The essay starts from the phenomenal observation of the clear articulation of the passage connection between the street, the mobile space, and the core urban spaces of Siena—Piazza del Campo and Piazza del Duomo. Drawing upon interpretative semiotics based on Umberto Eco’s semiotic theory, a relational interpretation of infrastructure in the built environment, the research is trying to propose the understanding of connection space as a metaphor of ‘the threshold’ and aims to investigate how it is self-represented both in terms of spatial composition and architectural semiotic forms. And further, how ‘the threshold’ as a sign enters into an interpretative chain of passage regardless of the form of infrastructure. It will be studied and explained through diagrammatic analysis of three cases with different mobility and environmental features: the mentioned case in Siena, intersection of pedestrian system, IJburg of Jaap Bakema, station of composed energy-line based on high-speed railway with the idea of ‘friendship diagram’, and the Zeebrugge terminal for cruise by Rem Koolhaas.
Then questions about how the architectural articulation of passages transforms in response to shifting conditions of mobility and context and how it enriches the shared sign “encyclopaedia” of passage. Apart from compositional elements, there will be a discussion about what is the design impact from architect in framing the architectural prototype ‘the threshold’ and become a universal interpretative habit. Through this comparative study of the design approach of selected design cases, hopefully providing a linguistic perspective to lost meaning passage space in-between and enrich the meaning of transiting space regarding environmental acknowledgement, not just functional.
Bibliography
- Koolhaas, R., Mau, B. (1995). S, M, L, XL. New York: The Monacelli Press.
- Eco, U. (1976). A Theory of Semiotics. Indiana University Press.
- Norberg-Schulz, C. (2000). Architecture: Presence, Language, and Place. Skira Books.
