A Study Of Benjamin’s Urban Spatial Thought

As a thinker,Benjamin studied a wide range of fields,involving philosophy,theology,linguistics,art,literature,culture,aesthetics,etc.,of which a large number of descriptions,understandings and interpretations of cities,although scattered in his various works,carry important urban spatial ideas,which are worth studying.The formation of Benjamin’s idea of urban space has its practical and theoretical sources.The two industrial revolutions accelerated the process of urbanization,and Benjamin,with his genius and melancholy temperament,sensitively captured the contradictions and problems in urban space,so he began to pay attention to and think about the complex spatial relations of modern times and the crisis of human spirit.Marx and Engels’ s practical spatial view allowed Benjamin to focus his research on social space,while Simmel’s view of urban space allowed him to focus on the daily experience of urban space.At the heart of Benjamin’s urban spatial thought construction is the revelation of the nature of urban space and the concern for human survival.He first discovered the intricacies of modern cities,full of power and imprisonment,plus the collusion of capital and technology,which accommodates the life and social interaction of modern people while prescribing the rhythm of the city,but Benjamin also finds a little free space for the spirit to be temporarily buffered in the cracks.Crowds and wanderers are the main body of urban space,the crowd follows the rapid rhythm of urban life and loses self-awareness,while the wanderers wander away from it,maintaining a clear understanding of urban space.Whether it is a crowd or a wanderer,they all have experiences of shock,anxiety,and loneliness in urban space.Through his childhood memories,free wandering,and calm gaze,Benjamin sees through the nature of urban space and the dilemma of human existence that human beings cannot escape.Benjamin did not use theory to express his idea of urban space,but aesthetically presented it through metaphor,montage,intertextuality and other techniques.Benjamin’s idea of urban space had a very great influence on later generations.As a pioneer of urban space theory,Benjamin’s idea of urban space had an important impact on a series of spatial theories that developed rapidly since the 1970 s.At the same time,his concern for the living conditions of people in urban space has aroused the survival vigilance of modern people,who are aware of the spiritual crisis of being trapped in the city.Finally,Benjamin inspired us to resist the assimilation of architecture,maintain the uniqueness of architecture,and reconstruct spatial culture through architecture,evoking people’s sense of belonging to the city,thereby alleviating people’s wandering urban experience.