Interpreting Architecture

In the broad field of architectural history, many different approaches are possible. The collection of articles in this book covers a variety of themes, with the meanings of architecture as a central theme in most contributions. The articles are grouped into four main themes: Interpreting Architecture, Design and Construction, Spolia and Historiography. The ways in which attention can shift in architectural history are nicely highlighted in this volume. For instance, the ability to interpret architecture in its variety of meanings is not in doubt today, but was a real point of contention in the second half of the 20th century. Apart from as an enclosure of space, architecture in the past could carry diverse meanings, expressed, for instance, through a specific choice of architectural concepts, or through the use of spolia. The different ways in which medieval architecture in particular could be interpreted are the focus of several articles. Thereby, the application of spolia occupies a special place in both meaning-making and interpretation of architecture. The Historiography section analyses various changes in the way medieval architecture was and is studied.