This proposal would like to work on Goethe’s concept of the architectural type. The broad range of approximations towards the architectural type has created a pantheon of divergent interpretations to the present day. As a consequence, the notion of type has become strangely blurred in contemporary architectural discourse. Different and sometimes contradictory interpretations have led to significant misunderstandings. Goethe is regarded as one of the last universal scholars in the history of Western culture. His oeuvre is vast and highly interdisciplinary, offering valuable contributions in literature and the natural sciences. Especially in his biological studies, type and morphology appear as centrally embedded terms of his scientific research. Yet, surprisingly, he does not use the term type in his writings about architecture. This insight was the driving force to formulate the presented research proposal. The motivation is to establish a holistic understanding of the concept of typology in Goethe’s work. By doing so, it shall be attempted to provide a new perspective towards typology in architecture, offering new possibilities to relate type and contemporary design practice. The predominant tendency in contemporary architectural discourse is inclined to emphasise the functional character of the architectural type, highlighting its qualities of classification that can be utilised to create a system of clearly circumscribed categories. It is almost forgotten that type can be understood as a structural element that appears as a formal phenomenon, operating with rules of self-regulation and transformation. Furthermore, from the creative standpoint of the designing architect, typology can be approached as a professional instrument, implementing its inherited formal and aesthetical qualities to articulate creative ideas.

Han Jun Yi is a registered German architect with profound practical experience gained from collaboration with distinct international design offices, including Kleihues&Kleihues, YiArchitects, Max Dudler. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from ETH Zürich. Prior to joining the AA, Han Jun Yi worked as a lead design architect and project manager, actively investigating the relationship between architectural design and type from the perspective of a practising architect. His expertise covers the broad canon of contemporary building types, particularly cultural buildings.