DOOR OPENING WAY AND ITS SYMBOLIC IN ALBANIAN HOUSING TRADITION

Session

Architecture and Spatial Planning

Description

Traditional architecture has been the basis of later construction. But what has remained a precious legacy across generations is undoubtedly the functional side of many elements of traditional architecture. In this context there are many elements of the architectural heritage, which in the past have served as informative elements for a wider social circle, understandably for those who were able to "read" the symbolism of those elements.

In addition to the function that served to house the family members, dwelling in general, as part of the heritage of traditional architecture, had other functions, such as the information function through specific parts of the dwelling. In addition to the exterior appearance, the doors and windows of the residential houses have also played a special role in the information function. But due to the great complexity of these two elements, in this paper I will focus only on the door information function.

The direction of opening the door has had an informative function, not only for the residents of the house, but more so for the guests who have entered the house for the first time. Opening the door to the right, or to the left, depends on the apartment. So if the door is opened on the right side in the guest room, or in the Dukagjini Plain - Tower Door, on the left side the door is opened in the bedrooms, or as it is known among the people - in the crown rooms. But the way the doors opened has changed the informative function even of what the building used to be. In short, dwelling in the Albanian tradition has also functioned as a whole in support of unwritten rules, but in fact those rules have been applicable because the justifications have been convincing and have in time become norms of tradition.

How these rules have been transformed into norms and to what extent have they served the family, preserving many traditions, but above all serving the reconciliation of hostile families and preserving the identity of the guest in a home through the opening of the door will be the backbone of my work, in the ethnological aspect of the tradition of Albanian architecture.

Keywords:

Traditional architecture, residences, rooms, informative function, door, opening on the right, opening on the left, etc.

Session Chair

Lulzim Beqiri

Session Co-Chair

Mimoza Sylejmani

Proceedings Editor

Edmond Hajrizi

ISBN

978-9951-550-19-2

Location

Pristina, Kosovo

Start Date

26-10-2019 1:30 PM

End Date

26-10-2019 3:00 PM

DOI

10.33107/ubt-ic.2019.240

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Oct 26th, 1:30 PM Oct 26th, 3:00 PM

DOOR OPENING WAY AND ITS SYMBOLIC IN ALBANIAN HOUSING TRADITION

Pristina, Kosovo

Traditional architecture has been the basis of later construction. But what has remained a precious legacy across generations is undoubtedly the functional side of many elements of traditional architecture. In this context there are many elements of the architectural heritage, which in the past have served as informative elements for a wider social circle, understandably for those who were able to "read" the symbolism of those elements.

In addition to the function that served to house the family members, dwelling in general, as part of the heritage of traditional architecture, had other functions, such as the information function through specific parts of the dwelling. In addition to the exterior appearance, the doors and windows of the residential houses have also played a special role in the information function. But due to the great complexity of these two elements, in this paper I will focus only on the door information function.

The direction of opening the door has had an informative function, not only for the residents of the house, but more so for the guests who have entered the house for the first time. Opening the door to the right, or to the left, depends on the apartment. So if the door is opened on the right side in the guest room, or in the Dukagjini Plain - Tower Door, on the left side the door is opened in the bedrooms, or as it is known among the people - in the crown rooms. But the way the doors opened has changed the informative function even of what the building used to be. In short, dwelling in the Albanian tradition has also functioned as a whole in support of unwritten rules, but in fact those rules have been applicable because the justifications have been convincing and have in time become norms of tradition.

How these rules have been transformed into norms and to what extent have they served the family, preserving many traditions, but above all serving the reconciliation of hostile families and preserving the identity of the guest in a home through the opening of the door will be the backbone of my work, in the ethnological aspect of the tradition of Albanian architecture.