Questioning Architectural Envelope - Context Relationship in Contemporary Architecture

Abstract

Every building is defined by an ‘architectural envelope' which is an interface between interior and exterior. The changing understanding of ‘context' in contemporary architectural environment has changed the definitional and semantic signification of envelope. With continuous change / transformation of architectural agenda, these approaches were opened to multi-dimensional discussion in terms of symbol, value, language, expression. The analysis of how to read conceptually the architectural envelope and its constituent elements as a new means of definitional expression will reveal the place of the new meaning, definition and scope of architectural envelope in contemporary understanding of architecture. The purpose of this work is to prove that the architectural envelope is a very important part of the building which, as a basic construction element, defines the building, determines its identity, represents the dynamic change and tension between interior and exterior, and has also semantic, technological and esthetical concerns. It also aims to point out that the interrelated situations such as ‘re-defining and re-explaining the context', ‘context becomes the concept' and ‘concept/concepts become context' may occur in this scope of the new architecture. In this study, changing meanings of Architectural Envelope - Context, in the current architectural environment relations, are examined by the discourse analysis. In the environment of architecture, with this analysis that has been made on the discourses of architects in media and literature, a new perspective has been presented on the envelope - context relation, by explaining conceptual openings and diversity of codes, and an infrastructure, to promote new information in the new design, has been conceptualized.

Keywords

• architectural envelope
• context
• discourse analysis
• concept
• contemporary architecture