Journal Article

Orientational Metaphors of Megastructure Worship: Optimization Perspectives on Associative Cultural Landscape Methodology

Xue, Binxia, Zhang, Peng, Li, Shuai

2025

Overview

In the modernization of cities and buildings around the world, megastructures represent the integration of the means of material production and advanced technology. However, there has been little discussion of the reasons for the enthusiastic phenomenon, especially the associative style between humans and megastructures. Among the methodologies for discussing the material environment and the human spiritual world, Associative Cultural Landscape methodology, based on the cultural landscape, is selected, and the “verticality” and the vertical discussion depth of the megastructure are used to optimize Associative Cultural Landscape methodology by utilizing the “orientational metaphors”. This forms Orientational Metaphors—Associative Cultural Landscape methodology for interpreting megastructure worship. Utilizing the optimized methodology, megastructure worship is interpreted from three interpretative paths: body worship, political worship, and relationship worship. Nine applied models and the matrix that meet the applied scenarios are formed. Finally, the paper presents the framework and its main theoretical contributions: (1) it generates the 16 processes from topic selection to model interpretation; (2) it differentiates the three interpretative paths of megastructure worship; (3) it evolves and optimizes Associative Cultural Landscape methodology; (4) it establishes nine applied models, based on the three interpretative paths; (5) it provides a research outlook—combining the nine existing applied models, a total of 21 interpretative potential applied models have been constructed. Using Orientational Metaphors—Associative Cultural Landscape methodology, the spiritual relationship between humans and megastructures is established with “spiritual relevance” as the core, and three interpretative paths of megastructure worship are interpreted. A comprehensive analysis of the megastructure phenomenon is proposed, providing a framework and models for human emotions that are attached to environmental psychology. The study provides an optimized methodological framework with Associative Cultural Landscape methodology and applied models for city and building scenarios involving the emotional connection between humans and megastructures. In particular, at the methodological level, it provides a new discussion paradigm for philosophical and applied megastructures that explain non-quantitative problems.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: 20th century / 21st century / Architecture / associative cultural landscape / Cities / Environmental psychology / High rise buildings / megastructure worship / Metaphor / Methodology / Modernity / Modernization / O-ACL / Optimization / orientational metaphor / Radicalism / spiritual relevance / Verticality