THE ARCHITECTURAL EXPERIENCE BEYOND THE VISUAL SENSE: DESIGNING FOR ALL THE SENSES

Abstract

Despite of the attention given to the sense of vision architectural design is a source of human experiences beyond merely appearance. Indeed, by putting into use other senses in architecture, like olfaction, audition, tactility and taste, the experience transmitted by such architectural design it’s a more fulfilling one and has beneficial human reactions. Moreover, by putting into use less discussed senses beyond the five conventional ones, the architectural experience turns into a holistic manifestation which embodies the whole being. This, thanks to senses like corporeality, the sense of being and the sense of memory. This paper, therefore, shifts the attention from the visual sense to other human senses in architecture in their role in conveying a complete experience encompassing body and mind. Architectural practice has traditionally been dominated by the sense of vision. Architects and users of architectural space generally focus on the appearance of architectural works, but very few on the experience they convey through other senses, thus limiting the potential of architectural design. Architectural design has the power to offer valuable embodied experiences which involve multiple human senses, which, in turn, result in a feeling of being a whole. A phenomenological approach in architecture was the core method used to conduct this thesis, thus taking into account human experiences and their senses. Written materials and architectural projects of architects Peter Zumthor and Juhani Pallasmaa, as the two architects who stand at the very front of such studies, have been analyzed. The research provides a linkage iv between synesthesia and architecture in the direction of applying sensory design for better human experience. The aim of this thesis is to bring into attention other senses other than vision in architectural design in order to make use of architecture as a source of more fulfilling experiences. Such practice would stimulate all five human senses: visual, olfactory, aural, tactile and gustatory. Part of the objective of the thesis is also unveiling senses beyond the five common ones, such as: corporeality, the sense of being and the sense of memory. The final purpose is to offer a less known approach in architectural practice by implementing sensory design consciously to gain multisensory experiences that, besides being enjoyable, turn to be beneficial for humans.