Living Archives

Abstract

Architecture, akin to films and literature, embodies a representational art form suffused with the intrinsic ability to narrate stories. This project initiates an academic inquiry into the symbiotic relationship between architecture and narrative, aiming to explicate the capacity of built structures to encapsulate and perpetuate the intangible cultural heritage inherent in folk tales, through the experiential museum typology. It aims to unravel the threads between cultural heritage, storytelling, and architecture, presenting them as translative assemblages that mirror the socio-cultural context. Central to this investigation is the recognition of narratives as live entities that evolve and bridge communities across temporal divides. The museum envisions itself as a dynamic storyteller, intertwining traditional anecdotes with contemporary forms of expression. In its role as a public space, the museum transcends traditional repository functions, transforming storytelling into a communal act that fosters cultural exchange and preserves the essence of a collective identity. This project adopts a multidisciplinary perspective, translating psychosocial perceptions of folk narratives into spatial allegories, with an approach that is deliberately abstract, eschewing literal representation in favor of symbolic and metaphorical elements. The design process exploring the parallelism between narratives and architecture emphasizes metaphorical interpretations of architectural elements as linguistic expressions within spatial compositions. Drawing from linguistic philosophy and semiotics, the study constructs immersive spatial narratives that evoke emotional responses inlaid in the storied content through architectonic re-imagination of alphabets, syntax, and semantics. By redefining conventional spatial perceptions, the project seeks to foster meaningful dialogue between users and the built environment. Through an integrated theoretical and practical approach, this study redefines architecture as a communicative medium, inviting users to engage with the nuanced interplay between form, meaning, and experience within architectural compositions.