An investigation about the link between architecture and phenomenology

Husserl's,who systematizes the phenomenology philosophy, main claim was to obtain the knowledge about the essences of objects through subjective experiments of human perception and intentionality based on purification mind by eliminating prejudices. Husserl's efforts in this regard was criticized by his pupil Martin Heidegger, allegedly overlooked the importance of Being (which located round the world, space occupying, acting and communicating human existence), as well as, in this context one of the most important inspiration of phenomenological architecture, "emplacement and spatiality" was started to be considered and under the influence of Heidegger, Sartre, by analyzing the connection between phenomenology and ontology, examined effectively the concepts "living subject, temporality". Maurice Merleau Ponty caused to re-considered some issues which are the main concerns of architectural phenomenology by examining some notions such as "phenomenology of perception, experience formed through body and perception" etc. Subject-centred attitude of Phenomenology based on concerning subjects' mental and temporal process and arguments accounting space, time and place where these processes emergence was seem for architecture theoreticians as a tool which can help to deal with the crisis occurred due to modern architecture. In this context, especially by the beginning of the second half of 20th century, a lot of studies was conducted inquiring relationships between phenomenology and architecture. Study which was made in the context of this thesis includes the preparation process of emergence of phenomenological architectural theory through examinations architectural history from the beginning of 1900s to 1960s and demonstrations of some example productions of architects who tried to reflect phenomenological ideas on their productions. In introduction part, some information about the aim, context and content of thesis was tried to be explained. In the second part, the historical process of phenomenology and emergence of it, its main characters and the main methodology of this philosophy was examined under the perspective of phenomenological approach. In the third part, some notions which become centre concepts, while phenomenology philosophy was evolving to architectural theory, were examined. In the fourth part, approach which directed to phenomenological architecture was deciphered by examining architectural theory and practice in years between 1900 and 1960.In the fifth part, main examples of architectural productions which were produced by architects, under the influence of phenomenology, were examined by comparing the theory. In evaluation and conclusion part, some assessments about the contributions of phenomenology to architectural theory and practice, and some inferences about the potentials of interaction of phenomenology and architecture were made.