From the Things Themselves

Thinking architecture requires a revealing of the bond that links it to the full spectrum of phenomena. This means to replace architecture on its own phenomenological ground, from which it has too often been severed. It will thus become manifest that the work of architects -- and architectural practice itself -- does not solely deal with things, but primarily emerges from the things themselves. In 21 texts, From the Things Themselves presents approaches relating architecture to phenomenology, and vice-versa. The philosophies of Husserl, Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty are revisited and experienced through a large array of architectural realizations: from the virtual world of Second Life, the poetical and spiritual worlds of Greek temples, Cistercian or Baroque churches, Chinese and Japanese gardens, to the work of contemporary architects. This book, made in Kyoto, is grounded in a particular cultural landscape, where local and foreign traditions have blurred into modern realities. To the philosopher, it provides a precise analysis of concrete cases, thus permitting a testing of the relevance and effectiveness of salient concepts, both aesthetical and ethical. The architect, on the other hand, is presented with a reflexive gaze on everyday work, as well as the tools with which to rethink the reality of architectural practice.