“Changing the Cartography of the Sensible”

How does Architecture Distribute the Sensible in a Neoliberal World?

Abstract

This article aims to understand the role of architecture in the distribution of the sensible in the 21st century. The claim of this article which will deal with the spatial design of the BMW Central Building located in Leipzig, Germany is as follows: Architecture is not just a passive apparatus that obeys power. It has always been political, and its only output is not a mere aesthetic form. On the contrary, it is an example of how aesthetics relates to politics on a sensible level. To justify this claim and to discuss the political dimension of design, the paper consults the thought of Jacques Rancière, who points out the aesthetic dimension of political experience in his works. The attitude of architecture, which reshapes the shared space in the mentioned architectural structure, will be evaluated via the equal use of space based on Rancière’s idea of the distribution of sensible, and the possible aesthetic and political effects of an architectural structure will be discussed.