Experiencing Built Space

8/13/2019 Experiencing Built Space

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EXPERIENCINGBUILTSPACE:AFFECTANDMOVEMENT

byEva

Perez

de

Vega


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EvaPerez

de

Vega

EXPERIENCINGBUILTSPACE:AFFECTANDMOVEMENT

ABSTRACT p.2

PHENOMENOLOGY,PERCEPTION,SENSATIONANDAFFECT p.31.1Phenomenologyinarchitecture:subjectandmeaning

1.2Perceptionandsensation

1.3Thenotionofaffect

EXPERIENCINGBUILTSPACE p.82.1Objectofperception.Associationandintuition

2.2Objectofsensation.Movement

2.3Objectofaffection.Performance

THEPROBLEMOFPHENOMENOLOGY p.163.1Deleuze'scritiquesofphenomenology.Bodywithoutorgans

3.2Broadeningphenomenology:multiplicityandemergence

3.3.Phenomenologywithoutorgans

NOTES p.21

BIBLIOGRAPHY p.23

ILLUSTRATIONCREDITS p.24


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ABSTRACT

Thispaperaimstolookattheexperienceofbuiltspacebeyondthesubjectiveand

signifyingconnotationsofphenomenologyinarchitecture.Insteadofexperiencing

throughsubjectivemeanings,theattemptistolookattheaffectivedimensionofspace.

Whatdoesitentailtoexperiencebuiltspaceintermsofaffect? Ifaffectpertainstoan

affectionthatmodifiesboththemindandthebody,1itisatonceaperceptionanda

sensation,andtiedtotheideaofmovement.Sohowdoesphenomenologyriditselfofthe

ideasthathavehelpeddefineit? ItwillbethroughDeleuze'scritiqueofphenomenology

andthenotionofaffectasseenthroughhisconceptionofthebodywithoutorgansthat

willset

the

ground

for

a

possible

new

way

of

experiencing

architecture.


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StevenHoll,Ske

PHENOMENOLOGY,PERCEPTION,SENSATIONANDAFFECT

1.1Phenomenologyinarchitecture:subjectandmeaningTherepudiationofthetermphenomenologywhentheorizingaboutarchitecturestemmed

largelyfromitsperceivedindividualandsubjectivequalityaswellasfromcertain

associationthetermhaswiththenotionofsignificanceormeaning.Aftermanyyearsof

academicrejection,phenomenologyinarchitecturehasacquiredsufficientdistancefrom

earlydebatesthatitisnowpossibletoproperlyassessitssignificance.Thispaperwould

liketoarguethattherearecertainspacescertainarchitectures2 whichcanbe

experiencedbeyondthesubjectiveandbeyondthemeaningful;experienceswhichblend

subjectandobject,whichblendperceptionandsensation;experiencewhichhaveaffectas

theirmain

drive.

Gilles

Deleuzes

criticism

of

phenomenology

is

indeed

targeted

at

the

notionsofsubjectivityandsignificance.Aswewillseefurther,hiscritiquewillactually

provideameansforreevaluatingtheassumptionsmadewhendiscussingphenomenology

inarchitecture,andopenupnewpossibilitiesfortheexperienceofbuiltspace.

ForMerleauPontyphenomenologyisamethodofdescribingthenatureofour

perceptualcontactwiththeworldandisconcernedwithprovidingadirectdescriptionof

humanexperience.

Through

theorists

like

Christian

Norgerg

Schulz

and

Alberto

Perez

Gomez,phenomenologyinarchitecturehasbeenlargelyidentifiedwithHeideggerian

thoughtandwhatwasseenashiscallforareturntopersonalauthenticity.3Inpractice,

phenomenologyisindeedassociatedwiththeindividualexperienceofaspacethroughits

sensationalqualitiesoflight,sound,texture,color,andperspective.Eventoday,socalled

phenomenologicalarchitectsstresstheimportanceoftheindividualsubject;"spaceisonly

perceivedwhenasubjectdescribesit.Itispreciselyatthelevelofspatialperceptionthat

the

most

powerful

architectural

meaning

come

to

the

fore."

4

Steven

Holl's

illustrationsoftendepictalonelyfigureimmersedinthespaceofitsown

experience;itislikeaglimpseinsidesomeone'suniqueinterpretationofthe

space.Butdoallexperiencesofbuiltspacerequireorimplyasubjective

viewpoint?Isitpossibletoexperiencebeyondthesubjectivismthatsocalled

phenomenologicalarchitecturesubstantiates?


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AccordingtoDeleuze,phenomenologyassumestheworldtobeprimordially

impregnatedwithunivocalmeaning."5 Indeedtherearemanyexamplesofarchitecture

impregnatedwithmeaning:theBastilleacquiredmeaningasaresultofaparticularhistoric

event6;thetourEiffelacquirednationalisticmeaningeventhoughitsintentwasjusttobe

amanifestationofengineeringprodigy;inthese,asinmanyothercasesitwasan

imperativehumanwishtoassignspecificmeaningsontoconstructs.Butisthereawayto

experiencearchitecturedevoidofassignedmeaning?

Fromaneutral,nonhumanperspective,buildings,constructs,creationsor

destructionsaresimplyatransformationofmatter.Whetheritiscreationordestruction,

transformationofmatteronlyacquiresmeaninginahumancontext,throughhuman

consciousness.Eventhedestructioncausedbyanearthquakecanbeseenfromnature's

perspectiveas

a

simple

rearrangement

of

matter.

7Formed

matter

in

itself

has

no

meaning

hasnovalueasanobjectofrepresentation. Ifwewereabletolookattransformationof

matterfromaneutralpointofview,whatwouldwesee?Howwoulditchangeour

experienceofbuiltspace?

1.2PerceptionandSensation

Inattempting

to

elucidate

the

problem

of

phenomenology

in

architecture

it

is

important

to

lookatthenotionsofperceptionandsensation.InhisclassicbookThePrimaryWorldofthe

SensesErwinStraus,establishesafundamentaldistinctionbetweenthetwo.Perception,

heargues,isasecondaryrationalorganizationofaprimary,nonrationaldimensionof

sensationorsenseexperience(lesentir)9.Theprimarysenseistheonewesharewith

animals;itisanunreflectiveandinstinctive.Sensationdealswithcorporealitythesenses

andperceptionistheintellectualization ofthatcorporeality.

Strauss

elaborates

on

this

distinction

by

contrasting

the

space

of

geography

and

the

spaceoflandscape.Geographicalspaceisthatoftheperceptualworld,wherethingsare

fixedwithinalterablepropertiesandanobjectivenotionofspacetime.Landscapespaceis

thesensoryworld,aspacewithshiftingreferencethatconstantlymovesaswemove.

Strausstalksoflandscapepaintingasillustratingthisconceptofthesensory:"Landscape

paintingdoesnotdepictwhatweseebutitmakesvisibletheinvisibleInsuchlandscape


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Descartes'illus

ofmindbodyd

perception.IfasStraussuggests,perceptionpertainstotherationalworldofgeographical

spaceandsensationtotheirrationallandscapespace,thenwhatkindofworlddowelive

inwhenexperiencingbuiltspace?Inthiscontextistheresuchthingasapuresensory

experience,orapurelyperceptualone?Whatkindofbuiltspaceallowsforsuchan

itemizedexperience?Whatislacking,ifanything,inthatspacethattouchesonlythe

irrational,leavingtherationalunscathed?Theseareonlysomeofthequestionsthatthis

paperwouldliketoaddress,andinordertodosothereisathirdnotionthatneedstobe

broughttothefore;affect.

1.3Thenotionofaffect

Ifperception

is

of

the

mind

and

sensation

of

the

body,

in

trying

to

explore

thesetwonotionsasanexperientialunitweseemtobefacedwiththeclassicmind

bodyproblem.IfweweretotaketheCartesiandualiststandpoint,thenperception

andsensationwouldhaveopposingandirreconcilableproperties,withtheminds

perceptionasdominantandincontrolofthebodyssensation.Seenthrough

Straus'conception,sensationseemstoprecedeperception;itisthebodywhich

holdsprimacyoverthemind,thebody'ssensationtriggersthemind'sperception.

Onthe

other

hand,

if

we

were

to

take

the

Spinozistic

conception

of

the

mind

body

problemthenwewouldbedealingwithasinglereality;perceptionandsensationwouldbe

seenastwoattributesofonesamesubstancejustseenfromdifferentontological

viewpoints.11Thusneitherthebodynorthemindprevailovertheother,neitheroneis

dependentordominantovertheother,thebodycannotcommandthemindtothinkand

themindcannotmakethebodyfeel.

It

is

this

relationship

of

perception

sensation/

mind

body

that

we

would

like

to

expanduponwhenlookingattheproblemofexperience,specificallytheexperienceof

builtspace.Spinozafurtherdevelopsitthroughhisnotionofaffect.Asheexplains,the

conceptofaffectisinclusiveofboththemindandthebody.Althoughoftenequatedwith

theemotions,theconceptofaffectismuchmoreencompassing;itpertainstoanaffection

thatmodifiesboththebodyandthemindthroughtheideaofdesireandpotential.Itisat


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onceperceptionofthemind andsensationofthebody12.InSpinozawordsaffectsare:

"affectionsofthebodybywhichthebody'spowerofactingisincreasedordiminished,aided

orrestrained,andatthesametime,theideasoftheseaffections."13

Affectisbothexternalandinternal.Affectionisthestateofabodyinsofarasitis

subjecttobeingaffectedbyanotherbody,bytheactionofanotherbody.Therefore,

affectionimpliesanexteriority,amixtureoftwobodies;onebodyactingontheother,

affectingit,andtheotherbeingactedonbythefirst,beingaffectedbyit.However,affect

doesnotdependontheaffection,itisenvelopedbyit.Inotherwords,withinaffection

thereisanaffect.14

Spinoza'sabovedefinitionincludes"theideaoftheseaffections".Thereisa

distinctiontobemadebetweenthenotionofaffectandofidea.Ifwelookattheaffectof

lovefor

instance,

there

is

an

idea

of

the

loved

thing

and

this

idea

has

a

representation

(the

imageofthelovedobject)butloveitself,asamodeofthought,doesnotrepresent

anythingandisnotrepresentedbyanything.Thereforeitistheideaofanaffectwhichis

representational.Affectisassociatedwithanidea,andthatideahasarepresentation

externaltothebody,buttheaffectitselfdoesnothavearepresentationandisnot

necessarilyexternaltothebodyundergoingthataffection.15Affectinitselfisnotanidea;

itremainswithintheabstractunrepresentationalrealmofpuresensation.


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Spinoza'sexampleofPercep

EXPERIENCINGBUILTSPACE

2.1Objectofperception

Whatrolesdoperceptionandsensationplaywhenexperiencingspace?Canaspace

beperceivedobjectively?BernardTschumi'sQuestionsaboutspace16 seemtopointtothe

thornyissue: "Istheperceptionofspacecommontoeveryone?Ifperceptionsdiffer,dothey

constitutedifferentworldsthataretheproductsofone'spastexperience?"Whenwe

experiencesomethingthroughperception beitaspace,anobject,apainting,basicallya

thing weprojectourpastlivedexperiencesontothatthingthroughtheideaof

associationandmemory.AsSpinozapointedoutwhenwritingaboutknowledgeinThe

Ethics,perception,

or

imagination

as

he

referred

to

it,

cannot

be

relied

upon

as

a

source

of

truthsincetheperceptionofonethingtriggerstheperceptionofanotherthingina

randomandsubjectiveway.Itisexternalstimulithatactonthebodyallowingitto

perceiveonlyasubjectiveviewofreality17.

Spinozaillustratesthiswiththeexampleofasoldierandafarmer

observingthetracesofahorse.Thetwowillrecalldifferentthoughts

basedontheirownsubjectiveview;forthesoldierthesewillbringimages

ofother

soldiers

and

of

war,

for

the

farmer

they

will

remind

him

of

a

plow

andofafarmfield18.ForSpinozaourperceptionofsomethinginvolves

attributingitexistence,butitdoesnotgiveusanyknowledgeofitstrue

nature.Thereforeperceptioncannotbetrustedasasourceofknowledgeduetoits

inherentsubjectivity.

PaulValeryseemstobeaimingatsomethingsimilarinhis"OnPainting"whenhewrites:

"Manlivesandmovesinwhathesees,butheonlyseeswhathewantsto

see.

Try

different

types

of

people

in

the

midst

of

any

landscape.

A

philosopherwillonlyvaguelyseephenomena;ageologist,crystallized,

confused,ruinedandpulverizedpoques;asoldier,opportunitiesand

obstacles;andforapeasantitwillonlyrepresentacres,andperspirationand

profitsbutallofthemwillhavethisincommon,thattheywillseenothingas

simplyaview"19


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Venturi.Houseforhi

Eachindividualmentionedinthispassageisperceivingthelandscapeinadistinctly

subjectivewayandprojectingdifferentpossibilitiesforthelandscapewhichareshapedby

associationoftheirrespectiveprofessions.Soifmanseesonlywhathewantstosee,and

perceivestheworldaccordingtothatwhichhasalreadyshapedhim,doeseveryoneseea

differentreality?Twoindividualscouldhaveradicallydifferentexperiencesofaspaceifitis

experiencedsolelythroughperceptionofassociation;theirexperiencewouldsaymore

abouttheindividualthanaboutthespace.Soisthereanexperienceofspacethatgoes

beyondthesubjective?Whatkindofexperienceispossibleifwesomehowmanageto

avoidprojectingourpastexperiencesontowhatwesee?Theanswerseemstolieinthe

ideaofperceptionasprimaryforceofexperience.Thus,wecanrewordthequestionas:is

thereanexperiencebeyondtheperceptual?

Wecouldalmostdistinguishbetweentwotypesofperceptionbyassociation;an

associationwhichisexternaltoourbeing,akindofimposedassociation,whichispassive

andbound;andassociationwhichisinternal,selfmotivated,activeandfree.The

associationgeneratedbyeachlandscapespectatorinValery'spassageisinternally

motivated,generatedbythatwhichconstitutestheindividualfreedomofeachviewer;

theirprofession.Anexternallymotivatedperceptionbyassociationwouldbethatimposed

fromwithout,

like

the

reading

of

postmodern

architecture.

One

is

more

instantaneous

and

instinctive;theotherrequiresponderanceandinterpretation.

Postmodernarchitectureattemptedtopointalmostexclusivelytoourpowerof

associationbyusingrepresentationandplayingsemanticgameswitharchitectural

language.Inordertoappreciatethiskindofarchitecturalconstructonehadtobe

'educated'andinstructedspecificallyonhowtoreadsuchwork,whichusuallymade

references

to

historic

architecture.

It

played

with

our

perception

of

history

and

wasdrivenbyastrongwilltoproducearesultthatwouldhaveaspecificreading.

Whileallarchitecturecantoacertaindegreeberead,itispostmodern

architecturethatreducesarchitecturalspacetoasemioticinterpretativegame.

ToexemplifythisisthefigureofRobertVenturiwhoworkedtryingtofindvalues

fromthepast,AsanarchitectItrytobeguidednotbyhabitbutbyaconscioussenseofthe


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MCEsch

Rubinvasef

Nolli,Mapo

pastbyprecedent,thoughtfullyconsidered."20Precedentistheexternallymotivated

association,andknowledgeofthisprecedentisnecessarytoexperiencehiswork.Even

thoughVenturihassuggestedthatheavoidsanykindofintellectualization abouthis

practice21,anyappreciationofhisworkneedsanintellectualizationofarchitectural

historicallanguage.

Thehousehedesignedforhismotheristheembodimentofhissemanticand

associativeapproachtoarchitecture;itisemblematicofanarchitecturewhichneedstobe

read,itislikeagameforarchitectsandcriticswhocanreadintothedetailsandrealize

Venturisgesturalmessagesthroughcontinualreferencesandplayfulassociationswith

historicarchitecture.Thereisnothingsensualaboutthiswork,nothingvisceralormoving;

itispurelyanexercisefortheperceivingmind.

Perceptionbyinternalassociationallowsuscertainfreedomofexperience;

itallowsustofabricateanyfigureandgroundrelationshipwewishbetweenthe

objectsofourattention.Dependingonhowwefixourattentionthefigureand

groundcanchangecompletely.Whenonelooksforsomethingandcannotfindit,as

withSartre'sexampleoflookingforPierreinthecaf,oneexperiencesthenegation

ofthatthing,oneexperiencesthatthingasalack.22Thisphenomenological

understandingof

negation

has

to

do

with

the

perception

of

the

existence

of

a

lack.

Thusperceptionbecomesakindofintuition,whichisfreetobeexperiencedinany

waydesired.ThisnotionoffiguregroundcanbevisualizedthroughtheworkofMC

Escher,whoactivelyplayswithourfleetingperceptionofshapeandspace.These

illustrationshavebeenfurtherdevelopedinpsychologicaltestsaswiththefamous

RubinvasefigureillustrationortheRorscharchtest24.

ThemapsofRomecreatedbyGianbattistaNolliinthemideighteenth

centurywererevolutionarysimplyforthefactthattheyrevertedthefigureandthe

groundoftraditionalmaps,thereforeallofsuddenthecitycouldbeexperiencedin

termsofitspublicspaceitsvoids ratherthanfromitspositivevolumesconstructions.

Thisbringsustoacrucialissuewhenlookingattheideaofbuilt space;whenweperceive

aspacedowefocusonthespaceitself,itsemptiness thevolumeofnegativespace,orisit


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theboundariesofthespacethatfirstcometoourattention?Andhowdoesthisshifting

focusaffectourexperience?

Recentresearchinspatialorientationhasactuallyputintoquestionthetraditional

cognitivemodelwhichwasbasedonareadingofvisualcuesgivenbyobjectsandforms

withinaspace.Instead,ithasbeenfoundthatthebrain'sabilitytoorientincreasesthe

emptierthespace;thushumansorientmorebytheshapeofaspacethanbyvisual

characteristicsfoundwithinit.25Sowhatistheshapeofspaceandhowdoweexperience

it?Thesestudiessuggestthatratherthananexoreferentialvisualcuesystem,ourspatial

experiencefollowsaselfreferentialsystembasedonmovementandvariationsof

movement.Weexperiencespaceasqualitativemovement;throughnotionsofsensation

ratherthan

object

oriented

perception.

2.2Objectofsensation

Bythedistinctionmadeearlierbetweenperceptionandsensationwehaveseenhow

perceptionisreferredtoasanobjectorientedexperience withcleardifferentiation

betweensubjectandobject;whilesensationasaselfreferentialexperiencewheresubject

andobject

lose

their

boundaries.

So

can

there

be

such

a

thing

as

a

purely

sensory

experience?

TheworkofAustralianbodyartistStelarcseemstoaimatthis.Itisbasedonthe

ideathatthehumanbodyhasbecomebiologicallyinadequateandthroughinterventions

onhisownbodyheattemptstoobjectifythebody;toerasethebodyassubjectinorderto

createabodyasobject.Stelarc'sbodyisnotperformingtoacquireanewidentity,its

actionsarenotdirectedtoproducemeaning,rathertheyaredirectedatthenotionofpure

sensation.

As

described

by

Paul

Virilio,

Stelarc's

work:

"approach(es)

the

body

as

object

in

orderto"negate"it(counteractit)infavorofpuresensation."26Thebodybecomesan

objectofsensation.Howdoesthisnotiontranslatetotheexperienceofbuiltspace?

Therearespacesthatcanbeperceivedandunderstoodatasingleglance.

Essentialistspaces,spacesrelatedtominimalistconceptionsofarchitecturecanbe

perceivedthisway;theyarestatic,unchangingandalreadyunfolded.Thesearespacesof


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AlbertoCampoB

EnricMiralle

Universit ofV

LeCorbusier,

Villa

perception,notspacesofsensation.Theycanbedescribedwithasingleidea,

withasinglesketch,andofferlittleornoambiguityofinterpretationor

experience.

Spacesofsensationarethosethatneedtobesensed;experienced

throughsensation throughachanging,movingconception,attimesambiguousand

fleeting.Sensationandmovementareinseparableaspectsofexperience.Sensationisin

factakindofmovement,atendingtowards;aforce.Wedon'tmoveinaspaceasmuchas

thespacemoveswithus,thereisnoseparationbetweentheobjectandsubject,between

insideandoutside."Insensing,bothselfandworldunfoldsimultaneouslyforthesensing

subject;thesensingbeingexperienceshimselfandtheworld,himselfintheworld,himself

withtheworld"27Thebodyofsensationrendersitselfpartofwhatisbeingsensed;itisan

indivisibleaspect

of

that

which

is

being

experienced.

TheworkofSpanisharchitectEnricMirallesisaneloquentexampleof

this.Thespaceshecreatesareimpossibletoperceive,onecannotunderstand

thembysimplylookingatthemandponderingaboutthemfromadistance.One

needstobeimmersedwithinthespace,tomoveinandaroundit,tobecomea

bodyofsensationinordertosenseitwithoutassigningmeaningor

representations therearenonetobeassigned.Experienceofsuchspaces,aswiththe

Universityof

Vigo,

do

not

render

clear

mental

pictures;

only

confused

and

vague

approximations;ambiguitiesandpotentialities.Indeedsensationislinkedtotheideaof

potentialityandtheDeleuziantermbecoming,somethingwhichisinaconstantprocess

ofconstructingitself.

Movementcanhoweverplayanimportantpartalsointhenotionof

perception.LeCorbusier'spromenadearchitecturellespeaksquiteclearlytothis

idea;itdealswithexperiencingatemporalprogressionthroughaningeniouslink

of

spaces

that

allow

a

gradual

exploration

of

the

space,

often

through

the

use

of

ramps.Theperceptionofthespaceandtheelementssurroundingitchanges

progressivelydependingontheirlocationinspacetimewithintheproject.Howeverthis

progression,thischange,isfixedanddirected;ithasaspecificintentionalityandaspecific

reading.Itisalmostlikeacinematicsequence.Thusperceptioncanrelatetomovement

butitisafixed,qualitative,notionofmovement,unlikesensationwhichisaconstantly


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changingmovement.Thisdifferenceisofcrucialimportancewhendealingwiththenotion

ofaffect.

2.3Objectofaffection

Theexperienceofspacesofsensationdependonstimuliwhicharriveatourvarioussensory

organsfromtheexternalworldcausingchangesinourmentalandphysicalstates,

ultimatelycausingustofeelasensationwhichhasaffectedboththemindandthebody;in

otherwordsanaffect.

Theideaofmovementisessentialtounderstandaffect.Indeed,movementand

affectarelinkedthroughtheSpinozisticconceptionofthebody,whichisamode

determinednot

by

its

substance

but

by

degrees

of

motion

and

rest.28

Indeed

what

distinguishesonebodyfromanother,whatindividuatesabody,isitsmechanicproperties

ofmotionandrest,speedandslowness.Inthissense,abodyconsistsofanintensityof

motion,orvariationofmotion/reststates.29However,Spinozaalsorecognizesthegreater

structuralcomplexityofthebodyandconceivesofitbeyondthepurelymechanistic

principalsofmotion,tyingittothenotionofpotential.Eachtransitionthebodyundergoes

isaccompaniedbyavariationincapacity,achangeinthepowertoaffectandbe

affected.30Movement

has

a

physical

component

(the

body)

and

a

mental/emotional

counterpart(affect).GillesDeleuze,putitveryclearlyinthefollowingquote:

"Abodyisnotdefinedbytheformthatdeterminesitnorasadeterminatesubstance

ofsubject()abodyisdefinedonlyby()thesumtotalofthematerialelements

belongingtoitundergivenrelationsofmovementandrest,speedandslowness();

thesumtotaloftheintensiveaffectsitiscapableofatagivenpowerordegreeof

potential().Nothingbutaffectsandlocalmovements."31

Thebodyhighlyconditionsourengagementwiththeworld;itisourphysical

presenceandthemeansthroughwhichweunderstandourenvironmentbothbuiltand

natural;"thebodyitisourexpressionintheworld,thevisibleformofourintentions.Even

ourmostsecretaffectivemovements...helptoshapeourperceptionofthings."32Byreceiving

externalstimulifromtheworld,throughareflectiveexperience,webecomeawareofour


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body.Butwhileweareawareofitsexistence,wedonothavefullknowledgeofthebody's

capacityoritsinternalmechanisms.33Weknownothingaboutabodyuntilweknowwhatit

cando,inotherwords,whatitsaffectsare,howtheycanorcannotenterintocomposition

withotheraffects,withtheaffectsofanotherbody.34Thebodyisthusmoreaboutasetof

dynamicrelationsandinteractionsthanproportionsandstaticwholepartsrelationships.It

isasanentityintransition,inconstantchangingrelationshipwiththeenvironment.

Inthiscontextwehavetoaskourselves,whatcanthebodydo?Howdoesit

understandtheenvironment?Asafirstapproximationonecouldintuitthatitisthrough

experience,throughakindofphenomenalreadingoftheenvironment.Butinsteadof

relyingpurelyonthesensorial,wewouldliketolookatabroaderanddepersonalized

notionofexperience,whichisthatofexperiencingthroughamultiplicity35ofmovements

andaffects.

A

body

that

experiences

space

as

a

changing

entity,

is

that

which

is

allowed

to

moveinandaroundit,enhancingthedynamicsofthephysicalmilieuandsimultaneously

enhancingitsunderstandingofitwithouterasingitsambiguitiesandnuances. Theremust

beakindofsymbiosisbetweenbody,actionandspace,whichallowsthebodytoperform

asanextensionofthespaceandthespaceasanextensionofthebodysaction,rather

thanasarepresentationofit.Insteadofrelyingonanalogyandproportion,sublimating

thebodytomeasurementandrepresentation,onecouldthinkofthebodyalmostasifit

werea

collection

of

force

fields,

or

vectors,

which

affect

a

space

through

its

changing

movementwithinit.

Thereisastrongaffirmationwithintherealmofcontemporaryarchitectural

practicetonegateolderconceptionsofanthropomorphisminfavorofdiscoveringnew

unforeseenrelationshipsbetweenthebodyanditsphysicalmilieunotbasedonsymbols

andrepresentationbutratheroneffectandaffectthroughaction/performance.

Architectureshouldseeklesstobeanabstractionofthelineamentsofthebodyand

more

to

engage

the

bodys

effective

and

affective

spectrum.

It

is

a

faulty

assumption

thatpatterningarchitectureonthebodymakesitmorehuman,justasitisafaulty

assumptionthatthebodyisthepatternoftheuniverse.36

Themeaningofthebodyitselfhasnointerest.Insteaditgainssignificancewhenitis

activatedbyamultiplicityofexternalconnectionsandaffects;throughhowitcanoperate,


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ChoreographingSpa

architecture

throughitsactions.Thereforespaceceasestobeamerecontainerforthebodyand

becomesanelementofmultipleeventsthatincludesthebody.

Toexemplifythisideaofsymbiosisbetweenbodyandspacethrough

thenotionofpotential,letustakealookatanarchitecturalinstallationcalled

ChoreographingSpace.37Theproject,developedbye+iarchitecture,aimedat

exploringtheintersectionofarchitecture,movementandperformanceand

becameatonceperformanceeventandarchitecturalenvironmentbyfusing

performer,audience,spaceandmovementintoonecontinuousexperience.Thiswas

achievedbyenvelopinganeutralspacewithaninteractivemeshcapableoftransformation

throughtheinteractionofviewersorperformers.Themovementofthebodywouldaffect

thespace,

transforming

it,

and

in

turn

the

transformation

of

the

space

would

affect

the

possibilitiesformovementofthebody.Affectingandbeingaffectedinacontinuousloop

ofexchange.Eventhoughthephysicalbodywasusedasameanstoexploresensuous

space,byfusingthebodywiththespaceitself,thesubject(viewer/performer)became

partoftheobject(interactivespace)andthebodylostitsverysubjectivitygivingwaytoa

subjectobjectexperience.

Notall

spaces

can

be

experienced

in

the

same

way.

We

have

seen

how

certain

architectureswereindeedgeneratedwiththeveryintentionofbeingobjectsof

interpretation,oftheperceivingmind,andothersintentionallycreatedforthebodyof

sensation.WithprojectslikeChoreographingSpaceitishardtoconceiveoftheexperience

ofspaceaspurelysensualorpurelyperceptual;boththeworldofthesensesandthatof

themindneedtoworktogethertoexperiencethisspaceinitschangingfacets.

Experiencesofspacethatareboth,movingonasensualandirrationallevelyetinspiring

and

clarifying

on

an

intellectual

level

are

those

related

to

the

notions

of

affect

and

movementasfirstputforthbySpinozaandlaterdevelopedbyDeleuze.


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THEPROBLEMOFPHENOMENOLOGY

3.1Deleuze'scritiquesofphenomenology.BodywithoutorgansDeleuze's

critique

of

phenomenology

targets

its

conception

of

both

perception

and

consciousness.Forhimallconsciousnessissomething,asopposedtotheHusserlian

phenomenologicalpointofviewwhereallconsciousnessisconsciousnessofsomething.38

"Byinvokingtheprimordiallived,bymakingimmanenceanimmanencetoasubject,

phenomenologycouldnotpreventthesubjectfromformingnomorethanopinions

thatalreadyextractedclichsfromnewperceptionsandpromisedaffections."39

Wehaveseenhowphenomenologyhasbeenlargelyunderstoodassettingupconditions

fora

perceiving

subject

to

be

anchored

in

the

world

through

an

experience

of

a

perceived

object,andthisexperienceisdirectedtowardssomethingbyvirtueofitscontentor

meaning.Phenomenologyinarchitecturehasbeenprimarilyassociatedwithanexperience

fromthefirstpersonpointofview,andoftenlinkedtoaperceptionofaspacebasedonits

assignedsubjectivemeaning.Butarchitecturetodaycannolongerbeunderstoodsimplyin

termsofmeaningorcontent,andDeleuze'scritiqueofphenomenologyoffersanewway

oflookingat,andexperiencing,architecturewhichrethinkstraditionalnotionsassociated

withtheexperienceofbuiltspace.Canarchitecturalspacebeexperiencedbeyondthe

individual,beyondthesubjectiveanddevoidofinherentmeaning?Deleuzegivesusinsight

intohowthismightbepossible,andsetsthegroundforapossibleexplorationofthis

throughhisnotionofbodywithoutorgans.

Deleuze'scritiqueofthetermssubjectivity,significance(meaning)andorganism

(body)arerootedinanunderstandingthattheyproclaimakindofbindingandclosure.

Wherephenomenologyproclaimsinterpretationandclosureinexperience,Deleuze

suggeststhepossibilityofopeningsandthecreationofnewmodelsofexperience;an

alternatemodeofexperiencerelatedtocontinuousbecomingratherthansimplybeing.He

suggeststhatwithinthenotionsofidentityandconsciousnessthereareothermore

affectivestatesofbeing:fieldsofimmanence.


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Deleuzedeniestheworldoftheselfdefiningenclosedsubject,oftheorganized

organism,andasacounterpartheproposestheBodywithoutOrgans(BwO).ABwOisnot

anorganismwhereallthesensesworktogethertoreportfixedcharacteristicsofthe

outsideworld.Itisnotsomuchwithoutorgansaswithoutorganization,itisopposedto

theorganizingprincipalsthatdefinetheassemblagesoforgansandexperiences.TheBwO

hasnoneedforinterpretationasthesubjectivebodydoes,yetitcannotexistincomplete

oppositiontosubjectivity.Itcannotcompletelybreakfreefromthenotionswhichitis

tryingtochallenge,subjectivityandsignification,withoutriskingdisintegration.Inorderto

haveaffectandbeaffective,itmuststillexistwithinthesystemitaimstosubvert.

TheBwOdeniesthestructureoforganizationwhichcomposesanorganismyetis

necessarilythehostofsuchanorganism.InspiredbythebiologistAugustWeismann,

Deleuzeprovides

the

example

of

the

egg

and

the

chicken40;

the

chicken

is

put

forth

as

the

devicecreatedbytheegginordertoreproduceitself.Thechickenistheorganism;theegg

istheBwO.Yettheeggdidnotcomebeforethechicken;theBwOdoesnotprecedethe

organism,itisadjacenttoitandcontinuallyintheprocessofmakingitself.41"Itisnolonger

anorganismthatfunctionsbutaBwOthatisconstructedThereisnolongeraSelf[moi]

thatfeels,actsandrecalls;thereisa"glowingfog,adarkyellowmist"thathasaffectsand

experiencesmovements,speeds."42InseekingtomakeourselvesaBwOweneedto

maintaina

mode

of

expression,

but

one

that

is

rid

of

a

priori

signifiers

and

of

the

conclusivefieldoflanguage.Therefore,theBwOdeniesthesubjectiveandtheimplied

meaningoftheexperienceofthings,yetcannotexistwithoutaffect,anaffectthatisina

continuousprocessofbecoming.TheBwOhasitsownmodeoforganization,whose

principalsareprimarilyderivedfromSpinoza'ssinglesubstance.43

SowhatkindofspacearewedealingwithinaBwO?Whatkindofphysical

propertiesdoesthisspacehave?Clearlyitcannotbepartofthestaticuniversedescribed

byNewtonianphysics,sinceNewtoniandynamicsdescribesonlypartofourphysical

experience.44IftheNewtonianuniverseisoneofbeingwithoutbecoming,whatDeleuze

seemstoproposeisauniverseofbecomingwithoutbeing,thatis,auniversewhere

individualsexistbutonlyasanoutcomeofbecomings.


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Deleuzeconsiderstraditionalnotionsofspacetobeimposedbythesubject.

Thereforeheintroducestheconceptofthevirtualwhichisinsteadlinkedtothespaceof

possibilities.Thevirtualdoesnotdenyexperience,insteaditisaconditionofactual

experience;asystemofrelationsthatcreatesactualspacesandsensations,itisdefinedby

itsaffects.Onthesamelines,topologicalspaceisvirtualspacethathasthecapacityto

affectandbeaffected,inotherwordsithasaffects.

Sowhatisaspacethathasthecapacitytoaffectandbeaffected?Earlierwegave

theexampleofChoreographingSpaceprojectwherespaceandbodywerereciprocally

affectingandbeingaffected.Therefore,inaDeleuziansensethisisatopologicalspace,a

virtualspacewhichhasbecomeametricspacethroughaprocessofbecoming.

3.2Broadeningphenomenology:multiplicityandemergence

Anexpansionofphenomenologicaltheorysuggeststhatarchitectsand

architecturetheoristsaddresstheconceptsofbecoming,multiplicityandemergenceas

facetsofphenomenology.Todothisitisnecessarytotakeanotherlookatperceptionand

livedexperience.Toavoidonetoonesubjectobjectexperienceonemusttakenoteof

Deleuze'sstatement: "Perceptionwillnolongerresideintherelationbetweenasubjectand

anobject,

but

rather

in

the

movement

serving

as

the

limit

of

that

relation

()

look

only

at

movements."45Butwhatkindofmovementsarewetolookat?

Deleuze'sconceptionofmovementstronglyrestsontheSpinozisitcfoundation

discussedearlier.ForSpinozamovementisnotactual,quantitativemovement,butone

thatcombinesthephysicalbodywiththemental/emotionalthroughtheconceptofaffect.

SimilarlyinDeleuze,movementcannotbesimplyperceived,itisimperceptiblebynature

andcanoccuronlybymeansofaffectandbecoming.Thisencompassingcharacteristicof

movement

and

body

of

affection

is

what

may

set

the

ground

for

a

broadening

of

phenomenology.

Whenexperiencingspacethroughaffect,wearefreeingourselvesofinherited

meaningsandassociatedperceptions;weareexperiencingspaceaswhatitdoesrather

thanwhatitaimstorepresent.Hence,asseenearlier,thereisatightlinkbetween


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experienceandthenotionsofpotentialandperformance.Thesereferstoaforce,a

tendingtowards,ineffect;amovement. Andinthisprocessofcontinualdevelopmentand

change,ofbecoming,weidentifythenotionofmultiplicityasacrucialcomponent. This

kindofexperiencedoesnotprovideasinglereadingofaspace,butmultiple;overlapping,

everchangingandattimes,simultaneous.Outofthesemultiplicitiesofinteractionsand

affects,certainrecognizablepatternswillemerge.Thesepatternshoweverareinconstant

processofevolving,constantlyredefiningandcreatingthemselves.

Inourclaimthatthereexistsadifferentkindofphenomenology,onefreedfrom

subjectivityandsignificance,werelyontheconceptsofmultiplicityandemergenceto

providethegroundworkfromwhichtounderstandourexperiencingofbuiltspace

throughaffect

and

movement.

And

though

it

is

true

that

certain

spaces

have

more

propensitiestobeingexperiencedasobjectsofperceptionwhileothersneedtobe

experiencedthroughtheirqualitiesofsensation,allspacescanbeexperiencedwithinthis

newunderstandingofphenomenology.Ineffect,experienceofbuiltspacebecomesan

emergenceofpossibilitiesthroughmultiplicityofaffect.

3.3PhenomenologywithoutOrgans

Someoneattemptingtoproposeanargumentagainstthisclaimmightoffera

Sartreaninspiredcritique,andsuggestthatitisinfactimpossible,withinahumancontext,

tohaveanysortofexperiencedevoidofmeaning.Indeed,meaningisoftenregardedasan

indispensiblepartofhumanconsciousness.Furthermorethiscritiquecouldsuggestthat

proposingaphenomenologyembeddedwithinthenotionofmultiplicitymightsimply

causetheinterpretedmeaningstomultiply.Thuswhileitmayencouragingmultiple

meanings,

we

are

nonetheless

stuck

within

the

realm

of

meaning.

Inresponsetothiscounterclaimwewouldliketotakeanotherlookthebody

withoutorgans.Aswehaveseen,theBwOexistswithinthesystemthatitisattemptingto

deny;itcannotcompletelybreakfreefromthenotionswhichitistryingtochallenge

withoutriskingdisintegration.Solutionstophilosophicalproblemsareneverfreeofthe


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categoriestheyattempttodismiss.ThisiswhattheBwOhasillustrated.Thusasolutionto

theproblemofphenomenologyinarchitecturenecessarilywillhavetodealwiththeissues

ofphenomenologythatitistryingtoquestion.Wewillneverridourselvescompletelyof

subjectivityandsignificanceinbuiltspace;allspacescanstillbegivenasubjectivereading

andassignedspecificmeanings.However,wecanlookbeyondthesenotionsandattempt

todefineanewkindofexperiencing,onethatismoreinclusiveandlessfixed;onethat

incorporatesthepresubjectivebodyofaffectionthroughnotionsofemergenceand

multiplicity;asabodywithoutorgans.Ineffectwhatweareproposingisthepossibilityof

aphenomenologywithoutorgans.


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NOTES

1BenedictdeSpinoza.TheEthics.III.D3

2SpaceislooselyequatedwithArchitecturehere,howeveritisimportanttopointoutthatnotallspacescan

becalled

architecture,

but

all

architecture

has

spaces.

Firstly

it

is

important

to

clarify

what

it

is

we

mean

by

builtspace.Notallbuiltspaceisarchitecture,yetallarchitecturehasbuiltspace.Sowedontrefertoa

subwayplatformasarchitecture,butwedorecognizeitasbuiltspace.Thoughitisnotthepurposeofthis

papertodefinearchitecture,wewouldliketonotethatwhenreferringtobuiltspaceweareusually

referringtothebuiltspaceofarchitecture.

3StevenPerrella,Form,Being,Absence.Architectureandphilosophy.Prattjournal,p.85

4StevenHoll,Parallax,p.13

5Reynolds,Jack,andJonRoffe."DeleuzeandMerleauPonty:Immanence,UnivocityandPhenomenology,"

JournaloftheBritishSocietyforPhenomenology37,no.3(October01,2006),230.6Jean

Paul

Sartre,

"The

Storming

of

the

Bastille"

in

CritiqueofDialecticalReason,p.351

7JeanPaulSartre.BeingandNothingness,p.40

9RonaldBogue,Deleuzeonmusic,paintingandthearts,p.116117

10ErwinStraus,ThePrimaryWorldofSenses:aVindicationofSensoryExperience, p.322

11BenedictdeSpinoza.TheEthics.III.P2Schol.

12Iamreferringtosensationasthephysicalcomponentofaffectandpercptiontothementalcomponent

ofaffectbasedonSpinoza'snotionofaffecteventhoughhedidnotusedthesetermsinthisway.

13BenedictdeSpinoza.TheEthics.III.D3

14GillesDeleuze,LectureTranscriptsOnSpinozasConceptOfAffect

15Ibid.

16BernardTschumi,"QuestionsOfSpace"inArchitectureandDisjunction,p.53

17BenedictdeSpinoza.TheEthics.IIP18.Schol.

18Ibid.,IIP18

19PaulValery,"onPainting"inSelectedWritingsofPaulValery,trans.AnthonyBower(NewYork:New

Directions,1964),.222

20RobertVenturi.ComplexityandContradictioninArchitecture,p.13

21StevenPerrella,Form,Being,Absence.Architectureandphilosophy.Prattjournal,p.85

22JeanPaulSartre.BeingandNothingness,p.41

24Rorschachtestisamethodofpsychologicalevaluationinwhichsubjects'perceptionsofinkblotsare

recordedandthenanalyzedusingintuitiveinsight.Timingoftheresponseiscritical;subjectsareusuallynot

allowedtopondertheirresponse.


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25BrianMassumi.ParablesfortheVirtual:Movement,Affect,Sensation,p.180

26PaulVirilioonStelarc'ssuspension:BrianMassumi.ParablesfortheVirtual:Movement,Affect,Sensation,

p.103

27

Erwin

Straus,

The

Primary

World

of

Senses:

a

Vindication

of

Sensory

Experience,

p.351

28BenedictdeSpinoza.TheEthics,IIA'1.Definitionofthebody:"Allbodieseithermoveorareatrest"

29Ibid.,IIL1

30BrianMassumi.ParablesfortheVirtual:Movement,Affect,Sensation,p.15

31GillesDeleuzeandFelixGuattari.AThousandPlateaus,p.260

32 MerleauPonty,ThePrimacyofPerception,p.5

33ThisideaofcomesfromSpinoza,TheEthics

34

Gilles

Deleuze

and

Felix

Guattari.

A

Thousand

Plateaus,

p.257

35Deleuzianconceptofmultiplicity,whichisexpandedfurtheroninthepaper

36Reiser+Umemoto.AtlasOfNovelTectonics,p.85

37e+i architecture,ChoreographingSpace(www.choreographingspace.com)aninterdisciplinaryproject

thatexplorestheintersectionbetweenthematerialworldofarchitectureandtheimmaterialnotionsof

movementanddance,inordertocreateanenvironmentthatiscapableofbothvisualandphysical

exchangebetweenparticipantsandthespace,bothaffectingandbeingaffectedbyit.

38GillesDeleuze,Cinema1:TheMovementImage,p.56

39GillesDeleuze,WhatisPhilosophy?p.150

40KylieMessage,"BodyWithoutOrgans"inTheDeleuzeDictionary.p.34

41GillesDeleuzeandFelixGuattari.AThousandPlateaus,p164

42Ibid.,p162

43"BodyWithoutOrgans"inTheDeleuzeDictionary,p.34

44DeLanda,Manuel.IntensiveScience&VirtualPhilosophy.NewYork:Continuum,2002.P.85

45GillesDeleuzeandFelixGuattari.AThousandPlateaus,p282


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BIBLIOGRAPHYBogue,Ronald.Deleuzeonmusic,paintingandthearts.NewYork:Routledge,2003

DeLanda,Manuel.IntensiveScience&VirtualPhilosophy.NewYork:Continuum,2002

Deleuze,Gilles&Guattari,Felix.AThousandPlateaus.trans.BrianMassumi.Minneapolis:UniversityofMinnesotaPress,1987

Deleuze,Gilles&Guattari,Felix,WhatisPhilosophy?Trans.JanisTomlinson,NewYork:ColumbiaUniversity

Press,1996

Deleuze,Gilles.LectureTranscriptsonSpinozasConceptofAffect.www.webdeleuze.com/php/sommaire.html

Deleuze,Gilles.Expressionisminphilosophy:Spinoza.trans.MartinJoughin,NewYork:ZoneBooks,1990

Deleuze,Gilles,Cinema1:TheMovementImage.Minneapolis:UniversityofMinnesotaPress,1986

Holl,Steven.Parallax.NewYork:PrincetonArchitecturalPress,2000

Ihde,Don,"PhenomenologyandArchitecture"andParella,Steven,"Form:Being;Absence",inForm:Being;

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Massumi,Brian.ParablesfortheVirtual:Movement,Affect,Sensation.Durham&London:DukeUniversity

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MerlauPonty,Maurice.ThePrimacyofPerception,ed.JamesM.Edie. Chicago:NorthwesternUniversity

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Message,Kylie

"Body

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in

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Dictionary,

ed.

Adrian

Parr

New

York:

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The

Primary

World

of

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Vindication

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Sensory

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Tschumi,Bernard.ArchitectureandDisjunction,Cambridge:MITPress,1996

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Venturi,Robert.ComplexityandContradictioninArchitecture.NewYork:MuseumofModernArtPress,1966


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ILLUSTRATIONCREDITS

StevenHoll,sketchesexhibitedattheMOMA,NewYork

JamesWhistler,http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Abbot_McNeill_Whistler_007.jpg:p.5

Descartesmindandbodydualism.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Descartes_mind_and_body.gif:p.6

RobertVenturi,ComplexityandContradictioninArchitecture,p.119:p.9

MCEscher,http://www.mcescher.com:p.10

RubinVasefigure,www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Rubin_vase:p.10

GiambattistaNolli'sMapofRome, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giambattista_Nolli:10

CampoBaeza,

Coleccion

Arquitectura

Espanola

Contemporanea,

front

cover:

p.

12

EnricMiralles,UniversityofVigo,photoEvaPerezdeVega,2008:p.12

LeCorbusier,VillaSavoie.http://farm1.static.flickr.com/228/525010457_6c846fd11e_o.jpg:p.12

e+iarchitecture,ChoreographingSpace,photoBrandonJacobsMills,2007:p.15

Documents

Experiencing Built Space