“Architecture has its own realm. It has a special physical relationship with life. I do not think of it primarily as either a message or a symbol, but as an envelope and background for life which goes on in and around it, a sensitive container for the rhythm of footsteps on the floor, for the concentration of work, for the silence of sleep.” – Peter Zumthor, Thinking Architecture
The basic instinct to make a home has been present since the earliest times. It has been the most fundamental necessity that’s driven mankind for centuries. Initially, Architecture meant shelter. A place where one feels safe, protected, a place where one can carry out routine daily tasks such as eating, sleeping, worship. It was an innate ability to build homes, it was a natural skill which passed down through the centuries and is still widely and intuitively practiced today. Architecture is an innate instinct, and whether we may not feel its influence, it significantly impacts every person’s life.
Emotional Imprint of Architecture
To construct, is inherent to us. When humans left their nomadic life and laid down their roots, temporary houses turned into permanent abodes, shelters turned into homes, and the physical factors that came into play while constructing this home translated in architecture today. People inhabit space instinctively. They are always causing an effect in the space they inhabit by continuously creating, changing, and destroying. Since the beginning, when humans resided in caves, architecture has been remembered because its inhabitants imprinted their narratives within it. They relocated periodically, and those who followed discovered these stories and contributed to them. So you have an amalgamation of stories in a single room, from the time of its creation – constantly being layered with more every day and with every person that comes and inhabits it. However, this imprinting of narratives is reciprocal. Just as individuals can influence spaces, spaces likewise have the power to impact individuals.
Spaces affect individuals not only through their physical structure but also on an emotional and subconscious level, engaging deeper connections that the place can create with an inhabitant. These subconscious connections arise from the atmosphere of the space, which is shaped by our designs and thus, translated and conveyed to anyone who visits that space. Peter Zumthor says, a space can imprint its memory indelibly on one’s mind. The atmosphere of the room can become insolubly linked to the purpose of the room. Every single detail within a room is part of the atmosphere created and these details become memories attached to these spaces. Schembri, S. (2017)
This is where Architecture transcends its role from being a fundamental shelter. It is beyond a static building that sits for ages. When the first desperate need to create a shelter is taken care of, one finds stories embedded on the walls of it, exchange of ideas, fostering the creation of communities and community-driven activities, cultural accumulations and serving as the lightbearer of knowledge about systems from the past. However, who plasters these memories, thoughts and ideas into architecture enabling future generations to revisit and uncover these anecdotes? It is the people. People are always in conversation with the space around them. Whether you’re merely standing in a room or moving along a street, there is always an ongoing interaction with the surrounding spaces.
Architecture is more than a Static construct
Architecture is more than just physical structures; this preconceived notion of architecture being a building that is not susceptible to change over time has been revamped to what architecture really is. It is a three dimensional representation of how matter, energy, space, and time interact in complex ways. It serves as an instrument for the development of spatial stories that perfectly capture the essence of human experiences and ambitions. Spaces have the capacity to develop into lively, dynamic places that resonate with the human spirit when they are planned with the goal of being made by, for, and of the people.
Architecture changes as people do from time to time. While it is strongly influenced by its context, surrounding environments, climate and location in its fundamentals, it is also influenced by the atmospheres, narratives, energy and the time that encapsulates the space. Therefore the atmosphere that governs it may also vary from person to person that experiences it and also may vary with a single person in a duration of time.
You can observe this phenomenon in the way certain locations evoke emotions or memories in individuals. For example, the wetness of the grass may remind someone of their childhood home or the sound of people bustling on the sidewalk might remind them of a bustling city they once lived in. These sensory experiences create a connection so deep rooted between a person and the place even if they have not inhabited it in years. Additionally the design and layout of a location can also influence an individual’s emotions and behavior. A room with ceilings and large windows for instance can create feelings of openness and freedom while a small and cramped space may induce anxiety or claustrophobia. The colors, textures and lighting within a space can also impact one’s mood and energy levels. Furthermore the historical significance and cultural importance of a place play their part in its energy. Locations that hold spiritual value often inspire reverence or awe in those who visit them. For example exploring ruins from civilizations may invoke wonderment and curiosity whereas visiting a temple or shrine might foster feelings of tranquility and contemplation. Additionally these places serve as reflections of culture—a representation of how communities perceive themselves as the world around them.
The Ripple
Architecture impacts everything and every one that experiences it. It is an innate ability to create a place that is a representation of oneself that continuously alters and changes the place as one grows – as the space does with them. It is a representation of a person as placed in a community and a community placed in a society. The world around is shaped by these ideas, thoughts and atmospheres that have been layered on top of the built over a centuries. Architecture is living, it breathes and lives on for lives taking up new facets and shedding old and as designers, or simply people who inhabit it, we shape its tomorrow as per our necessities and instincts.
Bibliography:
Schembri, S. (2017) The architectural experience of Community Spaces, Saces. Available at: https://sacesmalta.com/blog/2017/2/26/the-architectural-experience-of-community-spaces-1 (Accessed: 29 December 2023).
