Care, place and architecture: a critical reading of Christian Norberg-Schulz’s architectural interpretation of Martin Heidegger’s philosophy
Abstract
English: This thesis questions the theoretical contribution of the renowned 20th century Norwegian
architect and theorist, Christian Norberg-Schulz (1926-2000), by considering the cogency
of his pioneering architectural ‘translation’ of the prominent German philosopher, Martin
Heidegger’s (1889-1976) writings. It is argued that Norberg-Schulz neglected one of the
key aspects of Heidegger’s philosophical contributions; the temporal nature of Dasein’s
concerned being-in-the-world as care (Sorge).
Heidegger’s concept of care simultaneously acknowledged the way human dwellers are
‘concerned about’ their mortal existence, and how they cultivate their world by ‘taking
care’. Instead of referring to Heidegger’s formulation of lived temporality (as Norberg-
Schulz did when describing the emplaced nature of lived spatiality), Norberg-Schulz relied
on his mentor, the Swiss historian and architecture critic, Sigfried Giedion’s (1888-1968),
understanding of time as ‘continuity and change’. Norberg-Schulz’s failure to develop the
temporal implications of Heidegger’s ontological concept of care, constitutes the principal
omission that prevents the fruition of Norberg-Schulz’s ultimate aim; transforming his “art
of place” (stedskunst) into the “art of the experience of living” (2000b: 356) (livskunst).
As an alternative, it is proposed that Norberg-Schulz’s art of place be elaborated upon
(and re-interpreted) in terms of a new approach grounded in Heidegger’s understanding of
concerned being-in-the-world; the art of care. The main contribution of this thesis consists
in composing the art of care as the phenomenological ‘ground’ enabling the architectural
poiesis of Dasein’s concerned (ecstatic) temporality. By grafting the art of care into the art
of place, new possibilities are revealed within Norberg-Schulz’s oeuvre. In the marriage of
the art of care and the art of place dwells the potential for appreciating and designing
works of architecture as livskunst. Livskunst celebrates building as the care-full poiesis of
human being-in-the-world. Secondary aims include formulating a comprehensive
understanding of Norberg-Schulz’s theoretical contribution and describing the difficulties
that ensue from engaging with time as continuity and change.
The conceptual development of the art of care calls for a form of critical reading based on
Heidegger’s account of the hermeneutic “circle”. Since Heidegger believed that Dasein is
a “circular being”, grounded in the circular “structure of care” (1927a: 315), this
hermeneutic approach offers the most appropriate way to engage with Dasein's emplaced
existence within regions of concern. Afrikaans: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die geldigheid van die gevierde 20ste eeuse Noorweegse argitek
en teoretikus, Christiaan Norberg-Schulz (1926-2000), se teoretiese nalatenskap, deur die
oortuigingskrag van sy baanbrekende argitektoniese interpretasie van die Duitse filosoof,
Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), se geskrewe werke te bevraagteken. Daar word
aangevoer dat Norberg-Schulz nagelaat het om een van die kernaspekte van Heidegger
se denke, naamlik die tydskarakter van Dasein se besorgde wees-in-die-wêreld as die
wese van sorg, aan te spreek.
Heidegger se konsep van Sorge dui gelyktydig op die manier waarop bewoners besorgd
is oor hul steflike bestaan, en die manier waarop hulle sorg vir hul wêreld. Eerder as om
Heidegger se formulering van sorgsame geleefde tyd argitektonies te ontwikkel (’n
benadering wat Norberg-Schulz wel gevolg het toe hy die pleksverskanste aard van
geleefde ruimte beskryf het), het Norberg-Schulz tyd verstaan as ’n wisselwerking tussen
kontinuïteit en verandering; ’n idee wat gespruit het uit die werk van sy mentor, die
Switserse historikus en argitektuurkritikus, Sigfried Giedion (1888-1968). Norberg-Schulz
se geringskatting van die tydsimplikasies van Heidegger se ontologiese konsep van Sorge
het sy uiteindelike doel, dat plekkuns (stedskunst) leefkuns (livskunst) word (2000b: 356),
laat skipbreuk ly.
As alternatief beoog hierdie tesis om Norberg-Schulz se plekkuns uit te brei (en te
herinterpreteer) aan die hand van sorgkuns; ’n nuwe benadering geskoei op Heidegger se
begrip van sorgsame wees-in-die-wêreld. Die oorspronklike bydra van hierdie tesis behels
die formulering van sorgkuns as die fenomenologiese fondasie vir die argitekturele maak
(poiesis) van Dasein se sorgsame (ekstatiese) tydsgebondenheid. Sorgkuns ontbloot
nuwe denkrigtings binne plekkuns. Die verwewing van sorgkuns en plekkuns bewaar die
moontlikheid om argitektoniese werke te waardeer en ontwerp as leefkuns. Leefkuns vier
bouwerk as die sorgvuldige poiesis van menslike wees-in-die-wêreld. Sekondêre
oogmerke sluit in die formulering van ’n omvattende waardering van Norberg-Schulz se
teoretiese bydra en die beskrywing van die problematiese implikasies wat voortspruit uit
die begrip van tyd as kontinuïteit en verandering.
Die konsepsuele ontwikkeling van sorgkuns vereis ’n vorm van kritiese vertolking geskoei
op Heidegger se begrip van die ‘hermeneutiese sirkel’. Aangesien Heidegger geglo het
dat Dasein se wese (bewussyn) ’n sirkelgang is, en aangesien hy ook die struktuur van
sorg as ’n sirkelgang beskryf het (1927a: 315), bied die hermeneutiese benadering die
mees gepaste manier om Dasein se pleksverskanste bestaan binne oorde van sorg te
ondersoek.
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