Architecture of Thought

356 Pages·2011·10.39 MB·English

by  Andrzej Piotrowski

ARCHITECTURE OF THOUGHT
This page intentionally left blank
ARCHITECTURE
OF THOUGHT
Andrzej Piotrowski
University of Minnesota Press
Minneapolis
London
Publication of this book has been supported by an annual award from the University
of Minnesota Provost’s Offi ce, Imagine Fund for the Arts, Design, and Humanities.
Portions of chapter 1 have appeared previously as “Architecture and the
Iconoclastic Controversy,” in Medieval Practices of Space, ed. Barbara A. Hanawalt
and Michal Kobialka (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2000).
All photographs and illustrations are by the author unless credited otherwise.
Copyright 2011 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
Published by the University of Minnesota Press
111 Third Avenue South, Suite 290
Minneapolis, MN 55401-2520
http://www.upress.umn.edu
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Piotrowski, Andrzej.
Architecture of thought / Andrzej Piotrowski.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8166-7304-9 (hc : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-0-8166-7305-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Architecture—Philosophy.
2. Thought and thinking.
I. Title.
NA2500.P55 2011
720.1—dc22
2010032187
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
The University of Minnesota is an equal-opportunity educator and employer.
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Joanna
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ix
Introduction: The Moving Target of Architecture. . . . . . . . . .xi
1. Architecture and Medieval Modalities of Thought. . . . . . . . .1
2. Colonization and Symbolic Reality in Mesoamerica . . . . . .33
3. Structures of Tolerance and Religious Domination . . . . . . .93
4. Technologies of Thought in Victorian England . . . . . . . . . .153
5. High Modernism according to Le Corbusier. . . . . . . . . . . .231
Closing Remarks: The West. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258
Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267
Illustration Credits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315
This page intentionally left blank
Acknowledgments
It took me many years to write this book. Even after years of research, this project would
not have materialized without access to remote sites and unique resources. In some cases,
it was a matter of obtaining permissions to photograph certain places; in many other cases,
my work depended on the goodwill of generous people who accepted my intrusion into
their daily lives and environments. And thus I am grateful to Father George for his help
and hospitality during my visit to the monastery of Hosios Loukas. Many people helped me
during my studies of Mexico and Guatemala, but I would especially like to acknowledge
members of Cofradias in Chichicastenango, Guatemala, for their tolerant attitude toward
a foreigner observing one of the most important of their indigenous rituals. In Poland,
I thank Zygmunt Nasalski, who allowed me to study and photograph the Holy Trinity
Chapel in Lublin. Małgorzata Omilanowska granted me permission to explore the archival
photographs in the Instytut Sztuki Polskiej Akademii Nauk collection. In Italy, my study of
Giulio Romano’s work would not have been possible without the generous help of Ubaldo
Meroni and Stefano Benetti, directors of Museo Civico di Palazzo Te. Special recognition
goes to the staff of the University of Minnesota Libraries Special Collections and Rare Books
for their competent and patient assistance.
The final phase of this work benefited the most from the support of those who
critically challenge the boundaries of their disciplines. I am especially indebted to Charles
Burroughs, whose work reinforced my interests in combining history, architecture, and
critical theories; his comments were crucial in completing this book. Michał Kobiałka’s
unwavering encouragement helped me to maintain focus on theoretical issues even as
publishing critical and cross-disciplinary studies of architecture became more diffi cult.
Kathleen Biddick’s writing revealed to me how urgent is the need to question the closure
of traditional historiography. Her feedback inspired me to pursue the most challenging
aspects of my fi ndings. Liz James’s publications and her thoughts about my studies of
light in Byzantium were instrumental in confi rming my belief that the history of material
production requires a new epistemological approach. Harry Mallgrave provided me with
invaluable insights regarding nineteenth-century architectural theories. I am also grateful to