Architectural Gesture: Genesis of the Concept and the Role of Fiction in Its Creation

The subject of this research is the concept of the “architectural gesture”, tracing back to the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein and its manifestation within the realm of fiction. Based on an extensive range of sources, the study concludes that text plays a specific role in shaping the cultural and symbolic field of a physical architectural object. Literary reception contributes to the formation and renewal of the cultural code of existing buildings (e.g., in the works of V. Hugo, W. Golding, E. Rutherfurd, etc.). The article examines the emergence of the “gesture” concept in Wittgenstein's writings, correlating it with the imagery of “singing buildings” in Paul Valéry's dialogue “Eupalinos, or The Architect”. Special emphasis is placed on the reception history of the Notre-Dame de Paris and the evolution of its “gesture” following Victor Hugo’s novel. It was under Hugo’s influence that the cathedral's image was solidified in European culture: from the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who oversaw its restoration, to the poetry of T. Gautier, O. Mandelstam and R. M. Rilke. The research methodology integrates traditional comparative-historical and structural methods with intermedial analysis. The proposed term “architectural gesture” proves to be an effective tool for analysing how real buildings are interpreted within literary texts. The scientific novelty lies in addressing the insufficient study of the links between literature and architecture in Russian literary theory, as well as the first-time introduction of the “architectural gesture” concept into the field of literary analysis. The findings may be applied to further research on the synthesis of arts, intermedial studies, and courses on the history of foreign literature and literary theory. In conclusion, the study highlights the significance of non-fiction narratives (art criticism and essays) in altering the “gesture” – the semantics and symbolism of an architectural object. The author concludes that fiction plays a crucial role in augmenting the “architectural gesture” of a real building, effectively transforming the writer from a recipient into a co-creator of the architectural image.