ARCHITECTURE AND THE SENSES

As  this  study  considers  place  and  the  processes  associated  with  place  making,  an  essential   text  to  consider  in  the  formulation  of  arguments  is  Genius  Loci:  Towards  a  Phenomenology  

of   Architecture  (Norberg–Schulz   1980).  Throughout   this   text,   the   Norwegian   architectural  

theorist   Christian   Norberg–Schulz  considers  the   significance   of   architecture’s   existential   dimension.   This   position   of   developing   an   understanding   of   environments   in   terms   of  

atmosphere  and  character  resonates  with  a  tradition  of  scholarly  work  from  Scandinavian  

authors  that  explore  bodily  experience  as  the  locus  for  understanding  architecture’s  role  in   defining   place.   One   of   the   key   issues   of   discussion   that   Schulz   introduces   that   are   of   particular  interest  to  my  study  is  the  concept  that  individuals  determine  a  sense  of  place   through   the   functions   of   orientation   and   identification.   Schulz   suggests   that   when   individuals   analyse   the   space   and   character   that   constitute   the   meaning   of   a   place   use   these  two  independent  psychological  devices.  Although  these  concepts  appear  to  resonate   strongly  with  the  practice  of  parkour,  Norberg-­‐Schulz’s  work  is  not  supported  with  evidence   of  how  different  individuals  applied  them  practice.    

Norberg  Schulz’  sensory  theories  are  however  influential  in  the  field  of  architectural   discourse  and  relate  to  one  of  the  first  books  to  mention  the  term  parkour  is  a  monograph   on   the   Norwegian   modernist   architect   Geir   Grung   (Bøe   2001,   p.   22),   a   text   which   complements  discussions  on  the  role  of  phenomenology  in  architecture.    Throughout  the   work,   Grung’s   built   projects   are   evaluated   in   relation   to   how   individuals   perceive   architecture,   and   the   experiences   that   are   created   through   the   inhabitation   of   particular   types  of  spaces.  Although  parkour  is  only  mentioned  once  within  in  the  text,  the  reference   made   demonstrates   the   significance   that   the   topic   has   in   discussions   on   the   relationship   between  architecture  and  the  entirety  of  the  body’s  sensory  system.  The  author;   Alf  Bøe   makes   reference   to   scientific   investigations   of   the   brain   and   discusses   the   sense   of  

proprioception   in   relation   to   the   expressive   movements   of   parkour.   He   emphasises   the  

non–visual   qualities   of   architecture,   arguing   that   practitioners   are   particularly   attuned   to   this  sense  in  a  manner  that  distinguishes  them  from  conventional  users  of  urban  space.  

The   sense   of  Proprioception   is   also   a   point   of   discussion   for   architecture   theorist   Harry  Francis  Mallgrave  (Mallgrave  2011,  p.  201).  Mallgrave’s  text  entitled  The  Architect’s  

Brain:   Neuroscience,   Creativity,   and   Architecture,  (2011)   investigates   a   broad   range   of  

He  traces  a  lineage  of  architectural  theorists  from  Vitruvius,  whom  he  associates  with  the  

Humanist  Brain,  to  the  present–day,  who  he  aligns  with  figures  such  as  Merleau  Ponty  and  

the  idea  of  a  Phenomenal  Brain.  Mallgrave’s  work  considers  a  number  of  key  figures  in  the   fields   of   both   architecture   and   neuroscience   and   shapes   a   comprehensive   study   on   the   dialogue   between   the   design   process   of   architects   and   the   perceptions   of   the   users   for   which   they   design   for.   Mallgrave’s   discussions   focus   largely   on   how   architectural   experience   is   informed   by   the   entirety   of   human’s   sensory   faculty.   In   doing   so   Mallgrave   highlights  the  work  done  within  the  field  of  neuroscience  to  explain  how  the  brain  works  in   conjunction   with   the   rest   of   the   body   to   interpret   its   surroundings   and   translate   it   into   forms  of  interaction.  He  highlights  how  buildings  have  the  ability  to  stimulate  the  mind  in   various   different   ways   based   upon   abstract   associations   rather   than   a   purely   rational   interpretation.   Mallgrave’s   work   has   a   great   deal   of   significance   for   understanding   the   psychology  of  parkour  practitioners,  and  their  cognitive  responses  to  reading  urban  space.  

Mallgrave’s  discussions  stress  the  influence  of  a  number  of  architects  and  theorists   that   have   critically   questioned   the   experiences   created   through   the   design   of   built   environments,   and   throughout   the   text   he   provides   scientific   evidence   to   support   their   arguments.   One   of   the   key   authors   that   he   examines   is   the   Danish   architect   and   urban   planner  Steen  Eiler  Rasmussen,  who  has  written  extensively  on  the  experiential  qualities  of   architecture.    

Rasmussen’s  seminal  text  Experiencing  Architecture  (1959)  is  written  to  emphasise   the   experiences   and   meaning   associated   with   different   aesthetics.   Rasmussen’s   work   stresses   the   significance   of   artefacts   that   have   been   designed   anonymously   such   as   traditional  vernacular  housing,  which  has  a  strong  connection  to  context  in  which  they  are   situated.  Rasmussen’s  work  predates  discussions  on  post–modernism,  and  in  many  ways  is   regarded  as  a  precursor  to  the  arguments  that  have  been  discussed  in  relation  to  figures   such  as  Charles  Jencks  (1977)  who  are  critical  of  the  modern  movement.  Rasmussen’s  work   highlights  the  temporal  aspects  of  architecture,  emphasising  how  architectural  experience   needs   to   be   understood   as   a   process   that   is   revealed   over   time.   Rasmussen’s   text   also   stresses   the   importance   of   performing   the   role   of   a   designer   from   the   embodied   perspective  rather  than  attempting  to  disconnect  the  body  from  the  design  process.  

 In  examining  the  static  nature  of  architecture  in  contrast  with  its  temporal  qualities   my  review  also  considers  the  work  of  Finnish  architect  and  theorist  Juhani  Pallasmaa,  who   has   also   been   influential   in   current   discourse   on   architectural   experience   from   a   phenomenological   perspective.   Pallasmaa   suggests   that   contemporary   architecture   is  

conceived,   taught   and   critiqued   with   a   bias   towards   vision,   and   the   suppression   of   other   senses,   the   consequence   being   of   this   being   the   disappearance   of   sensory   and   sensual   qualities   from   the   arts   of   architecture   (Pallasmaa   2005,   p.   10).   Pallasmaa   introduces   the   term  occularcentricism   to   describe   this   phenomenon   and   highlights   the   built   work   of   architects  such  as  Alvar  Aalto  and  Stephen  Holl  who  have  gained  a  reputation  for  working   with   the   sensual   qualities   of   buildings   to   create   a   multi–sensory   experience.   Pallasmaa   places  particular  emphasis  on  the  importance  of  architects  to  appreciate  the  sense  of  touch   when  selecting  materials  for  buildings,  as  this  provides  individuals  with  a  sense  of  ‘spatial   depth’   and   ‘weight’   (Pallasmaa   2005,   p.   42).   Understanding   architects’   response   to   the   tactile   qualities   is   of   great   significance   to   a   study   of   parkour   due   to   the   full   bodily   engagement   with   buildings   that   the   activity   requires.     Pallasmaa   is   critical   of   the   idioms   connected   with   modernist   design,   and   of   architects   such   as   Le   Corbusier   who   have   concentrated   on   accommodating   an   intellectual   and   visual   emphasis.   Instead,   his   phenomenological  approach  to  architectural  criticism  that  stresses  the  importance  of  the   work  of  theorists  such  Merleau  Ponty.  Advocating  the  importance  of  an  embodied  vision   whilst  perceiving  the  interaction  between  individuals  and  the  spaces  in  which  they  inhabit.   Pallasmaa  discusses  Ponty’s  notion  of  the  ‘flesh  of  the  world’,  to  describe  how  the  human   body   and   its   environment   mutually   define   one   another   (Pallasmaa   2005,   p.   19).   This   discussion   is   also   held   within   the   work   of   Michel   De   Certeau   on   his   work   on   the   social   practises  found  within  contemporary  culture.  Unlike  De  Certeau,  Pallasmaa  does  not  give   much   consideration   to   the   places   that   have   been   conceived   as   part   of   the   normality   of   everyday   life,   but   instead   discusses   built   projects   that   have   been   intentionally   built   to   provoke  sensory  reactions.  Pallasmaa  does  however;  give  consideration  to  the  influence  of   popular   culture   on   architectural   space   with   his   work   on   the   relationship   between   architecture  and  cinema  in  his  text  entitled  The  Architecture  of  Image:  existential  space  in  

cinema   (2001).   Pallasmaa   examines   film   directors’   use   of   architectural   images   to   prompt  

emotional  responses.  In  doing  so  Pallasmaa  suggests  that  the  poetics  of  filmmaking  has  the   potential   to   influence   architectural   design.   Additionally,   Pallasmaa   applies   film   theory   methods  to  analyse  the  motives  of  directors  in  their  use  of  architecture  and  addresses  the   connection   between   filmic   semiotics   and   architectural   aesthetics.   The   dialogue   between   film  and  architecture  is  particularly  relevant  to  examinations  of  parkour  as  traceurs  present   an   emotional   response   to   conventional   aspects   of   the   built   environment   through   the   creation  of  their  videos  to  create  places  of  meaning.  An  approach  towards  architecture  that   is   focused   on   bodily   experience   rather   than   objective   reasoning   parallels   contemporary  

anthropological  discourse.  As  the  anthropologist  Marcus  Banks  states  when  discussing  the   importance  of  understanding  visual  systems  in  his  field  of  research,    

In   recent   years   there   has   been   an   apparent   shift   in   anthropology   away   from   the   study  of  abstract  systems  (kinship,  economic  systems  and  so  forth)  and  towards  a   consideration   of   human   experience,   this   has   resulted   in   a   focus   of   the   body,   the   emotions,  and  the  senses.  Human  beings  live  in  sensory  worlds  as  well  as  cognitive   ones,   and   while   constrained   and   bounded   by   the   systems   that   anthropology   previously   made   its   focus,   we   not   only   think   our   way   through   these   systems,   we   experience   them.   For   anthropology,   this   has   involved   a   shift   away   from   formalist   analytical   positions   –   functional,   structuralism   and   so   forth   –   towards   more   phenomenological  perspectives.  (Prosser  et  al  1998,  p.  9)  

It  is  for  these  reasons  that  this  study  into  architecture  borrows  heavily  from  the  methods   developed   within   the   field   of   anthropology,   addressing   the   connections   created   between   people  and  places,  and  the  ways  by  spatial  significance  is  engendered  through  the  senses.     Furthermore,   the   distinct   multisensory   nature   of   parkour   and   its   requirement   of   a   full   bodily  engagement  with  architecture  leads  to  the  question  of  how  are  places  for  parkour   are  defined?