as
architecture is a great
love of mine,
i enjoy finding and researching different
aspects of it.
one i find particularily interesting is...
when
architects design for the
senses, or when their creation has
impact on human senses.
a
great example, and
one of my most favorite architects is
peter zumthor
who believes that
images of spaces can
awaken parts of the mind and
memories
making
people live the building,
experience it deeply and
meaningfully.
materials, light,
shapes, colors
and contrasts, i can believe,
lead one's mind to a certain direction.
other than specific interpretations, we
inherit from history and
society, of things like, dark
or light...
we develop our
own throughout the course of
life.
for instance the color
red can mean or remind you of something
else than what it would mean to me.
this
leads to a different experience of architecture for
each person.
however,
based exactly on
those, inherited from tha past
and from society, interpretations,
one can
design a space to lead feelings
and senses towards a
more specific direction. in example,
the
gothic temples would
rise to extreme heights and
allow light to come through in
such a way as to enhance the meaning of
divinity.
similarly today,
tadao ando
accentuates and leads feelings
through his game with light and
shadow.
or before him, le corbusier in his la tourette chapel, where light comes through openings on the ceiling and falls upon a massive, red wall.
in this game of space and senses,
i much admire the japanese who especially emphasize on the aspect of nature.
games with different levels of transparency can lead to a different connection with the outdoor environment every time. for instance, a translucent surface may give a shadow-y image of the exterior, giving the interior a mysterious and dream like character. in the image below, large openings, by sanaa in varying scales give the room a completely different feel, like mother nature hospitality.
nature invades this interior through the large opening with the view, but also with the pots of plants, in the form of a more organized nature. thus, the room becomes more home-y and comfortable, something to which one is more used to, especially with the help of such an amount of light pouring in.
in contrast to the above,
light can also be used to create opposite feelings, like in libeskind's holocaust tower in the jewish musem. a small opening at the very top of an immensely tall and dark room creates a contrast that is meant to create feelings to the visitor that can slightly resemble those of a gas-room victim. you can feel yourself becoming claustrophobic, wanting to find a way out but the only one you can see is the contrasting corner where the light is coming through, way out of your reach.
i hope you enjoyed these thoughts on architecture.
have you ever entered a building that had impact on your senses?
tip: interesting book to read on similar speculations upon architecture is "the architecture of happiness" by alain de botton.
xoxo!
i love this recipe because you can add anything to your frosting, or split them and fill them with jam while you sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and they are each time, transformed for the occassion you want them.
