Interpretation and Paradigm in Architectural Metatheory

This study stands in-between two distinct areas, modern epistemology and architectural theory and interpretation. A dual approach is being carried out in an attempt to transfer concepts and methods of approach from the field of philosophy of science to that of architectural discourse. By examining architecture at a meta-theoretical level, i.e., making architectural theory itself the object of theorizing, it is attempted to transcribe epistemological concepts, tools and conceptual schemas into the field of architectural interpretation and theory. The study’s objective is to outline a suitable framework for examining the evolution of architectural theory itself and for understanding its shifts. More specifically, we attempt to formulate a model that will allow for a more systematic approach of the course of architectural interpretation, theory and criticism. The main point of the study, stated and documented in detail, is that an architectural interpretation can be regarded as a (dominant) paradigm, much as a scientific theory can. Interpretations change over time, reflecting changes of value systems underlying a general view of architecture, rather than having a dependence on the specific object of interpretation. A concept of an “interpretative paradigm” (a hermeneutical paradigm) is proposed, regarded as a system of beliefs associated with a broad view of architecture, which determines the direction followed by the interpretations of distinct works. Hermeneutical paradigms do not constitute timeless invariants, but they are transformed and modified over time. The transition process by which such shifts occur, following a paradigm crisis, is analyzed in this article by describing a mechanism of theoretical/ interpretative paradigm shift in architecture. The study is concluded with a brief discussion of the notion of “progress” in architectural theory and interpretation, building on similar contribution in the philosophy of science.