Architectural form as a subject of cultural communication

Abstract

The aim of the article is to investigate the architectural form self-representation processes in the spatial experience of culture. Theoretical and methodological prism of the research is the semiotic concept of architecture of W. Eco and the concept of E. Panofsky correlating with it and explaining the nature of the Gothic architectural form evolution. The architectural reality self-definition problem in the context of the historical development of cultural and anthropological experience spatial codes is considered. On the basis of W. Eco’s semiotic concept of architecture we propose the vision of architectural object as a form in which the signifier - the “grammar” of architectural text - is treated as a signifier in the unity of meanings, functions and structures of the work. Architectural form in this capacity is described as a subject of socio-cultural communication, an individual link in the spatial code mediation chain of this or that tradition. On the basis of the comparative analysis, we have demonstrated the similarity of semiotic approach to the essence of architecture and Gothic architectural thinking of E. Panofsky. It shows the relevance of this methodology for modern architecture theory allowing to reveal the processes of architectural reality affirmation. The significance of the results for the theory of architecture consists in the fact that the heuristic significance of Eco’s semiotic conception of architecture was substantiated by E. Panofsky’s conclusions concerning the essence of Gothic form-building. The notion of architectural form as a subject of cultural communication greatly extends the architectural reality affirmative nature notion.