From Traditional to Contemporary, Means-End Definition in the Use of Representation

Abstract

Architecture has undergone significant changes over the years, yet these changes are not always reflected in professional discussions. While innovation and progress in architecture involve relativity, the transformation in the semantic roles attributed to the architect often goes unnoticed. This study opens a new field of discussion by analysing the transformation of architecture from an interdisciplinary structure to a specialized discipline. In architecture, representation has led to a more focused and specialized practice that continues to evolve. This study limits architectural representation to the scope of ‘drawing’ and examined the changes and transformations created by architectural drawing within the field. Through an in-depth literature review, the study identifies key breaking points in the representation of architecture from the 5th to the 21st centuries, highlighting means-end distinction. These breaking points correspond to shifts in meaning in architecture over time. The synthesis graphic created as a result of the study reveals the projection of the meaning crisis in the relationship between architecture and representation. In this context, the study significantly contributes to the development and progress of architectural practice by creating a new basis for discussing the means-end distinction, thus eliminating the synonymy of architecture with mere construction activities in architectural representation.