An architecture of the 7 senses

First of all, it's really a beautiful article to read through. There i explicitly realized, how architecture is not complied of just structure and finishes. There are plenty of external forces to foster an excellent architecture.

It's all about create pleasure of the senses. The eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue. Having says that, if all of your sense organs had perceived a good impression, u will so likely to remember it. So do the architecture.

The writter judged contemporary architecture had lost the primitive modality, standing its way over-emphasis on the intellectual and conceptual dimensions further contributes to a disappearance of the physical, sensual and essence of the architecture. For me, it's a trend. Besides architecture wise, most of architects design building had being too commercialized. Apart of galleries or buildings for rememblance, most of the architectures tends to bring returns to the owner. Who does care about the authenticity of architecture and venture their time and money on the extra works?

Architects always the crucial, reading and exploring will bring them back to the essence of architecture.

Now talk about the senses of architecture:

We see world through our eyes. Gaze of pleasurable comings, nice scene, right proportion, materials tell the age of the building. Natural material means the veracity of the age of building. The wear of patina adds the enriching experience of time.

We smell the architecture. Odor makes one remember and imply the memory of one place or certain space. Particular scent arouses the memory, good or bad, it's a way to store in mind. "Rainer Maria Rilke gives a dramatic description of images of past life in an already demolished house conveyed by traces imprinted on the wall of its neighbouring house. -There were the midday meals and sicknesses and the exhalations and the smoke of years, and the sweat that breaks out under the armpits and makes the garments heavy, and the stale breath of mouths, and the oily odour of perspirating feet. There were the pangent tang of urine and the strench of burning soot and the grey reek of potatoes, and the heavy, sickly fumes of rancid grease. The sweetish, lingering smell of neglected infants was there, and the smell of frigtened children who go to school and the stuffiness of the beds of nubile youths." Oh so beautiful <3 but somehow nobody will like to move in a house like that. *** I still remember how my boyfriend's home smell like, always filled with the little smoke and incense smell... now wherever there is incense, it triggers my memory of that sweet home.

We hear the surrounding. We have our own judgement of the transmit of the sound, there we determine whether the place is noisy or exhilarating, the volume of the space and realize the activities within the sufficient area one can hear. "One who has half-risen to the sound of a distant train at night and, through his sleep, experienced the space of the city with its countless inhabitants scattered around its structures, knows the power of sound to the imagination; the nocturnal whistle of a train makes one conscious of the entire sleeping city." I love these words badly. It gives infinitely imagination to me. But undoubtedly, the perception of humans are different, some will be so annoyed with the train noise in the night but some find that they love the everyday's happening.

End of the day, it's still the happening between the habitants and the architecture. How they perceive means a lot to the one who create the particular space and building.

And, we touch and sense. The skin reads the texture, weight, density and temperature matter. Tactile surface enriches the journey of stroking, tactile sense connects us with time and tradition; through the marks of touch we shake the hands of countless generations. "It's preasurable to press a door handle shining from the thousand hands that have entered the door before us; the clean shimmer of ageless wear has turned into an image of welcome and hospitality. The door handle is the handshake of the building."

We taste the architecture. Now it sounds a bit abstract. How does it taste? Let's just take an example. Our Petronas Twin Tower, the idea of its appearance is based on our abundant rainforest. But merely look on it, how does it taste like? It tastes like steel because its appearance looks "steely" but actually this massive structure is made of concrete. The idea is of rainforest, the plan is derived from islamic pattern. But it doesn't taste like that from the view of passenger without knowing its origin. It's the option one can indulge the different kind of taste into their building.

Scale and anthropometric. Primitive men build their dwelling refer to their dimensioning of body proportion like what a bird does too. Good scaling of space makes one feel warmth, chilling or etc. High ceiling often applies to a grand entrance, walkway often in smaller width to make one moving on to their destination. The destination should seduce people, make'em comfortable to stay.

The 7th sense in my mind is the movement. Movement brings lively. No matter it's the beautiful ballad of the pine trees, the swaying coconut trees along the beach, the kids jumping hilariously in the garden, the fast pace of people walking along the city, movement makes a place lively! Sunrise and sunset too reflect the movement of shadow. A building brings a lot of movement is exhilarating!

Lastly, architecture has its task to place people in the continuum of culture. Our domicile and home are intergrated with our own identity; they become part of our own body and being.

Monuments, Testimony & Memory

It had really triggered me of how to commemorate the dead through architecture.


I think local Malaysia is more likely to direct translating the history into a rememblance such as the National monument "Tugu Negara". The Monument was erected in honor of the the fallen heroes of the 1st and 2nd World Wars, as well as the Malayan Emergency from the years 1948 to 1960. It is located on a hill next to the Malaysian Parliament House. Perhaps it's not architecture, just a fine piece of art/sculpture. Ridiculously, the sculpture was casted in a foundry in Rome at a cost of RM600, 000. "You will see 7 bronze figures of soldiers, each of which symbolizes leadership, suffering, unity, vigilance, strength, courage and sacrifice. 5 of the figures represents the victorious allied forces while the other 2 figures that lie on the ground represents that of the defeated communist forces. Overall the monument depicts the victory of the forces of democracy, peace and freedom over that of the communist and evil. By the way, communism is outlawed in Malaysia." (sources from http://www.malaysian-explorer.com/tuguNegara.html) It does really remind our patriotism. It's a way to convey message, straight away.

Perhaps we should adopt Libeskind's intergration of architecture to reflect culture and history. Not talking about the details, let's interpret his masterpiece. I personally feel that Jewish Musuem is a modern building with simply geometrical design, in conjunction with the slanting narrow windows, nothing had really inspire me of its exterior look, without deep thought of architecture's concern. It simply amaze people with its differ look and unequal to surrounding. However, the internal space is the vital vein of the whole project. I love the Holocaust void, which the Menashe Kadishman's steel sculpture "Shalechet" covers the entire floor. I think there is a big different thing that Malaysia will not likely to do, is that, we are hardly to create something which is too artistic, art pieces that acquiring a deeper thought. Just like the fallen leaves. Undoubtedly, we have less creativity and we have living way too rigid. And the distorted space (slanting beam and narrow aisle for staircase) will be judged way too crazy of having such intergration in a musuem here locally. However, i would say it definately make people "WHOA" if this building is located here today. So how is it really conveying what the architect really want to say? Depends of one's perception, everyone should have feel different way while walking in this building. I would say Libeskind done a great job, had been proven while the hassles had been carried out by people, good or bad, had successfully arousing people for the reminiscences of the Jews in Germany and the repercussions of the Holocaust.

Now look on the National Musuem of us. I think it's the appropriate one if we wanted to make a comparison between two museums and architecture. Muzium Negara is a palatial structure built in the style of Rumah Gadang, an aspect of Minangkabau architecture. Its facade comprises elements of traditional Malay and modern features. See, another piece of "direct translating" architecture in Malaysia. And we're much displaying story and pictures, weapons for memorizing the heroes. Anyway i'm not depreciating our architecture. I believe we as local Malaysian see and receive things the simple way, we had born n live like that. But recent decades, we had much exposed to foreign architecture and being amazed, much of Y generation had belittled the local architecture, which is more native. This is very wrong.

If we're talking about how the heroes of Malaysia can be commemorated, for the past decades, current musuems, monuments, statues can still playing its role very well and splendid. But with the lapse of time, new generation had changed the way of thinking and culture as well. It's thus a challenge to patriotic architect who intend to hold the local culture meanwhile to be acceptable. How is it can be done? there must be a way XD I think it's a good idea to remain the building material such as timber, thatch or attap kind of thing to make a alteration on the native design, perhaps it will whoop up another new trend meanwhile sustain the culture base, why not? With not just displaying the pictures, gadgets or weapons, but intergrate in the building, i think this is best rememblance for our heroes.

Home

I had shifted once from wooden house to the terrace house.
The most impressive home of mine is the wooden one in shipyard. It stands on stilt like a malay house. The different parts of it are the louvre glass panel window in wood frame, instead of the malay house's window at body level. And the galvanized steel roof, instead of thatched roof. It becomes noisy in the rainy day.

Everyday when i came back from school, i ran into the house through the steel staircase. The wall is made by timber panels that attached to the timber frame by an angle about 10 degree to get rid of the rainwater penetrate into the house, and painted in light blue. The favourite thing of mine in that house is the timber floor. I like to sit on the floor eventhough we had couch in the house. The floor is cantilevered from the ground, thus i feel safe to lay on.

Small proportion but warm, simple layout can fit the main furniture but no extra space for else. How do this space really influence me on my design and perception later in my life?

I prefer timber construction more than others likewise. And i found that i'm likely to design something cantilevered from the ground, it's for ventilation, hygiene or purely my preference?

Talking about the lighting in the house. On the day, the main light is the natural sun light come in from the louvre window and the open door of balcony. There is no artificial lighting on the day as the mother taught us to be green since i was very young. So later in life, also under world's appeal, we are likely to produce building with so much natural lighting and ventilation. Nobody want a dwelling without window anyway.

And u will find i talk nothing about my second home. That's also as warm as like the previous one because we as a family are still living together. But undoubtedly, it doesn't really impress me. The floor with tiles is too cold and hard for people to lay on, and the brickwall as well. Rigid and square. no more noise from the galvanized roof. No more "catch a chill" on the balcony facing towards the river. No more noise of the steel staircase telling the mother i'm back.

I guess i miss this place so much as i wish to create another same ambience of dwelling in the later life, carry out the same soul, however, definately not the noises it could make. Even it's part of memory, it lives eternally in my heart.