251ings, which function as mirrors of individuality, as imprints of
individual or collective use.
- The question of whether one feels at home in a resi-
dence does not depend on either upon architectural expendi-
ture or mere habitability. Goethe praises the proportions of
the Villa Rotonda, but found the house, despite its ‘luxurious-
ness’, less than suitable for a noble family: ‘Inside, it is live-
able, but not homey’. (1786/1988, 55) Perceptions of homi-
ness are strongly dependent upon the ideals of a particular
epoch or social milieu. Today, our culture generally associ-
ates hominess with the > comfortableness of a warm, tranquil
atmosphere. Judgements differ, however, about whether this
quality should be achieved through opulent furnishings, or
through the severe forms of a spare design. Walter Benjamin
(1933/1999) went as far as to call for a glass and steel archi-
tecture in which it is ‘difficult to leave behind traces’.
Although it is impossible to specify exactly which activi-
ties and individual functions belong to habitation, a certain
repertoire of continually repeated activities is characteristic.
Spatialization of these activities through the architecture and
furnishings of a residence becomes a component of the > rit-
ual of everyday life, and their familiar presence at customary
locations leads to a sense of self-assurance. Residence, then,
represents a use of architecture that tends more than others
to be experienced only incidentally; inhabited architecture
runs the risk of becoming invisible through sheer habituation.
Nevertheless, architectural design can generate a scenic and
atmospheric density that is perceived continuously on a sub-
liminal or incidental level as a residence’s character. It is not
inconsistent with the familiar and frictionless flow of the daily
residential activities when every now and then, and despite
all routine, the architecture suddenly calls our attention to an
unexpected perspective, spatial rhythm, or particular lighting
that makes an everyday situation seem remarkable.
Literature: Bachelard 1964/1994; Bollnow 1963; Selle 1993