Kenosis Creativity Architecture: Appearance through Emptying

Kenosis Creativity Architecture explores the grounding of creativity in the ancient concept of kenosis, through architecture, critically examining kenotic instantiations in four iconic international projects. It argues that a deeper understanding of creativity is essential for proper and sustainable responses to our world and presents a crucial enquiry at the nexus of architecture, philosophy, and theology.

Format: Hardback
Length: 260 pages
Publication date: 22 March 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Kenosis Creativity Architecture delves into the profound connection between creativity and the ancient concept of kenosis, which refers to the "emptying" that enables and facilitates creative processes. By exploring this concept through the lens of architecture, the book offers a unique and critical examination of kenotic instantiations in four iconic international projects, showcasing the works of renowned architects such as Kahn, Pei, Ando, and Libeskind.

In a subsequent chapter, the book delves into the potentiality of architecture itself to undergo an emptying process, shedding its conventional boundaries and embracing a more open and receptive state. Drawing on a wide range of philosophical and theological sources, including the works of Heidegger, Levinas, Derrida, Vattimo, Nishida, and Nishitani, as well as aspects of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, the author weaves a rich tapestry of ideas that shed light on the nature of creativity and its relationship to human existence.

Throughout each chapter, the author expands upon the argument that a deeper understanding of creativity and kenosis is essential if we are to respond appropriately and sustainably to the challenges and complexities of our world. The book serves as a valuable resource for researchers, graduate and postgraduate students, and practitioners alike, offering a way of thinking about creativity and humanity's readiness to be creative. It poses a crucial enquiry at the nexus of architecture, philosophy, and theology, inviting readers to explore the boundaries of creativity and the potential for transformative change in our lives and societies.

Weight: 606g
Dimension: 162 x 240 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367522186