Rethinking the Concepts of "Iconic" and "Kitsch" in the Context of Sign and Architecture

The sign (representation) is a way of thinking in architecture, but it is a means and method of the expression. The discipline of architecture is an area where the sign is most commonly used and that builds the relationship with the environment of the human. The main axis of the study is the question of how the sign, which stands out as a design tool and a form of expression for architecture. In this context, the study aimed to discuss the representational forms in the field of architecture, especially with the concepts of iconic and kitsch. The reason these two concepts are included in the discussion center is that they have some common features in terms of their qualities. At this point, the study aims to examine the borders (permeable) of an architectural object to be "iconic" or "kitsch". In order to discuss the ambiguous relationship between the iconic and kitsch concepts, these concepts were examined through some architectural products through the method of theoretical evaluations and it was concluded that there could not be a sharp conceptual distinction between these concepts.