UNCANNY ARCHITECTURE & THE SHADOWS WITHIN DESIGN RESEARCH / 17017786 / SIÂN TREZISE-HARDINGE
CONTENTS The research question 01 Research aims 03 Theoretical context 07 Precedents in art / architecture 10 Precedents in film
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How is the project new? 23 Design methodology 24 Ethical and practical implications 25 Research process diagram 26 Design process and reflective analysis
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Design iteration 1 28 Design iteration 2 30 Design iteration 3 32 Design iteration 4 34 Design iteration 5 36 Design iteration 6 38 Interim exhibition and presentation 45 Architectural typology of the uncanny [phases one and two] 49
CONTENTS Virtually testing the typology [phase three]
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Staircases 58 Irregular angles 59 Uncertain depths 60 Human presence 61 Mirrors 62
Obscuration of vision
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Dark space 64
Low-level lighting
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Physically applying the typology [phase four] 66 Final exhibition design 68 The unheimlich and heimlich in film
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The final exhibition
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Reflective analysis and key findings
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Conclusion 79 Bibliography 81 Appendix A: ethical review checklist
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Appendix B: UWE photo/film consent form
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RESEARCH QUESTION: How do the effects of shadow contribute to the phenomenology of the uncanny within spaces? And can these effects be purposely replicated and materialised within architectural design?
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uncanny adjective
strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way
synonyms: eerie, unnatural, curious, supernatural, unreal
unearthly, other-worldly, ghostly, mysterious, strange -(English Oxford Dictionaries, 2018)
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RESEARCH AIMS: The aim of this design research paper is to investigate the numerous effects of shadow and their contribution to the phenomenology of the uncanny within spaces, and whether these effects can be purposely replicated and materialised within architectural design. In order to do so, an understanding of the psychological and sociological impacts of both the concept of the uncanny and the effect of shadows is required in order to fully investigate how such phenomenological theories can be replicated and implemented into the built form. The design research process will focus on capturing the unnerving, intriguing and uncanny effects of shadow by means of testing and photographing both natural and constructed scenarios. Ultimately, as a result of such interventions, an architectural typology of the uncanny will be created to act as a guide into how to design an uncanny experience and an unsettling environment through the use of shadow. The proposed spaces will be a retaliation against comfortable passivity, and will aim to evoke a sense of unease by means of heightened anxiety and unfamiliarity, for one could consider that there is a “delight through terror� (Vidler, 1994, p.41) .
SHADOW
UNCANNY TESTING
UNCANNY
SHADOW
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MATERIALISATION
UNCANNY DESIGN
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We want architecture that has more. Architecture that bleeds, that exhausts, that whirls, and even breaks. Architecture that lights up, stings, rips, and tears under stress. Architecture has to be cavernous, fiery, smooth, hard, angular, brutal, round, delicate, colourful, obscene, lustful, dreamy, attracting, repelling, wet, dry, and throbbing.
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-(Himmelblau, 1980)
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RESEARCH AIMS: To analyse and review current theoretical and architectural literature in regard to the concept of the uncanny and the effect of shadows. To investigate and test how the uncanny is perceived, and how it can be provoked on a daily basis within the home, by applying Freud’s concepts of the “heimlich” (homely) and “unheimlich” (unhomely). To constantly reiterate the value and importance of creating an uncanny experience within an architectural space, by means of relevant literature and quotations. To identify a typology of the architectural uncanny, in which shadows are the focus, by iteratively testing by means of photographs. To prove the potential ‘uncanny’ success of the proposed typology, by modelling both physically and virtually the themes identified, in order to accurately gauge whether the concept of the
uncanny can be replicated and implemented into a built form primarily through the use of shadows. To locate the architectural installations (physical models of the typology) within a home (‘heimlich’) environment to demonstrate whether they can successfully shift the space from the ‘heimlich’ to the ‘unheimlich’. The use of film will be used to capture the results and to produce an immersive final exhibition piece.
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by cutting off the light from this empty space they imparted to the world of shadows that formed there a quality of mystery and depth superior to that of any wall painting or ornament. -(Tanizaki 2001, p.33)
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THEORETICAL CONTEXT: Architecture has the potential to summon both feelings and desires, it has the power to influence and shape our perspectives and opinions. Architecture can be beautiful, inspiring and impressive, but it can also be unsettling, disturbing and other-worldly. However, with the exception of pioneering contemporary de-constructionist architects, such as Bernard Tschumi, Coop Himmelblau and Daniel Libeskind, it seems that the architecture of delight is generally prioritised over that of disturbance and the uncanny. Although delight has its merits within a certain context, the disturbing has a hidden potential that is often overlooked. By provoking a sense of uneasiness, users can feel puzzled and perplexed, which can ultimately bring about “excitement and anxiety that sparks a wild kind of imagination” (Deckers, 2015, p.20). The uncanny was first classified at the start of the 20th century, by Sigmund Freud [see Figure 1] in his article, ‘Das Unheimliche’ (Freud 1919), which is the German translation of the term. Freud defined “heimlich” as indicating somewhere reassuring and homely, whereas “unheimlich” translates as being the “absence from the home”, which can ultimately denote “a feeling of being anxious, eerie, or scary” (Deckers, 2015, p.38). It is this transformation of something that once seemed homely into something decidedly not so, from the heimlich, to the unheimlich, in which the uncanny arises (Vidler, 1992, p.6); “the homely interior that gradually turns into a vehicle of horror” (Vidler, 1992, p.36). Anthony Vidler, in his book entitled “The Architectural Uncanny: Essays in the Modern Unhomely”, explores this theory of the uncanny both as an architectural and literary device,
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HEIMLICH
UNHEIMLICH
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homely : home-like
un-homely
familiar
unfamiliar
intimate
uncomfortable
comfortable
eerie
domestic
strange
PRIVATE
UN-PRIVATE
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II.
secret
no-longer-secret
hidden
unhidden
concealed
revealed
withheld from sight
the hidden exposed
Figure 1: Freud and ‘Das Unheimliche’ (The Uncanny). (Brekelmans, 2012) 08
and also within the fields of philosophy and psychoanalysis. He believes, as Freud did, that unhomeliness is, “more than a simple sense of not belonging: it was the fundamental propensity of the familiar to turn on its owners, suddenly to become de-familiarised, de-realised, as if in a dream” (Vidler, 1992, p.7). Within the book he investigates many factors that contribute to the uncanny, including: the dismemberment of architecture, nostalgia, homesickness and the unhomely to name but a few. In his chapter entitled ‘Dark Space’ he states that humanity’s fascination with shadows stems from the late eighteenth century, where the romanticised ideas within Gothic literature gave life to a “fantasy-world of stone walls, darkness, hideouts and dungeons” (Vidler, 1992, p.169). Within the “darkest recesses and forgotten margins, all the objects of fear and phobia ... have returned” (Vidler, 1992, p.167). While light can be considered to illuminate, define and provide clarity within a space, darkness is often defined as hiding, withholding and obscuring. Junichirõ Tanizaki’s work, ‘In Praise of Shadows’, (originally written in Japanese in 1933 and then translated into English in 1977), aims to explain how shadows are the explanation for the beauty, intrigue and allure within darkness. He believes the obscurity produced by shadow is something to be worshipped and respected, as to cut out light, and to be immersed in the world of shadows, can produce a “quality of mystery and depth superior to that of any wall painting or ornament” (Tanizaki, 2001, p.33). Furthermore, as a space becomes less defined, it also becomes more limitless, which can ultimately provoke the feeling of fear as the unknown is emphasized, and your imagination takes over; Tanizaki stated that he “would feel an inexpressible chill as we peered into the depths of an alcove to which the sunlight has never penetrated” (Tanizaki, 2001, p.169).
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PRECEDENTS IN ART / ARCHITECTURE The fear of darkness appears to be universal amongst people, and is therefore considered an undesirable interior experience. For when “light fades, obscurity sets in” (Deckers, 2015, p.84). As a result, to experience obscurity is near impossible in the modern, western world. Darkness and ‘tenebrità’ (coined by Carvaggio as ‘shadowness’) have become endangered species, and as such it could be said that our spatial experiences of architecture suffer as a consequence. The work of Carvaggio [see Figure 2] uniquely starts from tenebrità and gradually works towards light- a revolution for Western artwork (As Tanizaki explained in” In Praise of Shadows” Eastern culture traditionally is far more comfortable exploring darkness and shadows). This technique exemplifies the concept of “thinking in shadows rather than clearly exposed lines…peripheral light and dominant darkness” (Deckers, 2015, p.84), a principle Ruskin taught his architecture students, and architects such as Daniel Liebeskind, Llebeus Woods, John Hedjuk, Bernard Tschumi, Frank Gehry and Coop Himmelblau (namely classified as deconstructionists) aim to integrate into their designs. Such a preference for shadows over light expresses the uncanny. Buildings that can rhythmically alternate between “light and dark, between recess and impress, between shadow and corner” ( (Deckers, 2015, p.88) create a paradoxical, unsettling experience of erratic sequences, which possess an ‘unheimlich’ undertone. The user will become hyper-alert, an active observer trapped in a tension between clarity and obscurity, and as such this experiential multiplicity should be aspired to, and hold value within current architecture. So why is it that ‘heimlich’ architecture prevails and the ‘unheimlich’ is virtually absent?
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Figure 2: Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) (Italian, 1571–1610). The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula. (Christiansen, 2017) 11
PRECEDENTS IN ART / ARCHITECTURE One answer could be that the implementation of the uncanny is a difficult thing to achieve, due to its eccentric, theoretical implications (a problem this research paper will attempt to, in part, solve by means of an architectural uncanny design typology). However, perhaps its lack of existence in contemporary architecture is linked to society’s subtle insistence of what architecture should make us feel and how it should look. By virtue of an uncanny experience, “beholders are capable of attaining a creative agency of their own, quite autonomous from the original intentions of the author” (Deckers, 2015, p.72). Therefore such rejection of the unorthodox and the unknown within architecture, could be the result of architects’ inability to risk a loss of power and control over their final ‘product’, their intentions potentially being lost to subjectivity and a lack of clarity. In contrast, the ‘de-constructionist’ architects of the 1980s pioneered the need for an architecture “where concept and experience of space abruptly coincide, where architectural fragments collide and merge in delight, where the culture of architecture is endlessly de-constructed and rules are transgressed. No metaphorical paradise here, but discomfort and the unbalancing of expectations” (Tschumi, 1977, p.214), their ambition being to undermine and de-construct traditional humanist and functional architectural discourses [see Figure 3]. A de-constructionist approach, therefore, is one aspect of ‘uncanny’ architecture, but this paper will aim to encapsulate, through a series of design iterations, how specifically the effects of shadow can contribute to the phenomenology of the uncanny, and by what means these effects be purposely replicated and materialised within architectural design.
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…when confronted by the withdrawn exteriors and disturbing interiors of the Jewish Museum…we find ourselves in a phenomenological world in which both Heidegger and Sartre would find themselves, if not exactly ‘at home’ (for that was not their preferred place), certainly in bodily and mental crisis, with any trite classical homologies between the body and the building upset by unstable axes, walls and skins torn, ripped and dangerously slashed, rooms empty of content and with uncertain or no exits or entrances. What Heidegger liked to call ‘falling into’ the uncanny, and what for Sartre was the dangerous instrumentality of objects in the world as they threatened the body and its extensions, is for Libeskind the stuff of architectural experience. -(Vidler, 2000, p.238)
Figure 3: Jewish Museum Berlin, Daniel Libeskind, 2001. (Tim, 2001) 13
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PRECEDENTS IN FILM: In the films of Alfred Hitchcock, as observed by the French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, it is not the story that necessarily compels, but the images; “the open-palmed hand reaching for the door, the simulated fall down the staircase, the whorling retreat of the camera from a dead woman’s face” (Medina, 2014). It could be said, therefore that these “stark snippets” within the cinematography are what imbues “the films with their uncanny allure”, by means of imprinting “themselves in the mind of the spectator much more effectively than any of the master’s convoluted plots” (Medina, 2014). Working in conjunction with the theory of the image, the main themes within Hitchcock’s films are his: specific architectural motifs (such as stairs, windows and doors) [see Figure 4], his narrative of suspense and voyeurism, and his presentation of the “house as an uncanny labyrinth and trap” (Jacobs, 2007, p.12) [see Figures 5 & 7]. In relation to the uncanny, as defined by Freud (refer to the theoretical context), feelings of fear and anxiety are often the result of the confrontation of the unfamiliar within the familiar. The home is a place of safety and comfort (the familiar), however Hitchcock uses this as a clever mode of trickery, a facade in which to disguise and conceal mystery, murder and fear. In his earlier work, his partiality for Victorian houses “enabled him to combine the bourgeois interior with references to the Gothic tradition” (Jacobs, 2007, p.13); for the stereotypical idea of a Victorian interior is that of a closed off, dimly lit, crammed space littered with antiques, heavy furniture and artwork that reflect the personality of the inhabitant and their tendencies for nostalgia. To quote the philosopher Walter Benjamin;
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Hitchcock made great use of domestic architectural objects like stairs... by the manipulation of symbolically charged objects. In a Hitchcock film, a door handle or a set of keys can be reimagined as one of the many “fetish objects” that precipitate a moment of suspense or psychological fracture. -(Medina, 2014)
Figure 4: Digital frame from Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’, 1960. (The Alfred Hitchcock Wiki, 2003) 15
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to dwell is to leave traces. In the interior these are accentuated... the traces of the inhabitant are imprinted in the interior. -(Benjamin, 1999)
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Within Hitchcock’s work, these objects not only embody the traces of a person, but act as symbols within a space, for he manages to take everyday objects and mask them in mystery and the subsequent feeling of the uncanny. The architecture “becomes a discontinuous montage of the known and unknown, visible and invisible spaces” (Jacobs, 2007, p.36) which all possess ghostly imprints as a result of their inhabitants usage. This concept of embodying the trace of a person will be investigated further within this paper [see Figure 8]. Interestingly, in his later films, Hitchcock wanted to bring “murder back into the American home where it had always belonged” (Naremore, 2001) and focussed on more modernist structures- for when a seemingly open, simple and free interior still manages to embody fear, this disconcerting contrast only further emphasises the theory of the uncanny. Such juxtaposition of an intimate interior with the theme of the home being a site of disturbance [see Figure 5], is supported by Anthony Vidler
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who stated; the uncanny might be characterized as the quintessential bourgeois kind of fear: one carefully bounded by the limits of real material security and the pleasure principle afforded by a terror that was, artistically at least, kept well under control. The uncanny was, in this first incarnation, a sensation best experienced in the privacy of the interior. -(Vidler, 1992, p.54)
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Figure 5: Digital frame from Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’, 1960. (The Alfred Hitchcock Wiki, 2003)
One of Hitchcock’s favourite motifs, the staircase, which is combined with the use of strong shadows in order to create suspense and foreboding. Taking a benign household feature and inverting into an artefact of thrill and danger encourages the formation of an uncanny environment.
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Figure 6: Digital frame from Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Vertigo’, 1958. (The Alfred Hitchcock Wiki, 2003)
The strange use of colour paired with the heavy silhouette of a man contrasts with the previous frames and highlights the character’s descent into madness and a loss of reality. The uncanny can be compared with such an alien presence.
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Figure 7: Digital frame from Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’, 1963. (The Alfred Hitchcock Wiki, 2003)
Another of Hitchcock’s favourite motifs, the house as an uncanny trap. The juxtaposition of an intimate interior with the theme of the home being a site of disturbance emphasises the viewer’s sense of unease, anxiety and fear.
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Figure 8: Digital frame from Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’, 1960. (The Alfred Hitchcock Wiki, 2003)
The ghostly imprint of Norma Bates is unsettling and uncomfortable. Seeing a physical trace of an inhabitant that is no longer there provokes a sense of unease as questions arise, and a growing sense of mystery and fear.
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Figure 9: Digital frame from Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Wrong Man’, 1956. (The Alfred Hitchcock Wiki, 2003)
The use of a filmic fade insinuates the blurring of two characters, and creates an awkward juxtaopsition where neither man’s identity can be fully be comprehended. The result is unsettling as the familiarity of a face is jeopardised and unhinged, the known becomes the unknown and uncertain.
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Space is assumed to hide, in its darkest recesses and forgotten margins, all the objects of fear and phobia that have returned with such insistency to haunt the imaginations of those who have tried to stake out places to protect their health and happiness. -(Vidler, 1992, p.167)
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HOW IS THE PROJECT NEW? When considering how the uncanny is currently portrayed within architecture, a number of famous architects come to mind, specifically those who have advocated and pioneered the ‘deconstructionist’ style. Projects and buildings by Peter Eisenman, Bernard Tschumi, Daniel Libeskind and Coop Himmelblau can demonstrate qualities of the uncanny, not only in order to “criticise traditional architectural narratives” but also “to express the core of our postmodern condition” (Van der Straeten, 2003). Their preferences are for architecture to embody disquieting aesthetics not reassuring ones- a theory this paper will explore by means of investigating, analysing, extracting and implementing specific design methods in order to produce/reproduce the experience of the uncanny. This research will differ from the work undertaken by the aforementioned architects and even authors such as Anthony Vidler and Karel Deckers, as it will focus precisely on the effect of shadows, not the metaphorical destruction of the body. Literature on the topics of the uncanny and shadows, although brilliantly evocative and thought provoking, do not define, in simple terms, how the effect of the uncanny can be purposely replicated and materialised within architectural design. There are no guidelines, no design typologies, just theories and precedents. Through research and design, this paper will aim to break boundaries in the world of ‘dark architecture’, in order to articulate how designers can create a more direct interaction between users and their space by means of introducing the uncanny to challenge the banality of everyday life, for “fear lends colour to the world” (Svendsen, 2008, p.74).
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DESIGN METHODOLOGY: Investigating points of interest within the Design Studio module brief entitled, ‘Bristol Rising: Myths, Follies and Shadows’, written by Dr Sophia Banou & Matthew Hynam, in order to link studio work to the ‘Design Research’ module. Analysis and review of current theoretical and architectural literature in regard to the concept of the uncanny and the effect of shadows. Investigating and testing, through photography and physical interventions, how the uncanny is perceived and how it can be provoked on a daily basis within the home, by applying Freud’s concepts of the “heimlich” (homely) and “unheimlich” (unhomely). Highlighting and reiterating the value and importance of creating an uncanny experience within an architectural space, by means of relevant literature and quotations. As a result of iterative testing, deducing a typology for the architectural uncanny, in which shadows are the focus. Proving the potential ‘uncanny’ success of the proposed typology, by physically and virtually exploring the themes through the use of models, in order to accurately gauge whether the concept of the uncanny can be replicated and implemented into a built form primarily through the exploration of shadows. Locating the architectural installations (the physical manifestations of the typology) within a home (‘heimlich’) environment to demonstrate whether they can successfully shift the space from the ‘heimlich’ to the ‘unheimlich’. The creation of a film will capture the results and contribute to an immersive final exhibition piece.
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ETHICAL & PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS: In any research project it is vital to consider the ethical and practical implications of the research prior to initiating the work. ‘The Ethical Review Checklist’ provided by UWE, requires that the researcher considers the potential user groups that will be affected by their work, including: users/participants integral to the research, the final readers of the research and the wider community. As this paper is investigating how the effects of shadow contribute to the phenomenology of the uncanny within spaces, there is the potential that parts of the research will require evaluating participants reactions to spaces that will have low-level lighting, and be described as being unnerving, disturbing or unfamiliar. Participants will be asked to sign a disclaimer if the researcher deems it to be necessary. All potential health and safety risks will be assessed prior to user engagement. Utilising photography as an initial methodology for the iterations brings with it ethical implications that must be considered, in order to provide a valid research paper. If/when photographing members of the public, a ‘UWE Photo/Film Consent Form’ must be available to those willing to be documented [See Appndix B]. Also, according to section 8.1.2 in the ‘Good practice in publication‘ chapter of the ‘UWE Code of Good Research Conduct’, “In studies involving human participants, participants should, where appropriate, be informed of how they may access the outcomes of the study.” This will be enforced by providing the participants with a ‘UWE Public Information Sheet’. When recording information in the public realm, the researcher will be clearly positioned and will welcome any enquiries from the general public. Participants can refuse to be filmed or photographed, or there will be the option of an agreement to remove any identifiable features through the blurring of images post production. All iterations and final installations will not contain any inappropriate content.
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RESEARCH PROCESS DIAGRAM:
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
RELATE TO DESIGN STUDIO BRIEF
TYPOLOGY OF THE UNCANNY REFINE
LITERARY EVIDENCE
CHOOSE TOPIC
VIRTUAL MODELLING
RESEARCH
PROPOSITION/
LITERARY
QUESTION
REVIEWS
PHYSICAL MODELLING
ARCHITECTURAL
ITERATION
INTERVENTIONS INTO THE HOME
ANALYSIS
REFINE
HEIMLICH
UNHEIMLICH
FILM
FILM SIMULTANEOUS PROJECTION INTO
SHADOWS & UNCANNY
MODEL HOUSE
FINAL ITERATIONS
FINAL EXHIBITION
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DESIGN PROCESS AND REFLECTION ON THE THEORETICAL CONTEXT
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DESIGN ITERATION 1: After analysing the work of Junichirõ Tanizaki’s, ‘In Praise of Shadows’ (which was integral to the theoretical context of this research), I wanted to explore the effect of shadows in different lighting conditions. Tanizaki stated that in the West we reject darkness, for light is our most powerful ally. However in Japan, “darkness is an indispensable element of beauty” ((Tanizaki, 2001, p.23). He particularly praises the effect of candlelight on an alcove, therefore I wanted to investigate this theory. [ 1: Lamp & mainlight
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2: Mainlight
3: Lamp only
4: Candlelight ]
light them not with the rays of the sun or electricity but rather a single lantern or candle, suddenly those garish objects turn sombre, refined, dignified. -(Tanizaki, 2001, p.23)
REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS:
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By observing the effects of different light sources, it is clear that at lower levels of lighting the effect of the shadows produced is far more dramatic and intriguing [see Figure 10]. By removing the overhead electric light, and choosing a lower wattage, lower positioned lamp, the shadows are stronger and more visible. The candlelight produces the most eerie, otherworldly shadow due to its less defined outlined and softer projection. Note the wall colour change also.
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Figure 10: Iteration 1 (Author, 2018)
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DESIGN ITERATION 2: Following on from the previous investigation into the use of candlelight as a means of creating intrigue and mystery within shadows, by creating a greater sense of depth, I wanted to apply this technique within the familiar, ‘heimlich’ setting of my own home, in order to assess whether the uncanny can be revealed. Can the ‘unheimlich’ be provoked through merely changing the type of light source?
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wrote Freud... The uncanny [is] something which ought to have remained hidden but has come to light. -(Vidler, 1992, p.14)
REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS:
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By eliminating all artificial lighting, the candle became the focus of the space [see Figure 11], and the radius in which it illuminates. Everything else loses recognition and your vision becomes more tunnelled. Eerily, the otherwise insignificant glass in the hallway and kitchen doors became transformed by candlelight into mottled, spattering shadows which had never before been visible. This idea of the reveal is supported by Freud as representing that which is uncanny, for those unsettling patterns of shadow were only exposed when the candle was introduced. I was fascinated by the fact something I have observed for over a year could change so dramatically by means of such a simple experimental device.
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Figure 11: Iteration 2 (Author, 2018) 31
DESIGN ITERATION 3: Within the context of the ‘unheimlich’ and the ‘heimlich’ as defined by Freud, I wanted to investigate the nature of nostalgia and memory, which, according to Vidler, both contribute towards an uncanny experience. The term that best fits this exploration is ‘kenopsia’, which is the absence of a person whose trace/use is still, to an extent, visible. In relation to this term, I was immediately drawn to the
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idea of an unmade bed in which the human form is implied but not seen [see Figure 12]. kenopsia noun
the eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that’s usually bustling with people but is now
abandoned and quiet- a school hallway in the evening, an unlit office on a weekend,
vacant fairgrounds- an emotional after image that makes it seem not just empty but
hyper-empty, with a total population in the negative, who are so conspicuously
absent they glow like neon signs. -(Koenig, 2018)
REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS:
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The stark exposure of an intimate, personal space creates an unnerving atmosphere, for the heavily shadowed, contoured sheets hint at what was, but no longer is. The familiar suddenly becomes defamiliarised, and the secure and homely interior seems invaded and threatened by a presence.
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Figure 12: Iteration 3 (Author, 2018) 33
DESIGN ITERATION 4: Following on from the theory explored in ‘Design iteration 2’, of inverting the ‘heimlich’ into becoming the ‘unheimlich’, I wanted to investigate the specific role shadow played in such a transformation. Darkness has the ability to disguise the contents within a space and distort normal perception because of the ambiguity created by the blurring of boundaries, which ultimately can evoke fear of the unknown. A shadow, therefore, has the power to completely mutate and alienate a space, and therefore also its user.
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He [the architect Etienne-Louis Boullée] was equally obsessed with absolute darkness as the most powerful instrument to induce that state of fundamental terror... as the instigator of the sublime. -(Vidler, 1992, p.169)
REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS:
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By again choosing locations within my own home, it is clear the effect the strong shadows has on “the contrast between a secure and homely interior and the fearful invasion of an alien presence” (Vidler, 1992, p.1). A once cosy, welcoming scene is quickly subverted into a mysterious, sinister and unnerving space through the emphasis of light and dark areas [see Figure 13].
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Figure 13: Iteration 4 (Author, 2018) 35
DESIGN ITERATION 5: In regard to creating the uncanny by means of shadow, as explored in ‘Design iteration 4’, I proceeded to experiment with creating shadows that do not naturally occur without the aid of a focussed light source. As a design tool, by adapting the lighting (similar to ‘Design Iteration 2’), one can reveal shadows not previously visible, hence altering the atmosphere of a space.
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indeed the thin, impalpable, faltering light, picked up as though little rivers were running through the room, collecting little pools here and there, lacquers a pattern on the surface of the night itself. - (Deckers, 2015, p. 85)
REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS:
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The surface pattern the shadows create, alongside the strong contrast of light and dark areas force the viewer to engage with the spaces. As Karel Deckers states, “artificial light seems to be omnipresent, experiencing obscurity has become virtually impossible. Darkness seems to have become an endangered species” (Deckers, 2015, p. 83). Therefore by re-introducing the shadows we can, by default, re-introduce the nature of the obscure [see Figure 14].
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Figure 14: Iteration 5 (Author, 2018) 37
DESIGN ITERATION 6: When considering the inversion from the familiar to the unfamiliar, I wanted to explore how this could be utilised within photography. By inverting colour photographs, all the qualities of a positive photograph are displayed although the light areas and shadow areas have been reversed.
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Jentsch attributed the feeling of uncanniness to a fundamental insecurity brought about by a “lack of orientation,” a sense of something new, foreign, and hostile invading an old, familiar, customary world. - (Vidler, 1992, p.23)
REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS:
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The result of the inversion is very unsettling and disorientating; it is uncanny. The photographs suddenly depict an unexpected alien landscape, as one cannot predict the colour change that will occur. The lack of humanity in the scenes adds an air of the apocalyptic which heightens the sense of confusion and anxiety. Everything is literally, portrayed in a new light. By comparing the original images with the inverted, the shadows are emphasised further, thus highlighting their impact on the perception of the uncanny. The juxtaposition aims to shows how closely related the uncanny is to the familiar [see Figure 15].
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Figure 15: Iteration 6 (Author, 2018) 39
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Figure 15: Iteration 6 (Author, 2018) 40
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Figure 15: Iteration 6 (Author, 2018) 41
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Figure 15: Iteration 6 (Author, 2018) 42
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Figure 15: Iteration 6 (Author, 2018) 43
DESIGN ITERATION 6 REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS: 1: By suggesting the interior is light (safe) compared to the menacing exterior lulls the viewer into a
false sense of security- this lie creates unease. 2: The range of light and dark is eerie in monochrome, but the negative highlights the skeletal frame. 3: Composed as though an x-ray of the structure; the hidden becomes exposed which is uncanny. 4: The simple towering structures and strong shadows are uncomfortable and consuming. 5: The image seems flat, dull and unsuccessful, thus proving the necessity of shadow for the uncanny. 6: Areas of the same material result in a flat image lacking in mystery and intrigue. 7: The jagged structure is intimidating and provokes a sense of fear. 8: The more modernist and unadorned, the more surreal. Vegetation and people seem ghostly. 9: Clearly defined shadows inverse beautifully to create an other-worldly image. The foliage is a misty, reflective tangle and the colours are unsettling. 10: Strong, contrasting shadows are heightened through inversion, the colours are strange and unsettling. Something familiar is now unfamiliar. 11: Light becomes dark, the outside becomes menacing and intriguing, sparking curiosity. 12: Something as natural as planting, becomes unfamiliar and disconcerting, fantasy like. 13: Again, this is unsuccessful due to the consistent material palette and lack of shadows or depth. 14: The foreboding orange sky implies an inferno- danger. People are illuminated with an ethereal, other-worldly light, and what was hidden is shown again. 15: Extremely sci-fi aesthetic, with beautiful texture. You are immediately curious and intrigued by the ghostly patterns of shadows and figures.
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INTERIM EXHIBITION AND PRESENTATION
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INTERIM EXHIBITION: At this stage my iterations were photographs therefore I chose to print and mount them onto black card. By making them all square I wanted to create something that seemed familiar, regimented and safe but that embodied an unnerving image, hence following Freud’s theories of juxtaposing the ‘heimlich’ with the ‘unheimlich’ in at attempt to reveal something previously hidden. The square could be said to represent the window into the uncanny. This contrast of the irrational within the rational is also demonstrated by the irregular positioning of the black display boards [see Figure 16]. As an exhibition piece, the short film was a success [see Figure 17], therefore I will look into developing this type of media further. POST-INTERIM PROCESS: The next step was to extract and fully analyse all of the design iterations in order to find common themes between the production of the uncanny through the use of shadows, whether these will be in relation to; angles, contrasts, extremes, shapes, obscuration, line of vision, focus points, location, objects or user traces to name but a few. By refining what provokes the sense of unease I could then begin to apply these findings and design expressions/features of architectural design which embody the nature of the uncanny. Through the use of physical/virtual models and ultimately film, my findings were to be curated in order to produce an immersive filmic experience for the final exhibition. SHADOWS &UNCANNY
HOW?
THEME/ TYPOLOGY
MATERIALISATION
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UNCANNY ARCHITECTURE
INTERIM PRESENTATION:
Figure 16: Design Research Interim Exhibition. (Author, 2018)
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INTERIM PRESENTATION:
Figure 17: Stills taken from video in relation to ‘Iteration 2’ (Author, 2018)
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THE ARCHITECTURAL TYPOLOGY OF THE UNCANNY
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COMPARATIVE STUDY:
Obscurity of vision
Human traces
Uncertain depths
Specific, smaller focused light sources produce the most eerie shadows
ITERATION 1
The uncanny
Something that should have remained hidden has come to light
ITERATION 2
ITERATION 3
Shadows emphasised using alternative light sources Shadows formed from natural light sources Moving light sources (candles) further provoke the sense of unease
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Reintroducing the nature of the obscure
Stark contrasts of light and dark
Strong, defined patterns of shadow
ITERATION 4
ITERATION 5
ITERATION 6
The inversion of a shadow makes it the focus and disorientates Heightened angles
Creating alien environments Invasion of the home
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THE TYPOLOGY OF THE UNCANNY [PHASE 1]: Referring back to the research aims, the purpose of this design research paper is to investigate the effects of shadow and their contribution to the phenomenology of the uncanny within spaces, and whether these effects can be purposely replicated and materialised within architectural design. By focusing the iterative testing on capturing the unnerving and intriguing effects of shadow, an architectural typology of the uncanny can be formed by analysing common themes between each of the tests (as explored in the comparative iterative study). The 12 themes that have been identified are currently only speculative in terms of design, however they all possess evidential psychological underpinnings, contextual literary and film foundations and the photographic aesthetics of the uncanny. Whether represented singularly or as a combination, such themes will ultimately act as a guide into how to design an uncanny experience and an unsettling environment through the use of shadow. Furthermore, in order to prove the success of the proposed typology, (and by default discover the strong and weak areas), the themes will need to be physically modelled and tested in order to accurately gauge whether the concept of the uncanny, as the underpinning of a phenomenological theory, can successfully be replicated and implemented into a built form primarily through the exploration of shadows.
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CONCLUDING TYPOLOGIES: The following themes are main contributors of an uncanny architecture and the shadows within:
Staircases
Irregular angles
Uncertain depths
Human traces
Light / dark
Mirrors
Obscuration
Dark space
Invasion of the home
Misleading lines of vision
Level changes
Varied lighting
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REFINING THE TYPOLOGIES: Analysing the connections within the themes of an uncanny architecture and the shadows within, to eliminate overlapping typologies in order to refine ‘phase 3’ of the design application: 2
Staircases
3
Irregular angles
Uncertain depths
Human traces
1
4 7
5
Staircases
Human presence Light / dark
Mirrors
Obscuration
Dark space
Invasion of the home
Misleading lines of vision
Level changes
Varied lighting
8
Low-level lighting
6
Obscuration of vision
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TESTING THE TYPOLOGY [PHASE 2]: In order to virtually test the effectiveness of each of the proposed typologies, a standard is needed in order to compare results; in this case it will be a set of conceptual models that are modelled on the same base plinth. The concept for the base is one that will aid the demonstration of the typologies. When researching and testing how to introduce the uncanny into a space, the use of a recognisable home setting evoked the most disturbing and unsettling response- for the inversion of a place that is familiar into one that is unfamiliar is unnervingly effective. With this is mind, the base plinth of the test models will aim to express the essence of ‘home’ by embodying associated architectural stereotypes. Which primitive architectural features come to mind when we think of contemporary ‘home’?
Archetypal shape
Upstairs & downstairs
Staircases
And how can these elements be combined to produce a standardised base for testing the aforementioned uncanny typologies?
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Variation The square as a window into the uncanny
Variation 1 The formal cube as a base
Variation 2 Split into levels to represent the floors of a home
Variation 3 Introducing the staircases
Variation 4 The deconstructed home as a plinth
The grey base of the models will be adapted according to which typology is being portrayed.(e.g. variations with or without the level changes/stairways), hence acting as a control for the virtual uncanny testing process.
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VIRTUAL APPLICATION OF THE TYPOLOGY [PHASE 3]: As the research question states, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how the effect of shadows can contribute to the phenomenology of the uncanny within spaces, and whether these effects can be purposely replicated and materialised within architectural design. Focusing on the latter part of the question, it was necessary to materialise the concluding typologies into architectural elements, features and techniques in order to further develop the identifiable ‘uncanny’ themes. This progression is not only crucial in resolving the initial inquiry, but due to the fact this is a design research paper it was fundamental to convert theoretical ideas of the uncanny into legitimate, physical expressions. The use of simple 3D modelling enabled this testing of the ‘uncanny’ by the addition of various architectural features on the standardised ‘deconstructed home’ plinth. The architectural concepts that follow have all been inspired by the previous investigative research and represent ‘phase 3’ of the architectural manifestation of the uncanny typology. UNCANNY TYPOLOGY
IDENTIFY/DESIGN ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
VIRTUAL MODELLING
UNCANNY ARCHITECTURE
By identifying the architectural elements that lend themselves to these typologies, one can begin to visualise their effect within the archetypal home. In ‘phase 4’ some of these elements will be modelled fullscale and introduced to the home featured in iterations 1 to 5, in order to fully compare/test the uncanny by exploring the potential shift from the ‘heimlich’ to the ‘unheimlich’.
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CONCEPT : STAIRCASES
From researching precedents in Hitchcock’s films, the staircase is invaluable at creating suspense and foreboding fear through the use of strong shadows, repetitive shapes and the fear of the unknown (through the level change). The balustrade design has the power to influence the user’s feelings of imprisonment and entrapment.
PHASE 4:PHYSICAL IMPLEMENTATION:
1:1 vertical cardboard extensions attached to the existing balustrade to test the effect of emphasising shadows on the sense of imprisonment and fear.
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CONCEPT : IRREGULAR ANGLES
By introducing irregular angles and haphazard shapes the interior shadows should look harsh and jagged, as though sinisterly piercing the building. These frenzied motifs are often used by Deconstructivist architects to unsettle and cause discomfort to the user. At night time, by lighting the interior of this space, the windows would also fragment the darkness.
PHASE 4:PHYSICAL IMPLEMENTATION:
Covering the living room windows with pieces of cardboard that have irregular angles cut out of them, to assess whether the mood of the space becomes more sinister and uncanny with the introduction of frenzied shadows.
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CONCEPT : UNCERTAIN DEPTHS
Altering the wall depths by introducing angular convex and concave alcoves, the user should partly lose their sense of perception and depth. The result of this has the potential to be unsettling and confusing to the user especially in low level/concentrated areas of lighting. Space becomes a devouring force by which boundaries and thresholds become blurred.
PHASE 4:PHYSICAL IMPLEMENTATION:
Altering the appearance of a window with a 1:1 cardboard installation similar to the ones depicted, the aim being to create confusion in regard to the depth of the space.
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CONCEPT : HUMAN PRESENCE
Applying the concept of ‘kenopsia’ (by which the absence of a person whose trace/ use is still, to an extent, visible) introduces the nature of nostalgia and memory, which, according to Vidler both contribute towards an uncanny experience [see Iteration 3]. The encouragement of users to leave their imprint on a space, like that of a home and the
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rejection of sterile, undisturbed, untouched architecture. Pompeii seemed to many writers to exhibit the conditions of unhomeliness to the most extreme degree... as a result of its literal “burial alive”... the circumstances of its burial had allowed the traces of everyday life to survive with startling immediacy. -(Vidler, 1992, p.45)
”
PHASE 4:PHYSICAL IMPLEMENTATION:
Capturing/contrasting through the use of film, a moment in which the trace of life is present versus un-present; e.g. an unmade bed vs. a made bed, half eaten meal vs. an empty table.
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CONCEPT : MIRRORS
The use of mirrors within a space can induce a sense of confusion and disarray. The shadows and images that are reflected can impact a secondary space that is independent from its origin, through clever manipulation and positioning of mirrored surfaces. By not understanding the origin of a reflection the familiar is interjected with the unfamiliar.
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the mirror.. noted by Freud... causes a profound modification of the object, which from the familiar is transformed into the strange, and as strange something that provokes disquiet because of its absolute proximity. -(Vidler, 1992, p.222)
”
PHASE 4:PHYSICAL IMPLEMENTATION:
By positioning mirrors to show glimpses of rooms/activity that wouldn’t otherwise be seen. This invasion of a space then becomes an invasion on the users feelings of familiarity.
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CONCEPT : OBSCURATION OF VISION
Contrary to modernist belief, transparency can be used to both expose and disguise or distort. By manipulating levels of translucency, both darkness and obscurity are possible. Layering of materials with differing transparencies formulate new conditions of interiority and exteriority through the duplication of shadows [see Iteration 2].
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as Freud had implied “the feeling of the uncanny implies the return to that particular organisation of space where everything is reduced to inside and outside and where the inside is also the outside.”
”
-(Vidler, 1992, p.222)
PHASE 4:PHYSICAL IMPLEMENTATION:
Overlaying clear glass with film, with or without a pattern or texture, will alter its translucency. Everything appears more shadowy, blurred and almost ghostly allowing us “neither to stop at the surface nor to penetrate it, arresting us in a state of anxiety” (Vidler, 1992, p.223).
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CONCEPT: DARK SPACE
Darkness provokes spatial uncertainty and envelops the user, it penetrates much deeper than light. Loss of depth perception in dark spaces creates ambiguity and disturbs balance. Freud discusses this as a “pathology of de-realisation” (Vidler, 1992, p. 174) which contributes to an experience of the uncanny. As elaborated in “the praise of shadows” there is a beauty in darkness. Architects need to embrace darkness rather constantly fill dark spaces with harsh artificial light [see Iterations 1 and 4].
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[dark] space seems to be a devouring force. Space pursues them, encircles them, digests them... it ends by replacing them... the individual breaks the boundary of his skin and occupies the other side of his senses. -(Vidler, 1992, p.174)
”
PHASE 4:PHYSICAL IMPLEMENTATION:
Turning off all artificial lighting at night instantly transforms a familiar place into the unfamiliar. The user’s remaining senses are heightened as vision is diminished, creating unease. Identical scenes filmed in darkness or light demonstrate this.
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CONCEPT : LOW-LEVEL LIGHTING By observing the effects of different light sources in the previous iterations, it is clear that dimmer or concentrated levels of lighting produce far more dramatic and intriguing shadow play [see Iterations 1 and 5]. The removal of strong, overhead light, and the introduction of lower wattage, lower positioned lighting, has the power to completely mutate and alienate a space, and therefore its user, hence exemplifying the transformation from the ‘heimlich’ to the ‘unheimlich’ and the nature of the obscure.
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And among the first habits that a young architect should learn, is that of thinking in shadow, not looking at a design in miserable liney skeleton; but conceiving it as it will be when the dawn lights it, and the dusk leaves it. -(Ruskin, 1920, p.153)
”
PHASE 4:PHYSICAL IMPLEMENTATION:
Identical scenes around the home filmed in artificial light and candle light will demonstrate the effect of lower-levels of light in producing a more uncanny, alien environment.
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PHYSICAL APPLICATION OF THE TYPOLOGY [PHASE 4]: With the virtual testing of implementing the uncanny complete, the physical manifestations were introduced to the home environment in order to attempt to show how the nature of the uncanny could be made known. In order to display the findings, for the exhibition, a film of the home without these physical 1:1 interventions will be created and played alongside a secondary film of the home with the physical interventions in situ. By running these two films alongside each other the uncanny concept of turning the familiar into the unfamiliar through the use of shadow will be made explicit. Storyboards showing the physical introduction of the uncanny into the home:
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THE FINAL EXHIBITION CONCEPT: As an exhibition piece, two films will be projected into a 1:1 archetypal model of the home, constructed in MDF. The internal space has been designed to create feelings of the uncanny.
A curtain to provide sufficient darkness and bring an element of theatre to the exhibition.
The fragmented ‘unheimlich’ film. The fragmented ‘heimlich’ film. An all white interior juxtaposes the intimacy of home furnishings through a stark distilling that is disturbing and emphasises the nature of the uncanny. The stark exposure of an intimate, personal space creates an unnerving atmosphere, for the tea cup, frames and armchair hint at what was, but no longer is. The familiar suddenly becomes defamiliarised, and the secure and homely interior seems invaded and threatened by a presence. A ramped floor augments the space and makes the user feel disorientated and uneasy as soon as they enter.
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THE HEIMLICH & UNHEIMLICH IN FILM:
HEIMLICH
UNHEIMLICH
Figure 18: Stills taken from the final exhibition film (Author, 2019)
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THE HEIMLICH & UNHEIMLICH IN FILM:
Figure 18: Stills taken from the final exhibition film (Author, 2019)
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THE HEIMLICH & UNHEIMLICH IN FILM:
HEIMLICH
UNHEIMLICH
Figure 18: Stills taken from the final exhibition film (Author, 2019)
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THE FINAL EXHIBITION:
UNCANNY ARCHITECTURE & THE SHADOWS WITHIN
How do the effects of shadow contribute to the phenomenology of the uncanny within spaces? And can these effects be purposely replicated and materialised within architectural design?
Freud’s Theory of the Uncanny (Unheimliche) HEIMLICH
UNHEIMLICH
I.
I.
homely : home-like
un-homely
familiar
unfamiliar
intimate
uncomfortable
comfortable
eerie
domestic
strange
II.
II.
secret
no-longer-secret
hidden
unhidden
concealed
revealed
withheld from sight
the hidden exposed
PRIVATE
UN-PRIVATE
Please step inside this home and immerse yourself in the videos. Observe how the home can be transformed from the heimliche, to the unheimliche through manipulated shadows. Refer to the booklet for a full explanation of the theoretical and architectural development in conjunction with this
H / SEARC N RE DESIG
exhibition piece.
E RDING SE-HA TREZI SIÂN 86 / 170177
Introducing the exhibit UNCANNY ARCHITECTURE & THE SHADOWS WITHIN DESIGN RESEARCH / 17017786 / SIÂN TREZISE-HARDINGE
Research proposal
Figure 19: The final exhibition set up (Author, 2019)
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THE FINAL EXHIBITION:
Figure 20: The interior of the home (Author, 2019)
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THE FINAL EXHIBITION:
Figure 20: The interior of the home (Author, 2019)
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THE FINAL EXHIBITION:
Figure 20: The interior of the home (Author, 2019)
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THE FINAL EXHIBITION:
Figure 20: The interior of the home (Author, 2019)
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REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS AND KEY FINDINGS: The success of the final exhibition can be measured against the initial criteria set out in the research aims. I believe each target has been achieved but to varying degrees. The final exhibition piece, alongside the design iterations, effectively encapsulated and portrayed the phenomenology of the uncanny by means of constructed shadows, which were a direct result of the architectural interventions, hence validating the design research question of;
“
How do the effects of shadow contribute to the phenomenology of the uncanny within spaces? And can these effects be purposely replicated and materialised within architectural design?
By utilising the intriguing, adaptable nature of film, and combining this with an immersive viewer experience within a manipulated, unsettling home interior, the exhibition piece became a vessel of the uncanny in all its entirety. As the uncanny is something that has to be experienced in order to appreciate its full effects, it was very important that the exhibition piece was more than just a projection of a film. I wanted the users to experience the uncanny for themselves, to be consumed by the space and to become active observers. Due to the fact the archetypal house represents shelter, reassurance and enclosure, it became the obvious setting in which to present my ‘unheimlich’ findings, and “witness the fragile sense of interiority” (Deckers, 2015, p.75). Two films projected simultaneously alongside one another allowed a ‘compare and contrast’ situation whereby the viewer could easily distinguish the unsettling effects achieved by the physical
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interventions. This successfully highlighted the potential workings of the ‘unheimlich’ within architectural design in producing unexpected atmospheres that can suddenly change from reassuring to menacing. The exhibition piece, therefore, was designed to be a dual layered experience whereby the viewers were to be subtly bombarded with contradictory sensations of both the mundane and familiar (‘heimlich’), and the disquieting and unfamiliar (‘unheimlich’). Cinematically, this duality was explicitly expressed through the display of two paradoxical films. Physically, the duality was expressed by the decision to create an all white interior (including furniture); by extracting all pattern and colour from recognisable household items, reducing to zero the colour palette, but choosing a nostalgic style of furniture to further emphasise the uncanny. Kenopsia is evoked by the book and teacup and the viewers feel as though they are unwillingly invading a private, personal space. The curation of the exhibition piece required a defined space, not only for the aforementioned reasons, but also in order to create a controlled environment where darkness could be utilised, the floor could be adapted and the use of sound could be included with less interference. By introducing the repetitive noise of an old film camera rolling, the viewer is aware of sound but it does not detract from the visuals and creates a unified, multi-sensory experience that acts as a prelude to the Hitchcock style, alongside the use of heavily contrasted black and white film. On reflection, if I were to improve the exhibition piece I would test and investigate how to make the projections cover the entire interior of the house, so that the white furniture came alive with the film and the boundaries between physical and virtual became blurred and less distinguishable. The house would become an unconventional, angled and fragmented cinema screen which would enable a third layer of the uncanny experience to be possible.
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CONCLUSION: The feedback from the viewers of the exhibition space were as hoped, many commenting on the unsettling atmosphere and how they felt uncomfortable standing to watch the films. They commented that they felt like they were intruding and the films seemed clandestine. It was also expressed that the ‘unheimlich’ film was very powerful in expressing how a seemingly intimate and domestic space can be manipulated to become a vehicle of fear, anxiety and mystery. Throughout this paper, in response to my research aim, I have highlighted the value of this type of unconventional design as a source of excitement, curiosity, and heightened engagement whilst sparking new ideas about how architecture should and can make us feel. There is power in architecture that puts us on edge and rejects passivity, no matter how subtle it may be. We become more conscious of our surroundings, we tune into our senses and don’t simply rely on our eyes, thereby becoming more receptive to our place in the encompassing environment that we generally do not acknowledge or react to on a daily basis. The architecture of the uncanny grounds us and allows us to experience at a heightened level. The process of creating an architectural typology of the uncanny, by iteratively testing how shadows can be manipulated and emphasised, was a very interesting process as I had never before attempted to capture a theoretical concept within a physical, architectural form. I identified themes and commonalities between aspects that are far too often overlooked or misunderstood in design, e.g. the use of darkness and the implication of visually obscuring space, which proved to be a fascinating way of analysing my surroundings. I explored what many would consider ‘undesirable’ principles, and
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and re-evaluated their importance within architecture. This approach filtered into my design studio work and inspired me to uncover the unsettling, unfamiliar areas within my site and embrace them instead of eradicating them. As opposed to merely observing the visible, my design sought to reveal features of the site which many would keep hidden (supporting Freud’s theory of the uncanny being “something which ought to have remained hidden but has come to light� (Vidler, 1992, p.14)). I found the shadows and exploited them for their beauty. In order to further my research, I would be interested to investigate how to create uncanny architecture that went beyond that of the literal effect of shadows and the visually discernible, and embodied a more intense multi-sensory approach by creating the unfamiliar by means of textures, smells and sounds. As the very nature of the uncanny can be instilled by subtle or extreme interventions, but the experience is the heartbeat of the uncanny.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY: Christiansen, K. (2017) Caravaggio and Depicting Darkness at Noon. The Met [online] Available from: https://www. metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2017/caravaggio-darkness-at-noon [Accessed 23 April 2019] Deckers, K. (2015). An Inquiry into the re-creative Workings of the Unheimliche in Interior Architecture. Gothenburg, Sweden: Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Architecture. English Oxford Dictionaries (2018). Uncanny. English Oxford Living Dictionaries [online]. Available at: https:// en.oxforddictionaries.com [Accessed 21 November 2018] Himmelblau, C. (1980). Architecture Must Blaze. CoopHimmelblau: Wolf D. Prix & Partner [online]. Available at: http:// www.coop-himmelblau.at/architecture/philosophy/architecture-must-blaze [Accessed 21 November 2018] Jacobs, S. (2007) The Wrong House: The Architecture of Alfred Hitchcock. 010 Uitgeverij. Johnston, A. (2012) The Dark Side of Architecture. Faculty of Graduate and Post-doctoral Affairs: Carlton University. Koenig, J. (2018) Kenopsia. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows [online]. Available at: http://www. dictionaryofobscuresorrows.com/post/27720773573/kenopsia [Accessed 21 November 2018] Medina, S. (2018) Hitchcock and the Architecture of Suspense: Steven Jacobs’ new book, ‘The Wrong House,’ investigates how Alfred Hitchcock used architecture to create suspense in his films. Metropolis [online] Available from: https://www. metropolismag.com/ideas/arts-culture/hitchcock-and-the-architecture-of-suspense/ [Accessed 23 April 2019] Ruskin, J. (1920) The Seven Lamps of Architecture. London: Waverley Book Co. Svendsen, L. (2008) A Philosophy of Fear. Reaktion Books. Tanizaki, J. (2001) In Praise of Shadows. London: Vintage Classics. [1st ed. 1933] Thurmond, D. (2012) The Influence of Carl Jung’s Archetype of the Shadow On Early 20th Century Literature. Rollins College: Hamilton Holt School. Tim. (2001) Jewish Museum. Archikey [online] Available from: http://archikey.com/building/read/2680/JewishMuseum/201/ [Accessed 23 April 2019] Tschumi, B. (1977) The Pleasure of Architecture. Architectural Design. Vol 47: No 3: pp. 214-218. Van der Straeten, B. (2003) The Uncanny and the Architecture of Deconstruction. Image & Narrative [online]. Issue 5. [Accessed 21 November 2018] Vidler, A. (1992) The Architectural Uncanny: Essays in the Modern Unhomely. The MIT Press. Vidler, A. (2000) Warped Space. Art, Architecture, and Anxiety in Modern Culture. Cambridge: The MIT Press.
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APPENDIX A: ETHICAL REVIEW CHECKLIST
Faculty of Environment & Technology Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC)
CHECKLIST QUESTIONS
Ethical Review Checklist for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Modules
Yes/No Explanation
If they choose, can a participant Yes withdraw at any time (prior to a point of “no return” in the use of their data)? Are they told this?
If the participant feels uncomfortable at any point during the investigations they have the right to withdraw which will be made clear on the ‘UWE Photo/Film Consent Form’. However, the form will state a point of no return as not to waste time and collect unusable data.
Are measures in place to provide confidentiality for participants and ensure secure management and disposal of data collected from them?
No personal data will be shared without consent, if heart rate and blood pressure needs to be measured then no personal information will be published alongside the results, they will be anonymous test results. No data will be shared.
Staff and PG research students must not use this form, but should instead, if appropriate, submit a full application for ethical approval to the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC). Please provide project details and complete the checklist below. Project Details: Module name
Design Research 18sep_1
Module code
UBLMKS-30-M
Proposed project title
Rachel Sara Uncanny Architecture & The Shadows Within
Module leader Project Supervisor
Jonathan Mosely
Does the study involve people who No are particularly vulnerable or unable to give informed consent (eg, children or people with learning difficulties)?
Applicant Details: Name of Student
Sian Trezise-Hardinge
Student Number
17017786
Student’s email address
SK2-TREZISEHAR@uwe.ac.uk
CHECKLIST QUESTIONS
Yes
Could your research cause stress, No physical or psychological harm to humans or animals, or environmental damage?
Yes/No Explanation
Does the proposed project involve Yes human tissue, human participants, animals, environmental damage, or the NHS.
If the answer to this is ‘No’ then no further checks in the list need to be considered.
Will participants be clearly asked to Yes give consent to take part in the research and informed about how data collected in the research will be used?
Both test study participants and those required to be photographed as part of the design process will be given the option to obtain a ‘UWE Public Information Sheet’ and a ‘UWE Photo/Film Consent Form’.
Could any aspects of the research No lead to unethical behaviour by participants or researchers (eg, invasion of privacy, deceit, coercion, fraud, abuse)? Does the research involve the NHS No or collection or storage of human tissue (includes anything containing human cells, such as saliva and urine)? Your explanations should indicate briefly for Qs 2-4 how these requirements will be met, and for Qs 5-8 what the pertinent concerns are. • Minimal Risk: If Q 1 is answered ‘No’, then no ethics approval is needed. • Low Risk: If Qs 2-4 are answered ‘Yes’ and Qs 5-8 are answered ‘No’, then no approval is needed from the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC). However, your supervisor must approve (a) your information and consent forms (Qs 2 & 3) and (b) your measures for participant confidentiality and secure data management (Q4).
FET FREC – UG/PGR Ethical Review Module Checklist Aug 2016
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FET FREC – UG/PGR Ethical Review Module Checklist Aug 2016
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APPENDIX B: UWE PHOTO/FILM CONSENT FORM
!
Uncanny Architecture & The Shadows Within
Photo/Film Consent Form I am happy for a photograph/film of me to be used for research purposes by the University of the West of England (UWE). The aims and methods of the research have been clearly explained to me. I agree to the photograph/s or film footage to be used in online and in-print publications in the format shown to me at the time of taking. The photographs or footage will not be published alongside any other personal data (such as names and addresses). This personal data will only be stored as a record of my consent. I understand that I am free to withdraw this consent to the use of any personal data I have contributed at any time up until [02 November 2019] (contact someone from the research team below if you wish to do so). Name: Sarah Trezise-Hardinge Address: The Beehive, Main Street, Great Longstone, Derbyshire, DE451TG Email (optional): shardinge@yahoo.co.uk Phone (optional): N/A Signed [digitally]: Sarah Trezise-Hardinge Date: 02 May 2019 Researcher: Sian Trezise-Hardinge Supervisors: Jonathan Mosley (Associate Professor): Jonathan.Mosley@uwe.ac.uk Tel 0117 3283508 Dr Rachel Sara (Associate Professor): Rachel.Sara@uwe.ac.uk Tel: 0117 3283058 Dr Merate Barakat: Merate.Barakat@uwe.ac.uk Tel: 0117 3287158 Dr Sophia Banou: Sophia.Banou@uwe.ac.uk Tel: 0117 9656261 Department of Architecture & the Built Environment, University of the West of England Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY
Examples of images of the participant Sarah Trezise-Hardinge that were used in the final exhibition video.
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