The master’s thesis critically reflects on contemporary architectural practice, which remains entangled in the imperative of continuous construction dictated by capital and spatial consumption. In contrast to the dominant cycle of hyperproduction, genericity, and context erasure, this thesis establishes a theoretical and operational framework for “second-hand” architecture. Beyond pragmatic material reuse, this concept introduces a specific mode of observation, interpretation, and spatial intervention grounded in a critical departure from established economic mechanisms. By incorporating principles from non-architectural environments—such as car boot sales and vintage stores, where value is generated through observation, selection, and personal appropriation—the thesis demonstrates that architectural practice can be conceptualized outside conventional guidelines.
This spatial operation materializes through two pivotal concepts: the “building canvas” and “hot spots.” The canvas addresses the existing building as an open-ended structure imbued with historical and user-generated layers, where the new directly dialogues with the past. Urban hot spots manifest as spaces of indeterminacy and freedom where users, through informal practices, emancipate space from rigid institutional control. Ranging from car boot sales to public spaces, the thesis outlines guidelines steering architects away from being “grand authors” of definitive, immutable forms. Instead, it repositions them as researchers—spatial detectives—who reshape practice from within through improvisation, contextual adaptation, available means, and responsiveness to serendipitous circumstances. Ultimately, this thesis provides a methodological framework for the deliberate, inclusive transformation of inherent spatial potentials.
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