Sophia Psarra's Architecture and Narrative : The formation of space and cultural meaning

• (first paragraph of the review:)Architecture and Narrative: the formation of space and cultural meaning, looks at how meaning isconstructed in buildings and how it is communicated to the viewer. It does so by studying narrative through a series of contrasting studies, framing the question of narrative slightly differently in eachstudy. This gives the opportunity to study narrative not only from different perspectives, but in different historical periods. The book is not, however, a historical study of narrative in architecture but focuses on modernity - a limitation that seems to mostly have been for the better. It further focuses primarily on cultural buildings, and more specifically on museums. In a sense, this makes it a continuation of the discussions in Thomas A. Marcus Buildings & Power, which leaves off at the end of the 19th century. Nevertheless, Psarra's point of departure takes on the broad sweep of history. Thus, the first part of the book consists of a study of the Parthenon and the Erectheon, followed by an investigation of Mies' Barcelona Pavilion; the second part deals with architecture and narrative in literature through two chapters focusing on literary works of the 20th century by the Argentinean author Jean Luis Borges; the third part studies narrative in museums of history and art in a more or less chronological order; ending up with the fourth part which constitutes a theoretical synthesis and conclusion.

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Konst -- Arkitektur (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Arts -- Architecture (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

book review

architecture

narrative

psarra

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