A Eulogy to Penumbra

Penumbra – from the Latin paene (almost) and umbra (shadow) – can be defi ned as an intermediate zone of transition between light and shadow. Therefore, it indicates a liminal area, where many events can take place. Penumbra defi nes a space, both physical and imaginary, where everything is possible: it is the place of the uncanny, where presence and/or absence can produce wonder, or horror.
The contributors to this issue of illustrate and discuss the archetype of penumbra in the world of contemporary
architecture, arts and critical theory, investigating the ways it permeates different expressive forms and exploring
how today’s creativity is a refl ection of the dramatic yet electrifying historical period we are living in, with no
certainties. Penumbra is not only a place of the unexpected: it can provide a preferential point of view.
The authors show and discuss how penumbra has shaped their creativity and modifi ed their approach to their design process. Penumbra bears suprahistorical and global connotations; nonetheless, different cultures develop the symbolical phenomenon in different ways. It is part of the heritage of all humanity, yet it is employed through different aesthetic and designerly methods according to the cultural contexts within which it is situated, hovering between fullness and emptiness, presence and absence, past and future.