Highly recommended for all architecture students and enthusiasts, I approached this book with a desire to learn more about haptic architecture and how engaging the senses can help generate "atmosphere" in a space. In my previous studies on this topic, particularly when exploring Peter Zumthor's "Atmospheres," I learned how important it is to engage more than just vision and enhance sound, smell, textures, and more to create a memorable experience. This book builds on that notion with delightful specificity, examining how we perceive the world through each of our senses. What's especially insightful is the realization that architecture is far more impactful when it engages our other senses beyond vision.

While it's a more academic read than the last book I reviewed (Invisible Cities), every paragraph draws you in as the author explores how we experience all our senses within a space. Although it can be complex for the average reader at times, I found myself quoting it endlessly, as it is thoughtfully written and extremely insightful in many ways.

Starting strong in the preface, the author expresses serious concern regarding the computer's role in the design process. Yes, it revolutionized the workflow of designers, allows optimum efficiency, and creates clean drawings, etc. However, there is a reason that good designers and architects design with their hands before drawings anything out on the computer. Pallasmaa points out that the computer flattens the multi-sensory experience of a space, 

"turning the design process into a passive visual manipulation, a retinal journey." 

He often points out the distance visual processes of design create in our experience of space. The computer creates "

distance between the maker and the object, whereas drawing by hand puts the designer into a haptic contact with the object or space" 

pg 12. Ideas surrounding haptic design translate easily into the design process by engaging the body and allowing oneself to think through one's hands. 

"The inhumanity of contemporary architecture and cities can be understood as a 

consequence of the negligence of the body and the senses

, and an imbalance in our sensory system" pg 17.

And honestly, I couldn't agree more, considering many cities all around the world are now primarily composed of faceless glass and concrete eye sores. Pallasmaa elaborates why we seem to have lost our connection to buildings and that is due to the two different ways of seeing. 

Difference Narcissistic and Nihilistic Eye

 seeks domination over all fields of cultural production, and seems to 

compassion and participation in the world. The 

 views architecture solely as a means of 

self-expression, and as an intellectual-artistic game, detached from essential mental and social connections, 

whereas the nihilistic eye deliberately advanced sensory and mental detachment and alienation" pg 22.

This quote brings to mind many modernist works that are very popular and widely criticized for being designed with a narcissistic eye. One example is the 

 which was hated by the client for its lack of privacy, comfort, cost, and more. However, Mies Van Der Rohe created it with the intention of it becoming like a work of art rather than having his client in mind, exposing his narcissistic motivations behind the famous house. This, along with many other modernist works of our time employ "ocular-centrism" (only using their eyes) as their primary way of designing. As beautifully explained on page 25, the gradually growing hegemony of the eye goes hand-in-hand with the western "ego-consciousness" and thus the increased separation between the self and the world. 

"Vision separates us from the world whereas the other senses unite us with it!" 

sight was not always the dominating sense!

Retinal Architecture and the Loss of Plasticity

One of the most intriguing points made in this book is how 

indigenous clay and mud architectures on every continent seem to be made of the haptic senses more than the eye. 

We often believe that vision was the leading sense in every part of the world since the beginning of time. But, we forget how because of their thoughtfulness, practicality, and comfort, indigenous structures are sensitive in how they consider what's best for people's daily lives. 

 and their connection with language and wisdom of the body, 

they become isolated in the cool and distant walk of vision. 

With the loss of tactility, measures and details crafted for the human body- and particularly for the hand, 

architectural structures become repulsively flat, sharp-edged, immaterial, and unreal"

This is especially true when observing someone like Le Corbusier, who ocular-centrism and reductive bias, according to Pallasmaa, 

"became devastating in his urban modification projects, even though there was a vigorous element of tactility present in his sketches and paintings." 

For this very reason, I often wondered why he is such a popular example and topic of discussion in architecture schools, and have come to the conclusion that it's because he published a lot of work, but not that he is necessarily a good example to follow through into the future. 

"The flatness of today's standard construction is strengthened by a 

Natural materials - stone, brick, and wood - 

allow our vision to penetrate their surfaces

 and enable us to become convinced of the veracity of matter. Natural materials express their age and history, as well as the story of their origins and their history of human use" pg 31.

This chapter was especially profound, and my favorite in this book. Pallasmaa talks about the perfection and flawlessness in the buildings we make today, which do not 

"incorporate the dimension of time, or the unavoidable and mentally significant processes of aging." 

This, he argues, is related to our fear of aging and death. However, no matter how perfect and 

we strive to make our buildings look, this has devastating mental effects. Architecture should be seen as a gateway for people to participate in the processes that supersede the span of individual life, in the words of therapist Gotthard Booth. Humans have a need to grasp our connection to the continuity of time, and this has to be facilitated by architecture in our world. 

"Architecture domesticates limitless space and enables use to inhabit it

endless time and enable us to inhabit the continuum of time" 

Another point to note is that we actually utilize no less than twelve senses! The eyes want to collaborate with the other senses, and so all the senses (including vision) are extensions of the sense of touch- as specializations of the skin. It's a common misconception that depth is thought to only be perceived through vision, but it's a fact that vision needs the help of touch as "it gives one the sensation of spatial depth." 

The book quotes Berkeley Hegel who states that 

is the only sense that can give the sensation of spatial depth.

"touch senses the weight, resistance, and three-dimensional shape of material bodies

 and this makes us aware that things extend away from us in all directions." It's true from this perspective that vision is an extension of touch, for when we caress a surface with our eyes we can imagine how it feels. 

Pallasmaa explains further the role of touch in visual art, which completely resonates with me as an artist myself and clarifies greatly what we consider good and bad art based on how the strokes impact our other senses. If art didn't incorporate the sense of touch, it would be much less effective. Artwork must be life-enhancing, and when we scan a work of art, we "imagine a genuine physical encounter through ideated sensations." Authentic art, such as Van Gogh's "

," stimulates our sense of touch which then makes the experience of the work life-enhancing. When paintings exude a certain atmosphere, we can feel the temperature, the emotions, etc. 

Similarly, architectural work generates many impressions. The book gives the example of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater House," and how the textures, surfaces, colors, smells of the forest, and sounds of the river transform the house in a uniquely full experience. 

"An architectural work is not experienced as a collection of isolated visual pictures, 

but in its fully embodied material and spiritual presence."

In many buildings nowadays, we strive for windows and an abundance of natural light. Although light is necessary along with a desire for views, too much exposure in architecture means that windows lose their significance as a mediator between two worlds, "between enclosed and open, inferiority and exteriority, private and public, shadow and light" pg 47. Light should become a bit more valuable, and shadows used more effectively to allow public spaces to become more enjoyable. Our need for shadows and moments of rest in a space is emphasized in this chapter, beautifully said in the quote below, where the author points out how we cut off the overwhelming sense of sight in emotional moments to be left in the shadows and let our other senses take over. 

"The eye is the organ of distance and separation, whereas touch is the sense of nearness, intimacy and affection. The eye surveys, controls and investigates, whereas touch approaches and caresses. 

During overpowering emotional experiences, we tend to close off the distancing sense of vision;

 we close the eyes when dreaming, listening to music, or caressing our beloved ones. 

 because they shun the sharpness of vision, making depth and distance ambiguous, and invite 

The book goes further into other senses like smell, and hearing, but I will end off at this last sense and allow you, the reader, to explore the rest. This book's insights are never ending, and I endeavored to share the more intriguing parts to me as an architecture student. We often forget the role our other senses, especially hearing, play in harboring memories. Pictures come back to our mind even though the memorable part was the smell of chicken wings cooked by your mother, or the sweet sound of piano music playing at a party. Hearing especially, roots us in the experience of the space, as "

sight is the sense of the solitary observer, whereas hearing creates a sense of connection and solidarity; 

our look wanders lonesomely in the dark depths of a cathedral, 

but the sound of the organ makes use immediately experience our affinity with the space"

is a never-ending stream of insight and I could quote it many more times for the rest of the book because it's still as relevant today as it was the year that it released. I highly encourage architecture students, professionals, or enthusiasts alike to drink up every word and reflect on how it applies and relates to our world today. It will not only change your perception of architecture but will allow you to see through the lens of your other senses which, at the forefront of your design, will create an experience worth remembering. 

. 3rd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

A Peek Into "Eyes of the Skin" by Juhani Pallasmaa

This book was suggested to me by an architect that I greatly admired, and although it wasn't what I expected, it did not disappoint! This series of prose poems are a conversation between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan, where Polo was asked to share his experience while visiting the cities in Khan's empire. The emperor asked this of Marco Polo because he knew little of the cities he ruled over, and figured learning about them might help him stay on the throne and save the monarchy. The story plays out as a series of 55 poems where Polo outlines tales of cities (most of them rather far-fetched) that can be read as a commentary on life, death, culture, time, memory, and the human experience in general. For the rest of the book, Marco Polo describes the cities (acknowledged in the book that realistically he was communicating through gestures since their is a language barrier), and I will talk about the ones that piqued my interest for many reasons. 

"Anastasia" is described as a city of desires: 

"The city appears to you as a whole where no desire is lost and of which you are a part. And since it enjoys everything you do not enjoy, you can do nothing but inhabit this desire and be content." (pg. 12)

This is the power of Anastasia seems to come from how it capitalized on it's people's desires, similar to many cities in real life and it is evident its final line: 

"The treacherous city... if for 4 hours a day you work as a clutter of agate, onyx, chrysoprase, 

your labor which gives form to desire takes from desire its form, and you believe you are enjoying Anastasia wholly when you are only its slave."

This line especially resonated with me when I considered that even now it is true that we are often slaves to the city in an endless loop of fulfilling our desires while constantly working for them...

As Marco Polo continued to describe the cities to the attentive emperor, I found each description more fruitful than the last as it allowed my imagination to run wild. Perfectly encapsulated in the book as if the reader is the emperor, 

"you could wander through them in thought, become lost, stop and enjoy the cool air, or run off." 

After a while, Kublai becomes suspicious that Marco isn't entirely truthful and that some of the cities he's describing are not real. So, he interrupts Marco and insists on describing the cities from now on. When he starts, Marco exclaims that he was about to describe those exact cities! He argues that:

"From the number of imaginable cities we must exclude those whose elements are assembled without a connecting thread, and inner rule, a perspective, a discourse." (pg. 44).

It is now clear that Marco's rules for storytelling insist on a narrative when he describes city after city, even if the narrative is far-fetched. 

"With cities, it is as with dreams: everything imaginable can be dreamed, but even the most unexpected dream is a rebus that conceals a desire or, its reverse, a fear... 

even the thread of their discourse is secret, their rules are absurd, their perspectives deceitful, and everything conceals something else." 

Cities are built on foundations of desire and fear, like he's mentioned above, and they are also not always what they seem... Many cases in reality are those cities that use propaganda to depict themselves in a certain light to the rest of the world, but are in reality much different to someone who lives there. 

Continuing the story, Kublai is grows tired of Marco's obviously fantastical cities that don't seem possible to exist in reality and Marco finally reveals something profound: All the cities he's been describing are in someway related to his experience from his home city, Venice. The emperor is exasperated and responds: 

"When I ask you about any other cities, I want to hear about them. And about Venice when I ask you about Venice." 

"To distinguish other cities' qualities, I must speak of a first city that remains implicit. For me it is Venice." (pg. 86)

The emperor, still confused, asks him to elaborate and the explorer explains, 

"Memory's images, once they are fixed in words, are erased. Perhaps I am afraid of losing Venice all at once, if I speak of it. Or perhaps, speaking of other cities have already lost it, little by little." 

Although this might be a confusing sentiment, that memory's images are erased when you speak of it where I personally find that they are further solidified as you've spoken them into reality, perhaps it is to be interpreted slightly differently. It's interesting to note, however, that 

Polo's experience in other cities are colored by his home in Venice.

 A moment to ponder is how much of our experience of the world is tainted by our past and growing up in our hometown...

After realizing this, the reader must keep in mind that most of these experiences are tainted by Marco's memories of Venice. This is especially clear now in the city of "Esmeralda," painted as a "city of water" and a network of canals. It's highlighted that the shortest distance between two points is not a straight line, but a "zigzag," which reveals many optional and alternative routes. The main point is that Esmeralda's inhabitants are spared from boredom by having so many different paths:

"The network of routes is not arranged on one level, but follows instead an up-and-down course of steps, landings, cambered bridges, hanging streets."

Residents can enjoy a new journey to the same destination everyday, and this is a fantastic lesson that is also taught in architecture school! My professor of Architectural History lectured about a temple in Greece with a zigzag path going up to it, and he commented on how the path going up the  hills wasn't direct because it was more about the journey to the temple as opposed to the destination. It doesn't seem practical, but as we've observed through these poems, 

cities/architecture are more about moments and experiences.

All in all, this was a fantastic read, and I would suggest it to whoever desires to exersise their imaginations. 

Translated by William Weaver. Italy: Giulio Einaudi Editore, 1972.

Lessons From Italo Calvino's "Invisible Cities"

I would describe the experience of being an architect as being involved in shaping people’s everyday lives. The beauty of life itself is in the way people live. The way people interact with other people, things, and their surroundings is an architect's passion, and I desire to enhance the human experience and people’s livelihoods through the power of design.

Hello and welcome to my blog page! For my first blog post, I thought I would review Peter Zumthor’s Atmospheres, a written account of a lecture the Swiss architect gave in June 2003. As a student, this gave me great insight into the important considerations architects should have when designing anything that will move the inhibitor in subtle but powerful ways. I’ve strived to do that with my recent academic work, but there’s still much to learn.

As an overview for readers who aren’t familiar with Peter Zumthor, he is known for his captivating architectural works, which have been described as “timeless and poetic.” An example of a building that fits that profile would be Bruder Klaus Kapelle. This chapel uses concrete and wood in such a simple, raw, yet effective design that reduced the cost of the project. Zumthor believes the material used should inform the method of construction, and that results in a building that moves people emotionally as soon as they step into them. 

This feeling is what he describes in Atmospheres, where he explains our perception of atmosphere is through our emotional sensibility. Zumthor paints a clearer picture of what he means through his experience sitting in a grand arcade- a square.

“Eleven o'clock The opposite side of the square; in the shade, pleasantly blue. Wonderful range of noises: conversations nearby, footsteps on the square, on stone: birds, a gentle murmuring from the crowd, no cars, no engine sounds, occasional noises from a building site… So what moved me? Everything. The things themselves, the people, sounds, colours, material presences, textures, forms.”

I appreciate his attentiveness to such small things- simple noises, people, and colours. It’s interesting how he relates this back to elements of architecture (material presences, textures, forms). The atmosphere is the square, he continues, as people interact with objects- this is what an architect deals with all the time. It’s a passion, a love for the 

 Can one achieve this atmosphere, its intensity, its mood, as an architect?

For the rest of the lecture, Zumthor outlines what he does when trying to generate a certain atmosphere through nine short chapters- of which I will focus on some of them.

 “I take a certain amount of oak and a different amount of tufa, and then something else: three grams of silver, a key- anything else you’d like?” Zumthor talks about materials as if it’s an experiment or a recipe. One combines materials to create a space with a unique experience. The thrill of creating something is the passion of any artist, as one infuses life and soul into the work and watches it come to life!

 In the simplest explanation sound is collected, amplified, and transmitted due to the “shape peculiar to each room, with the surfaces of the materials they contain, and the way those materials have been applied.” We associate certain rooms with different sounds, where Zumthor recalls the sounds that he remembers from when he was a boy. The sounds his mother made in the kitchen, and how it made him feel happy knowing his mother was home. I realize even I haven’t paid much attention to the sound a space makes… How the smells of Asian food in the kitchen and laughter from wonderful gatherings have become a memory and source of nostalgia for me.

 What Zumthor remarks in this chapter is the things people keep around them, “in their flats or where they work.” He notes how these things seem to come together in a very caring, loving way, which is very true.

 This chapter focuses on movement as Peter Zumthor describes, “Architecture is a spatial art, as people always say. But architecture is also a temporal art.” I love this because it acknowledges that architecture, although it seems static and that we aim to make sure it doesn’t move, can still induce a sense of freedom and movement in many great cases- such as Zumthor’s thermal baths: 

These thermal baths, according to Zumthor, had “less to do with directing people than seducing them.” However, he does acknowledge that there are practical situations where it’s far cleverer to induce a calming effect- “to introduce a certain composure rather than having people running around looking for the right door.” This is one reason why I appreciate Peter Zumthor- as he acknowledges when his architectural philosophy is unnecessary or impractical, which I feel every architect or person in power should be able to admit when they make it more about themselves than the people inhabiting their spaces.

 Inside and outside- it seems so simple, yet the basis of architecture. “An unbelievable feeling of of concentration when we suddenly become aware of being enclosed, of something enveloping us, keeping us together, holding us- where we be many or single.” I agree with Zumthor that the feeling of being enclosed is so incredibly profound that one can feel the compression in a short hallway to the release of entering the living space. On an urban scale, it is the sidewalk or alleyway to entering the plaza, where you have this undeniable urge to look up. He goes on to discuss the facade, which says “I am. I can. I want- in other words, whatever the owner and his architect wanted when they built it.” From how he personifies the facade it demonstrates how architecture speaks. It asserts itself and speaks volumes through its facade alone, with everyone who lays eyes on any type of architecture having an impression of some sort- whether it’s good or bad.

 In this chapter, Zumthor advises to plan the building as a pure mass of shadow, then afterwards putting in light as if you were hollowing out the darkness. The second idea he liked is to go about lighting “materials and surfaces systematically and to look at the way they reflect the light.” Choose materials with the knowledge of how they’ll reflect light- and then fit everything together on the basis of that knowledge.

 An idea that really appeals to Zumthor is creating a building that becomes part of its surroundings, something we know as site integration. He describes architecture as surroundings in a more profound way than I expected. He thinks about how the building is becoming part of people’s lives:

“A place where children grow up. And perhaps one of the buildings will come back to them 25 years later, involuntarily, and they’ll remember a corner, a street, a square- with no thought for its architect, but that isn’t the point.” 

This way of thinking about site integration and architecture becoming one with its surroundings transcends the idea of simply being known for creating a building that is revolutionary in some way- ending up as an architectural reference 35 years later. It’s imagining how one’s building will be the place where people will have so many moments, where the building will impact them, or move them. Zumthor describes it as “an attempt to conceive of architecture as a human environment.”

There are a few that I did not cover, but if you are curious I highly encourage anyone interested in Zumthor’s design strategy and architectural philosophy to check out this lecture!

Thanks for reading my first blog post, and I hope you stick around for the crazy rollercoaster ride that is my architectural journey! :)


Zumthor, Peter. “Atmospheres: Architectural Environments, Surrounding Objects.” 

. Lecture presented at the Wege durch das Land, June 1, 2003.

DJ

Blog

A Peek Into "Eyes of the Skin" by Juhani Pallasmaa

Lessons From Italo Calvino's "Invisible Cities"

Atmospheres