An Empirical Study to Understand Symbolic and Sensory Metaphors in Architecture: Case of Kyrenia/Cyprus

This article is a systematic investigation into the symbolic and sensory metaphors in architectural buildings. It presents definition and differentiation of symbolic (stereotype images) and sensory (architectural experience) metaphors. According to the semiotics model of architecture, they are tested empirically and the results are presented in order to understand their influence in architecture. In this regard, this paper designed a research method and adapted a novel semiotic model to investigate the relationship between sensory metaphors (architectural experience) and symbolic metaphors. The cases included six distinctive buildings and 30 subjects. Results demystified that buildings high in connotative qualities do not always connote positive architectural experience. A building with a high number of symbolic metaphors could create a high number of sensory metaphors but these sensory metaphors may not be necessarily positive feelings and experiences.

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