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ARCHITECTURE AND METAPHOR

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ARCHITECTURE
AND
METAPHOR

DR. MAGED YOUSSEF

BAU PUBLICATIONS

Stephan Library
 ARCHITECTURE
AND METAPHOR

Dr. MAGED YOUSSEF

BAU PUBLICATION

Printed and distributed by Stephan Library

Beirut - Lebanon
© 2016 Maged Youssef
All rights reserved, no portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or
technique, without the express written statement of the publisher.

The author designs cover and back.

The author captured photos of cover and back, ‘Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao,
Spain’, on August, 2013.

Includes bibliographical
references.

First edition, 2016.

ISBN 928-9953-0-3778-3

Published in Lebanon by Beirut Arab University (BAU), Lebanon.

Website: www.bau.edu.lb
E-mail: bau@bau.edu.lb
Telephone: 009611300110

Printed and distributed by Stephan Library

Beirut – Lebanon
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, praise and thanks be to God the Almighty that the achievement of this
book has been made possible.
TO THE PRESIDENT OF BEIRUT ARAB UNIVERSITY IN LEBANON:
PROFESSOR DR. AMR GALAL EL-ADAWI
I would like to thank him very much for encouraging the idea of publishing this book. His vision was
clear from the beginning in adopting the scientific methods to enrich faculties of Beirut Arab
University in Lebanon by excellence and prosperity. One of these visions is to make the university
provide academic and labor sectors with the latest knowledge. This book would not come to the light
without this vision.

TO THE DEAN OF FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING, BEIRUT ARAB UNIVERSITY:

PROFESSOR DR. IBTIHAL EL-BASTAWISSI
Since day one of her work as the dean, Prof. Ibtihal directed all her efforts in making the faculty of
architectural engineering, Beirut Arab University, one of the forerunner faculties locally and
regionally as it is always known. Under her leadership, the faculty has witnessed tens of events and
activities. With a great passion, she gave much concern to the scientific research and activated a
strategy of its development throughout the next few years. One of the research activities she cares
about is publishing books. I am grateful to Prof. Ibtihal because of her true support and eagerness to
publish this work.

TO MY PROFESSOR DR. KHALED DEWIDAR

One of the turning points in my life is the first lecture I attended for the great Prof. Khaled Dewidar.
He is one of the leading professors in Ain Shams University, Egypt, particularly in the field of 'Theory
of Architecture'. He changed the traditional methods of teaching theories to flexible material allowable
to be discussed and can be debatable. I will always owe him all gratitude to let me continue what he
started. Thank you my professor.

TO MY PROFESSOR DR. AMR FAROUK ELGOHARY

Prof. Amr F. Elgohary considers my 'Godfather'. I learned from him how to be a deep excavator for
truth. He supervised my Master and PhD theses. I can say that; he is a unique school, a bizarre attitude
depending on new ways of thinking. His travelling around the world articulated a magnificent
character gathering valuable experiences from West and East. He transferred all these rays of science
to me through long discussions for years and through lending me groups of his wonderful books. The
bond between me and him can never be described in words.

TO MY FAMILY
I want to dedicate this book to my family, who is the main reason for all what I've reached and
achieved along my life.
- To my mother, Ms. Mona Soliman, who dedicated all her life for me.
- To my wife, Arch. Safaa Hassan and to my three lovely daughters, Tammy, Ann, and Leen.
- Finally, I want to dedicate this book to the soul of my grandfather, Mr. Ahmed Ali Soliman, The
former Manager of Alexandria Bank, Portsaid, Egypt, (God rest his soul in peace), who lived in
England for years and transferred his experience of the Western culture to me. His unprecedented
English experience was the light way for me to understand many secrets about the Western
thinking. I will never give him what he really deserves. Certainly, he was a tremendous
encyclopedia.

-3-
 CONTENTS

3 Acknowledgments
5 Contents
9 Introduction
15 Keywords
17 Glossary

PART ONE:
THEORIES OF METAPHOR

CHAPTER 1
THE MEANING OF METAPHOR
25 Art of Rhetoric
25 History of Rhetoric
26 Rhetoric Branches
27 Statmentry Forms in Rhetoric
31 Importance of Metaphor
31 Components of Metaphor

CHAPTER 2
WHERE CAN WE FIND METAPHOR?
37 Metaphor in History
40 Metaphor in Language
42 Metaphor in Literature
47 Metaphor in Philosophy
48 Metaphor in Art

CHAPTER 3
METAPHOR IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY
56 Metaphor in Postmodernism
61 Metaphor in Deconstruction
66 Metaphor in the Digital Age

CONCLUSION OF PART ONE

PART TWO:
METAPHOR IN ARCHITECTURE

CHAPTER 4
THE MEANING OF ARCHITECTURAL METAPHOR
81 Metaphor and Architecture
83 Role of Metaphor in Architecture
85 Theories of 'Architectural Metaphor'

CHAPTER 5
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF USING METAPHOR IN ARCHITECTURE
99 Metaphor in Architecture of the Ancient Civilizations
101 Metaphor in Architecture of the Enlightenment Age

-5-
102 Metaphor in Architecture of the 1st half of the 20th Century
105 Metaphor in Architecture of Modernism
107 Changing from Functionalism into Semiotics
108 The 2nd half of the 20th Century: Three Phases of Architecture

CHAPTER 6
THE METAPHORIC APPROACHES IN ARCHITECTURE
119 The ‘Leading Projects’ Approaches
123 The Japanese Approaches
128 The Post-Modern Approaches
132 The Deconstructive Approaches
135 The Digital Approaches

CONCLUSION OF PART TWO

PART THREE:
READING THE METAPHORIC THINKING IN
ARCHITECTURAL REPRESENTATION

CHAPTER 7
METAPHORS OF COMPLEXITY I
155 Amsterdam Orphanage, Netherlands, 1960
161 Kaleva Church, Finland, 1966
164 Arcosanti, USA, 1970
171 Brion Vega Cemetery, Italy, 1972
178 Walden 7, Spain, 1975
186 Frankfurt Museum, Germany, 1984
193 Important Findings

CHAPTER 8
METAPHORS OF COMPLEXITY II
199 Al-Houd Al-Marsoud Park for Children, Egypt, 1989
206 Elektroprivreda, Bosnia, 1994
212 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Spain, 1997
227 The Jewish Museum, Germany, 2001
242 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, England, 2002
251 Casa da Musica, Portugal, 2005
263 Important Findings

CHAPTER 9
METAPHORS OF COMPLEXITY III
271 The Water Pavilion, Netherlands, 1997
282 Body-Zone Pavilion, England, 2000
292 The Blur Building Pavilion, Switzerland, 2002
299 Kunsthaus Museum, Austria, 2003
310 Important Findings

CONCLUSION OF PART THREE

-6-
 PART FOUR:
THE BOOK OUTCOME

CHAPTER 10
A THEORETICAL MODEL OF THE METAPHORIC THINKING IN DESIGN
327 The Final Conclusions
331 A ‘Theoretical Model’ for reading the ‘Metaphoric Thinking’ in Design
332 Benefits of the Book
333 Recommendations & Invitations

337 References

-7-
 INTRODUCTION

There is no doubt that we live now the 'Image Age'. Architecture is an important part of this
age due to its strong visual effect. It can be noticed that, after the outbreak of several wars
took place in the twentieth century and the early years of the twenty-first century, an old
wisdom re-spread saying: 'Do not believe 50% of what you see and 75% of what you hear.'1
Therefore, the public around the world became skeptical about every visual product and every
media-material. Accordingly, people started to doubt in the truth beyond the architectural
representations.

Users and critics, thus, keep searching for what the buildings are really implying by trying
to read the architectural texts, decode the hidden messages, and understand architects'
philosophies. In this direction, theories and opinions are released to interpret these underlying
philosophies. Through these different interpretations, users and critics use the 'metaphors',
spontaneously, to tell about their personal experiences narrating what they see and describing
where they walk through. In some cases, the architect does describe his own building saying
'metaphorical' descriptions. The concept of 'Metaphor', as a linguistic phenomenon, has been
resurrected to be used as a descriptive tool interpreting between the lines of architectural
thought.

Linguistically, 'Metaphor' is a figure of speech used in arts of rhetoric and literature. It

considers a linguistic phenomenon whereby we talk and think about something in terms of
something else. It varied in its textual manifestations, versatile in the functions it may perform,
and central to many different types of communication. Means in 'metaphor' are comprehended
as paths. The understanding of the word requires the notion of path. 'Metaphor' is used by
writers, poets and philosophers to mean something that differentiates with its more basic
meanings. The contextual and basic meanings of a metaphorical expression belong to different
conceptual domain, and it can be understood in terms of the basic meaning.2

'Metaphor' is a widely distributed phenomenon that encompasses all our cultural reality
including material culture and physical events. Making sense of our world can’t take place
without 'metaphor'. Speakers who use 'metaphor' purpose rhetorical goals, which go beyond
expressing their opinions in an effective way. They thrill audience’s perceptions with certain
metaphorical words forcing their minds to travel far away to gray zones. In fact, these mental
zones are related to the audience’s memories. Aristotle famously described 'metaphor' as the
mark of genius. It represents abilities and skills of the speaker. Any 'metaphor' has a structure
defined as a systematic set of correspondence, or mapping. In present, the age of media, we
can define the 'metaphor', used in rhetoric, as a video clip without any electronic device
because it leads the audience into a serial journey. A chain reaction, metaphorically, is created
between speaker and audience.

In the architectural discourse, the 'metaphor' is a 'carrying over' from one idea to another,
a transgression, a metamorphosis of categories, and it goes to the heart of architecture's
secrets. This architecture crosses boundaries, merges categories, and concentrates on itself –
its own internal world.3 It is the transformation process from abstracts into material or visual
image. It is a part of system of sign or semiotics. Metaphor as part of architectural approach is
strongly bound with the local context and local understanding.

-9-
 The history of architecture proved that the 'metaphor' is a very old aspect used by the
builders and architects of the ancient civilizations. They used it to convey a certain image to
their nations. Ancient architecture, which used a lot of signs and symbols, has already adopted
it as a grammatical tool to represent their concepts, especially for spiritual and sacred
buildings.

After thousands of years, particularly in the first half of the twentieth century, the main
common theme all over the world was representing power of modernity, globalization,
idealism, utopianism and high technology. The world was moving clearly in this direction.
But, unexpected events had completely changed this direction as: (World War I & II, The
Holocaust, Vietnam War, Disaster of atomic bombs in Japan, fall of communism). After these
extraordinary events, particularly after 1950s, the world witnessed the rise of new movements
for the first time as: (anti-ideological ideas, anti-globalization, feminist, racial equality, gay
rights, anarchism, the explosion of psychedelic, youth cultures, the fight for minority rights,
protest against hierarchy in general and anti-war movements in USA).4

These movements produced new trend in style, literature, philosophy and art. The world
described that trend as 'Postmodernism'. This kind of openness, in media, in literature, in art,
allowed people to think free using Freud’s skeptical approach to believe or not believe in what
they see and what they hear. People, therefore, no longer think in a superficial way but they
become multiple in their way of thinking. Thus, the rhetorical tools had been resurrected to be
used among societies again. 'Metaphors', metonymies, puns and icons became the main letters
of the neo language of this period. Specifically, among these rhetorical tools, 'metaphor'
became a foundation of thinking, rather than being merely the superficial decoration in
language. According to critics’ investigations, Postmodernism is the main movement that
used metaphor as a secret code to achieve polysemy in reading any context.5
According to this openness that took place after 1950s, the world directed towards the 'Age of
Media' or, what is called the 'Age of Image'. This age declared the emergence of new
generations of architecture based on deep philosophies and sending strong visual effects
through very distinguished forms. Architects of these new generations have used 'metaphors'
to hide their real intentions. Therefore, in the last sixty years, 'metaphor' started to take new
shapes, new costumes, and new purposes, veering far away from (obviousness, explicitly,
shallowness, and easy understanding). These features became the main characteristics of the
architectural languages.

From this point, a problem emerged around the world due to this degree of complexity in
reading the architectural representations. This book focuses on this problem and tries to find
solutions through presenting visions and analyses that may interpret the 'Metaphoric Thinking'
between the lines of the 'Architectural Representations'.

According to this radical change happened in architecture from 'Functionalism' into

'Semiotics', architects produced enigmatic architectural representations using 'metaphor', as an
intellectual vehicle, to hide their true intentions. The question that provokes minds here is:
'Why do these architects hide their intentions abstracting their buildings in unfamiliar forms?!'
The most renowned critics in the architectural society answer this question interpreting the
basic reason beyond this act is: 'these intentions are offensively touching the three taboos in
any society, shown in fig. 1:

- 10 -
 Religion

Politics Sex

Fig. 1: Triangle of the three taboos in societies

These three taboos are the dangerous sensitive strings in any society. Consequently, the
architects avoid conveying these contents to public directly. Therefore, every architect uses
his own 'metaphoric thinking' to abstract the form to be completely differentiated from its
origin. The architectural representation, thus, appears as incomprehensible ambiguous riddle
and that creates a real crisis in reading the 'Architectural Though' and generates a
misconception about realizing the architect's true message beyond his form. According to
critics' investigations, architecture since 1950s till now passed three phases of complexity.
Chronologically, the degrees of complexity increase from phase to the next. The more
complicated 'metaphors' are implanted in the architectural representations, the more difficult
to be understood. 'Metaphor' changes its skin, costume, and shape from phase to phase.
Meanings, therefore, become almost lost. Thus, this book exposes this problem in order to
reach a theoretical model that may interpret the 'Metaphoric Thinking' in 'Architectural
Design'. So, this model is a suggestion that can be applicable by critics, users, architects, and
even students.

THE BOOK OBJECTIVES

The main goal of this book is: (Trying to read and interpret the 'Metaphors' between the
lines of the architectural thought). In order to achieve this goal, the forthcoming secondary
objectives have to be achieved:

- Defining the 'Metaphor' and clarifying its importance.

- Recognizing the theories of 'Metaphor' and its components.
- Recognizing the different fields that host the 'Metaphor'.
- Explaining what the 'Architectural Metaphor' means.
- Finding when, why, and where the architecture used the 'Metaphor'.
- Identifying the 'Metaphoric Approach' in the architectural design.
- Understanding the interpretations of architects and critics for the metaphoric architectural
representations.
- Reading the 'Metaphors' used in architecture of (Postmodernism, Deconstruction, and
Digital Age) and analyzing their degree of complexity.
- Concluding the timeline-graph of the 'Metaphoric Thinking' in 'Architectural
Representation' throughout history.
- Trying to build A Theoretical Model) that can be able to interpret the 'Metaphoric
Thinking' in architecture.
Such findings are vital to read the 'Metaphors' used in 'Architectural Representation',
evaluating its degree of complexity, to overcome the misunderstanding between users and

- 11 -
designers, then the metaphoric design process can produce comprehensive, appreciated, and
interactive architecture, that reflects the present time and shared meanings.

THE BOOK DETERMINANTS

According to the complexity of the content, the author prefers to put some determinants
seeking the obviousness and clarity, as shown in fig. 2:

Temporal Analytical Scientific Metaphoric Moral

Determinant Determinant Determinant Determinant Determinant

Fig. 2: Research Determinants

a) Temporal Determinant:
The book commits with a specific time-framework for the case-studies between 1960 till
now. Any time before this period is considered as a historical background. The author
prefers this time-framework, specifically, because it detects the contemporary
architecture and keep up with the present.

B.C 1960 Now

Historical Background Time-Framework of Case-Studies

Fig. 3: The time-framework of the 'Case-Studies'

b) Analytical Determinant:
The book focuses only on analyzing the 'Metaphoric Thinking' implanted in
representations of the 'Architectural Design'. Therefore, issues will not be analyzed as;
construction systems, form aesthetics, laws and legislations, mechanisms of
implementation, time schedules, costs, environmental aspects, ext.

c) Scientific Determinant:
The book will analyze the 'Metaphoric Thinking' through mentioning the different
interpretations of critics and architects in order to disclose the design-secrets in
architecture of the second half of the twentieth century. Seeking the scientific credibility
and transparency, the book will only mention opinions of critics and architects who had
already visited the case-studies projects. The author believes that, the opinions of these
who did not visit the buildings will be useless, incomplete, haphazard, and non-valuable.
Scientifically, the true visiting experience articulates interpretations that may be so close
to be true.

d) Metaphoric Determinant:
The book concentrates only on the 'Indirect Metaphors' used in the 'Architectural
Representations' because they imply deep philosophies. So, the research will ignore any

- 12 -
 direct metaphor as; works of Santiago Calatrava who inspires his ideas from nature or
works of Philip Johnson who inspires his ideas from the history of architecture. In this
direction, the researcher thinks that, these direct metaphors will not be valuable because
they are easy to be understood by public.

e) Moral Determinant:
This book includes bizarre ideas and philosophies used in the time-framework
architecture. In many cases, unfortunately, architects' intentions touch erotic or heretic
issues. Therefore, the researcher will put a thick red line removing any of these offensive
issues. Consequently, the book will only present the case-studies, interpretations, and
philosophies that commit with this moral limit.

These five determinants enable the reader to understand the content easily

1
The original wisdom says: 'Do not believe everything you see or hear' said by William Shakespeare.
2
Semino, Elena, Metaphor in Discourse, Cambridge University Press, New York, USA, 2008, p.1
3
Jencks, Charles, Ecstatic Architecture, Academy Edition, London, England, 1999, p.167
4
Jencks, Charles, Critical Modernism: Where is Post-Modernism going?, John Wiley &Sons, West Sussex, England, 2007, p.51
5
Harvey, David, The Condition of Postmodernity: An enquiry into the origins of cultural change, Oxford Blackwell, London, England, 1990,
p.34

- 13 -
 KEYWORDS

- Architecture

- Design

- Metaphor

- Meaning

- Metaphoric Thinking

- Architectural Metaphor

- Abstraction

- Interpretation

- Postmodern Architecture

- Architecture of Deconstruction

- Architecture of the Digital Age

- 15 -
 GLOSSARY

- Al-Arays: Arabic word means architectural element built by the craftsmen. This element crowned
mosques' roofs. It is a repeated stone ornament symbolizing Muslim soldiers or prayers standing
together as one in ranks.

- Al-Bait-Al-Ma'mur: Two Arabic words mentioned in Qur'an in the third verse of Surah Al-Toor.
In English, it means the 'inhabited house', but according to Qur'an and Islamic beliefs it refers to
the place where Prophet Muhammad met Allah (God) in his holy journey, Al-Isra & Al-Mi'rag'. It
refers to House of God.

- Al-Isra and Al-Mi'rag: Two Arabic words mentioned and settled in Islamic history. In English,
Isra means a horizontal journey from place to place, while Mi'rag means a vertical journey which
passing upon a place or more. According to Islamic beliefs, this event happened to Prophet
Muhammad during his sleeping. Allah (God) ordered the angel Gabriel to guide Prophet
Muhammad's soul into a holy spiritual journey started by traveling from his home in KSA to Al-
Aqsa Mosque in Palestine, then ascending from there to the seven heavens.

- Al-Kaaba: Arabic word refers to the center of Muslims' pilgrimage. It is a cuboid building at the
center of Islam's most sacred mosque, Al-Masjid Al-Haram, in Mecca, KSA. It is the place where
all Muslims around the world direct their face during their prayers. According to Qur'an, Al-
Kaaba was the first house that was built for humanity to worship Allah (God).

- Arcology: English word coined by the architect Paolo Soleri. Arcology is an architectural
concept means a hybrid product between architecture and ecology. Soleri means architecture
coherent with its environment.

- Asana: Hindu word means the Yoga setting-situation of Buddha

- Cydonia: English word named by NASA. It is a territory on Mars. NASA recorded films for this
land thinking that it was a colony inhabited by aliens.

- Dervish: English word derived from the Arabic word (Darawish) means old Arabic sects lived in
Egypt and Turkey. They had their own culture and their own unique religious rites. They had a
distinguished type of music named: 'Music of Darawish'.

- Einbahnstrasse: German word means 'One Way Street'. It was a famous poem for the German
poet Walter Benjamin. This poem narrates the old story of the exodus.

- El-Rawda: Arabic word means the garden. From the Islamic perspective, it refers to the image of
paradise.

- Elektroprivreda: Bosnian word refers to 'The Electrical Management Building' located in

Sarajevo, Bosnia. It was designed by Ivan Straus in 1978 but was destroyed when Sarajevo was

- 17 -
 under blockade and military siege conducted by Serb forces from 1992 to 1996. It was redesigned
by Lebbeus Woods.

- Gedenkbuch: German word means the pre-war telephone book of Berlin. It assembled addresses
and names organized alphabetically. In this book there were many Jews who deported from
Berlin. This book located the addresses of the famous Jews who lived in Berlin. Some of them
were escaped and others were died.

- Haiku: Japanese word means the old Japanese hymn poetry. It consisted of seventeen-syllable
poem. This poetry reflects the Japanese beliefs in the 'Powerful Nature as God'.

- Ichthus: Greek word means Jesus Christ. The Greeks draw this word as two arcs as a fish.
Therefore, since starting the age of Christianity, the fish was and still the sign of Christianity.

- Kalevala: English word derived from the Finnish word (kɑlɛvɑlɑ). It is a 19th century work of
epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnishfolklore and mythology.

- Metaphor: English word derived from the 16th century Old French (métaphore), in turn from the
Greek Latin metaphora (carrying over) or (transfer). The Greek verb Metaphero, (to carry over)
or (to transfer), is consisted of two words. They are Meta (between) and Pherō (to bear) or (to
carry).

- Metonymy: English word derived from the Greek word (metōnymía) means (a change of name).
It consisted of metá (after, beyond) and ōnymía (a suffix used to name figures of speech).
Metonymy involves the substitution of one term for another.

- Rhetoric: English word derived from the Greek word (rhētorikós), 'oratorical' from (rhḗtōr),
'public speaker', related to (rhêma), 'that which is said or spoken, word, saying' and ultimately
derived from the verb (erô), 'to speak, say'.

- Shikhara: Hindu word means the vertical architectural landmark distinguishing the Hindu
Temples. It is symbolized as the lighthouse to guide Gods to know where they will land.

- Stalactites: English word means the ornamented supporters carrying the dome structurally. They
were used in the buildings of Islamic Architecture. Some architects are still using the stalactites
giving an aesthetic dimension for domes as they were before.

- Superorganisms: English word refers to the working, living and natural environments.

- Tannoora: Arabic word means colored skirt. It refers to a folk Arabic dance of 'Darawish' -
twisting, rotating, and fast dancing.

- 18 -
“Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space”
Orson Scott Card
 A
RCHITECTURE AND METAPHOR investigates the relation between
architecture and the linguistic phenomenon; (metaphor). Concept beyond
architectural ideas is an important issue for audience of architects, students, and
critics. This book considers a philosophical attempt trying to uncover secrets and
hidden intentions of the 20th century architecture. From a literary perspective, it interprets
multiple meanings of the architectural forms, which understood as the 'Metaphor' in
architecture. From Postmodern Age until now, architecture has passed three phases of
complexity I, II, and III. Architectural metaphors have witnessed rising in degree of
complexity to be read and figured out. This book, therefore, collects fifteen examples of the
most remarkable projects analyzing ideas of their architects and clarifying what they meant by
their metaphoric representations. This book is expected to be used as a reader-cum-textbook
for many architectural theory classes for the next generation of architects.

M
AGED YOUSSEF received Doctorate of Architecture
from Cairo University and studied both undergraduate
and postgraduate levels at Ain Shams University, Cairo,
Egypt. Currently he is a lecturer teaching (Architectural Design) and
(Theory of Architecture) at the Faculty of Architectural Engineering,
Beirut Arab University, Lebanon. He published many papers in
international conferences and architectural journals. In addition, he
published a book under name “Effect of Ancient World Mythology
on the Contemporary Architecture”, Cairo, Egypt, 2009. Finally, travelling to many countries
around the world contributed in building the architectural character and knowledge of the
author. Hopefully, this book finds its eco-cultural effect for all readers.

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