Conscious architecture : the influence of hermetic philosophy on the theory and practice of arciıtecture during the renaissance period

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2021-12-28

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Alwattar, Dunya

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During the Renaissance, a theory of Architecture recognized building as a sacred act, and the built environment itself as a sacred domain. This theory was the product of a philosophically oriented mindset, tainted with a passion for an ancient tradition based in Egypt, a passion that was triggered by long-term exposure to Oriental Esotericism. The link between Theological Philosophy and Architecture was perhaps most emphasized during the 15th and 16th centuries, manifestations of which can be traced in the realm of Renaissance Hermeticism. Renaissance intellectuals from various parts of Europe had an appreciative attitude towards a ‘sacred wisdom’ authored by a mysterious and legendary Hermes who, within Western imagination, was the descendants of a royal bloodline traced to Zoroaster. This occult-obsessed mentality was projected unto the theoretical and practical domains of Renaissance Architecture, where representations of Hermetic philosophy were adopted in the design of both public and domestic buildings. Reoccurring themes of the ethical and cosmological principles of Hermeticism in Renaissance Art and Architecture provide a stark testimony of the influence of Environmental philosophy on the meaning of Western Architecture.

Subject Keywords

Environmental philosophy, Renaissance esotericism, Hermeticism, Symbolism, Western architecture

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https://hdl.handle.net/11511/95034

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Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis

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Citation Formats

D. Alwattar, “Conscious architecture : the influence of hermetic philosophy on the theory and practice of arciıtecture during the renaissance period,” M.A. - Master of Arts, Middle East Technical University, 2021.