Minimal Grammar
Compact Architectural Course
1. Theory
Chapter 1.1: Introduction to Architecture as Language
The Role of Architecture in Shaping Our Aesthetic Judgment
1.1.1 Architecture, like language, has a powerful ability to communicate without the use of words, or rather, through the use of its own vocabulary. Through nuances, rhythms, and contrasts, architecture establishes a dialogue among elements that can be interpreted like a story.
1.1.2 Each spatial element has its own “voice,” whether it’s a pillar supporting a wall, a window allowing light, or doors inviting entry. In this dialogue, architecture shapes our perception of the environment, creating an ambience that can be inspiring, mystical, or even enigmatic.
1.1.3 Through form, context, and function, architecture speaks the language of symbols. Each element carries deep semantics, from traditional symbols to specific references. Through this symbolism, architecture becomes more than a physical phenomenon—it becomes a narrative connected to collective experience.
1.1.4 The fundamental role of architecture in shaping the environment makes it a key language (tool), through which we can transcend the mundanity of everyday life and establish a relationship with something greater. “Man is a city in miniature” B.B. These terms speak with a silent language, yet a powerful image, of architecture as an intellectual construct with allegorical values and moral messages.
1.1.5 Considering its mode of participation, architecture constructs internal aesthetic norms within us—introtectures. Internal laws by which we determine relationships of completion-incompletion, balance-load, open-closed, etc. These aesthetic laws extend deep into our subconscious, hence the constant presence of houses, squares, and magnificent buildings in our dreams. In dream analyses, Jung often compares the house to the psyche, showing the importance of architecture through which the subconscious communicates or self-explains. Ultimately (even through dreams), architecture is an objective reference to human participation in the world of nature (both conscious and subconscious), making it one of the fundamental human extensions in the history of civilization.
Chapter 1.2: Symbolism of Opposition in Architecture
1.2.1 In architecture, the symbolism of opposition represents a language that transcends the physical characteristics of space and ventures into the realm of abstract meaning. Oppositions, such as open-closed, fluid-static, or light-dark, become key elements of architectural grammar. This (tripartite) structure of dual terms (thesis – relation – antithesis) portrays the phenomenon in its entirety.
1.2.2 The presence of oppositions in architectural language is not merely a matter of grammatical logic but also of profound semantic richness. For instance, the contrast between broken lines and straight ones can symbolize the relationship between chaos and order. These oppositions communicate with the viewer on an intellectual level by assigning concrete meanings to concrete forms, thus creating new terms recognized later as sentences or linear narratives.
1.2.3 The symbolism of opposition is not strictly confined to visual antonyms. These contrasting sets can be viewed as conceptual ideas such as balance, opposition, and diversity. Through understanding this symbolism, architects become storytellers who surpass material reality and build bridges to universal principles that shape our understanding of aesthetics and ethics.
Chapter 1.3: Architecture and Psychology of Space
1.3.1 The effect of space on the human psychological state is de facto evident. Depending on specific needs, space can stimulate productivity, relaxation, interaction, etc. For example, a space with plenty of natural light and open vistas often evokes a sense of expansiveness and freedom, while well-designed enclosed spaces can provide a feeling of security and intimacy. Both fulfil the task of a “study”, but depending on the preferences and character of the user, the choice is radically different.
1.3.2 The psychology of space deals with the concepts of privacy and social interaction. Like private and public personas, the balance between openness and closedness is a significant factor in creating thoughtful environments. The balance between opposing sides of the same set is a relationship that the architect strives for. Architecture becomes a formative medium that responds to our mental needs, inviting us to connect with space on a level that transcends physical dimensions and seeks overlaps with metaphysical laws.
1.3.3 Architecture and the psychology of space are closely intertwined, making our homes, workplaces, and public spaces reflect our emotional contents, our historicity, our tendencies, human creativity, and ultimately divine principles. As Jung also says, “Consciousness is historical.” Through a versatile approach that takes into account psychological aspects, architects become concept-builders of spaces that not only meet functional requirements but also establish reference frameworks through which the psyche moves and individualizes daily.
To be continued…