The work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961) has influenced the design work of architects as diverse as Steven Holl and Peter Zumthor and has also informed schools of architectural theory. Merleau-Ponty suggested that the value of peoplea (TM)s experience of the world gained through their immediate bodily engagement with it remains greater than the value of understanding gleaned through abstract mathematical, scientific or technological systems. This book summarizes what Merleau-Ponty has to offer specifically for architects. It locates his architectural thinking in the context of his work, introduces key texts, helps decode difficult terms and provides quick reference for further reading. About the Author: Jonathan Hale is an architect and an associate professor in architecture at the University of Nottingham. He is the author of:Building Ideas: An introduction to architectural theory(Wiley 2000) andEnds Middles Beginnings: Edward Cullinan Architects(Black Dog 2005), and a co-editor of:Rethinking Technology; A reader in architectural theory(Routledge 2007) andFrom Models to Drawings(Routledge 2007). He has previously taught at the University of Bath; Philadelphia University and Drexel University, and has been an invited lecturer at universities in the USA, Sweden, China and New Zealand. |