Metaphoric architecture is an architectural movement that developed in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

during the mid-20th century. It is considered by some to be merely an aspect of

postmodernism Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, Culture, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting ...

whilst others consider it to be a school in its own right and a later development of expressionist architecture. The style is characterised by the use of analogy and metaphor as the primary inspiration and directive for design. Well known examples of this can be found in the Palm Mosque at the King Saud University in

Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

by Basil Al Bayati, based upon the form of a palm tree, the Lotus Temple in

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

, by Fariborz Sahba, based on a lotus flower, the TWA Flight Center building in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, by Eero Saarinen, inspired by the form of a bird's wing, or the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

, in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, by Jørn Utzon that is derived from the sails of ships in the harbour. Certain architects have also been known to utilise metaphors as a theme throughout their work such as

Le Corbusier Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , ; ), was a Swiss-French architectural designer, painter, urban planner and writer, who was one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture ...

and the open hand motif. This to him was a sign of "peace and reconciliation. It is open to give and open to receive." Perhaps the most prominent voice of the Metaphoric architectural school at present is Dr. Basil Al Bayati whose designs have been inspired by trees and plants, snails, whales, insects, dervishes and even myth and literature. He is also the founder of the International School of Metaphoric Architecture in

Málaga Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Metaphoric architects

* Basil Al Bayati *

* Jørn Utzon * Eero Saarinen * Fariborz Sahba

Gallery

File:The Palm Mosque at King Saud University, Riyadh by Dr. Basil Al Bayati.jpg, The Palm Mosque at King Saud University, Riyadh File:Jfkairport.jpg, TWA Flight Centre, New York File:Lotus Temple, Bahá'í Place Of Worship, Delhi, India (15110744273).jpg, Lotus Temple, New Delhi File:Sydney Opera House Sails.jpg, Sydney Opera House, Australia File:Onion House Hawaii 19.jpg, The Onion House, Hawaii

References

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