5th Year - Thesis by Matt Grimshaw

AR2AT03: Architecture Theory Thesis Spring 2017 23-06-2017

Hacking the Process of Experience Is the direct bodily architectural experience of the event as influential as it is made out to be?

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Tutor: Andrej Radman Student: Matt Grimshaw 4612833 M.J.Grimshaw@student.tudelft.nl

Abstract The following written piece focuses on the process of experiencing well renowned pieces of architecture. To structure the piece, the experiential process is broken down into separate stages, ‘Before Visiting’, ‘The Visit’ and ‘After Visiting’. Throughout these stages the attention will remain on three case studies, which have all been experienced recently, The Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van Der Rohe, The Holocaust Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe by Peter Eisenman and the Therme Vals by Peter Zumthor. The aim of the piece attempts to expand the knowledge of experiencing architecture beyond the visit itself. It is well known in architectural theory that the bodily experience of a building is well studied and impeccable to understand whilst practicing architecture. However, other contributing factors within the experience itself often escape architectural analysis and explanation. The elements within the bodily visit at each of the three case studies and the overall influence on the experience that they encompass are discussed. The importance of other nonintentional experiential factors such as publications, journeys, judgements and online social activities, which combine throughout the process, are also analysed.

Table of contents

Introduction The Experiential Process The Psychology Throughout

5 7

Part 1 - Before Visiting Researching and ‘Things to do’ Publications The Journey

8 10 14

Part 2 – The Visit Seeing versus Looking Visit versus Staying Alone versus in Company

18 20 22

Part 3 - After Visiting Expressing Opinion Online Reinforcing Memories Online

24 31

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction The Experiential Process There was a time when I experienced architecture without thinking about it (Zumthor 2006).1 Architectural and spatial experience is a fascinating subject, especially when considering the fact that no two experiences are ever exactly the same. An experience may be similar, but never the same.2 It is a thorough process of thinking and doing. The experience of a space is not just the few seconds with which you pass through, but one that starts before entering and which continues through time. James (1890) questions the idea of a distinct ‘present’ and suggests there is no end in perception. We do not first feel one end and then feel the other after it… we seem to feel the interval of time as a whole.3 Furthermore, a building is experienced through the use of senses. The way in which you experience different senses and the thinking process itself is an independent act, and it is this that makes the singular unique. The piece will start by clarifying the experiential process. One common definition of experience is, ‘experience is the knowledge or mastery of an event or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it’.4 Let us highlight the word ‘event’ in this definition. Visiting an architecturally renowned locus, space or structure is classed as an event. The same can be said for visiting a favorite restaurant or going to a football game. The process of travelling, partaking in an action and then continuing or returning, happens in installments on a day-to-day basis. The before and after aspects, in the event, however are largely misunderstood and often neglected.

Fig.1

1 Peter Zumthor, Thinking Architecture, 2nd edition (Basel : Boston : Berlin, Birkhauser 2006) 9. 2 Maurice Merleau-‐Ponty,

Phenomenology of Perception, translated by Colin Smith (London : New York, Routledge 2013). 3 William James, The Principles of Psychology (New York, Henry Holt, 1890) 610. 4 Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition (1989) retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experience.

Figure 1 shows the experiential process of an individual building. This is to be used as a starting point for the structure of this written piece. This cycle created within the diagram forms an idea of process. As seen, the cycle can be looped where the time after the visit is used in the before visit of another building. Living by experience can be seen as a continuous cycle, one thing leading to another, with all the past contributing to present and future.

Fig.2

Fig.3

This process is also represented in Figure 2, but in a more linear manner to show separated events of experience. By representing with more people involved (Fig.3), it is demonstrated that a singular period of time after the event, can dictate the period before. Not only of their own experience, but of others. The actual event experience is then collaborative, in a sense, as people meet together and the sphere of influence between action, emotion and thought can be passed between the users of the space. The diagrams show this in the simplest sense, however this process is much more complicated through time as multiplying and interchanging occurs. It is the before and after stages, specifically, which is to be highlighted and questioned going forward when looking at experiencing exceptional architecture.

The Psychology Throughout You cannot know this from conscious experience, of course, but you must accept the alien idea that your actions and your emotions can be primed by events of which you are not even aware (Kahneman 2011).5 The workings of the mind, the conscious, sub conscious and unconscious will be discussed throughout the thesis. The mind is very important when considering the experience of something and prevails throughout the process as an overall stimulus. Since Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis portrayed in the book, The unconscious, the mind of the human has long been studied, but never been fully understood. Almost a century on from that, social experiments are highlighted in a simpler manner, in the book Subliminal by Leonard Mlodinow, which shows more day to day unconscious characteristics. Psychology of space is beginning to be understood, but the application of knowledge in the field of architecture, less so. The memories we might expect to have at mature historic sites may actually precede our experience on site. They exist there, publicly - inherited from previous generations… (Otero-Pailos 2009) 6 In the present day it is bordering on impossible to experience a building without having had an outside influence, even at a conscious level. The chances of stumbling across something as well renowned as the Barcelona Pavilion or the Holocaust Memorial without having previously seen photographs, read an article or heard comment on the building, is increasingly difficult to do so. Throughout we will be questioning the professional and the layman experience. To do this, let us focus on three case studies: •

The Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van Der Rohe (Barcelona, Spain. Originally built 1929, demolished 1930, rebuilt 1986).

•

The Holocaust Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe by Peter Eisenman (Berlin, Germany, 2005).

•

The Therme Vals by Peter Zumthor (Vals, Switzerland, 1996).

These places are without doubt, architecturally rich and hold a certain power of influence over current and upcoming designers. Within the last few years I have wandered through their shadows and explored their surfaces, but now I wish to recollect and study not just my own experience, but the experience of others. It is to be made clear that the following piece is written with publicly accessible buildings being at the forefront of thinking. This does not mean however that the same arguments and thoughts cannot be applied to other forms of spatial thinking. When discussing experience, we will lay focus on the mind of the typical, singular visiting, tourist. The piece will not comment on the experience of those who work in or around the building, nor will it attempt to suggest that the people who pass these buildings daily have even remotely similar experiences or feelings compared to the tourist.

5 Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2011) 44.

Jorge Otero-‐Pailos, Mnemonic Value and Historic Preservation in Spatial Recall (New York : Oxford, Routledge 2009) 256. 6

Part 1 - Before Visiting Researching and ‘Things to do’ The clichéd pose that tourists assume before the Leaning Tower of Pisa suggests that responses to historic places replicate on-site images established in the mind long before (Otero-Pailos 2009).1 The typical camera strapped tourist commonly visits a particular location with one specific aim. Regularly it is simply a holiday visit, but it could also be to meet family and friends, to go for a business meeting, or to simply start a new life, there will always be one fundamental goal. Numerous non-teleological approaches follow. It is within these less direct passages and after thoughts that the somewhat unknown experiences present themselves. A certain culture or foreign atmosphere is available in every city, and whilst there, you wish to experience it. These prominent places act as spotlights to the architectural identity of the place. The tourist pounces, sometimes in a very spontaneous manner, at the opportunity to experience the monument. A popular searching tool for these highlights, occurs through the favored travel website, TripAdvisor. The website claims to average 390 million unique visitors per month.2 The following case studies are represented on the site as follows:

1 Jorge Otero-‐Pailos, Mnemonic Value and Historic Preservation in Spatial Recall (New York : Oxford, Routledge 2009) 256. 2 Figures retrieved 31-‐03-‐17 from: https://tripadvisor.mediaroom.com/US.

3 Figures retrieved 16-‐05-‐17 from: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-‐g187497-‐d313686-‐

Reviews-‐Pabellon_Mies_van_der_Rohe-‐Barcelona_Catalonia.html. 4 Figures retrieved 16-‐05-‐17 from: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-‐g187323-‐d617423-‐ Reviews-‐The_Holocaust_Memorial_Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe-‐Berlin.html. 5 Figures retrieved 16-‐05-‐17 from: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-‐g954021-‐d1907755-‐ Reviews-‐7132_Therme_Vals-‐Vals_Canton_of_Graubunden_Swiss_Alps.html.

Analysing these statistics, the memorial is by far the most likely location, out of the three, that you will come across through the website. But why is this? Maybe the central city location, highly appealing historical value and the unique architectural interest are the main factors. Let us explore the priming effect and offer an alternative answer, which also compliments the idea that a specific architectural experience does not start with the entrance, but starts days, weeks or even years before that. Priming, in psychological terms, is where an internal memory is exposed to a stimulus, which then influences an additional stimulus.6 Within the dynamic systems theory, priming is also considered as a rearranging factor that creates variability.7 Actions can be primed by the smallest of things, be it positive or negative. The mentalist and illusionist Derren Brown, who produced the experiment ‘Pushed to the edge’, has explored priming. These forms of priming are short term, semantic forms of persuasion and have really only been exploited in graphics and advertising, rather than experience. Amongst the visitor reviews on ‘Tripadvisor’ a selection of stats are boldly distributed. Every individual review, from one end of the spectrum to the other, is used to calculate the overall ranking of the destination. This results in the user having a direct influence towards other users, as well as the perceived success of the hotel, monument or activity. Interestingly the latest reviews are also made clearly visible. It only takes half a scroll on the wheel of a mouse to see the latest review. An opinion could have been uploaded within minutes or weeks. What matters is that the user, has very quickly gone from seeing an image of an architectural place for the first time, to having a rating and review cast upon them. This form also brings in an element of ‘social compliance’. Brown (2016) says that social compliance is following orders, doing something because someone else says it is the right thing to do.8 Evans (1997) also suggests that we follow the thoughts of others; we believe that Mies’s buildings exhibit a sublime rationality because so many people have reported seeing it there.9 This reviewing system, whether it is positive or negative, will plant an initial perception. The trip advisor priming is admittedly marginal, but in combination, has its role within the building experience. A lot of tourism leaflets suggest this deflection, this reversal of the gaze, by offering the would-be traveler advance images of curious or contemplative faces, solitary or in groups, gazing across infinite oceans, scanning ranges of snowcapped mountains or wondrous urban skylines: his own image in a word, his anticipated image, which speaks only about him but carries another name (Auge 2008).10 A constructed review by user or advertised in tourist style documents is perhaps more susceptible to lure the tourist towards an architecturally renowned building, however wide spread publications can encourage more opinion and emotion.

6 Retrieved 15-‐03-‐17 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priming_(psychology). 7 L. Todd Rose, Kurt W. Fischer, Dynamic systems theory (Chicago, University of Chicago Press 2008)

Retrieved 17-‐06-‐17 from http://www.gse.harvard.edu/~ddl/articlesCopy/RoseFischer_DynamicSystems.2008.pdf. 8 Derren Brown, Pushed to the edge, retrieved 30-‐03-‐17 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3a21wiRtTs. 9 Robin Evans, Translations from Drawing to Building (Massachusetts, MIT Press 1997) 244. 10 Marc Auge, Non-‐Places – An Introduction to Supermodernity (London : New York, Verso 2008) 70.

Publications Written pieces that are published concerning buildings encapsulate a thought or movement within a period of time. The thought however is forever present. As Hugo (1833) puts it, ‘in its printed form, thought is more imperishable than ever; it is volatile, irresistible, indestructible. It is mingled with the air.’1 This is made even more prominent when made publically available online. Recent articles featuring the aforementioned case studies have been made available on design webpages, but other stories have made mainstream media. Publications can potentially be more powerful and thought provoking than the architectural experience itself. Since the investor Remo Stoffel bought the Therme Vals complex in 2012, Zumthor’s design has been thrust back into the public eye. Dezeen have released eight articles alone within the past two years. The majority feature the outrageous and controversially proposed skyscraper extension. One article in particular however focuses on newly released images by photographer Fernando Guerra. The owner will have no doubt commissioned the photographer and sent the article to Dezeen for them to publish and re-advertise. The photos are without question immaculate, but simultaneously still reveal a somewhat true image of the place. Certain perfected and heavily edited photos of architecturally rich buildings often showcase the design in its best light. The following comment offers a good point, ‘…it would be hard to make an ugly photo there. But I can't see why these photos are worthy of publishing.’ 2 The debate regarding advertising and editing of the image, can still be controversial especially when people feel as if they have been sold a false image of the place. Instead of being a lived and embodied existential metaphor, today’s architecture tends to project purely retinal images, architectural pictures as it were, for the seduction on the eye (Pallasmaa 2001).3 When an image is seen before the visit, it not only primes the visit, but primes a certain false expectation. The photos act as ‘supersaturation’4 or an ‘unending rainfall of images’5 as Calvina puts it. Seeing too many images paints a rounded view of the spaces, where the visual experience no longer becomes a surprise. Additionally ‘supersaturation’ occurs in experiencing spaces. The more you experience, the more you learn. Subsequently this prompts more comparisons. Mlodinow suggests that the unconscious mind and previous memories heavily rule the experience.6 Ultimately by not having as many memories, more experiences in the future come as a surprise. The most beautiful things generally come as a surprise (Zumthor 2016).7 So when experiencing the Therme Vals, many will compare their

1 Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, This will kill that (1833) retrieved 17-‐05-‐17 from:

http://www.online-‐literature.com/victor_hugo/hunchback_notre_dame/24/. 2 Retrieved 31-‐03-‐17, user named ‘artyvisual’, from: https://www.dezeen.com/2016/09/25/peter-‐ zumthor-‐therme-‐vals-‐spa-‐baths-‐photography-‐fernando-‐guerra/. 3 Juhani Pallasmaa, The Architecture of Image: Existential Space in Cinema (Helsinki, Rakennustieto 2001). 4 Todd Gitlin, Media Unlimited: How the Torrent of Images and Sounds Overwhelms our lives (London, Picador 2007). 5 Italo Calvina, Six Memos for the Next Millennium (New York, Vintage 1988) 57. Cited from Juhani Pallasma, The Eyes of the Skin (Chinchester, Wiley 2005) 21. 6 Leonard Mlodinow, Subliminal: How your unconscious mind rules your behavior (New York, Vintage 2013). 7 Peter Zumthor, Atmospheres (Basel : Boston : Berlin Birkhauser 2006) 32.

experience to a previously visited thermal baths elsewhere in Switzerland. This means the experience. in a way, has already been experienced, and the surprise vanishes. The consequences of this will be reflected on when discussing opinion.

Fig.1 Images used in the ‘Yolocaust’ project. Publically available photo published by user on Instagram (left). Edited image using the original photo (right). Shapira (2017). In mid January 2017 a project called ‘Yolocaust’ by Shahak Shapira once again brought to light the never-ending controversy surrounding the Holocaust memorial in Berlin. Twelve photos published on social media were used and edited with the backgrounds changing to shots of the aftermath of the death camps. The creator had seen people being very disrespectful, in his view and wanted to get a message across about how certain people felt. An outside view of another person’s actions through architectural experience is perceived, published and shamed. There are so many avenues to explore with this one story, but let us focus on the influence the story has on others. The ‘Yolocaust’ page had 2.5 million hits8 within the week that the photos were live. Countless stories were published online shaming the people in the photos, adding to a highly profiled debate. Future architectural experiences within the memorial will subsequently be influenced. Having scrolled back through Instagram to a few days after ‘Yolocaust’, the 27th January (Holocaust Memorial Day), very few people posted photos of themselves in the memorial. Those who did however were revealed to the wider public with people commenting ‘#yolocaust’. In contrast, hundreds of photos of the memorial alone are posted and are treated with full respect. The action of taking a photo is somewhat ignored and rather a person facing the camera within the memorial becomes the disrespectful element.

Fig.1 Shahak Shapira(2017) Images used in the ‘Yolocaust’ project, retrieved 26-‐04-‐17 from:

http://www.ufunk.net/wp-‐content/uploads/2017/01/yolocaust-‐shahak-‐shapira-‐9.jpg. 8 Figures retrieved 31-‐03-‐17 from: https://yolocaust.de/.

The Japanese architect, Tomotosi, has also documented photography in architecture by recording thousands of people taking photos and then creating collage images of people (Fig.2). Tomotosi (2017) ‘questions the influence of mass image proliferation and perception in public settings’.9

Fig.2 Image as part of the ‘Look at me closer’ series. Tomotosi (2017). The memorial is a monument and a public space. One of the most recognised and desired places in Europe, for its unique form and meaning. Where else do you find 2,711 concrete stelae in a maze like grid plan? The memorial has such contrasting emotions attached to it. The most recent media presence emphasises that it is a ‘memorial’ and people experiencing it how they wish, is offending others. Happiness and routine photography has been turned on its head. Messages such as, ‘you should feel sad here, you should reflect here, the experience should be raw without media’, seems to have been cast upon the architecture. The overall media however fuels the attraction to the site, as well as controlling aspects of the experience before the visit has even taken place. To advance toward these hidden experiences, we must penetrate the omnipresent veil of mass media (Pallasmaa 2007).10 Hidden experiences are still available in popular places, although media, virtuality and simulations make this a harder task. Take for example two recent articles. ArchDaily published a new article in April this year on a Google Earth update, which allows 3D touring accessibility to a number of Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid buildings. Dezeen in March of this year advertised a new program, which similarly gives a virtual tour of the Barcelona Pavilion. This holds particular interest when discussing experience. Experience is suggested previously to require full sensory emersion, where the user participates in a so-called atmosphere.11 These particular articles however contribute to the problem of ocularcentrism, where vision is considered the primary way of knowing. The comments made by the makers of the visualisation, ‘CL3VER’ also suggest the idea of ocularcentrism:

9 Tomotoski (2017) retrieved 31-‐03-‐17 from: http://www.designboom.com/art/tomotosi-‐look-‐at-‐me-‐

closer-‐series-‐03-‐21-‐2017/. Fig.2 Tomotosi (2017) Image used in the ‘Look at me closer’ series, retrieved 31-‐03-‐17 from: http://www.designboom.com/art/tomotosi-‐look-‐at-‐me-‐closer-‐series-‐03-‐21-‐2017/. 10 Juhani Pallasmaa, Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of architecture (San Francisco, William K Stout 2007) 40. 11 Juhani Pallasmaa , OASE, n.o 91, Building atmosphere (nai010 Publishers, Rotterdam, 2013).

3D has a great value to contextualise and evaluate an architectural project both aesthetically and functionally because it offers an interpretive tour either complementary or alternatively to the face-to-face visit.12 Although it is agreed that visualisations can be an outstanding learning tool, the obsessive nature to want to simulate, relates back to saturation of the image. The visual experience is rather crude and damaging to the first-hand experience of the pavilion, as well as being against the very nature of Mies’ pure and simple philosophy. The organisers however promote the tour and therefore host it on the front page of the Mies foundation webpage.

12 Retrieved 16-‐04-‐17 from: https://www.dezeen.com/2017/03/10/virtual-‐reality-‐tour-‐ludwig-‐mies-‐van-‐ der-‐rohe-‐barcelona-‐pavilion-‐cl3ver-‐spain/.

The Journey The previously stated section on publications paid little attention to the physical sensory experience. The following however discusses the bodily journey of the participant to each of the case studies and the role it has in the overall experience. The journey continues to prime the visit and everything that follows. The overall influence it has on the visit is intertwined with elements already discussed. The journey to the Therme Vals is arguably what makes the place so special. From Zurich, it takes three train journeys and a bus ride totaling just over three hours through the Alps to arrive in Vals. As recent as the 14th February this year, the 7132 complex very interestingly started a new blogging page on their website. This combines the following importance of the journey with publication. Two narratives are currently made available, allegedly written by the owner himself. One begins: What does it feel like to come to Vals in the evening after a day’s work and enjoy the 7132 Thermal Baths at night? Let us take you on a trip that starts in Ilanz and ends with a deep sleep.1 It appears that the owner wants to advertise the experience of the hotel by selling the journey in a narrative styled abstract. Published on social media platforms, the blog continues in a rather light hearted, non-formal manner describing the route by car: Silhouettes in the distance suggest the rugged outline of Vals Valley. Is this really the right way? Yes – ‘Vals 10 kilometres’ it says on the sign.1 We step into the deliberately darkened lobby, where we’re greeted by piano music and a friendly receptionist.1 This continued abstract gives a great insight into the owners’ thoughts. There is no doubt in my mind, and in many people who have visited the Therme Vals, that the journey is a scenic adventure, full of qualities. The journey becomes the initial movement, which calms the mind and is the ultimate preparation or priming to lead to a relaxing few days in the Alps. The location here holds the importance. Hypothetically speaking, if the building was only 30 minutes away from Zurich, but the contextual characteristics remained the same, would the end experience be the same? Kahneman (2011) similarly raises an important point about the qualities of the journey when experiencing: Many point out that they would not… climb mountains or trek through the jungle—because these experiences are mostly painful in real time and gain value from the expectation that both the pain and the joy of reaching the goal will be memorable.2 The journey narrative, is compatible with the double necessity of ‘doing’ and ‘seeing’ (Auge 2008).3

1 Retrieved 19-‐03-‐17 from: http://7132.com/en/blog. 2 Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2011) 316. 3 Marc Auge, Non-‐Places – An Introduction to Supermodernity (London : New York, Verso 2008) 65.

The priming and length of the journey, as seen with the Therme Vals, can work in favor when creating a unique experience. Contrary to this a lack of journey or in fact an exuberant trip can have reversed effects on an individual building experience. This occurred during my experience of the Barcelona Pavilion. Just over three years ago, in the second year of studying architecture, a memorable four-day trip in Barcelona rejuvenated and enhanced a desire to explore whilst in architectural education. The trip or rather moments within the journey, have commonly emerged from the mind and into thinking, over the last few years. It will be a surprise to some, that the experience of the pavilion was lost for many months, stating it arguably a forgetful experience. Of course a memory is never lost. It is suggested that there is simply an inability in ourselves to be able to recall certain memories.4 Bergson uses the term, ‘content-retrievable’, to suggest that it is possible to retrieve memories as they are all produced. Some may be more accurate than others, but are not truly original because they are self-created. These memories of the pavilion, through more recent discussions, have been reintroduced or rather re-created. By disregarding the visit itself, two alternatives can be presented with which the journey primed the visit. One being the journey from the hostel to the pavilion, and the other being the immersive journey that followed. Within a quick high tempo morning, with plenty of action and plenty to think about, it can only be imagined that the thought process was rather distracted from architectural thinking or preparation. Group discussions about the previous day exploring and any plans for the upcoming day will have no doubt taken place. A sense of disorientation of the mind could have occurred. Perception flattens. Time spent with buildings diminishes. Seen in succession, images superimpose upon one another and buildings are evaluated less by their weight and presence than by their fluctuating outlines (Schwarzer 2004).5 The journey that followed the visit continued in a similar fashion. Acting similar to the typical tourist, we chased around the city absorbing as much of the city as we could within the limited time frame. Post architectural reflection came and went, with any reflections being taken up with new events and greater experiences. A city is never seen as a totality, but as an aggregate of experiences, animated by use, by overlapping perspectives, changing, light, sounds and smells (Holl 2007).6 As both Schwarzer and Holl point out, perception flattens and even disappears in some places. To conclude, it should be clear that this lack of awareness within the journey of the Barcelona pavilion is much more likely to occur here, than at the secluded Therme Vals, where journeys from one visitor to another are of a similar nature. In this scenario, the bodily experience within visiting a new city becomes over saturated. Simmel (1903) describes this as a blasé city attitude:

4 Retrieved 27-‐04-‐17 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recall_(memory).

5 Mitchell Schwarzer, Zoomscape: Architecture in Motion and Media (New York, Princeton Architectural

Press 2004) 12. 6 Steven Holl, Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture (San Francisco, William K Stout 2007) 130.

An immoderately sensuous life makes one blasé because it stimulates the nerves to their utmost reactivity until they finally can no longer produce any reaction at all.7 The pre visit experience is not only defined by the aforementioned points, but is a complex, intertwined series of factors. Many contributors can influence a succeeding experience. Barad uses the term ‘intra-action’ to describe influences in phenomenon. It is suggested that different elements co-interact in constitutive ways. Individual elements materialise through interactions and the ability to act emerges from within, rather than from the outside.8 Many often refer to architectural experiences being the fact of the situation. Alternatively this section refers to the secondary experiences or ‘intra-actions’ dominating the primary or bodily experiences that follow.

7 Georg Simmel, The Metropolis and Mental Life (Chicago, University of Chicago Press 1903) 14. 8 Retrieved 18-‐06-‐17 from Stacey Kerr, Three Minute Theory: What is Intra-‐Action? (2014)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0SnstJoEec

Part 2 - The Visit The visitation of a building encompasses many aspects that define the experience. Bergson narrows this down to two forms. Perception and memory is mixed to from our experience itself, our representation.1 As previously discussed, the memory aspect entails a large fragment of the period before visiting. Let us now focus on the perception. The success or rather the quality of architecture in some sense is determined by personalised criteria. When the user thinks about architecture, form, matter and comfort are the common characteristics that are recognised. Bohme describes these experienced features to be ‘second rank’.2 More architectural terms such as geometry, sustainability, materiality and atmosphere however are more powerful concepts within the architecturally minded person. The judgement, perception and therefore experience of the building is often very different between professional and non professional. A set of cartoon images recently produced by ‘Leewardists’ and featured on Archdaily highlights this point in a more comical style: But what happens when an architect visits the Taj Mahal? The experience of being in the presence of this wonder of the modern world must surely be so humbling that even he or she can do no more than stand in awe like any regular person... right? 3

Fig.1 Cartoon series illustrating how common people, stereotype tourists and architects see the Taj Mahal. Leewardists (2017). Although the images are rather playful, and the message lacks justification, the images and thoughts highlight that more attention is being drawn towards the wider differential gap in experiences.

1 Gillet Deleuze, Bergsonism, translated by Hugh Tomlinson and Barbara Habberjam (Zone Books, New York

1991)26. 2 Gernot Bohme, OASE, n.o 91, Building atmosphere (nai010 Publishers, Rotterdam, 2013). 3 + Fig 1 ‘Leewardists’, Visiting the Taj Mahal: Regular People vs. Architects. Retrieved 18-‐04 -‐17 from: http://www.archdaily.com/867565/visiting-‐the-‐taj-‐mahal-‐regular-‐people-‐vs-‐architects.

Seeing versus looking There is a very strong tendency in vision to grasp and fixate, to reify and totalise: a tendency to dominate, secure, and control (Levin 1993).4 The art of ‘seeing’ rather than ‘looking’ is widely discussed in theory. ‘Seeing’ involves using vision to understand an object through varying degrees of detail by using different conceptual knowledge relating to the said piece. There is very much an inside knowledge that is needed in order to ‘see’ something. When being applied to architecture, it takes an understanding of consciousness, a designer’s eye and a mind frame of continuous questioning. Seeing is paired together with knowing, yet behind every glance is a judgement.5 The Therme Vals is the most recent personal visit out of the three case studies. Whilst on the voyage through the Swiss mountains, a stop in Chur allowed for a scenic walk down to the towns’ art gallery. The knowledge gained from recent lectures by Patrick Healy and Mark Pimlott on the skill of ‘seeing’ were beneficial and very present in the mind whilst on the trip. The range of paintings and images were interesting to experience, however it was a matter of ‘looking’ rather than ‘seeing’. The underlining fault was the neutral interest, quantity of exhibits and being in a less attentive mood. By not being able to see the details, the experience of individual pieces became blurred into one whole experience. A certain amount of time is required for the viewing of any work of art. It is said that the average person spends only ten seconds looking at each work in a gallery or museum. This is not nearly long enough to really ‘see’ them (Zelanski 2010).6 Learning different ways of ‘seeing’ later became a benefit when experiencing the Therme Vals. The baths are an enclosure, a shell where ‘seeing’ is made more possible. Usual every day necessities such as clothing, time, food, and electronics are kept to a minimum, or stripped to the basics. Distractions are prevented and the raw architectural experience is thrust upon the user. Forced exploration prompts conscious thinking, whilst collective relaxation forms a unique atmosphere. Even in the Therme Vals however, perceptions are changeable. Immanuel Kant expressed a view of ‘ideasthesia’ and sensing concepts, where he argued that one can only experience the world if the appropriate concepts on the object of subject are experienced. ‘Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind’7. It is rather interesting to apply this quote to experiences today, as opposed to applying it to when first written, over two hundred years ago. Continuing to implement this to ‘seeing’ however, it is suggesting you may only ‘see’ if you study. There is rather more to perceptions than this. Feyneman (1981) argues that beauty can be recognised by anyone and in any sense of scale. Knowledge can only add to

4 David Levin, 'Decline and Fall -‐ Ocularcentrism in Heidegger's Reading of the History of Metaphysics',

(1993) 205. Cited from Juhani Pallasma, The Eyes of the Skin (Chinchester, Wiley 2005) 17. 5 Retrieved 21-‐04-‐17 from John Berger, Ways of Seeing episode 2 (1972) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pDE4VX_9Kk. 6 Paul Zelanski, The art of seeing (New York, Pearson 2010) 167. 7 Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, translated by Paul Guyer and Allan W. Wood (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 1999) 193-‐194.

the attraction of something. A lack of knowledge does not subtract.8 Furthermore, the idea of beauty is of course imaginary, abstract and different from person to person. You can learn about beauty and architecture by experiencing the better, but are you learning the concepts by doing so? Examples of this occurring will be highlighted in the following chapter. The pavilion experience, similar to many of my colleagues, felt disappointing at the time. One of the few memories of the experience was of a particular conversation whilst leant over the wall staring into the reflective water. One comment went something like, ‘It feels as though it’s a bit like, ‘is this it’… I didn’t expect the setting to be like this.’ The strength of the expectation ruled the experience. It was almost as if the visual beauty had already been experienced through previous imagery. Perhaps my inability to intellectually observe the structure in front of me became the problem, a lack of being able to ‘see’ the concepts. Admittedly very little was known about the pavilion itself. The element of prestige that the pavilion had was known with the amount of mentions it gained in class by both tutors and other students. Having now read detailed analysis on the Pavilion from Robin Evans it is perhaps more appropriate that a second visit is made to gain an improved architectural experience. Following similar theories on ‘looking’ and ‘seeing’, Ryle uses ‘knowing how’ and ‘knowing that’.9 In this case it could also be argued that with intellectual knowledge on architecture. The ways in which to experience a building from an architectural point of view were known, but the first-hand experience in order to ‘know’ was not there yet. Ryle uses the example of the chess player, a master could teach a person who has never played before everything that is needed to become a master of that game. In the first game however, the player still acts as a novice. They know how to play well, but have yet to apply that knowledge enough. It could be suggested that this occurred with this visit. In his discussions on ‘knowing’ Ryle (1945) also says: Intelligently to do something (whether internally or externally) is not to do two things, one "in our heads" and the other perhaps in the outside world; it is to do one thing in a certain manner.8 What Ryle is referring to here is what Clark and Chalmers refer to as the ‘extended mind’, surrounding objects function as part of the mind. Hale also argues, ‘seeing’ and experiencing architecture is more of an unconscious procedure. All these connections are invisible, almost invisible. The eye can almost put them in. The underlying patterns are just beyond consciousness, like the intuition that created the design in the first place (Hale 1995).10 In a certain way the point can be agreed upon, however in order to even absorb thoughts both consciously and unconsciously, the element of time is even more important. The level of intelligence applied to ‘seeing’ at the three case studies directly corresponds to both the time spent at the place and also the time previously spent in education.

8 Retrieved 03-‐06-‐17 from: Richard Feynman, Ode on a Flower (1981)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSZNsIFID28. 9 Gilbert Ryle, Knowing How and Knowing That: The Presidential Address (Oxford, Blackwell 1945) 3. 10 Jonathan Hale, The old way of seeing (New York, Mariner 1995) 8.

Visit versus Staying A visit suggests an act of going to see a person or place as either a guest or tourist. One definition of a visit is to stay temporarily with (someone) or at (a place).1 No time is essentially given to a visit; all that is known is that it will be for a short period of time. That period can however range from a minute to a month. A ‘stay’ suggests a longer period of time, or to remain in the same place.2 Again no passage of time is attached to the word, but it is used when more time is available to experience. In visiting one of the three case study buildings, the visiting time may range from perhaps ten minutes to potentially ten hours. The most recent visit of the case studies was to the Therme Vals. The trip consisted of five days in total, of which three days where spent in the town and seven hours were spent in the building itself. The activity of experiencing thermal baths lends itself to take time. The function of the building alone emphasises a need to stay. The building becomes a place where everything is done slowly, as time, deadlines and reminders, which is the burden of every day life, is diminished. ‘Our world is full of mundane tasks from which we must free ourselves; our ordinary lives are laden with devices which divide our attentions’ (Pallasmaa 2007)3. Rather than speaking about the architecture itself, the function alone prompts the act of staying, seeing more and experiencing more. Experience always gives us a composite of space and duration.4 The ability to explore and feel a need to experiment is available only when the initial duration is extended. For example, spending ten minutes sat on every chair, ten minutes looking through each window or even following every circulation route available, allows for this said bodily experimentation. Using senses in every part of the building, distinguishing individual spaces and then collating that into the whole. Tourists also compulsively touch, tap or scratch the buildings and things they visit. To really be there also means to experience the resistance of things and to experience one’s own physical status in this resistance (Bohme 2013).5 People staying in the Therme Vals would perhaps not call themselves tourists as such, but what staying within a baths does do is force the skin to touch the building. The bare feet have to touch the stone. The difference between rough and the smooth will be felt and the skin will directly feel every change in temperature. These experiences through time are so much more possible in the Therme Vals, than arguably anywhere else visited. With a visit you are usually encouraged to move through a space, which prohibits any real moment where you ‘stay’. This is increasingly prominent in museum architecture and also in the Holocaust museum, which lies beneath the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin. The memorial itself in my opinion encourages movement. The objects of the stelae are no longer spatial molds, but form temporal modulation.

1 Oxford Dictionary, retrieved 19-‐05-‐17 from: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/visit 2 Oxford Dictionary, retrieved 19-‐05-‐17 from: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/stay 3 Juhani Pallasmaa, Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of architecture (San Francisco, William K Stout

2007) 40. 4 Gillet Deleuze, Bergsonism, translated by Hugh Tomlinson and Barbara Habberjam(Zone Books, New York 1991) 37. 5 Gernot Bohme, OASE, n.o 91, Building atmosphere (nai010 Publishers, Rotterdam, 2013) 31.

As form becomes formation, object becomes event.6 The passageways between stelae are only wide enough for the single person to pass, creating haptic spaces. Stopping whilst inside can create an awkward interaction when another passes by. The grid plan structure also reduces the likelihood of experiencing the whole. A quote by Holl (2007) is particularly relevant, ‘a single work of architecture is rarely experienced in its totality but as a series of partial views and synthesised experiences.’7 It is usually recognised that if you wish to stay or rest in a space, you usually have to sit. The raised concrete stelae around the perimeter of the memorial form multiple bench high sitting spots. As discussed previously however memorial interaction is disputed. Sitting on one of the concrete blocks could easily offend another member of the public. Experiencing both the memorial and the museum meant that two or three hours were spent within the design, however on other occasions it is seen that tourists simply visit the memorial alone and perhaps spend less than half an hour within the space. Out of the three case studies the Barcelona Pavilion was experienced in the shortest amount of time and in the largest group. By being in such a vibrant architectural city Barcelona was open for exploration, so the conviction to spend hours at the same place was very low. The activity around the pavilion, whilst experiencing was minimal and so the lack of time within the place meant that a swift exit was made. Although there may be a lack of time when visiting, Kahnman (2011) suggests that time at place is not necessarily restricted: The time that people spend dwelling on a memorable moment should be included in its duration, adding to its weight. A moment can also gain importance by altering the experience of subsequent moments.8 As stated in previous discussions on memory of place however, it was concluded that the memories gained from such a short and rare visit were not prominent enough. The moments were not triggered within the memory and so the additional time spent reliving was non-existent. Ironically however, it must be stated that whilst thinking and writing about this very piece at this moment in time, the time experiencing the pavilion is increasing.

6 Betti Marenko, Jamie Brasset, Deleuze and Design (Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press 2015) 7 Steven Holl, Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture (San Francisco, William K Stout

2007) 130. 8 Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2011) 331.

Alone versus in Company When experiencing architecture of a similar nature to the three concerned case studies, it is an accepted procedure that you will see and interact with others. A building can never be seen as a stand-alone object, unless seen as a drawing or in virtual space. It is designed and built to be experienced. You can experience with others in a closer proximity and this becomes a distinctive thing that can change from one building to another. Do you experience with friends, your partner, your family or individually? Maybe you begin to experience with a friend, but then interact with others as move through the building. Similarly you can begin alone and continue experiencing with another. It is this human interaction, which plays a vital role in the experience. It is rare sight to see people experience a building alone. The fact is that people prefer company. Evolution has taught us it is safer to be one of a crowd.1 Thinking personally, being alone is enjoyed, but experiencing an extraordinary building alone is incredibly rare. To experience any building for a length of time alone is also equally unusual, but with the visit of the Therme Vals, this changed. For presumably one of the first times, seven hours had been spent in a unique building, having said only one sentence. The rest of the time was pure relaxation and progressive thinking. After recollecting the experience, Laing’s (2016) argument is very much believable. The idea that loneliness might be taking you towards an otherwise unreachable experience of reality.2 The idea of being left alone with architecture is almost an ideal scenario, where the truth of the architecture is allowed to reveal itself. In the baths, you become striped of the everyday necessities and any knowledge of time and are left with the mind, water and stone. The design of separated spaces allows for this loneliness. It is argued by some that to experience only architecture, is to keep conditions constant. Skinner refers to this in the behaviourism theory, where continuous modulation, one of light and the other of people, is somehow controlled within a template. A second requirement would be that one can only enter the space alone, that is, no other people should be present in the space as they would become part of the environment and thus influence the experience of the subject (Minter 2013).3 Although it is talked about entering alone and having no close company, the presence of other inhabitance within space still remains throughout the day at the Therme Vals. Not everyone thinks alike within this surreal atmosphere that the architecture creates and so actions of others affect everyone’s personal thoughts. The way in which the user thinks when experiencing, or ‘thinking-feeling’ as Massumi puts it, is largely dependent on the action, but is also dependent on others. Studies

1 Derren Brown, Pushed to the edge, retrieved 30-‐03-‐17 from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3a21wiRtTs.

2 Olivia Laing, The Lonely City, Adventures in the Art of Being Alone (Edinburgh : London, Canongate 2016) 4. 3 Charlie Minter, Towards an Architecture of Experience (Master’s Thesis, Tu Delft, 2013) Retrieved from

https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:3d2c648d-‐09d6-‐406e-‐b114-‐ 3254290854dd?collection=education. 21.

suggest that over two thousand thoughts can pass through the mind over an hour.4 Sure there is the environment you are in which is thought about, but also the people. Small talk, especially in groups is something, which acts as a distraction. The need to talk is especially common in groups of friends. The holocaust memorial in Berlin is in between the two opposites of the other two case studies, being alone and being in a group. Here it was experienced with my father. Whilst being with someone else there is always a connection whilst experiencing. The connection may only be through thought. Whilst taking different paths in the memorial, a thought will occasionally appear considering where the other person is. The idea of not being alone continuously arises. ‘I hope I haven’t drifted to far away, I hope I haven’t lost him, I hope he knows I am around here.’ Compulsive thoughts are always present within an experience with another. Depending on the individual these thoughts can be more or less predominant, but are almost instinctive and inescapable. Thoughts and feelings belong not strictly to the person, but to the whole situation (Robinson 2015).5 They belong to the architecture whilst experiencing. This element creates, what is commonly referred to by Zumthor and Pallasmaa, as an ‘atmosphere’. Atmosphere can perhaps be seen as the essence of architecture6, or something that can be understood as a notion that addresses architectural quality7. This atmosphere is often only created when people are involved. Recollecting back to the experience of the Barcelona Pavilion, by being in a group of around thirty people, a lively atmosphere was created. Atmospheres are generally also social phenomena, felt and spread by more than one person, requiring completion.8 Potentially the more people you experience with, the more unpredictable events and the increased element of surprise. This kind of surprising element can equally involve or disregard architecture. In the experience of the real, a whole series of unpredictable and intangible effects can be produced.9 Ultimately these thoughts become part of the experience. Let us not suggest that they defer from the experience itself. What they often do is distract attention and reduce conscious thoughts and actions. In an ideal scenario in order to truly experience architecture, it should form a background with which to make decisions. Instead, what regularly happens is that the thinking of others, controls our actions. Too much concern about how well one is doing in a task sometimes disrupts performance by loading short-term memory with pointless anxious thoughts (Kahneman 2011).10 With the idea of experiencing alone, perhaps a more truthful judgement can be made on the architectural experience.

4 Retrieved 07-‐06-‐17 from: http://www.successconsciousness.com/blog/inner-‐peace/how-‐many-‐

thoughts-‐does-‐your-‐mind-‐think-‐in-‐one-‐hour/ 5 Sarah Robinson, Architecture and Empathy, Boundaries of Skin (Helsinki, Oy Nord Print Ab 2015) 45. 6 Mark Wigley, The Architecture of Atmosphere, Daidalos, no.68 (1998). 7 Klaske Havik, Hans Teerds, Gus Tielens, OASE, n.o 91, Building atmosphere (nai010 Publishers, Rotterdam, 2013). 8 Stuart Grant, Performing and Aesthetics of Atmospheres (2013) 21. 9 Stan Allen, Mapping the Unnameable: On Notation (London, Routledge 2009) 32. 10 Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2011) 35.

Part 3 - After Visiting A judgement, perception or opinion will be made after the event of a visit. Usually these afterthoughts are kept to one’s self when visiting a regular place on a day-today basis. The three case studies are architecturally profound and therefore encourage more of an observation to be made on the place. An observation is based on self-immersion1 and so could occur at any point in time. Any sense of an architectural observation may occur at any time. It could be in a short conversation directly after, it could occur the day after when writing reviews online or a change of judgement could be made years down the line when the memory of experience is triggered. As stated previously, the experience of a building occurs before, during and after. The stages after can be seen as continuous. Judgements on the experience will no doubt change through time as different memories of space are triggered and new stories from others occur. Judgements on buildings, both by the professional and public are regularly available online. Expressing Opinion Online The instant reaction after visiting one of the three case studies, for many people, is to share or reflect on their experience. The idea of sharing something online is becoming the social norm, as it becomes almost a competition to acquire views or likes. Without sharing, the proof of vising is not present. More often than not, experiences are now being shared online with maybe a single photo or a single line of text. The more reflective individuals take to writing blogs or writing reviews for all to see. This initial reaction is incredibly important as it forms a snapshot of a spatial experience, where an interpretation is given. A judgement made of architecture through an online source, is not necessarily an observation. The user is no longer in the presence of the building and so the written piece therefore becomes an interpretation based upon memory. These memories are looked back upon and the user then decides how to interpret those and make a judgement. The importance of atmosphere is also partially lost. As stated by Grant (2013), atmospheres only be analysed, rendered, and reported from within.2 Users can highlight or neglect equally important points throughout the review or opinion. The written pieces are therefore often exaggerated one way or another. To be able to write the ‘truth’ without being present in the experience, is much more difficult. This ‘classic’ style of writing as stated by Turner(1996)3 is much harder to perfect than is often assumed. Let us focus on two webpages in particular, ‘Instagram’ and ‘Tripadvisor’. Whilst Tripadvisor is tailored more towards users reviewing destinations, hotels and restaurants, Instagram is simply a photo sharing site, where users can express a judgement through a single image and description to wider audiences. The site is the 19th most visited site worldwide.4 User photos of the three case studies can be found by searching, ‘#barcelonapavilion’ (7,000 results), ‘#holocaustmemorial’ (72,000 results, of which approximately 70% relate to the memorial in Berlin) and ‘#thermevals’ (2,700 results).5 Many more user posts relating to each of the case studies can be found using different searches, but these three are seen to be the

1 Maurice Merleau-‐Ponty,

Phenomenology of Perception, translated by Colin Smith (London : New York, Routledge 2013). 2 Stuart Grant, Performing and Aesthetics of Atmospheres (2013) 27. 3 Mark Turner, Clear and Simple as the Truth (Princeton, Princeton University Press 1996) 4 Figures retrieved 26-‐05-‐17 from: http://www.alexa.com/topsites 5 Figures retrieved 26-‐05-‐17 from: https://www.instagram.com/explore/

most popular titles to used. This shows the popularity of sharing an experience. It holds a strong influence throughout the entire process of the experience. To read hundreds of different comments, based on experience, on a single building is perhaps one of the most interesting things for an architecture student. Certain judgements made by ordinary people are sometimes very surprising, whilst others point out judgements on architecture that perhaps an architect would not make. Within the reviews of the Therme Vals, numerous remarks pay attention to the cost. Many others also make comparisons to other Swiss baths in order to form a more valid and perhaps truthful opinion. Let us start by casting attention towards the concern of cost. There are a few things associated with paying and experiencing. First of all, in most experiences, payment comes first. This leads back to the process of the experience. Entering the building and finding out a cost to experience is one of the first events. This can no doubt prime the user’s upcoming experience. Kahneman describes this being the ‘anchoring effect’, it occurs when people consider a particular value for an unknown quantity before estimating that quantity.6 An initial judgement will be based on cost. This cost will be attached to an expectation of an experience. It will then be used throughout to dictate whether it was good value for money. A certain price tag brings with it an expectation. If the expectation is not quite met, then a negative feeling occurs, which influences the overall experience. For some, the cost can have a much larger impact on the experience than on others. The overall positivity or negativity within certain individuals often decides this.

Fig.1

7 8

6 Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2011) 118. Fig.1 Table made by auther comparing the number of reviews on Tripadvisor that mention price negatively

between the Barcelona Pavilion and Therme Vals. Statistics based on self analysis of comments retrieved 27-‐05-‐17 from: https://www.tripadvisor.com 7 (Left) Figures retrieved 27-‐05-‐17 from: http://miesbcn.com/the-‐pavilion/general-‐information/ 8 (Right) Figures retrieved 27-‐05-‐17 from: http://www.vals.ch/en/activity-‐relaxation/offer-‐ description/offer/therme/

Figure 1 clearly highlights the impact that the cost can have in the perception and judgement of an experience. Out of all the possible points with which to include in the review, 43% in the reviews made about the Therme Vals, felt a need to highlight the price being a negative contributor in the experience. In my particular case, the cost was actually reversed into a positive. The price was researched well in advance and the interpretation was that the price would be €73, as advertised. It was only made explicit upon entering that when staying in a local hotel, the price was halved. This refers to the theory on ‘loss aversion’ and the priming of a feeling. What is also made clear in the analysis is that even though the negativity of the cost is acknowledged by some, many still continue to rate the experience highly. Therefore, the way in which an overall experience has to be clearly rated between one and five is also an interesting procedure to question.

Fig.2

Series of pie charts comparing the ratings given to the three case studies by people of different nationalities. Rankings of experiences are also fascinating to study and analyse. The idea of ranking something makes two peoples opinions appear to be given upon the same conditions. It almost implies that everything remains consistent. It overlooks so many factors or conditions with which there is a background to the basis of the ranking. No two conditions within the experience are ever the same. Elements including weather, time, people and emotion are almost considered to be the same for everyone. Let us put forward the intriguing question, what influence does the quality of architecture

alone have on the rating? It could be suggested that the ranking of excellence is given based on a continuously changing context, which happens to be at its perceived best. A judgement appears to be based on overall output rather than on what the architecture actually is. It could be argued that to review the design of the building it should remain consistent. For a space in a building to remain constant, it would be required to be lighted by artificial light since any windows that let light in from outside would ruin the controlled environment — we would be able to see the weather, the time of day and possibly what is going on outside, which could considerably influence the behavior of the people in the space (Minter 2013).9 This is where analysing opinion has its limitations. The same limitations could be applied to every single experiential review that has ever given. The truth that the user portrays is only the truth with which they experience. The truth, for example of the enhanced shadows and vibrant colours in the Barcelona Pavilion, maybe true for one person, but not for another. The way in which the review is written can also be telling of the experience. While judgement loses its constitutive function and becomes an explanatory principle, the words ‘see’, ‘hear’, ‘feel’ lose all their meaning, since the least significant vision outruns the pure impression and thus comes under the general heading of ‘judgement' (Merleau-Ponty 2013).10 The senses of the user are rather less referred to, as opposed to perceived truth and comparisons when giving an overview of the experience. The unconscious elements within the experience remain unknown and unidentified. The majority of users fail to highlight these sensory elements and perhaps base a rating upon their predominant thoughts during the time of writing. This does not however rule out that the unconscious bodily experience is unconsciously being processed and contributing to the perception. We perceive, we remember our experiences, we make judgments, we act and in all of these endeavors we are influenced by facts we aren’t aware of.11 By selecting ten different reviews for each of the case studies, aforementioned subjects become particularly interesting. All of the selected passages in one way or another refer to and support previously mentioned points.

Fig.2 Diagram made by author based on statistics retrieved 27-‐05-‐17 from: https://www.tripadvisor.com 9 Charlie Minter, Towards an Architecture of Experience (Master’s Thesis, Tu Delft, 2013) Retrieved from

https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:3d2c648d-‐09d6-‐406e-‐b114-‐ 3254290854dd?collection=education. 21. 10 Maurice Merleau-‐Ponty, Phenomenology of Perception, translated by Colin Smith (London : New York, Routledge 2013) 39. 11 Leonard Mlodinow, Subliminal: How your unconscious mind rules your behavior (New York, Vintage 2013). 29.

Tripadvisor Reviews: Pabellon Mies van der Rohe

12 Comments taken from reviews retrieved 27-‐05-‐17 from: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-‐g187497-‐

d313686-‐Reviews-‐Pabellon_Mies_van_der_Rohe-‐Barcelona_Catalonia.html. (Some comments are automatically translated using Google and therefore may be incorrectly phrased).

Tripadvisor Reviews: The Holocaust Memorial to The Murdered Jews Of Europe

13 Comments taken from reviews retrieved 27-‐05-‐17 from: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-‐g187323-‐

d617423-‐Reviews-‐The_Holocaust_Memorial_Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe-‐Berlin.html. (Some comments are automatically translated using Google and therefore may be incorrectly phrased).

Tripadvisor Reviews: Therme Vals

14 Comments taken from reviews retrieved 27-‐05-‐17 from: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-‐g954021-‐ d1907755-‐Reviews-‐7132_Therme_Vals-‐Vals_Canton_of_Graubunden_Swiss_Alps.html. (Some comments are automatically translated using Google and therefore may be incorrectly phrased).

Reinforcing Memories Online With an experience brings a memory. Without a bodily memory our capacity of memory would be impossible.1 Memories are triggered later in life and are reflected upon through imagination and thoughts. The events that were experienced many years ago or events, which were not surprising or remotely different from the norm, are often the memories that are less triggered. Ultimately the user wishes to remember as many events as possible in order to learn from the past. With the use of the photo and print, certain visual elements are more likely to be remembered. Although there are positives within education of these uses, Hugo (1833) still made the prediction that printing will kill architecture as it becomes more indestructible than architecture itself.2 The advance in technology only strengthens this idea. Perhaps the screen is also killing architecture and the experiences attached. The reasons with which people post online relating to architectural experience can be complex. The psychological element especially becomes interesting. Is it to show everyone else that you are having a good time? Is it to express opinion in a way of thanking or showing negativity to someone or something? Is it to help other people in their experience by sharing your own? Or is it simply an action to try and remember these moments? Photographs uploaded online or simply printed out, do almost all of the aforementioned things. Tourism is about helping people construct stories and collect memories. The frenetic picture taking of many tourists suggests that storing memories is often an important goal (Kahneman 2011).3 This obsessive act of storing photos and therefore images is only increasing, as the availability of cameras improves. The development of the camera being part of the mobile phone means that users can take a high quality photo any time they deem necessary. Anything that appears different, unusual, beautiful or educational may result in an image being made, stored and reflected upon. …someone who not only uses mementos to remind him, but makes a cult of them and lives in the past as if it were the present, has a disturbed relation to reality (Leach 1997).4 The experience is portrayed as an image and so the memory is repeatedly triggered through this. Subsequently the image carries the event. The reference to image and visualisation symbolises the bodily experience, feelings and everything that the event brings. Similarly, the quote by Shanken (2009); our spaces and calendars become saturated with mnemonics that undermine the way a mnemonic works in the first place5, also refers to this action casting negativity towards the lived experience of the event.

1 Edward Casey, Remembering: A Phenomenological Study, 2nd Edition (Indiana, Indiana University Press

2000). 2 Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, This will kill that. Retrieved 17-‐05-‐17 from: http://www.online-‐literature.com/victor_hugo/hunchback_notre_dame/24/. 3 Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2011) 315. 4 Neil Leach, Rethinking Architecture: A Reader in Cultural Theory (London : New York, Routledge 1997) 126. 5 Andrew Shanken, The Memory Industry and its Discontents in Spatial Recall (New York : Oxford, Routledge 2009) 238.

The judgements and opinions made through media and by individuals and the sharing of the image converts the sequence of the experience back into a cycle. The time after visiting a building becomes the time before visiting for many others, it provides a preconception of the building. With the idea of trying to capture memories and trigger certain events more often than others, the process of experiencing a unique building becomes endless until no longer living. The overall time spent experiencing a piece of architecture is unpredictable and largely an unconscious entity.

Conclusion As demonstrated, if a singular building experience is to be analysed then the full process should be considered. The piece aimed to deconstruct influencing elements, structured through time, by singling out the ‘before’, ‘during’ and ‘after’ stages to the event. These events overlap, but as Barad suggests, using the term ‘intra-action’, different elements co-interact in constitutive ways. Whilst recognising certain factors within each stage of the experience, it is important to address that these combinations are never ending. The system is an open loop, with elements being able to be both supplemented and reduced, being absorbed consciously or unconsciously. This works for individual and collective experiences a like. The cycle remains open for each event. It should be made clear that the aforementioned points made throughout the piece on experience are only partly covered. There are so many more other factors that also influence the experience. It is this quantity of different factors that attention should be drawn to. The influential factors, as demonstrated, start long before the actual event of the experience and continue long after. The bodily experience within the event of visiting a building itself is only one of the factors. Furthermore, the bodily experiences are widely different from person to person and equally, so are the judgements that follow. Spinoza uses his theory of ‘affect’, to suggest that affects define everything. Every finite thing has a capacity to affect or be affected.1 The experiential process is therefore continuous with everything affecting something else. The ‘before’ affects the ‘event’, the ‘event’ affects the ‘after’, the ‘after’ affects the ‘before’. Rather than only using Spinoza’s theory it also becomes important to use Deleuze distinction between affects and emotions to understand the experiential process in architecture. Emotions are subjective content, intensively owned and recognised.2 Emotions throughout differ from one person to another, again highlighting that no single architectural experience can ever be the same. It is clear that emotions can heavily influence the perceived experience. As a result of this piece, the validity of the singular experience should also therefore be questioned. Otero-Pailos (2009) discusses this with memory being the topic. From the perspective of personal experience, a place is not a monument until we return to it. To serve its mnemonic function we must visit it at least twice. We must first have the experience of that place, after which time must intervene in fading our recall of that first exposure. When returning, we relive our memories of that first visit, enhanced by the full vividness of the place where we first lived it.3 Whilst a single experience may not be enough, neither may multiple trips with shorter durations. For an architectural bodily experience to have its influence on the participant, the passage of time should be much greater. This allows senses to be more attentive and focused on space and architecture.

1 Jason Read, Affective Economy: Producing and Consuming Affects in Deleuze and Guattari (2016) 105. 2 Ibid. 106. 3 Jorge Otero-‐Pailos, Mnemonic Value and Historic Preservation in Spatial Recall (New York : Oxford,

Routledge 2009) 247.

By engaging all of the senses, form and function may be more fully expressed so occupants can have deeper, more meaningful moments, interactions and experiences in the designed space (Eberhard 2004).4 With the limited research undergone in the construction of this piece it is clear that currently the duration of time spent at each one of the studies is heavily influential towards the perceived experience. The ideas of habit and saturation are discussed in the chapter based on before visiting. Media specifically is seen to dominate especially in the mentioned case studies. People tend to respond negatively to anything unfamiliar, but, overtime, what was originally shocking and unprecedented may become quite familiar and acceptable (Zelansk 2010).5 It should also be noted that habitation within the entire process of experiencing can lead to this blasé attitude which Simmel talks about. By experiencing a series of perceived ‘special’ architectural pieces, the individual can easily fall into the blasé mood. This can occur not only for a singular visit, but a longer period of time. By comparing the perceived greatest or enjoyable experiences to events that follow, a negative mindset will more than likely by triggered. Some Tripadvisor comments in the last chapter indicate this comparative process that occurs in human nature, is powerful in the process. With the increased use of technology, an increased accumulation of people continue to avoid a sense of experiencing freely through the use of only bodily actions. It is seen that the development of technological intelligence will improve the influence that the media, publications and the Internet have over the entire process. This perhaps improves overall knowledge and life as a developing entity, but punishes the bodily experience, to the point where its influence is unrecognisable. In many scenarios the senses become overcrowded with information, which compete amongst one another. The architecture regularly becomes only the backdrop. Sometimes a building is admired, sometimes it is criticised for many reasons, but very rarely is a public building thoroughly experienced. The three case studies focused on are particular pieces of architectural brilliance that are recognised globally within the architectural bubble. The piece demonstrates that at even these locations the bodily experience of experiencing architecture becomes rather redundant and the experience becomes constructed by so many more factors.

4 John P Eberhard, Brain Landscape: The coexistence of neuroscience and Architecture (New York, Oxford

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