331pressed thematically in the architecture through the repetition
of the procedure of covering (> incorporation). This provides
a point of departure for articulating the generalizable idea of
the continuous contentedness of one entity inside of another.
The architectural theme, then, displays a strong affinity
with the > type. Types are themes that have already estab-
lished themselves in praxis, and in the course of architectural
history. On the other hand, a theme (Greek: τίθημι, tithēmi,
to place, to set, to lay) comprises a statement, brings forward
an interpretation as a thesis, i.e. by thematizing the house as
a wall, as in the case of Ralph Erskine’s ‘Wall’ in Byker. Ar-
chitectural themes may uncover architectural phenomena in
non-architectural forms and convert them into the themes of
concrete building tasks through transformation, analogy or
metaphor (Ungers 1976). They may be further developed un-
der present-day or future conditions, and their spatial concre-
tization may make possible new types of experience.
This is achieved only to a limited degree by the approach
known as ‘theming’, that is to say, the design of consumer
facilities and theme parks with narrative contents. In many
instances, narrative ‘themes’ are simply ported from far-flung
places; they are not related to the given framework of real
building tasks, but instead simply imposed in a highly artifi-
cial manner. As a rule, this form of thematization is designed
to distract visitors from concrete, everyday reality, to trans-
port them to a stimulus-saturated fantasy world.
Literature: Ungers 1976, 1983> theme (architectural)On a threshold, one is neither inside nor outside. The thresh-
old is simultaneously a place, a boundary, a transition, and an
obstacle. By overcoming obstacles, one is aware of transgress-
ing a boundary. In German, the term Schwelle (threshold)Theming
Threshold