Introduction:
Architectural design is more than just designing functional spaces; it is an enigmatic profession that seeks to stimulate feelings and enrich experiences. Exploring and integrating the tactile elements is an important aspect of this art form. Architects have the ability to build environments that fascinate and engage people more deeply by carefully integrating taste, smell, sound, touch, taste, and perception into their work. Our psychological well-being is greatly impacted by environments that appeal to numerous senses. Multi-sensory surroundings can reduce stress, improve mood, and boost cognitive performance. In a period where psychological wellness is becoming a more significant societal problem, architecture’s role in creating our mental environment is important. Architects can greatly improve the emotional and psychological health of a community by developing environments that soothe, energise, and inspire through a variety of sensory experiences.
The five human senses are deliberately incorporated into these few examples of architectural designs below.
Visual Sensation:
The UAE Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 fascinates visitors with its stunning visual exhibit. Its futuristic design inspires awe and curiosity as it rises like a beacon of invention. The pavilion’s remarkable architecture embraces the nation’s ambition for the future while reflecting its rich legacy in a fascinating blend of tradition and modernity. Visitors are enticed into a world of infinite possibilities by the dynamic visual experience created by the interaction of light and form. The UAE Pavilion captivates the imagination with its flawless fusion of technology, art, and culture, creating a lasting effect on everyone who witnesses the breathtaking beauty.
Auditory Sensation:
Consideration of sound in design extends beyond noise abatement and soundproofing. Different sounds can evoke different feelings in a space. For instance, music used in mindfulness meditation can induce calm, while energetic songs can induce euphoria. With a little more ingenuity, we could even have architecture itself produce music. The Sea Organ in Zadar, Croatia, is made up of a system of resonant cavities and polyethylene tubes that sing as the wind and waves gently caress the shore. The world’s largest aerophone consists of thirty-five separate pipes that are seventy meters long in total.
Tactile Sensation:
A temporary exhibition room for artist Jen Lewin’s interactive and luminous installation, “The Pool,” has been built by LIKE architects under the skylight at the Colombo shopping mall in Lisbon. 20,000 white and black textile strips are suspended from a circular frame that is fixed to the domed window that looms over the commercial centre by the Porto-based architecture studio. The 14-foot-diameter and 4-foot-tall “wonder wall” is characterised by its radial arrangement of many fabric strips, providing tactile and flexible walls that may be penetrated by visitors and move to create airflow. The exhibition chamber’s construction creates a circular area that aims to highlight the rounded shape of the artwork that’s displayed within.
Olfactory Sensation:
The Scent Tunnel, Tokyo, Japan: Architect Hiroshi Naito designed the Scent Tunnel, an experimental project that stimulates the sense of scent. Visitors pass through a tunnel filled with aromatic scents produced from natural materials such as wood, herbs, and flowers, resulting in a multimodal experience that improves sensory awareness.
Another example of Olfactory sensation is “Smell: The Art of Scent”, Museum of Art and Design in New York City. When they weren’t working on the High Line, Diller Scofidio + Renfro explored the world of sensory design in New York. Their presentation at the Museum of Art and Design marked the first major show to focus on fragrance as an artistic medium rather than merely a commercial product controlled by luxury businesses. Each invisible artwork attempts to elicit memories and influence visitors’ mental processes.
Gustatory Sensation:
American artist Edward Ruscha created the ‘covering’ of this room by silk-screen printing 360 sheets of Nestlé chocolate for the 35th Venice Biennale in 1970. The claustrophobic space forces residents to reconsider their assumptions about the relationship between taste and euphoria, providing physical proof of the age-old adage: too much of anything is bad. While we usually equate chocolate with a euphoric effect on our taste senses, the sense of smell was very strong in this case: the walls began to melt in the high summer temperatures, attracting swarms of Venetian ants that ate away at the artwork.
These examples demonstrate how architects can design spaces that deliberately engage with the five human senses, creating immersive and transformative architectural experiences. A space is far more than its appearance. Textures, Fragrances, and noises have a significant impact on the user experience. Based on this, sensory architecture has the potential to deepen people’s interactions with their built environment.
Conclusion:
Finally, the study of sensory dynamics in experimental architecture provides valuable insights into the complex link between human perception and transformational design experiences. Architects may create settings that engage several senses at once by combining novel technology, spatial configurations, and materials, enriching how people interact with and interpret space. This holistic approach goes beyond traditional design paradigms, resulting in immersive experiences that elicit emotions, provoke thought, and encourage creativity. By emphasising human-centric design principles and comprehending the nuances of sensory perception, architects may build settings that truly resonate with inhabitants, so improving their overall well-being and quality of life. Furthermore, the incorporation of sensory dynamics opens up new paths for architectural expression, pushing the limits of creativity and innovation.
References:
- The Art of scent (2012).Sense of smell in Architectural design [Online]. Available at :https://dsrny.com/project/art-of-scent [Accessed on 15 March 2024].
- 5 Architectural Spaces Designed to Stimulate Your Senses (unknown) Sensory design [online]. Available at : https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/collections/the-architecture-of-perception/[Accessed on 15 March 2024].
- Wonder wall Lisbon Shopping Mall (2014). Sense of touch in Architectural design. [online]. (Last updated on 02-09-2015). Available at : https://www.designboom.com/architecture/likearchitects-wonderwall-lisbon-colombo-shopping-mall-02-09-2015/ [Accessed on 15 March 2024].
- Sensory Design: Architecture for a full spectrum of senses (2023). Sensory design in Experimental Architecture. [online]. Available at : https://www.archdaily.com/969493/sensory-design-architecture-for-a-full-spectrum-of-senses [Accessed on 12 March 2024].
- Expo 2020 Dubai (2021). UAE Pavilion at Dubai expo 2020. [online]. Available at : https://www.archpaper.com/2021/10/expo-2020-dubai-kicks-off-with-fireworks-famous-people-and-a-falcon-like-calatrava-pavilion/ [Accessed on 14 March 2024].
