The experience of architectural spaces is formed by the way they are staged. The Drama of Space examines the composition and articulation of architectural spaces in terms of spatial dramaturgy, as a repertoire of means and strategies for shaping spatial experience. This fundamental approach to architectural design is presented in four parts: Archetypal principles of spatial composition are traced from the study of three assembly buildings of the early modern period in Venice. Theatre, film, music, and theory provide background knowledge on dramaturgy. Detailed analyses of 18 international case studies offer new perspectives on contemporary architecture. The book ends with a systematic presentation of the dramaturgy of space, its parameters and tools, in architectural design.

The political climate of our time is being shaped by a dwindling ability to engage in public dialogue, putting democratic practices under increasing pressure. In order to counter the trend towards retreating into the realm of self-affirmation, we need new spaces in which public debate is not only tolerated but stimulated. With this in mind, students at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences designed centrally located salons in Berlin and Frankfurt/Main that could inspire interest in democratic engagement. In summer 2021, the German Architecture Museum will exhibit these designs. This book complements the exhibit with five essays by well-known authors, as well as a comic strip depicting a day in the life of the Salons of the Republic.