Bruno Taut, Weltanschauung and the concept of dwelling

Abstract

Among the building types that concern Bruno Taut, dwelling (Wohnung) is one of the most important. Therefore, it is inevitable to consider dwelling (Wohnung) in a distinct category from Taut's other architectural creations. On the one hand, dwelling is a design field of the architect that turns into a manifesto in which architect reflects his own stance and conviction. On the other hand, in the philosophical context, dwelling becomes the mental locus where existence of individual expands. In other words, within the cosmic environment, dwelling is not only a way of locating and inhabiting in the universe, but also a basis for evaluating life and understanding the world. With the intention of creating a theoretical framework in such a perspective, this research explains the importance of having a reference to a particular philosophical thinking, Weltanschauung, in development of the dwelling and in the elaboration of the architectural discourse of Taut. The concept of Weltanschauung has indications which particularly allows this research to understand Taut’s ideas and architectural works. The aim of this thesis is to reread and reorganize the discussion about Taut and his concept of dwelling that is illuminated under the Weltanschauung.