- Sculpting the Experience of Light-

Andy Marriott

Design Research Unit

4th Year

[2]

-Contents-

- Introduction 4

- Carving from darkness 8

- To Praise the Shadow 10

- Reign of Modernism 12

- Usable Art 18

- Phenomenology and Delight 22

- Conclusion 25

- Methodology 27

- Bibliography 42

- Image References 44

- Acknowledgements 46

Figure 1: Light quality of auditorium in Kimbell Art Museum

[4]

-Introduction-

Venustas

"When sight came, the first moment of sight was the realization of beauty. I don't mean beautiful

or very beautiful or extremely beautiful. Just simply beauty itself, which is stronger than any of the

adjectives you might add to it" 1

"All material in nature, the mountains and the streams and the air and we, are made of Light

which has been spent, and this crumpled mass called material casts a shadow, and the shadow

belongs to Light." 2

.

Vitruvius stated that the three fundamental characteristics of architecture are:

Firmitas - Strength

Utilitas - Utility

Venustas - Beauty

Despite this, in many buildings, the discussion of Venustas is often avoided in favour of a debate

of the function or structural integrity of the building resulting in a more quantifiable discussion

which can more easily be justified. Why was this? Perhaps it is for the reason that beauty is too

difficult to objectify in this way, and there is not necessarily a definitive right or wrong answer as

to what is beautiful; it is largely subjective and difficult to quantify. This essay aims to

investigate the subject of delight in architecture, in particular, the architect's use of light as a

material, and the users’ attitudes towards this. The building chosen as reference is Zumthor’s

Therme Vals, and this essay will look at three main sources of the delight felt by users: the use of

light & darkness as a material to create emotive spaces; the beauty of the building, and also

1 Lobell, J. [1979] Between Silence and Light : Spirit in the Architecture of Louis I. Kahn, Shambhala. p8

2 Lobell, J. [1979] Between Silence and Light : Spirit in the Architecture of Louis I. Kahn, Shambhala. p5 2 Lobell, J. [1979] Between Silence and Light : Spirit in the Architecture of Louis I. Kahn, Shambhala. p5

Zumthor’s ethos to designing the building – his phenomenological approach. Each of the three

sources have been well documented and analysed in previous literature, however this essay will

summarise, and look at them from the aspect of delight. With reference to investigating the

above, it is important to take into account the significance of the use of shadows whilst allowing

light to enter a room; to create an emotive space which engages the user on all levels.

[6]

Figure 2: Main Bath Therme Vals, Peter Zumthor

[8]

-Carving from darkness-

"To plan the building as a pure mass of shadow then, afterwards, to put in light as if you were

hollowing out the darkness, as if the light were a new mass sleeping in" 3

The starting point of this investigation was Peter Zumthor's Therme Vals, and the play with light

and shadows in order to create a sensory experience were the key factors in creating these

beautiful spaces. The building has a definite presence within its context, however is not

overwhelming and outlandish, and the interior spaces within can be interpreted as places to

retreat to - a sanctuary space. Zumthor's phenomenological approach to architecture ensures

that the users truly experience the building with a heightened sense of their surrounding

environment, rather than merely observe it. He encourages the public to attain a higher sensual

experience within the building, to ask the users to engage with their surroundings using all their

senses rather than just visual.

"Sense emerges when I succeed in bringing out the specific meanings of certain materials in my

buildings, meanings which can only be perceived in just this way in the one building" 4

The spaces he creates have a certain atmosphere that entices the users to manoeuvre their way

through the building, which is important to his architecture. He uses the light effectively as a

tool to draw people through :

"But then something would be drawing me round the corner- it was the way the light falls, over

here, over there and so I saunter on " 5.

The building does not reveal itself completely during the initial encounter with the users and the

shadows are a key tool in helping achieve an ambiguity to the space. By designing in such a way

as carving light from darkness, he acknowledges the beauty of shadows. The unclearness of the

shadows is synonymous with the idea of subjective beauty within the building- it makes each

user's experience unique.

3 Zumthor, P. [1998] Thinking Architecture, Princeton Architectural Press. p59

4 Yoshida, N. [1998] Peter Zumthor, Tokyo: A & U Publishing. p8

5 Zumthor, P. [1998] Thinking Architecture, Princeton Architectural Press. p43

Figure 3: Traditional Japanese house showing variety of shadows

Figure 4: Living room at Villa Savoye showing the blurring of boundaries. Le Corbusier

[10]

-To Praise the Shadow-

Junichiro Tanizaki emphasises the importance of darkness in the everyday lives of Japanese

society, and iterates that the subtlety of shadows is conducive to a beautiful way of living. His

ethos has influenced Zumthor to design with regards to the importance, utility and versatility of

shadows. Tanizaki states that Japanese architecture begins with covering the earth in shadow and

allowing the building to be constructed underneath this, whereas the western society orientates

itself around the premise of flooding the building with light, and that Tanizaki's opinion, it does

not know about the beauty of shadows. Instead of enjoying the beauty within darkness itself and

using light only when needed, the western society is described by Tanizaki as using light to

engulf the darkness that plagues a room. Shadows have a significant impact on the variety of

experiences one can have in a room as these shadows continually alter throughout the day and

night, thereby altering the appearance, experience, and beauty of the room. The varying lighting

conditions generate a connection to the external, and gives the users a chance to experience a

sense of place.

" We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness,

that one thing against another creates" 6

For Tanizaki, it is shadows themselves which invite beauty to a space, as opposed to the objects

and physical attributes within the room or building. He describes this view as being typical of

Japanese culture and architecture, and although Tanizaki has a nationalist approach to his essay,

there is some truth to his statements regarding Western attitudes to design, especially in regards

to modernist architecture, which places importance on the use of light, artificial or natural.

"The artificial lights with which people illuminate the night have a soothing effect. We illuminate

our buildings and streets, we illuminate our planet , ward off little pieces of darkness and create

islands of light on which we can see ourselves and the things that we have accumulated around

us" 7

6

Tanizaki, J. [2001] In praise of shadows, Vintage. p46

7 Zumthor, P. [1998] Thinking Architecture, Princeton Architectural Press. p90

Figure 5: Sainte Marie de La Tourette. Le Corbusier

Figure 6: Sainte Marie de La Tourette, light cannons. Le Corbusier

[12]

-Reign of Modernism-

"In the wake of the horrors of World War I, many young architects shared a general

disillusionment, indeed a sense the European culture had failed and would have to be replaced

by a transformed society; they believed that architecture could and should become an instrument

of this transformation. They also believed in the power of rational thought, and ultimately in its

handmaidens, economy and functionality, and they believed that their rational designs could best

be produced through mechanization, yielding efficient, somehow machine-made buildings." 8

The modernist movement gave a chance for Architects to design a new utopian society devoid of

the problems of the past. Gone were the days of constant iterations of past architectural styles,

which were built with solid wall construction and superfluous over-decorated detailing. Founders

of the modernist approach believed that these techniques were not the way forward for

architecture- instead of small openings with dark, internalised rooms , it was considered more

important to push structure to the limits of its technical ability and create functional spaces

which could blur the boundaries between external and internal. Striving for a nihilistic approach

to the design of clean unblemished architecture, largely their designs would achieve an almost

sterile aesthetic . The perceptions of beauty had changed and the idea of trying to design a

decorative building had been substituted by machine like design.

This mechanical aesthetic and way of living would become the new idea beauty that the

modernists tried to instill in the public mindset as the way to progress. Louis Sullivan's mantra

"form follows function" reiterates this, he implies the aesthetics are derived from the functionality

and be the most important part of the architecture. Philip Johnson's Glass House is a perfect

example of this forward-thinking nihilistic approach, with the main emphasis of flooding the full

footprint of the glass building with natural light. Johnson makes no conscious decision to create

shadows within the spaces and the boundaries of the building are blurred with the surrounding

landscape and was once quoted as saying "I have very expensive wallpaper".9 He had created a

light space both during the day and acts as a light sculpture within the landscape at night.

Zumthor also emphasises this point:

8 Fazio, M. W., Moffett, M., Wodehouse, L., [2003] A world history of architecture, Laurence King. p475

9 Pierce, L. [2010] "Through the Looking Glass", The Advocate of Stamford, Connecticut . p1

Figure 7: 2001: A space odyssey light room

[14]

"Shadows do not seem to loom large in these architectural compositions. But brightness does,

light and air and the outdoor view, the sensation of living in the landscape, of having the

landscape flow into or through the rooms inside- the landscape with all its lights and shadows." 10

Le Corbusier was one of the innovators within the modern movement, and in fact he developed

his five points towards a new architecture: Pilotis; roof garden; free designing of the ground plan;

the horizontal window and free design of the facade. Despite his support of the modern

movement, there was a point in the 1950's when Corbusier realised whilst in the strive for a

functional machine-like building, this movement had somewhat neglected and forgotten about

the emotions that spaces can and should generate, and the importance for users to have this

emotional connection.

"Architecture is a thing of art, a phenomenon of the emotions, lying outside questions of

construction and beyond them. The purpose of construction is TO MAKE THINGS HOLD

TOGETHER; of architecture TO MOVE US. Architectural emotion exists when the work rings within

us in tune with a universe whose laws we obey, recognize and respect." 11

As such, he made a conscious effort to take more notice of the emotional rather than focusing

solely on the physical needs of his users. This can be clearly seen by the development of his

architectural style in the designs of Chapelle Notre Dame du Haut Ronchamp, Chandigarh and

especially Couvent Sainte-Marie de La Tourette.

10 Zumthor, P. [1998] Thinking Architecture, Princeton Architectural Press. p92

11 Corbusier, L. [1931] Towards a new architecture, John Rodker Publisher. p23

Figure 8: Le sommeil de l'enfant Jésus. Francesco Trevisani

Figure 9: The Incredulity of Saint Thomas. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

[16]

"Here is liquid space with an undulating inclined wall. As a metaphorical journey towards a

personal revelations, it shows the dimension of an inner discovery in its unexpectedness. While

the architecture appears for the exterior as a convent-square, it yields an interior of astonishing

curvilinear experiences." 12

Through the design of La Tourette, it was clear to see Corbusier's concept of ineffable space, a

space which cannot be expressed, and he uses light to help achieve these sanctuary spaces. He

creates light cannons above the sacristy that engage the users to the space and these act like an

ethereal light guiding them through the building. They are similar to the religious paintings of

Trevesani or Caravaggio, where an unknown ethereal light source illuminates key parts of the

painting to create a strong emotional response and a connection to the scene the viewer is

witnessing. Like Zumthor, he uses a variety of lighting methods to carve out the spaces within

and vary the amount of shadows in each space. This variety of light in each space helped to

create a hierarchy of emotions in the building. The form is rational, but the real beauty is within

the building and the emotive spaces that are revealed.

"In other words- where you don't just take a ground plan and say : these are the walls, twelve

centimetres thick, and that division means inside and outside, but where you have this feeling as

a hidden mass you don't recognise" 13

12 Holl, S. [2000] Parallax, Princeton Architectural Press. p33

13 Zumthor, P. [2006] Atmospheres, Birkhäuser. p51

Figure 10: First Light. James Turrell

[18]

-Usable Art-

The use of light and shadow as a tool to emotionally engage with the user, and allow them to

truly experience each space is one which Zumthor uses to full effect, most notably in Therme

Vals, the design which inspired this investigation. This use of light to create strong emotional

experiences is not linked only to architecture, and in fact many examples can be found

throughout the art world. One such artist who recognises the power of this tool is James Turell,

whose dark space installations (Pleiades) consists of a dark room, with one or more light

sources creating a pre-determined shape. This use of light as a material within a space is

synonymous with what architects such as Zumthor seek to realise. Turell's focus is to create art

which happens right before the viewer's eyes, which they can truly experience, and he uses the

power of light and darkness to achieve this. His attitudes to how one experiences light is like that

of Zumthor's phenomenological approach:

"Light is a powerful substance, We have a primal connection to it. But, for something so powerful,

situations for its felt presence are fragile. I form it much as the material allows. I like to work with

it so that you feel it physically, so you feel the presence of light inhabiting the space"14

14 Brown, J. [1985] interview with JT by Julia Brown, Occluded Front, Lapis press, 1985, p22

Figure 11: Blind Light. Antony Gormley

In a similar vein, the artist Antony Gormley also uses light to his advantage, in works such as his famous blind light installation. He

reiterates the close link between architecture and art, that architecture can be seen as functional sculpture. The parallel with

architects such as Zumthor and sculptors are closely related in regards to the fact that both are trying to achieve beauty but it

cannot necessarily be planned or predicted. The essence of the building was the driving force of Therme Vals and the rest of the

building was created around the experiences of each space which is key to the beauty.

"Zumthor advocated a piety of building: trying to develop a design in a way which lets it be what it wants to be, configuring

physical fabric around real or imagined experiences," 15

15 Sharr, A. [2007] Heidegger for Architects, Routledge. p98

[20]

Figure 12: T Space. Steven Holl

Figure 13: Kiasma museum of contemporary art showing variety of light. Steven Holl

[22]

-Phenomenology and Delight-

"Light that is not seen with the eyes can be felt. Light's psychological effects can lead to extremes

of feeling with direct repercussions. Or we can speak of light in a dream" 16

Steven Holl also realises the importance of light whilst designing, not only for the beauty aspect

it provides but also for the psychological effects it evokes in humans. He learned a lot from Le

Corbusier's architecture - he too uses light cannons in the Reid building at the Glasgow School

or Art and varies the emotive and spatial quality by using colour in the church of Saint Ignatius.

As does Zumthor, he also plays with light and shadows to create the sense of ineffable space. It

is clear that Architects such as Corbusier, Holl, Kahn and Zumthor were strongly influenced by

the Heidegger's theory of Phenomenology.

Definition of Phenomenology

the movement founded by Husserl that concentrates on the detailed description of conscious

experience, without recourse to explanation, metaphysical assumptions, and traditional

philosophical questions 17

All design in such a way to achieve a humanist building that engages the users at a higher

sensory level, whilst also attempting to encapture the poetic emotion of the space. The

atmospheres they create reinforces the essence of the place where they are building, the Genius

Loci. Shadows are used to add an air of mystery to the spaces and the architects create

punctures in the enclosing envelope to allow light to stream in, in order to enjoy the

psychological effects of the light.

16 Sharr, A. [2007] Heidegger for Architects, Routledge. p112

17 Collins W.,Sons & Co. Ltd. [2009] Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition

There is a great sense of delight for the users to have an emotional relationship to their

surroundings and experience the beauty of the changing lighting conditions. As Adam Sharr

enforces this idea by stating that the main thing an architect designs is human experiences, so is

this true with Peter Zumthor as he starts with an emotion and envisions the architectural scheme

around this. Again, this is synonymous with the idea of carving light from darkness as it is as

though if the emotion is hidden within his designs and he carves the building around it. Grafton

Architects summarises this point clearly:

“Buildings tell the stories of our lives in built form… We walk through and feel spaces with our

whole bodies and our senses, not just with our eyes and with our minds. We are fully involved in

the experience; this is what makes us human.”18

18 Goodwin, K. [2013] Meet the Architects: Grafton, Available at: http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/20 [Aceessed April

2014]

[24]

-Conclusion-

The aim of this essay was to study the subject of delight in Peter Zumthor's Therme Vals, with a

focus on his use of light and shadows to create beautiful and emotive spaces. Having

investigated the above, it was clear to see that light is an important source of delight not only

from an aesthetic point of view but also from a psychological aspect.

With the use of shadows, Zumthor could create a new presence to the space and generate an

ambiguity to enrich the experience for the users. It is important to note that the atmosphere he

creates at Therme Vals would not be suitable for all forms of architecture, in fact there are very

few buildings that can function with such low lux levels- for example churches, spas and

archives. Parallels were drawn with the use of light in art and architecture with regards to the

techniques used by both artists and architects to instil an emotional response from the

users/viewers. To gain a real sense of beauty of the built environment, Zumthor used

phenomenology to try and allow his users to attain a heightened sense of their surrounds.

In conclusion, it is Zumthor's phenomenological approach which is the main source of delight

within his architecture; he realises how tangible light is as a material and uses it as an effective

tool in his designs. However he understands that it is more important to design from experiences

to create these emotive spaces.

[26]

-Methodology-

Peter Zumthor's Therme Vals is a building that causes the users delight and was the starting

point for the investigation. The aim was to investigate his methodology of carving light out of

darkness, to use light as a material, and creating an architecture of the senses. Initial drawings

were constructed -floor plans, sections, 1:20 detail drawings- to fully understand the building

whilst trying to encapture the essence of the space. Through the investigation of the spaces,

mainly the central swimming space, the question was how did this building carve light out of

darkness to cause delight? Cast models and experiential drawings were then created to

investigate the idea of allowing light to carve from the solid of the plaster to create the space

hidden within and were also used to see the play with shadows in the building.

Start with an emotion/exprience/feeling

Design the room around that

This is how Zumthor designs his architecture and it was a sensible approach to try to represent

the beauty of light and shadow in the object. The emotional connection to the surrounding

environment could best be imagined by planning an installation rather than trying to represent it

purely on paper. This gives people an opportunity to experience the light being allowed to enter

and define the space, to interact with the space as it is changing and feel the space being

defined.

"Fragments, like ruins, allow space for the imagination to enter into play – you don’t give the

whole story, so you provide space for the spectator to try to imagine what you are wanting to do,

what might be intended." 19

19 Goodwin, K. [2013] Meet the Architects: Graftony, Available at: http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/20 [Aceessed April

2014]

[28]

[30]

[32]

-How the installation is intended to be used-

- The 16 openings are randomly numbered and the group of users select 4 numbers this

ensures that the experience created is randomly generated, giving a different outcome each

time.

- The group of users enter the pitch black installation and are given 3 - 4 minutes to allow

their eyes to adjust to the dark

- Individually, the openings are slowly revealed by removing the roller blinds and light now starts

to enter the space

- The experience and atmosphere of the room will change as the light streams in

- This carves out the space within and constantly changes the space as more openings

are revealed

- In essence, the users experience the change of atmosphere in the room and they, in

turn, become the objects within.

[34]

Figure 14: Roof plan of openings [installation model]

Figure 15: Roller blind system for openings [installation model]

Figure 16: Initial experience of opening being slowly revealed [installation model]

Figure 17: Long exposure with one opening [installation model]

[36]

Figure 18: Light Study with 6 open roof lights [installation model]

Figure 19: Render of 4 openings unveiled in installation [3DS Max]

Figure 20: Cast investigation openings between joints of Therme Vals [Plaster]

Figure 21: Cast investigation rhythm of roof lights in main pool and the effect on the experience

of Therme Vals [Plaster]

[38]

Figure 22: Experiential painting of openings main pool of Therme Vals [charcoal]

Figure 23: Experiential painting of streams of light in main pool of Therme Vals [Tipex and chalk]

[40]

Figure 24: Abstract experiential painting of light in main pool of Therme Vals [Tipex and Ink]

Figure 25: Showing cast experiment in carving the space within

[42]

-Bibliography-

Brown, J. [1985] interview with JT by Julia Brown, Occluded Front, Lapis press, 1985, p22

Collins W.,Sons & Co. Ltd. [2009] Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th

Edition

Corbusier, L. [1931] Towards a new architecture, John Rodker Publisher

Fazio, M. W., Moffett, M., Wodehouse, L., [2003] A world history of architecture, Laurence King

Goodwin, K. [2013] Meet the Architects: Graftony, Available at:

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/20 [Aceessed April 2014]

Gormley, A. [2007] Blind Light, Hayward Publishing

Holl, S. [2000] Parallax, Princeton Architectural Press

Holl, S,[1999] The chapel of St. Ignatius, New York : Princeton Architectural Press

Lobell, J. [1979] Between Silence and Light : Spirit in the Architecture of Louis I. Kahn,

Shambhala

Norberg-Schulz, C. [1980] Genius loci towards a phenomenology of architecture, New York

Rizzoli

Pallasmaa, J. [2005] The Eyes of the skin : Architecture and the senses, John Wiley &

Sons Ltd.

Pierce, L. [2010] Through the Looking Glass, The Advocate of Stamford, Connecticut

Sharr, A. [2007] Heidegger for Architects, Routledge

Tanizaki, J. [2001] In praise of shadows, Vintage

Tschumi, B. [1990] Questions of space, E.G. Bond. Ltd

Turell. J. [2006] A life in light.Sogomy

Yoshida, N. [1998] Peter Zumthor, Tokyo: A & U Publishing

Zumthor, P. [2006] Atmospheres, Birkhäuser

Zumthor, P. [2007] Peter Zumthor : Therme Vals, Scheidegger & Spiess.

Zumthor, P. [1998] Thinking Architecture, Princeton Architectural Press

[44]

-Image References-

Author's own unless stated otherwise

Cover Peter Zumthor - Detail of shadow in Therme Vals [ online] Available at:

http://aljosakotnjekarch.tumblr.com/post/12572030681/peter-zumthor-detail-of-shadow-in-

therme-vals [Accessed April 2014]

Figure 1 Wharton, R.[1975] Louis Kahn in Auditorium, [image]in Kahn, L. I.,[1975] Light is the

theme : Louis I. Kahn and the Kimball Art Museum, Kimball Art Foundation, p39.

Figure 2 Main bath Therme Vals [ online] Available at:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/Krsj4sJVPlEvUubdudAyL_8eO78YTr2Qfj-rgTxDo-

pb4K3TKSESVYiQDZsJPq1UpE3F=s113 [accessed March 2014]

Figure 3 Overlapping shadows [online] Available at:

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/the-overlapping-shadows-of-sliding-paper-high-res-

stock-photography/171095782 [accessed April 2014]

Figure 4 Guillemette, M, [1998] Living room [image] in Guillemette, M, [1998] Le Corbusier's

Villa Savoye. Paris: Centre des monuments nationaux. Monum, Éditions du Patrimoine,

Figure 5 Sainte Marie de La Tourette [online] Available at :

http://www.payneandladner.com/?projects=sainte-marie-de-la-tourette-france [ accessed

March 2014]

Figure 6 Sainte Marie de La Tourette [online] Available at :

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_M6anemLc42KDJYv_KtsLme4824mgK5kuUOtLbWQCfrqB_OWOatB4g_aj

iZXD4BO1M50eg=s85 [ accessed March 2014]

Figure 7 2001 space odyssey light room [online] Available at :

http://robertsnow.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/space-odyssey-end.png?w=300&h=163

[accessed April 2014]

Figure 8 Trevisani, F. [1705]Le sommeil de l'enfant Jésus, [online] Available at:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Le_sommeil_de_l%27enfant_Jésus_-

_FRANCESCO_TREVISANI.JPG [ accessed March 2014]

Figure 9 Caravaggio, M.[ 1602] The Incredulity of saint Thomas, [online] Available at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Caravaggio_-_The_Incredulity_of_Saint_Thomas.jpg

[accessed April 2014]

Figure 10 Catso [1989] First Light [image] in Turell. J. [2006] A life in light.Sogomy

. p 50

Figure 11Gormley, A. [2007] Blind Light [image]in Gormley, A. [2007] Blind Light, Hayward

Publishing. p33

Figure 12 Wides, S. [2010] "T Space / Steven Holl Architects" [online] Available at :

http://www.archdaily.com/82147/t-space-steven-holl-architects/ [accessed April 2014]

Figure 13 Kiasma museum of contemporary art [online] Available at :

http://www.stevenholl.com/project-detail.php?type=museums&id=18 [ accessed March

2014]

[46]

-Acknowledgements-

I would like to thank my tutor Helen O'Connor for guiding me through my research unit and for

motivating me to challenge my understanding every week. It was fantastic to open my research

to a much broader area and discover new ideologies I hope to achieve with my architecture. I

would also like to thank my amazing girlfriend, Francesca, who helped me in every aspect of my

research but more importantly for keeping me relaxed when I was stressing out. Without your

support I would not have been able to finish this. Finally I would like to thank my dad for his

constant words of wisdom throughout my architectural education.