A2 Graphic Design Illustrated Essay
How does architecture form your Emotional experience?
In this essay I will be talking and guiding you through my chosen essay question and showing how my research dictates the architectural understanding of an emotional experience. The time period in which I based essay question on is the 20th century as it represents the essential architecture that shows an emotional experience in the way architects built there buildings. Also answering other relevant questions like:
Do the architect’s intentions convey the emotions that are recognized in the buildings that are created? How can architects design atmospheres attuned to the concerns of the user?
Every building, sculpture and shape consists of architecture within them this makes the emotional experience worth the while to understand the building and the architecture original intentions. Architecture moves us, it exhibits different emotions. It can revoke memories, but also direct your emotions of that particular building. Like a story or a piece of music, a work of architecture can take us on a journey, influencing our moods in different ways at successive stages along the path. Emotions play an important role on our lives. They affect our everyday reality, and our conscious emotions (e.g., joy, sadness, interest, disgust, etc.) that are reproduced by particular stimuli such as an artifact. Emotions can be recognized by different kind of artifacts: from the blueprint of industrial design objects (e.g. a desk), to the big scale architectural designs (e.g. a bank). The responses given by emotions are crucial for architects since they need emotions to stimulate and provoke people to prefer certain designs, or even change their perception of the architecture itself. Architecture is sometimes even able to bring us various emotions through the experience of visiting a building; that can make some people feel calm and another person would maybe feel uncomfortable or even scared, still most people feel small when visiting big gothic churches and feel unsafe walking through a darkened ally way at night. Spaces have a certain atmosphere in which they influence a person’s emotional experience and the interaction between the surroundings and the environment. “In my opinion there are times when I experienced the emotion in architecture, sometimes I can almost feel the surrounding buildings in London that exude emotions and it seems remembering my childhood around these buildings show an entry into another world of various moods. Gherkin 2003 Big Ben 1858 Memories like these contain the deepest architectural experience that I know. They are the rivers of the architectural atmosphere that provoke and show emotions all around. These buildings are a representation of the early stages of architecture that has been soaked in emotion because they imply and involve a relation between the person experiencing them and the natural surroundings that have judgment on the person’s belief of the building. In addition people are usually able to identify the subject of their emotion, besides being object related, emotions are acute and exist only for a relatively short period of time. Usually the emotional durance of a person’s attachment to the object or building is limited to seconds of viewing it. The cause that emotion is the stimulus that can for e.g: catch a glimpse if a building or have a personal connection to it. Much of the architecture we see does effect and direct our emotions. But what if we look the other way? What about the way great architects, how would have their own emotions effected their designs? By Sumitra Sundaram A2 Graphic Design 28/05/2013
A2 Graphic Design Illustrated Essay The visual presentation the architect intended was not only to highlight the integral system of the building but also allow the public to interact with key components of the structure. It provides an emotional view of the person and they also learn about the knowledge of the industry, the time and period it was built, and analysing the points that should be focused on when developing series of interactions that are intend to enhance the person’s emotions. The experience architecture gives is an overall direction for the person to expresses their original emotional opinion about the sculpture or building. There has been a theory that has been talked about the view point of art in architecture, and how architecture is a creativity ingredient it is also logical to think that it too could be affected by emotions. It is even possible, if we analyse architectural movements throughout history, which would suggest that these movements were caused by various situations that provoke emotions when looking at a particular building that was made in the period of time. Architects follow a certain path when creating their ideal building a consistent deign line from start to finish, but sometimes what they intended to create might have differed opinions from everyone else. “From my personal research I went to France in my summer holidays and took pictures of the Eiffel tower and at the time I felt an enormous sense of anxiety as I climb through the steps of the tower and noticed the view and it was mesmerising”. Feeling that sense of emotion from seeing this huge building will induce the emotional experience from start to finish, guessing that the architects influences on the building will show through. The Eiffel tower was built in 1889, and created and engineered by Gustave Eiffel, who intended to make the tallest building in the world, and was actually victim to ridicule and feared by the Parisians of the time period. Over the years, people gradually accepted the monstrous architectural wonder and were recognized as a symbol for Paris. The Eiffel tower creates emotion through time as it has developed in the structural and interaction design to promote the experience worthwhile when people visit the interior and exterior design of the building. The experience architect who helped build the interior is known for planning and designing the components that would make up the experience of the Eiffel tower, however at the early stages of building the Eiffel tower the engineer designed the tower as a landmark for France and not an experience to see the view from inside the Eiffel tower. This changed as many people wanted to see the view from inside the tower and the experience architect constructed an original staircase for people to walk on and eclipse the total view from within the tower. Experience inside the tower will increase a person’s initial reactions of the construction and the emotional opinion it gives. It also is a crucial part of the design structure to insure that the public reconnect with the symbolic meaning of the Eiffel tower. The engineer is also responsible for connecting human emotions with the end product thus creating co relations by making sure that the experience meets certain standards and objectives of the intended or wide users. The concept of emotional experience can be formed from the minute you visualize the building to even entering it and learning more about the knowledge of the structural design. Viewing a sculpture or even a building can have preconceptions for the person and make them understand all the individual components that can have an impact on the final opinion of how emotional relevant the journey has been and whether details extracted will help the experience. The research I studied By Sumitra Sundaram A2 Graphic Design 28/05/2013
A2 Graphic Design Illustrated Essay was very much about the aesthetic emotions and their relationship to architectural designs styles. In the past few years, the effect of emotions on a design has been significantly encountered in architects trying to perceive an emotional experience for the person. Despite the crucial role played by aesthetic emotion on designs, people react emotionally to certain designs, and what emotional opinions are formed from the experience. The initial goal was to see how contrasting the two different design styles, mainly renaissance and contemporary styles in the 20th century will be affected by the emotional and aesthetic aspects. Aesthetic aspects that provoke different kinds of emotions are two radically different architectural styles: Renaissance and Contemporary. The renaissance style is recognized with a cultural movement that included a revival of classical sources, and influenced various fields such as art, engineering, and of course architecture. Renaissance design styles belongs to the period between the 15th and 17th centuries where it blossomed architecture in different countries in regions of Europe, where there where was a revival in certain elements of ancient Greek and roman influence on their design structure and material concept. In architectural design the renaissance style sets a motion of geometry, symmetry, proportion and the regularity of elements into it emotional experience. Arranging of structural elements such as columns, and lintels replaced more complex proportional systems and irregular profiles of medieval buildings.
The contemporary style, on the other hand, can be situated in the last thirty years. It can be seen as a continuation of the modern style initiated in Europe and United States at the beginning of the 20th century. Although the contemporary style is developed into different sectors over the world, it can be characterize by having abstract details, plain surfaces and highly elaborated geometrical forms and materials similar to the renaissance era of architecture. The effect of emotions we have on our perception of satisfaction and preferences of design objects, understanding what kind of emotions are brought out by various architectural designs styles. Architectural styles are complex and chosen according to various formal characteristics. According new theorist architects, research says important characteristics associated with architectural style preferences can be influenced by familiarity, defined as the factor of architectural examples that people are exposed to daily.Both architectural styles showcase enough evidence to show they can be formed with an emotional opinion from the person itself. Their interpretation of the structure, analyzing each segment of their value to the experience of the interior designs as well as exterior. Factors that play their part are: Lightness, Space, continuity, Costumer experience, and emotional engagement. In renaissance and contemporary one issue that architects have dealt with is the continuous use of their response of emotion into their design concepts in which they exact the measured requirement of emotion through the designs. The present researchers study on the focused relation between emotions and architectural design styles, implications. Results showed that perspective of the particular design artifacts can be assessed, on the concept of style that embraces a number of set principles, and regulations that may affect people emotions in a predictable way. This is the reason; the idea of design style is viewed as a transcending domain of application that can help predict how people will respond to certain architectural style designs. By Sumitra Sundaram A2 Graphic Design 28/05/2013
A2 Graphic Design Illustrated Essay
Mont St Michel 350 B.C I chose to look towards a architectural landmark that would connect with the question at hand, showing how emotionally developed this building is. Mont saint Michel is a miniature rocky island about 1km from the north coast of France at the mouth of the river in Normandy. Research tells me it was built in the 350 B.C, but some other facts suggest that in 1020 Richard II began the abbey church and supported abbot Hilbert’s construction efforts to get the island restored. The church was burnt in 922 and rebuilt on a larger scale by Abbot Hildebert II from 1023, at the time of the monastic reforms in Normandy carried out by Richard II and William of Volpiano. A lot of the described basic concerns can be found on the island saint Michel in front of Normandy coast of France. The streets of Mont Saint Michel are very small and meander through the dense city. This small canyon like streets functions as the refuge of the city. The main priorities are mostly on dangerous high points where a fall would be fatal. This gives the thrill together with the fact that the island is not reachable with high tide, the road is flooded and even a boat can’t reach the island of Mont Saint Michel. There are some basic concerns which all human share. From the “evolutionary Perspective” we learned that humans have the need for prospect and refuge, the need to explore and the need for thrill in architecture. This is described with Mont Saint Michel as it an exception in geometrical accuracy which is applied well to stand on its own feet without any collision or disturbance. During high-tide the hill is completely isolated by the waters that wash up to its base, but at low-tide there is a pathway of lush green grass leading into the mainland. The interior design is laid out with small houses and businesses, making the island compact and appears to be a community centered cathedral. Mont Saint Michel is a gothic style architecture which excites and motivates people as they visit. The initial reactions will be felt with scared and gravity deifying movement as the island is secluded from any other buildings or even a coast. It speaks universally to everyone who visits showing the early stages of development in the grounding floors to the interior structure of the island. The contextual framework of the gothic structure influences other architects to create and produce emotive landmarks that will draw and inspire people to remember the significant part of the building for some untold reason of their trip. People of France will feel an obligation to understand the historical importance Mont Saint Michel plays in France with the death of soldiers and numerous natural disasters it will matter when they visit and explore the ruins which have been refurbished. The notion that all the people who remember this visit will record it permanently in their brains as it experiences architecture in a different matter, so if every time they view the picture of the place they will dig out their memory of the visit and connect on an emotional level of their experience of the place. By Sumitra Sundaram A2 Graphic Design 28/05/2013
A2 Graphic Design Illustrated Essay Every emotion hides a concern, which has different barriers on emotional architecture. This means the various opinions that can be made with just your senses to analyze the building or sculpture.
Emotion Stimulus is a condition that elicits or accelerates a psychological emotional response to the buildings and landscapes seen by the viewer.
Stimulus
Concerns
Fig 1: Basic Model of Emotions In my research I came across this fascinating book by Peter Desmet called “Designing Emotions” which narrates his issues and own views of emotion through the industry architecture. Peter’s basic model of emotions which was drawn up on the basis of the definition of designing emotions and developed by psychologists such as Roseman Ortony et al, and Lazarus. This model, is visualized by the eliciting process of emotions that can be formed with the three main factors which are: emotion, stimulus, concerns which all need each without one could result in a unfinished concept of opinion on emotional architecture. The three key variables, and their interlock, determine is a stimulus which can be a product of the other variables, and if so the particular emotions can be realized. This means that design for emotion requires an understanding of the contextualized concerns of the users; their goals, ambitions, and attitude response. The relationship between the product and emotional is not universally known to everyone. The value of emotion theory is that it can help us to formulate and answer questions like why some people might prefer some building to another. Emotional product experience can range from the human point of view and their interaction with it. The emotional impact of the building or architecture can divide opinions from the elicited product itself. For designers and architects it is important for them to connect with their own designs and blueprints so that if they feel the emotions so can we. It cannot simply break down the chain reaction because of emotions that weren’t common in other peoples view, but a particular action is determined by all previous emotions. Just like reading a book or even listening to a new genre of music can evolve the person’s emotions and the experience at any point could stop or continue because of the reactions to it. One of the main challenges for architects is to understand their creations and the relationship between holistic emotional experiences and the interaction within the building or landmark.
“Emotional Product experience is as dynamic as the human product interaction itself. Products do not elicit a single emotions but complex emotional episodes.” By Peter Desmet – Designing Emotions Statistics made by neuroscientists show that 95% of the choices our brains makes each day and are involved on how we relate to our environment which is dominated by subconscious choices based on our points of view. We are often unaware that our current experience of living space is influenced partially on our past. Emotionally memories of past living spaces are a powerful influence on decisions made in the environment we inhabit in. Emotional architecture, is like your fingerprints, it is unique and cannot be replicated again. Identifying how your brain reacts in different living space will most likely to help you feel safe, self-absorbed, and comfortable even.
By Sumitra Sundaram A2 Graphic Design 28/05/2013
A2 Graphic Design Illustrated Essay
Do the architect’s intentions convey the emotions that are recognized in the buildings that are created?
The designer or architect has much more creative control over the decisions made on the building made, and the experience it will present to the person for various reasons. Each and every building as its own emotional experience whether it’s because of the history of the architect or even when it was built, there are many factors that need to be considered to understand the emotional response a person’s gets from visit a building from the past or even a fond memory that has been remembered just by visiting it again. Buildings like gothic church or cathedrals have a large interior design are more likely to feel empty in the space required and viewers will draw from the religious aspects and learn more about the emotional connection the architect is trying to pursue. Emotions can be explored further by determining which one occurs during the experience such as:
Enticement – A good architectural example of exploring enticement from dark and light is the chain gate stair from the north wells cathedral of Somerset. Built early in the twelfth century, standing at the start of the stairs we see bright space, party masked by columns and pillars that doge the sunlight occasionally. This will entice and excite people to venture through the empty space that shadows light and dark through the cathedral.
Thrill – another basic principle that is to be expected when standing on tall buildings and caves that have a sense of danger and thrill that can provoke this emotion in people. A good example is the Grand Canyon which is tall in its bridge structure also the height and width that has been taken into consideration by the architect to understand the emotions that rush up when stood on the bridge. The extreme canyon skywalk is in open air, this tourist attraction along the Colorado River is built on the edge enticing tourist and making their heart beat faster every step of the way. Looking at the construction of the bridge there is only a few sheets of glass between the tourist’s feet and underneath is a 15 second free fall to the bottom which does make the knowledge experience worthwhile so they can anticipate the motions of thrill.
Exploration – Another emotive concern is the evolutionary perspective is the need to explore. People are constantly searching for new sources of landmarks and buildings that need to be ventured through exploring which will may the journey a remembered one. We are always keen as human to find and objectify the new information about a place or location that will make it interesting to other new inhabitants.
Grand Canyon
Cathedral Orvieto
Cathedral Somerset By Sumitra Sundaram A2 Graphic Design 28/05/2013
A2 Graphic Design Illustrated Essay
Conclusion By considering the natural effects of emotions have on the perception of designed architecture, it has contributed to gain more of an insight on how people react emotionally to certain contrasting architectural style types. Researching on the subject of emotions that people experience and how they develop emotional bonds with their memories of buildings and past respectable to certain design styles to understand the mind process. Learning how to manipulate designs to suit specific elicit emotions was knowledgeable and their architects origin of emotions was uncovered to realize the creative control they had when creating each of their buildings. By investigating architectural design types and examining the industrial designed artifacts that have a connection to aesthetic emotions and the experience it produces. The extent style can be considered as a universal concept that occurs to all people and how their emotions are almost predictable in their independently studies knowledge of the building or sculpture. Understanding whether the architecture belongs to the same class domain that may differ in the functions but share a similar style, may affect the people in the emotions that occur. The emotional experience that occurs in architecture is recognized through many elements that come in sync when evaluating the correlation between the two. There are many degrees to sense of belonging in the location that most experiences your fondest memories of the place or building. The experience of the human body and mind constitutes the framework for an emotional experience in Architecture.
Bibliography –
http://anammanzo.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/emotional-architecture/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expressionist_architecture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_(architecture_and_spatial_design) http://www.design-emotion.com/2006/11/05/getting-emotional-with-dr-pieter-desmet/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experience_architecture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Saint-Michel
By Sumitra Sundaram A2 Graphic Design 28/05/2013