the level of interdependency between changes on micro-level (transformation models of unused spatial resources) and the context of macro-level (activating space in terms of sustainable urban development).