Abstract

DONOSO LLANOS, Marta. Between Palaces and Blenders. Symbolic function of Architecture. au [online]. 2015, vol.36, n.1, pp. 99-105. ISSN 1815-5898.

It is usual nowadays to call Architecture as the set of buildings built to fulfill a specific function or activity. This point of view justifies the functional and constructive aspects of Architecture. What it is important to highlight in this paper is its active role in the creation of culture, where Architecture widely goes beyond this consideration. This is called the symbolic role of Architecture and it is related to the aesthetic current codes that are linked to patrimony, memory, history and social structure. To enlighten these arguments, cases from different periods and places are contrasted; highlighting, in a very special way, the demolition of the building known as “La Licuadora” -The Blender- in the city of Guayaquil. Architecture, from the theoretical point of view is considered the “web of meanings” whose reading depends on the cultural comprehension level.

Keywords : culture; symbolic function; aesthetic codes; patrimony; memory; history; social structure.

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