| Project Title | Architecture and Metaphor |
| Project Description |
A metaphor is a transfer of meaning — a bridge between structure and semantics. This applies not only to rhetoric, linguistics, or literary studies — the traditional fields in which the term metaphor is rooted. Already Aristotle understood metaphor as more than a mere substitution of words: it possesses a cognitive function, filling semantic gaps and initiating a process of transferring concepts and worldviews. Yet, the precise nature of this transference — between what entities or domains it occurs — remains largely unexplored outside a few established disciplines. Why not connect conceptual realms, worldviews, or even architecture metaphorically? To explore the potential, tensions, and voids that metaphors bridge, an interdisciplinary discourse is necessary — one that relates real, virtual, and metaphysical spaces to narrative and iconographic perspectives. This project seeks to move beyond the traditional notion of “metaphorical architecture,” which merely depicts or represents, neglecting the deeper complexity of the metaphorical construct. The goal is to generate new insights into spatial typologies through the convergence of different conceptual realms. By becoming aware of overarching images and conceptual frameworks, we can better understand how metaphor shapes the design process. The design project “Hell” at the Department of Design and Building Design serves as a bold experiment and example of how language, metaphorical thought, and built work can be intricately intertwined. |
| Coordination | TU Darmstadt – Department of Design and Building Design |
| Project Partners |
Bauhaus University Weimar, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism:
University of Applied Arts Vienna, Institute of Architecture:
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| Project Duration | April 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021 |
| Funding | German Research Foundation (DFG) |
| Project Website | - |
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