The Importance Of Atmosphere In Architectural Design Process
Atmospheres shape our relationships with environments, people, thing’s and works of art. Atmosphere can also be defined as the immediate experience of space and thus is extremely significant to the subject of architecture. Special ambience was proposed in architectural atmospheres to describe the notion of mood being created through the relationship between a being and their environment. Indisputably, atmosphere is a significant and an inevitable product of architectural design process and therefore should be considered alongside it. Architectural experiences are multi-sensory and simultaneous. Our body registers and reacts to even the infantismal effects of an atmosphere before we consciously grasp a building as a whole. Therefore whether it is intentional or not architects condition the air within buildings, set parameters and initiate behaviors that are experienced by beings. The appreciation for a building is still largely dependent upon the power of its functional and aesthetic values. This essay is an exploration into this notion of atmosphere as a perception of architectural environment. More specifically, it explores what atmosphere is to architectural design through human experience.
Life is an array of complex, continually-interacting, and developing phenomena. Each aspect of our human experience functions as either a reagent in an interaction, or as the function of a purpose. Each interaction or purpose contributes to, develops, and builds the atmospheres that we immerse ourselves in. Our atmospheres and spaces are the consequences of many infinitesimal reactions that are constantly occurring between different existences. The qualities of a space or atmosphere are not merely a visual perceptive experience as it is often assumed. Yet the task of defining what represents atmosphere is a complicated one. Take the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. The building itself, is a large, open plan, almost monolithic in its stature, yet when one stands in front of the Statue of Abraham, the share overwhelming grandiosity of the atmosphere can be almost forgotten. How can something, so imposing, be simultaneously so intimate. We feel such a close connection to this depiction of a human body, a beautiful representation of an art piece that appeals to our senses of sight and touch. A very physical embodiment of philosophical ideas. However architectural ideas are about more than just visual art.
Despite having similar semiotic behaviorisms. The user does not relate to a still image as much as they do to a living, breathing intractable environment. Architecture is about more than just aesthetics, with a building, a user can experience them, and walk around in them. A building creates a space that shapes a person’s feelings and memories. The creation of this space is a complex, multi-sensory fusion of countless factors that are immediately and synthetically grasped as an overall atmosphere, ambience, feeling or mood. This experience, despite being so multi-sensory, is how we normally observe and perceive. Our perceptions of architecture are not just a sum of the physical, or of what we see. The understanding of architectural atmospheric perception involves a user’s judgments beyond their five senses, senses such balance, motion, continuity, scale and illumination are all part of the artist’s and especially architects repertoire. A buildings atmosphere is perceived as a combination of each feature, where the architect utilizes an array of fundamental process’ such as scale, materials and shapes to create focal points for a user. Similar to how we create focal points in our own graphic communicative work by using these same processes, such as colour and tone, to direct a viewer to what we want them to see and when we want them see it. However, architectural design utilizes aesthetics and textures similar to those used in the sculpted visual arts, which perhaps is why the two are often synonymously intertwined.
To exhibit is to communicate space, and to exhibit architecture is a paradox. It is a paradox because the architecture of an architectural exhibit will shape and change the way a viewer interacts with the exhibit they are in, and this can occur without the actual works even being present. Exhibitions and the atmospheres they create are manifestations of the co-presence of the display and the viewer, this atmosphere is the result of all contributing aspects. From the ever present, physical, to the increasingly subtle and complex. One of the most important atmospheric determining factors in an exhibition is the instinctive response a viewer will have to the aura invested in the work of the architect, which is similar to design practice. This experience is akin to what philosophers call an “affect”. Architectural exhibitions are unlike any other because it denies an experience of the visitor because the works are not actually there, instead architects use their drawings, photographs and models to co-produce an atmosphere as close to the final reality as possible. Essentially they use their design processes to overcome this problem. A close link is formed between the architect whose work is on display and the curator of the establishment. This is because it is crucial for an architectural exhibition to be accessible to the public, who are used to far more digestible displays, usually in the forms of traditional art.
A curator is able to cultivate a certain spatial atmosphere which augments the consciousness of the built environment. Although curators and architects attempt to create a certain atmosphere, the final construction has the potential to become anything, with any atmospheric properties. However, the culmination of the work lies in our experience of it, “its perceptual essence”. Architectural design produces very physical entrances and barriers, creating a clear, direct and intended path. Along this path we can see, feel and interact with what is displayed, in an architectural exhibition this can be incredibly interactive. It is crucial for architects to be conscious of the existence of those who are going to inhabit their created spaces. This idea transcends past architecture into the practice of graphic design, where the ability to empathize is a requirement, especially if one desires to be proficient at engaging with their users and clients. Doors, windows, hallways, exits and walls all shape the experience and help push us through the desired and curated atmosphere.
People, if they ponder architecture at all, usually think in terms of the materials used and building layout. Yet these materials are synesthetic in their inputs. Certain materials do not correspond strictly to a feeling on the sensual plane that they originate from. The physical feeling of coldness or warmth in an atmosphere can be produced by a combination of the physical to create the imaginary. For example smooth, glassy surfaces in the Cathedral can be imagined as cooler areas. Contrasting to the warmth produced by the deep brown tones from the wooden pews.
While that’s important, it’s not what determines the atmosphere of the building, it is merely a part of the whole. The philosophical trap when discussing buildings is focusing in on the building itself and not analysing the environment it resides in. Gernot Bohme, discusses the importance of a buildings knowledge and respect of its environment stating that without and understanding of its environment it will fail from an atmospheric perspective. The physicality of a building is but a singular component of a buildings atmosphere. What builds and develops this atmosphere is the holistic sum of the physical, emotional, and phenomenological aspects that all collaborate to form something that a user can interact with. These relationships are primarily spatial, and the objects and people are related through various degrees of separation in and by space. It would seem obvious then, to apply these theories and the other phenomenological tools philosophers have available to the atmospheres and experiences produced by churches.
As evident as it may be that churches create atmospheres, it is still a perilous conversation to have, church spaces are after all part of an institution that claims authority over interpretation and experience. These almost fanatical attitudes stand in contrast to the actuality of a church atmosphere, which is rich in culture, emotion and experience. They contain many facets of an immersive space, from spatial design and architecture, to the use of light and darkness. It is not just the physicality of church architecture that builds and contributes to the produced atmosphere. In a church, light is considered the power of God and is treated as such. Light alters immersion and changes the experience of the space and architecture. Similar to how Palaasma discusses how the true beauty of a window comes from seeing light pass through it, changing it from a physical architectural feature into an architectural experience.
Church and religious buildings utilize light and darkness to develop, control, and extend their atmospheres. We see in the Cathedral the architect utilizes a darkness that slowly disappears upwards, realizing that only with darkness is light truly able to be awe-inspiring. Architects create a light that is almost transcendental in origin, creating zones that redeem the individuals who experience the atmosphere. As seen in this image of the St Paul Cathedral in London, the dark wooden pews that slowly extend upward against the white walls, toward the rich, embossed, gold and patterned ceiling. The architecture of this building encapsulates its spirit. Architecture, is directly responsible for the creation and maintenance of the semiotics of a building, and in fact, the features of the church have become so synonymous with the building that one would find anything that differed from the norm unorthodox in origin. A church without pews or an alter seems strange and benign, yet often when buildings are left physically unchanged or abandoned it is the atmosphere that can morph into something is grotesque and in stark contrast to the buildings original intent.
Architecture and design can be strict in how the creator wants us to experience their creation. This creates a unique environment, especially with architecture. I have spoken at length about the fundamental processes used by architects to develop, shape, and mould the experiences we have in the creations they make, now, I speak about the phenomenological and philosophical experience of partaking in these environments and atmospheres in ways that were never intentioned by the creator. I am talking about the phenomenon of Urban Exploration (Urbex). The philosphical reasoning for a person’s desire to explore these atmospheres can be attributed to their desire to seek a certain atmosphere rather than the one provided by a creator. Urban Explorers abandon the set ‘architectural rules’ they embody the concept of not experiencing architecture in a purely mundane, visual sense, choosing instead to partake in a different atmosphere through all senses. Their experience has transcended the norm, walls and pathways have become merely suggestions rather than barriers and directions. Our perceptions are formed by overlapping perspectives which are developed by our body when we experience an atmosphere.
Usually, when we experience a building, we never see a complete space, only the one that the architect wants us to see. This falls short of the phenomenological concepts that govern our understandings and perceptions of the fabric of our environments. Take this image of an old abandoned power plant in Budapest. It is an impressive vast expanse, full of abandoned machines that create a terrifying atmosphere. What is even more interesting is how this place would once have been the very physical embodiment of energy, and the atmosphere it produces now is completely different to how the original architect intended it to be experienced. Urban explorers bring to us an experience that we would never usually be able to participate in (Garrett, 8). All these experiences, both intentioned and not, play an important role in the functioning of our society. In today’s society with all the laws, requirements and standards, the need for both metaphorical sides of the same atmospheric coin is paramount.
Urban explorers bring us to the other side of that coin. They take photos and videos of their endeavors and capture this unruly atmosphere that they experience. They create a distinct fascination with these buildings, structures and places that have been left desolate. It often results in artistic photography that looks like it has been shot in a different dimension, and therefore leaves the intended atmosphere behind and creates one that has been interpreted by the explorer. Where the architect uses signs and features to guide and direct a user’s journey, an urban explorer sees the potential for a rebellious new experience, interpreting those directions in new ever-creative ways. A ‘do not enter’ sign, philosophically tells the user that they are leaving the intended experience, yet to an urban explorer it serves as a reminder that this experience exists and can very much be a reality. Everyone experiences atmospheres, environments and stimuli differently, there will always be a variation or variations that the creator never intended to be experienced. Similar to how my own design is up to a viewer’s interpretation, no matter how hard I try I cannot stop people from experiencing my work in the ways they want to, I can merely guide or influence them toward how I intended it to be experienced. Similar to the experience in web design. At the intended ‘end’ of an experience you are prompted to ‘return home’, you could take this option but it is exactly that, and option. You can in fact click any button, this prompt just exists to notify you that at this stage you have completed the user journey the designer has expected you to take.
As soon as we begin to engage in the empirical definition of atmospheres, we tread on thin ice. The world we live in, is a sum of our senses and many have attempted to quantify and explain that sum. This reiterates Pallasmaa’s idea that we need to invest more into developing our understanding of atmospheres instead of the individual components that form them. Understanding atmosphere will teach us how we can influence us as individuals as well as society as a whole. The exploration of architectural design resonates with me and my graphic communcative practice. Close connections can be drawn between how crucial it is for successful architects and designers to utilise a complete repertoire of tools, especially when the production of an atmosphere is vital, because the actual work cannot be displayed. From colour to hierarchy, to structure and fluidity, to an almost divine understanding of the impact of light and dark. These are indispensible tools in the quest to shape people’s experiences. From the desired atmospheres shaped by sculptures and architecture to the conflicting existence of a counter dimension where it is the failure of this desired environment that is revelled. The way we experience atmosphere is determined by many aspects, and as such it is incredibly difficult to define. What we can conclude though is that atmosphere is a total experience, and not just a mere accumulation of sensory inputs. Architectural atmospheric production is a deep, vibrant and complex system, a system that keeps developing in every direction it can be taken and is therefore a great base for understanding atmosphere in all practices of art and design. As designers we can only hope to influence a user’s journey and augment the atmosphere that they experience, as for every new experience that is intended, there is an equal and opposite unintended experience. This is something that should always be considered when designing anything whether it be a website, poster or building. Its’ almost as if the world of design functions as the two sides of a coin.
