Enigma: A Guide to Decoding Context

"Context is not just history or urban texture; it is also a code. A hidden system shaping what is built, how people live, what gets forgotten and what is reinvented. The problem? Many architects treat it as a static data sheet rather than a living equation that requires interpretation and rewriting. This chapter draws a parallel with the Enigma machine, a system whose unbroken code once seemed to dictate the course of war. When Alan Turing deciphered it, the course of history shifted. Architecture works the same way: spotting an old building and calling it “historic” isn’t enough. You need to understand why it exists, how it came to be, and what happens if you intervene. Decoding context means seeing the invisible – social rhythms, past traces, economic tensions, daily behaviours. The context transforms a city from a rigid set of rules into a living palimpsest."