From the Sacred Cross to Branded Space: A Semiotic Study of the Transformation of Templar and Masonic Symbols in Contemporary Brand Architecture and Commercial Environments

This article explores the semiotic transformation of historical symbols associated with the Knights Templar and Freemasonry within the architecture of contemporary brands and commercial spaces. The primary aim is to trace how the meanings of these symbols have evolved from their sacred and esoteric origins into commercial and branding functions in the modern age. Employing theoretical frameworks from semiotics (Saussure and Peirce), Roland Barthes’ myth theory, Lakoff and Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory, and Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic capital, the study offers a deep analysis of this phenomenon. Findings reveal how brand architecture, through visual and spatial elements, subconsciously reproduces historical concepts such as order, authority, knowledge, purity, and exclusivity via conceptual metaphors, thereby contributing to the accumulation of symbolic capital for the brand. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the power of signs in shaping cultural and commercial perceptions within built environments and opens new avenues for future interdisciplinary research.

کلیدواژه ها:

Semiotics ، Templar symbols ، Masonic symbols ، brand architecture ، commercial spaces ، symbolic capital ، conceptual metaphor ، Roland Barthes