Sources and content of the concept of space in Bernard Tschumi's architectural theories

Cezary Wąs

wascezar@gmail.com
Instytut Historii Sztuki Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego (Poland)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5163-9248

Abstract

Concepts of space in the history of philosophy are among the oldest, particularly difficult and take many versions. Their most peculiar formulation is the Platonic concept of chôra, which the architect Bernard Tschumi alluded to in his most famous project, that of the Parisian Park La Villette from 1983–1986. Reflections on space manifested themselves in this artist’s work from his student years through his many later theoretical works, in which he was inspired by the views of Henri Lefebvre, Georges Bataille or Jacques Derrida. By examining Tschumi’s reflections on space, it is possible to see their contribution to the increasing importance of the concept of space in contemporary architectural work and their belonging to the intellectual current known as the ‘spatial turn’.


Keywords:

Bernard Tschumi, architecture, space

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Published
2025-02-05

Cited by

Wąs, C. (2025) “Sources and content of the concept of space in Bernard Tschumi’s architectural theories”, Konteksty, 347(4), pp. 73–84. doi: 10.36744/k.3409.

Authors

Cezary Wąs 
wascezar@gmail.com
Instytut Historii Sztuki Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5163-9248

Cezary Wąs – dr hab., profesor w  Instytucie Historii Sztuki Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego. Autor monografii: Architektura Jože Plečnika (2004), Antynomie współczesnej architektury sakralnej (2008), Leon Podsiadły (2012), Architektura a dekonstrukcja. Przypadek Petera Eisenmana i Bernarda Tschumiego (2015) oraz Cień Boga w ogrodzie filozofa. Parc de La Villette w Paryżu w kontekście filozofii chôry (2021).



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