Concept Inflation in Architecture: The Gap Between Design Discourse and Spatial Reality

This article examines "concept inflation" in architecture not merely as an increase in intellectual production, but as a discursive technique that obscures design decisions and distributes responsibility. The focus of the discussion is the discontinuity between the design discourse produced at the level of text/concept/narrative and the material-functional reality of the drawn or constructed space. The article argues that conceptual proliferation "reproduces" the architectural object through representations, rhetorical figures, and project texts, rather than explaining it; and that this reproduction often optimizes discursive persuasion strategies rather than spatial outcomes. Consequently, "concept inflation" is interpreted as a symptom of a regime that measures design success not through spatial performance, but through narrative consistency and marketability.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
ResearchEquals
Published
2026-02-15
DOI
https://doi.org/10.53962/hya7-ajkj
Primary Topic
Architecture, Modernity, and Design
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Concept Inflation in Architecture: The Gap Between Design Discourse and Spatial Reality

Murat Tunçel
ResearchEquals
Architecture, Modernity, and Design
article

Concept Inflation in Architecture: The Gap Between Design Discourse and Spatial Reality

Murat Tunçel
article en

Abstract

This article examines "concept inflation" in architecture not merely as an increase in intellectual production, but as a discursive technique that obscures design decisions and distributes responsibility. The focus of the discussion is the discontinuity between the design discourse produced at the level of text/concept/narrative and the material-functional reality of the drawn or constructed space. The article argues that conceptual proliferation "reproduces" the architectural object through representations, rhetorical figures, and project texts, rather than explaining it; and that this reproduction often optimizes discursive persuasion strategies rather than spatial outcomes. Consequently, "concept inflation" is interpreted as a symptom of a regime that measures design success not through spatial performance, but through narrative consistency and marketability.

ResearchEquals
Openalex Percentile: Top 56%
Architecture, Modernity, and Design
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