Epicurean Architecture and Gastronomy: Re(de)fining the flavour of architecture's gastronomic analogy

Abstract

It is widely accepted that many parallels exist between the fields of architecture and gastronomy. This observation has led to the development of the Gastronomic Analogy of architecture which now sits beside more commonly discussed analogies including the mechanical, biological and linguistic. At the foundation of the Gastronomic Analogy lies historian James Fergusson’s assertion that both activities are based on fundamental human needs, elevated to become sources of culture within society. From this starting point, the analogy develops a complex and comprehensive approach to thinking about and making architecture. This complexity has seen the analogy used in a number of conflicting ways throughout its history. This thesis argues that the most fundamental purpose of both architecture and gastronomy is found in the beatific principle of Epicureanism. The aim of this thesis is to extend the rhetoric of the Gastronomic Analogy by re-framing it through the lens of Epicureanism. To do this it examines current gastronomic practices, connecting them back to the original goals of Epicurean life. The findings are used to critically interpret the current discourse around the Gastronomic Analogy. The result of this research is the development of a design philosophy and methodology that expresses an Epicurean approach to architecture. This approach is centred on four key aspects of the gastronomic world; taste, the meal, the garden and the kitchen. Each of these factors are instrumental in constructing gastronomic experiences and each find their analogue within architectural practice. The findings of this research are tested and refined through two designs for an Epicurean centre in Tasman Bay, arguably the major region of Epicureanism in New Zealand.