| Title |
The Symbolic Meanings of Corner Entrances in Tied Houses |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2024.40.12.153 |
| Keywords |
Tied House; Corner Entrance; Identity; Everyday; Symbol; Power; LGBTQ; Efficiency |
| Abstract |
While corner entrances are commonly applied in small commercial buildings in the United States, there is a lack of research on their use.
Additionally, a few existing literatures only emphasize the efficiency of corner entrances. Therefore, this study aims to present various
meanings of corner entrances through the analysis of three tied houses located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This approach assumes, as Michel
de Certeau argued, that space users are not merely passive entities but active and creative subjects who use architectural spaces. The three
cases present two important facts. First, corner entrances make people perceive the corner facade as the front of the building. This meaning
becomes clearer when combined with the decorations (turret and cupola) above the corner entrance. Second, corner entrances can be used as
a means to conceal or reveal the identities of users. Through this analysis, this study argues that corner entrances can have various meanings
in addition to their efficiency. |