theories reader 3

1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
(ARC61303)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (AUGUST 2018)
Name: SARAH BINTI MOHAMED ESA ID No.: 0324805
Lecturer: MR PRINCE Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: THE GEOMETRY OF FEELING Synopsis No: 3
Author: JUHANI PALLASMAA
The article starts off by questioning the comparisons between the feelings that one experience
through the buildings from the modern days and the older days. The author then continues to
state the fact that our state of living which is towards materialism tend to strip off the meaning of
architecture.
The author stated her viewpoint about the relationship between how the architecture form
affects the architectural experience. She justified it by stating that the planning of form in
architecture nowadays is simply made without giving thoughts on how the people would
experience it. But is it all true? I questioned myself about the great architects in this modern era
for say, Tadao Ando and how he plans most of his spaces being tied into the zen philosophy.
However, I do agree on Pallasmaa stating her point about the feelings that we can get through
experiencing the form of a space. Even the teaching in the Bauhaus school focuses on how the
form and various visual elements of form and space can stimulate our visual senses. This comes
to the question about the whole elementarist idea being a direct opposite of an artistic work,
therefore making elementarism an illusion. Besides that, it is stated that the efforts being made
today to restore the richness of architectural idiom through variation of forms are based on lack
of understanding of the essence of art. This is because the meaning does not lies in its forms,
but in the images transmitted by the forms and the feelings that they carry. However, there are
no rules in how architecture should be presented to stimulate one’s feelings or experiences as it
can also be represented and depicted in other branches of arts. In the end, the quality of
architecture lies in its capability for awakening our imagination that could also be through
multisensory experiences.
In conclusion, the author has touched on many points regarding the importance of creating
meaningful architecture where people get to experience and make new memory. I for once, have
always appreciate the old and traditional architecture. The elements and forms of space in these
buildings tell a lot about the history behind it, and through entering these spaces, it always felt as
if I was going back to the older days.
Word Count: 381 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date Page No. 3