Despite the still relevant philosophical question, ‘what is a concept?’, architectural practice poses an only seemingly paradoxical, still more particular question: ‘what is an architectural concept’? This text draws on both fragments and fully-fleshed out philosophical theory to elaborate an architectural interpretation and application, but also seeking to destabilize and reconfigure its own philosophical grounds. It is therefore possible to read this book from the end, starting with its provisional conclusions, working back towards the text’s sources. The possibility of double reading indicates that the object here thematized is never in the present, but rather, by projecting into the future, it surpasses its own time.

Researching the architectural concept provides a philosophical-aesthetic platform for an epistemology and methodology of architectural design. The intention of this book is to present and elucidate the necessities and specificities of integrating current architectural theory and practice, aiming for the research results to become a basis for the construction of a new architectural platform – architectural philosophy. The same is true of new design methods, as the conditions of production of the new. The space of analogy between architecture and philosophy becomes the (self-)designing context for the creation of concepts. All creation is conditioned by the projection of concepts and their objectification, allowing us to speak of creation with concepts, creating by way of concepts, and creating through concepts. In architecture it is always a matter of creating something new.

Over the entire course of the creation, becoming, and execution of architecture, the architectural concept is the first object of architecture to be projected, creating in turn conceptions through which it materializes its authenticity in another object – the phenomenal form of architecture. If we take the concept to be an intuitively projected object of reality and subject of illusion, then the highest value accomplished with the concept is the prefect dream, establishing harmony between the real and the illusory. Further, upon materialization in substantive form, the architectural concept returns to its author seeking a new life as a new philosophical-aesthetic object. In this infinity loop, the architectural concept is that which creates the new, critically opening the question of what is to come in the time ahead.

Integrated into the overall structure and content of the text is a particular terminological structure, driven by the idea to define architectural terminology, as well as explain important philosophical concepts that determine both the philosophy and aesthetics of the architectural concept. In that sense, the book can be read as also elaborating a new architectural linguistic concept.

Content and introduction can be found here