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Argument › No. 16/2024

The Telling Tales of the Details. Anagogic Details of Three Contemporary Chapels

https://doi.org/10.54508/Argument.16.07

  • / Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning Cluj-Napoca, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, RO

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of architectural details in conveying meaning in architecture, drawing inspiration from Marco Frascari’s “Tell-The-Tale Detail” to explore how details mediate between universal and local values. Frascari sets out details as fundamental units crafting significance, challenging traditional spatial generation methods. Kenneth Frampton’s critical regionalism discourse and other scholars’ writings corroborate this notion. Three chapels designed by Cluj-based architecture office Mossfern further develop this investigation, focusing on details’ narrative. Frascari’s theory regarding details as meaningful elements is central, emphasizing details’ ability to bridge the gap between function and representation. The study underscores the importance of creating multifaceted architectural realities by contextualizing architectural design and the poetic peculiarities of place. Theoretical frameworks guide the research, while case studies demonstrate the artistic and narrative potential of details to embody the act of building and understanding architecture. Ultimately, the research aims to enrich architectural discourse by highlighting details’ role in shaping spatial experiences and cultural narratives, rooted in function, tectonics, and artistic expression.

Keywords

architectural detail, anagoge, tactility, tectonics, critical regionalism

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References

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