The Instrumentalization of Fictional Narrative in Relation to Architecture-Urban Environment: The Example of “Laughable Places” Workshop

Abstract

Interdisciplinary approaches and distinctive representation methods are needed to expand the range of meaning in the architecture and to consider the design process in unique frameworks. Literature disrupts the static images produced for the city in the context of the imaginative weight and the various dynamics it makes with the reader also uses the city, space, and architecture to create a different dimension of representation. This situation, which is inspected in the article regarding the relationship between literature, city, and architecture, will be examined through the "Laughable Places" workshop, that is part of the e-workshop days held at Gebze Technical University in February 2021. In this sense, firstly the relationship between literature and architecture and the revealing of their potentials are handled through the imaginative, representational and textual dimensions. Than through various workshops where the relationship between fictional narrative and architecture is applied, it is reviewed in which contexts fictional narrative can be included in the intellectual process of design. This review has been grouped according to the method in the workshop setups, using the fictional narrative based on literary works or the writing fictional narratives by participants. The workshop process was interpreted through the hybridity of the two approaches.

Keywords

• Literature
• Architecture
• Creativity
• Workshop
• Representation
• Design

Thanks

This article was written within the scope of the "Theoretical Studies in Design" course conducted by Prof. Dr. Şebnem Timur at Istanbul Technical University. The workshop participants Nurseli Karatepe, Başak Akdaş, İlayda Polat, Beyzanur Yiğit, İkbal Şimşek, Beyzanur Kaymas, Güzin Eren, Fatma Karavar, Melisa Akkaya, Rumeysa Kolcu, Rana Özkan, Busenur Kalabalık and Cansu Sözer, who have a share in the theme of the article, thanks for your hardwork.

References

1. Argus x Writing Place:Space Time/Narrative. (n.d.). ARGUS. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://www.argus.cc/argus- x-writingplace-space-%C2%B1-time-narrative/.
2. Bachelard, G. (1996). Mekanın poetikası. İstanbul: Kesit.
3. Bakhtin, M. M. (1981). The dialogic imaginations: four essays. Austin, Texas: Texas University Press.
4. Barthes, R. (1986) Semiology and the Urban. In M. Gottdiener and A. Lagopoulos (Eds.). The City and The Sign: An Introduction to Urban Semiotics (pp. 87-98). New York : Columbia University Press.
5. Barthes, R. (2018). Yazarın Ölümü. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://oggito.com/icerikler/yazarin- olumu/8913
6. Bekdaş, H. D. (2018). Conceptual thinking at the intersection of art and design: Informal education studies (2009- 2015). Megaron / Yıldız Technical University, Faculty of Architecture E-Journal, 13(2), 324-333.
7. Charley, J. (2012). The Routledge Companion on Architecture, Literature and The City. London: Routledge.
8. Chatman, S. B. (2009). Öykü ve Söylem: Filmde ve Kurmacada Anlatı Yapısı. Ankara: De Ki.

9. Celik, P. Y., & Aydinli, Y. (2007). Creativity in design education: From problem-solving to puzzle-solving. ITU A|Z, 4(2), 38–51.
10. De Certeau, M. (2008). Gündelik Hayatın Keşfi. Ankara: Dost Kitabevi Yayınları.
11. Eagleton, T. (1996). Literary Theory: An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell.
12. Eagleton, T. (2015). Edebiyat Nasıl Okunur. İstanbul: İletişim.
13. Eco, U. (1995). Anlatı Ormanlarında Altı Gezinti: Deneme. İstanbul: Can Yayınları.
14. Fludernik, M. (2009). An Introduction to Narratology. London: Routledge.
15. Gerards, S., & De Bleeckere, S. (2014). Narrative Thinking in Architectural Education. ARCC Conference Repository.
16. Grafe, C., Havik, K. & Maaskant, M. (2006). Architecture & Literature, Reflections / Imaginations. Oase,70, 3-7.
17. Gülmez, N. Ü., Yağan, D. A., Güney, E. E., & Şahin, M. (2020). Staging Poe: A narrative approach to Atmosphere in a first-Year design studio. Journal of Interior Design, 45(4), 11–32.
18. Hasirci, D., & Ultav, Z. T. (2012). An Interdisciplinary approach to the design studio: Poetry as a Complementary Feature to the Creative Process. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 51, 618–634.
19. Havik, K. (2018). Writing atmospheres: Literary methods to investigate the thresholds of architectural experience. In J. Charley (Ed.). The Routledge Companion on Architecture, Literature and the City (pp.270-283). London: Routledge.
20. Kimber, L. (2010). Truth in Fiction: Storytelling and Architecture [Master thesis, Victoria University]. Victoria University of Wellington, School of Architecture.
21. Klein, J. (1990). Interdisciplinarity: History, Theory, and Practice. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
22. Kristeva, J. (1980). Desire in Language. New York: Columbia University Press.
23. Laboratory of Literary Architecture. (n.d.). LabLitArch. Retrieved April 26, 2021, from http://lablitarch.com/.
24. Lattuca, L. R. (2001). Creating interdisciplinarity: Interdisciplinary research and teaching Among. College and University Faculty. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press.
25. Leach, N. (2002). The Hieroglyphics of Space: Reading and Experiencing the Modern Metropolis. London: Routledge.
26. Livesey, G. (1994). Fictional cities. In Pérez-Gómez, A. and S. Parcell (Eds.). Chora 1: Intervals in the Philosophy of Architecture (pp. 109-122). Montréal: McGill-Queen's University Press.
27. Livesey, G. (2004). Passages: Explorations of the Contemporary City. Calgary: University of Calgary Press.
28. Nazidizaji, S., Tome, A., Regateiro, F., & Ghalati, A. K. (2015). Narrative ways of architecture education: A case study. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 197, 1640–1646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.07.213
29. Narrative Architecture. (2019,March 21). Archiford. Retrieved April 16, 2021, from https://www.archiford.com/2019/03/21/narrative- architecture/
30. Nesbitt, K. (1996). Introduction. In K. Nesbitt (Eds.), Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture - An Anthology of Architectural Theory 1965-1995. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
31. Pamuk, O. (2006). Istanbul: Memories of a City. London: Faber & Faber.
32. Perez Gomez, A. (2012). Literary language and architectural meaning. In Charley J. (Eds.). The Routledge Companion on Architecture, Aiterature and the City (pp. 179-190). London: Routledge.
33. Prince, G. (2003). A Dictionary of Narratology. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.
34. Ricoeur, P. (1979). The Human Experience of Time and Narrative. Brill. 9, 17-34.
35. Ricoeur, P. (1984). Time and Narrative Vol. 1. Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press.
36. Ronen, R. (1986). Space in fiction. Poetics Today, 7(3). 421-438.
37. Sebald, W. G. (2006). Satürn’ün Halkaları: İngiltere’de Bir Hac Yolculuğu. İstanbul: Can Yayınları.
38. Sönmez, F. U. (2007). Mekanın Yazınsallığı ve Bir Taşkışla Deneyimi. Arredamento, 200, 53.
39. The Laboratory of Literary Architecture (n.d.) LabLitArch. Retrieved April 15, 2021 from http://lablitarch.com/
40. Walker, J. (2009). Defining the object of study. In (H. Clarks and D. Brody Eds.). Design Studies A Reader (pp. 42-49). Oxford, Newyork: Berg.
41. Writing Architecture Through Fiction (n.d.) Architecture MIT. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://architecture.mit.edu/subject/iap-2018-iap-non-credit-0