An Architecture Of The Seven Senses

They say architecture is a form of art, far different from the ones you generally see in a gallery. Indeed, seeing as architecture presents its form of art as the gallery itself, it has far more potential as an art form than anything it could possibly house. Architecture aims to please not only our sense of sight, our vision, but it also aims to please the other four senses. But wait, architecture of the SEVEN senses? This seems like a lot to accomplish, seeing as we are only aware of five senses so far in our lives. 

However, architecture does make an impact on all of these senses, whether or not we are aware of this process. The building in which architecture presents itself, is not an end to itself. It frames, articulates, restructures, gives significance or hierarchy, relates, separates and unites. facilitates and prohibits. It does all these to create authentic architectural experiences. These consists of approaching a building rather than the facade itself, the act of entering a space and not simply entering the frame of the door, as well as looking out the frame of a window, not just the window itself.

To properly understand the concept behind the seven senses involved in architecture, we have to look at how architecture plays a part in these seven senses. The sight is the one architecture has the biggest impact upon. Before we enter or truly experience a building, it swiftly takes us by our sense of sight, we then allow ourselves to admire the architecture of a certain building, judging it from pillar to pillar, tile by tile. But the experience is not complete with only a single sense. As we approach the building, we experience things through our sense of smell. These scents mark the building, reminding us of the place whenever we chance across such scents, be it pleasant or less than so. Be there a garden with fragrant flowers or an unsightly pile of trash in the area, the scent will always be related to the building in which we first experienced such smell.