Since the mid-20th century, architectural theory has experienced a remarkable proliferation of diverse ideas and emerging trends. This diversity poses a significant challenge to scholars seeking to navigate this intricate landscape. In response, this paper proposes that the “question of meaning” serves as a unifying theoretical thread, linking several prominent theoretical currents during this period. Various architectural schools have engaged with the discourse surrounding the “question of meaning” in distinct ways, spanning from the New Empiricism of the 1940s to the NonReferential Architecture of the 2010s. This paper traces the evolution of this discourse, elucidating the positions adopted by different schools and highlighting the interconnectedness of their theoretical foundations. It concludes by underscoring the significance of this thread within contemporary architectural theories, particularly from a phenomenological perspective, and anticipates the prospects of a forthcoming wave of debate in the near future.