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A Phenomenological Study of Perception of Dochala Form, . As an Image ".'"" . by Farhan Sirajul Karim "'." ." MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE Department of Architcc,turc BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF ENGIEEIHNG AND TECHNOLOGY May 2007 ':.~:---- -----,-. , .-.'1: ;1~ r-~IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII !1,.... ,I . .11 #104300# 'I,. .•.~=-.:..:...-:=.-_.~_.=.--"'- --::="'"_~.:-.==-.:.~".;:..J' ~ , , ,~----"-'-'---~--,~---'---~---=-~------~:.-~~,_'h. -._~~._,~~ The thesis titled, 'A Phenomenological Study of Perception of DoclJaJa Form, As an Image' submitted by Farhan Sirajul Karim, Roll Number 0404010015(P), Session April 2005 has been accepted in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Architecture. On this day, 16'" May 2007. Board of Examiners >L ~ ./ Dr. Shayer Ghafur Associate Professor Department of Architecture, BUET. (Thesis Supervisor) Chairman Mahmudul Anwar Riyad Assistant Professor. De artment of Architecture, BUET. Member Member (Ex-Officio) Dr. Galib Ahsan Khan Professor Department of Philosophy Dhaka University Member (External) Candidate's Declaration It is hereby declared that this thesis or any part of it has not been submitted elsewhere for the award of any degree or diploma. Signature of the Candidate Name of the Candidate Farhan Sirajul Karim ... Abstract In the discourse of architectural history, origin and type are the two s~gnificant components of architectural genesis in any givcp. society. 'In search of this genesis, most local attempts consider the rural Dochala type hut as the point of instigation, derived rationally from the climatic, structural and geographic conditions of a region. Missing in this approach is a philosophical inquiry to relate Dochala form with its perceived image. When Dochala is represented as an image, this research asks, first, docs Dochala indicate any relation with human's existential values? Second, what are the parameters shaping the Representation of Dochala for purposes other than the existential values? In addressing these questions, this research, in addition, also identifies the' meaning of Dochala beyond the consideration of organizing and valuing its constituent elements only as part of a 'self-referral utilitarian product'. A subjective method of reasoning through phenomenology, a branch of philosophy, is considered to investigate and delineate the perception of DOG'ha/a form as an iinage. Hermeneutic phenomenology provides a theoretical framework for this research; existing texts and images from secondary sources are reviewed and interpreted for analysis, in particular, to find out d1C existential parameters shaping the represented image of Do,'hala. Within this framework, the research examines the following three issues: (a) the perception of house, first in general and then specified to Dotha/a ; (b) the perception of Dacha/a's form as an Image within its context of time, place and man; (c) the process of expressing the Image into Style creating a 'spatial scheme' of our architectural tradition. The research produced the following key fmdings. First, Docbala in general is d,e dialectic condition of man's dwelling craving for a utopian harmony. The inlage of Dochala indicating this harmony is the manifestation of man's existential query. This query is related with deep symbolic level of man's relation with his environment, and is interpreted metaphorically through the clements of architecture. Second, Docha/a reveals human existence by connecting the ambiguous 'sense of time', and for it's dweller it becomes a representing image for 'meaning of life' but remains incapable of providing scopes for creating a sty/e. Dotha/ds inability to offer stylistic complexity rather validates its simple representation of the complex structure of human poetics. The findings of this research identify a few significant issues which help construct a basis for future discourse on local architectural history and criticism. Existential din1cnsions of contemporary local architectural practice, d1e coherence and difference of 'modernism' and 'regionalism' in this locality, nature of modernism and modernity in architecture and the role of rural architecture in contemporary discourse are some of the issues which can be explored as a continuation of this research. 11 Table of Contents Title Page Board of Examiners Declaration Abstract Table of Contents List of Figures and Charts Acknowledgements Dedication Chapter 1 Introduction: The making of a 'HUT' [I] Backdrop 2 Research Ques tions : 3 Objective of the research 3 Research MetilOdology 4 .i Limitation and Scope of the research 4 Docha!a, Chala (Roof) and House: 11leir difference and rclation 6 The Notion of Bengal and tile Problem of Architectural Historiography 9 [II] Appraisal of Theoretical Paradigms: Defining DociJala 11 The singularity of humanity with divinity 12 The pavilion paradigm 14 The Rationalist paradigm 16 [III] Organization of the Research 18 Chapter 2 Phenomenology: Development of Architecture [I] Phenomenology: A Brief Introduction 22 [II] Phenomenology of Space 24 Immanuel Kant and Noumenal Reality of Space 24 Phenomenology as a science: Edmund Husserl 25 Dasein and Fotllfold. Martin Heidegger 27 Maurice Merleau Ponty: World as extension of human body 31 [III] Methodical Characteristic of Phenomenological Research 33 Key poin ts 33 Methodological limitation 35 III [IV] Phenomenology in Architectutal Discoutse , 37 Schematizing Ufeworld 38 Space: The New Ontological Framework 40 Existential Space and its Levels 42 [V] Relevance of Phenomenology 44 Chapter 3 Illusion of a Primordial House [I] The Question of the Origin of House 47 A dichotomy of Man-House Relation 51 [II] Comprehension of an Idol 54 God within Man's dwelling 54 Cosmic House of India , 58 Sacrifice 60 [III] Stone, God & Shiva: The Mythopoetic Expression of Narcissism in place 63 Stone: Indicating Man's First Orientation in the World 63 Architecture from Stone 66 Shiva the Sign of Singleness 69 Sign of stone 71 [IV] Death: the Phenomenal aspect of House 72 Architecture: Manifestation of Man's thinking on Death 73 Development of Early Structures 75 Mother Archetype in Architecture 79 [V] Roof as the Valorization for Wholeness 84 Circular Form: Symbol of Self 84 Dome: First Notion of Concentric Space 88 Man's Relation with Tree .. 91 [VI] Docha/a: The question of Phenomenal Metaphor 94 ( IV Chapter 4 Dochala: The Form as an Image [I] The Image of DochaJa 97 Theories of Image 98 The Image: Redolent of Containment 101 [II] The Fallacy of the Beholden 104 Ques tion of Imaging 104 Peasan ts 0 f Bengal 107 Land and Landscape 109 Visioning a Distant Land 112 The Indian Arcadia 117 Chapter 5 Perception of DochaJa Image in Spatial Scheme [I] Time and Historic Sense: Constructor of Anti Perpetual 122 Schematizing Time and Place , , 123 I-listoric Sense in schcmatizing notional House 126 [II] Dilemmas of Difference: Measuring from an ideal point of 'Style' 130 Style: A Brief In troduction 131 Docha/a: The Monolith Vernacular 133 [III] Notion of DochaJa in reference to Sparial Schemes 137 Scheme of dle Construction of Space 138 First Scheme: Individual in reference to Individual 139 Second Scheme: Individual in reference to Collective 141 [IV] Docal13Ja: The Image Immutable ........................................................................................143 Chapter 6 Conclusion The First Research Ques tion : 148 The Second Research Ques tion , 149 Cone 1liSlon.an d'1tS app Ii'caUons . 150 References ,. 153 v Appendix I: General information of lUral household of Bangladesh Appendix II: Different Type of Rural homestead (Hassan, 1985) Appendix III: Different Type of Rural ho.mestead (Kundu 2001) Appendix IV: Fergusson's Classification of Indian Architecture Appendix V: Chronological Chart of Indian Art by Heinrich Zimmer Appendix VI: Chronological Chart of Provincial Style by Heinrich Zimmer •• List of Figures and Charts Fig: 01. The First Seed, S.M Sultan, oil on canvass (1976) 1 Fig: 02. Construction of Dacha/a, Source author 8 Fig: 03. Chandi Mandap, Hoogli, West Bengal. 12 Fig: 04. The pavilions 14 Fig: 05. Midday at Slimmer, S.M Sultan, oil on canvass (1987) 16 Fig: 06. Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque 21 Fig: 07. Infinitely extendable 3 dimensional grids 23 Fig: 08. Perspective. Egnatio Danti 23 Fig: 09. Paharpur: The sculptural form in Landscape 31 Fig: 10. Thing and place 31 Fig: 11. Levels of existential space 43 a) Geography, satellite view of Bangladesh b) Landscape, photo graph by S. Alam Beg c) Urbanscape, City ofJaipur, author d) House, photo graph by Andrew Buglass d) Thing, Bedroom in Aries, Van Gogh (1888) Fig: 12. Primordial Hut, woodcut, Jean Goujon narrated Vitruvius' narration 47 Fig: 13. Primordial Hut, woodcut, Illustration from Vitruvius 47 Fig: 14. Architectural form, illustration from Blondel (1618-1686) : 48 Fig: 15. Development of architecture from primitive hut, illustration from William Chambres (1723-1796) 48 Fig: 16. Leaf design, origin and typology, from Francesco Milizia 50 Fig: 17. Hair design, origin and typology from Sri Pantha 50 Fig: 18. Valean and Eole, Piero di Cosimo 51 Fig: 19. Corbusier, man and nature 51 Fig: 20. Image of the village ...................................................•...............................................................52 Fig: 21. Amplified Image. Mosque at NAEM Dhaka, Constantine Doxiadis 52 Fig: 22. Image of collective huts, 109 Shiv temple kalna, c. 1809 53 Fig: 23. Amplified hut. Baranagar Murshidabad, c.1760 AD 53 VI Fig: 24. Torah Shrine, Synagogue at Doura Europe, 0.250 AD, Damascus