\Imhotep Phidias Antonio le Corridor\" : an interpretation of the work of Russell Hall"

The dilemma that stems from the desire to benefit from the potential offered by contemporary advancements on the one hand, and the responsibility of safeguarding cultural heritage on the other, has been puzzling philosophers, theoreticians and practising architects with increasing intensity during the past few decades. Critical Regionalism which takes an interpretation of Paul Ricoeur's theories presented in his essay Universal Civilisation and National Cultures (1961) as its philosophical basis, has been viewed as a viable approach in architecture to overcome this problem. Russell Hall is considered as a remarkable Queensland architect working within a Critical Regionalist paradigm. However, an interpretation of Hall's approach in terms of Critical Regionalism does not sufficiently reveal the personal philosophy and ideals in which his solutions are grounded. A broader interpretation of Hall's work is offered through an analysis of Ricoeur's theory, which provides a concept of the 'creative individual', who, through experiments and inventions gives impulse to cultural dynamism and thus contributes to the renewal and survival of a culture This concept is illustrated by the ideas and careers of four individuals: Antoni Gaudi, Constantin Brancusi, Le Corbusier and Richard Buckminster Fuller. Their individualistic and innovative approach in art and architecture is shared by Hall, whose thoughts and aims as well as his buildings and objects are explored in the latter part of the thesis.