Browsing by Author "Efe, Nazlı"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Circle in architecture
    (Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, 2015-04) Efe, Nazlı; Eyüce, Emine Özen
    What are the power symbols in the architecture of the modern era? Ring of Life in Fushun, 30 St Mary Axe in London, Genbaku Domu in Hiroshima, Stockholm Public Library, Rotunda de la Villette in Paris, National Parliament House in Dhaka… What makes those buildings so powerful and iconic? When these buildings are compared to the earlier edifices like the Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Pantheon in Rome, Stonehenge in Wiltshire, Istanbul‟s Hagia Sophia, primitive dwellings like the Indian tipi or the Matakam houses in Cameroon, we see a meaningful connection. Intentionally by mentioning the location of the edifices I want to stress the fact that they belong to different cultures from various regions. Despite the differences, there is a dramatic similarity among the structures which is their form. All the instances above have similar architectural characteristics like having the idea of physically arising, constituting centrality, creating a powerful look in the cityscape – nearly all examples are landmarks-, gathering and uniting people. Those listed features are the end products of a simple figure; the circle. Even though geometrically by means of architectural organization these powerful, iconic structures have a lot in common –constituting a circular form and having a central characteristic– they differ in an important point, which is the meaning that they manifest. It is obvious that today‟s buildings having a similar, circular morphology as historical ones do not manifest the same worldview. The message given by the circular edifices has transformed from sacred to profane. In this specific point, one should ask what is the force or intention that creates this shift in the meaning. What is so powerful and attractive about the circle that intuitively or consciously pushes people to use this symbol to transfer or adapt meaning from the ancient times until now? The answer to these questions is based on Nietzsche‟s theory of „will to power‟. As it is previously underlined what strikes the attention the most in the given edifices is the manifestation of power through the circle. In the circle, the idea of power has never changed throughout the history, what has changed is the quality of power which is sacred or profane. In this thesis, the altering and remaining meanings of circle throughout the architecture history is analyzed. With the intention of demonstrating the altering meaning of the circle from sacred to profane, one should prove the sacredness aspect of the circle first. Religious monism and creation myths are discussed in relation to the circle, to point out its spiritual character. The relation of the monad- the first, the essence- and the circle is explained elaborately. Moreover, the circle is analyzed from a philosophical monistic point of view where the symbolic meaning that is transformed by people‟s intentions is based on and anatomized by Nietzsche‟s theory of “will to power”. This part expresses the link between the circle and the power. After drawing the relation of power and circle, the altering meaning of circle – the shift from sacred to profane, and remaining meaning of circle – power – is simultaneously analyzed through the history on architectural edifices by referring to the crucial developments. The aim of this thesis is to focus on the archetypal meaning and the importance of the circle form in architectural history as a depiction of the world perception and additionally to ground and assert the change of the symbolic meaning of circle with Nietzsche‟s key concept; “will to power”.