Eisenman beyond Eisenman: language and architecture revisited

Until the 1990s, architectural criticism was based on the idea that architecture could be compared to language, and the tools for interpreting architecture were similar to those of linguistics and literary criticism. Such a view was rejected by post-critical architecture, which started looking at architecture as an asignifying, performative and affective phenomenon. However, language philosophy after the 'linguistic turn', in particular what Felice Cimatti has called the 'Italian language theory'. provides new tools for rigorously addressing the parallel between language and architecture. The architectural trajectory of Peter Eisenman's Houses will be re-interpreted through the lens of these theories.