Employing metaphor in architecture is a very sensitive approach, which artfully combines design and symbolism. It helps elevate the building from a mere structure serving its function to a system that embodies meaning and fosters emotional engagement. Metaphors help heighten consciousness by prompting the user to rethink, reimagine, and adapt to what is present and what could be.
Are metaphors better design tools?
Solving design problems requires a careful approach combining both objective logic and subjective experiences with creativity. Metaphors being regarded as “imaginative rationality” prove to be a potent tool for resolving such design problems as they are amalgams of reason and fantasy.
Metaphoric approach in architecture
Metaphoric architecture employs narrative and symbolism to add an extra dimension of experiential depth. These symbolic elements could be derived from the various cultural, religious and historical references associated with the context, enriching the architectural experience of the structure. In a way, the user is very quietly but poignantly encouraged to
think and have a silent mental argument as to what it is and what it could denote, its varied connections and allied messages. Ideas and logics from different disciplines are compared to interpret the meaning leading to homospatial thinking, thereby becoming a memorable encounter. More importantly, the existing reality undergoes metamorphosis to be deciphered differently according to individual perspective.
The works of contemporary architects like Steve Holl, Libeskind, Calatrava, Carlo Scarpa and Correa stand as testaments to a metaphoric approach in architecture. Devoid of direct correspondence, the site and the varied elements associated with the context are treated as metaphors. This results in a multi-layered experience and meaning-making by inducing a series of constant mental shifts between the metaphor and the reality.
Metaphor and Architectural Form
The use of metaphor in guiding the architectural form has been used since time immemorial, starting from the humble cave dwellings to timber shelters to the modern skyscrapers. Even in the Gothic period, the structural systems were seen as metaphorical applications of natural processes.
Later nature and natural forms were ideated as metaphors, as seen in the works of F.L.Wright. Eventually, the site and its components were artfully woven into the design as metaphors, as seen in the works of Le Corbusier, Carlo Scarpa and Aalto, etc. Then spirit and psychology led the game, and phenomenology and environmental psychology ideated the very forces of nature (light, water, air, land) and stimuli as metaphors, as seen in the works of Steve Holls, Tadao Ando and Peter Zumthor.
Particularly after the 19th century, modern architectural form sought to transcend historical precedents and articulate symbolic meaning. Influenced by abstraction and experimentation, seminal buildings landmarked this new architecture. Notable examples that reflect this new architectural language are as follows.
- Bauhaus Dessau, Walter Gropius (1925–26, Germany)
- Barcelona Pavilion, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1929, Spain)
- Villa Savoye, Le Corbusier (1929–31, France)
- Fallingwater, F.L.Wright (1935, USA)
- Villa Mairea, Alvar Aalto (1938–39, Finland)
- Notre Dame du Haut, Le Corbusier (1950–55, France)
- Guggenheim Museum, Frank Gehry (1997, Spain)
The concept of ‘Promenade architecture’ proposed by Le Corbusier emphasises the notion of movement in enhancing the experience of the building. The point of view is not fixed and keeps changing, with the gradual unfolding of the narrative, metaphoric for how cinema works. Resonating with this notion and inspired by Indian tradition, Correa suggested the Ritual movement. Correa advocated that movement is not just casual meandering but a series of symbolic and social acts fostering participation. In both these approaches, movement is metaphorised but differently, leading to newer architectural forms.
Promenade architecture: Cinematic Journey; Villa Savoy
Ritual Movement: Ritual procession/ spiritual journey; Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya
Form generation = Metaphorical notions
Specific examples by the masters
Metaphors have long guided architects in giving form to ideas that transcend mere function.
By interpreting natural, cultural, or conceptual imagery, master architects have transformed abstract notions into compelling architectural forms. The examples below demonstrate this process in action.
The form of “ The Monument Of The Third International” by Tatlin (Soviet painter and architect) was a result of the influence of Einstein’s theory of relativity. Redefining the notions of interior and exterior and the incorporation of motion into the system elevated the structure into a dynamic form. The form was designed to embody the utopian goals of the communist metaphorically, right from the choice of materials to the massing and internal volume.
Ronchamp Chapel by Le Corbusier is based on theological metaphors, establishing a mystical connection by manipulating the form and light inside the space. Another beautiful example showcasing the ability of metaphor to shape architectural form is the design of the Stretto House by Steven Holl. The house interprets the site’s three ponds through concrete “spatial dams” and flowing metal-framed “aqueous spaces.” Water spilling over these dams mirrors the layered, overlapping structures inside, translating the musical metaphor of Bartók’s Stretto into architecture. The building’s form—alternating heavy orthogonal masonry and light curvilinear metal is a metaphorical expression of the solid dam and flowing water in the site.
Tschumi uses cinema as a metaphor to express movement. In Parc de Villette, the design translates cinema into architecture, with the walkway as the soundtrack and sequential folies as film frames, creating layered, discontinuous experiences from multiple viewpoints.
In certain other cases, the massing and form of the building can be the result of geometric modulations, metaphorically conveying the essence of the context. One such example is the Jewish Museum, where the ‘David Star’ is morphed and distorted to generate the massing with deep cracks envisioned as window slits on the facade. Libeskind sought to metaphorically convey the cruelty faced by the Jews during World War II through form manipulation.
Despite the notion that the metaphorical approach to architecture is illogical and does not arise from careful reasoning. In reality, it is the result of a very nuanced response, stemming from a deep appreciation and respect for the context. Using metaphors, it is possible to translate the intangible elements and abstract ideas into tangible forms, enriching the building with meaning beyond mere function. In this way, metaphors play a vital role in shaping the architectural form.
References:
Website
Youssef, M. (2024) Architecture and metaphor, Beirut Arab University Press, Printed and Distributed by Stephan Library, Beirut, Lebanon. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/43514377/Architecture_and_Metaphor (Accessed: 09 September 2025).
Architecture: The making of metaphors. Available at: https://www.cambridgescholars.com/resources/pdfs/978-1-4438-3517-6-sample.pdf (Accessed: 09 September 2025).
Archi_com (2023) Metaphoric architecture ⋆ archi-monarch, Archi. Available at: https://archi-monarch.com/metaphoric-architecture/ (Accessed: 09 September 2025).
(PDF) architecture and metaphor. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342625508_ARCHITECTURE_AND_METAPHOR (Accessed: 09 September 2025).
Smarthistory – tatlin’s tower. Available at: https://smarthistory.org/tatlin-tower/ (Accessed: 09 September 2025).
(2022) The role of metaphors in the formation of architectural identity, Academia.edu. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/88637720/The_role_of_metaphors_in_the_formation_of_architectural_identity (Accessed: 09 September 2025).
Journal
Allahmoradi, M. (2018) ‘A review about the concept of metaphorical aspects of annex buildings’, Cogent Engineering, 5(1), p. 1501865. doi:10.1080/23311916.2018.1501865.
