Perception of the architectural image in the theories of Martin Heidegger and Christian Norberg-Schulz

Abstract

Phenomenology remains one of the most influential currents in twentieth-century architectural theory, yet the relation between its philosophical sources and their applied interpretations is described only in fragments. The ideas of Martin Heidegger and Christian Norberg-Schulz are usually presented separately, without an analysis of how the ontology of the former becomes the design apparatus of the latter, although this relation determines how a philosophical understanding of place can serve design. The purpose of the study is to compare the approaches of Martin Heidegger and Christian Norberg-Schulz to the perception of the architectural image, to establish how they relate to each other, and to identify their consequences for design practice. The study relies on a hermeneutic analysis of the works by Heidegger and Norberg-Schulz (Being and Time, Building Dwelling Thinking, Genius Loci, The Concept of Dwelling) and a comparative analysis against uniform criteria: philosophical foundation, key concepts, treatment of perception, and relation to design practice. The study identifies the shared foundations of the two approaches (the primacy of human experience and the rootedness of architecture in place) as well as their differences: Heidegger provides an ontological framework in which building is understood as a mode of dwelling, while Norberg-Schulz translates this framework into the language of architecture through the notions of the spirit of place, character, and existential space. The approaches relate to each other as a philosophical foundation and its applied concretization. The results are applicable to architectural theory, pre-design site analysis, and the design of buildings and environments oriented towards human perception.