“We in the Western world are beginning to discover our neglected senses. This growing awareness represents something of an overdue insurgency against the painful deprivation of sensory experience we have suffered in our technologised world.” This quote from Pallasmaa’s and | "[...] Western architecture is beginning to engage more senses than just vision." |
Alberti’s text was from anthropologist Ashley Montagu. To me, this quote is a comment on how Western architecture is beginning to engage more senses than just vision. It suggests that in the Western world we generally tend to design architecture with the sense of sight being the primary target. It also suggests, however, that we are now beginning to explore the idea of using architecture to engage other senses too. Montagu calls the Western world a “technological world.” In my opinion they are right in saying this, we rely highly on technology now. It is everywhere and in everything, but predominantly we engage with technology using sight, followed by sound, for the majority of the time. I think that perhaps we have put far too much emphasis on the aesthetic properties that engage our sense of sight.
This quote stood out to me greatly as not too long ago I went on a trip to Berlin. Whilst I was there I visited the Jewish Museum, designed by Daniel Libeskind, and it changed what I considered to be the possibilities of a piece of architecture. It is more than a building, it is an experience which walks you on a trip. There are places within it that make you pay attention to sound, to touch, to temperature and more. Therefore I find this quote especially important. It is something that I believe all architects should bare in mind. A good piece of architecture should interact with more than just vision. It should allow all senses to take part in the experience. This is something that I will definitely be baring in mind for my own architectural practice and projects.
This quote stood out to me greatly as not too long ago I went on a trip to Berlin. Whilst I was there I visited the Jewish Museum, designed by Daniel Libeskind, and it changed what I considered to be the possibilities of a piece of architecture. It is more than a building, it is an experience which walks you on a trip. There are places within it that make you pay attention to sound, to touch, to temperature and more. Therefore I find this quote especially important. It is something that I believe all architects should bare in mind. A good piece of architecture should interact with more than just vision. It should allow all senses to take part in the experience. This is something that I will definitely be baring in mind for my own architectural practice and projects.
Bibliography
Smith, Korydon H. (2012) Introducing architectural theory, Chapter 4, “Material and Immaterial”, pp. 105-140.
Smith, Korydon H. (2012) Introducing architectural theory, Chapter 4, “Material and Immaterial”, pp. 105-140.