No-lugar y arquitectura: Reflexiones sobre el concepto de no-lugar para la arquitectura contemporánea

Abstract

The increased use of non-places in contemporary architectural projects, which is associated with discontinuity, fragmentation, and exclusion, causes disengaging effects between the inhabitants, the context, and the city where they live. The concept of non-place has been analysed from the perspective of different subject areas, including philosophy, anthropology, fine arts, and literature, among others. These studies underscore the relevance of the concept and the need for its examination from the point of view of architecture. Thus, the article proposes an overview of the notion of non-place on the basis of three features: movement, non-identity, and absence. This overview is conducted by evaluating the different senses, meanings, and connotations of the concept within spheres that are distinct but still maintain strong ties among themselves. This study offers a critical review of the concept of non-place to render possible an account of place; while both are necessary, the notion of place is claimed through a design on the basis of dwelling, with full awareness of the significance of human beings in architecture. Non-places and places are closely related, and, on the basis of the examination of non-place as a rupture or as a foreign place, the idea of a site as well as its potential impact on us can be reassessed.