Understanding Harim in Architecture with a Phenomenological Approach

Architecture reflects the human perception of their existential relations with the world andtherefore it creates meaningful places. Every place with its boundaries concretizes a Harim, whichis the manifestation of such existential relations. This interrelation between the boundary (Marz)and the Harim may cause us to assume them both the same, but these two are different. Althoughevery Harim has its boundaries, not every demarcation concretizes Harim. In architecture, onthe one hand, which always entails demarcation; paying attention to these conceptions is provedto be essential. On the other hand, though, it may cause to demote the conception of Harim toanother thing; consequently, this conception is likely to be regarded as a nominal one without anyrelations between it and fundamental meaning of architecture and it is just related with the bodyof architectural works. This research intends to explain theoretically that Harim is an essentialconcept in architecture. To achieve the intended purpose, the research seeks to find the originof Harim. Here, the research methodology, which is in the qualitative sphere, is grounded inlogicality. The majority of its arguments are founded on scholars’ phenomenological theories ofarchitecture. Accordingly, after studying about the word Harim and examining its etymology,the relation between three conceptions of human, place, and harim has been investigated tounderstand its status in architecture. The results are Harim:Which is a formative theorem is originated from human existence and their relationswith otherness.Judgments about Place and its authenticity and rightness is founded on Harim and itsideal concreteness. The form of Harim is the consequence of the very existence of beings.It connects and disconnects.Its emergence is not an absolute geometrical concept but it reflects existential aspectsof beings;Based on hierarchies of human’s existential relations, is able to create a continuousspectrum from the out of outside to the inside of in. (the utter outside to the utter inside).