Sensory Spaces 2: The Senses, Space & Social Order

Week 2 content - understanding the feeling at home and feeling out of place. What effects the senses to make one feel the way they do.

The Rose Reading Room at the New York Library has 16.15m high ceilings.

Barbara Adkins Uses a library as an example for this lecture.

A library is commonly known as a space to avoid noise, to lower ones voice when speaking a space that requires self discipline. A library is a space that includes and excludes.

The first example was the Rose Reading Room at the New York Library, the space is counter intuitive, a contradictory design. Where the high ceilings increase noise cause an echo, it makes it harder for one to stay extremely quiet. The sonic landscape operates as a disciplinary machine that intimidates and mitts the sense of not fitting in. A beautiful space that is not for sense of comfort.

The comparable example used was the Seattle Public Library. A space tuning the sensory space to enable greater choice & possibilities. The sonic design encourages interactions with media and architecture. The finishes, furnishings and a host of other design cues to structure possible behaviours.

Exterior of Seattle Public Library: Geometric building fully windowed, reflective of evening sky

Interior of Seattle Public Library: Rows of Bookshelves with windowed walls and ceiling

Interior of Seattle Public Library: Ariel View of room full of tables, rows of book shelves and open space

Knowledge of peoples background (culture), "middle class" codes of discipline, respecting written and unwritten rules and cultural capital of understanding behaviours are relevant in sensory design and knowing how to make one feel like they either do or don't fit in.

The design of a space can have a large effect on peoples behaviours and feelings towards the space. The bodily sense are where the body understands what to do by creating habits that are shaped by our experiences and how we adapt by the setting in which we are in.

Notes taken in class:

References:

DesignRulz. 2015. “A Library For All: Seattle Public Library, Washington, USA.” Design Rulz. https://www.designrulz.com/design/2015/06/a-library-for-all-seattle-public-library-washington-usa/.

Schwartz, Alexandra. 2016. “The Rose Reading Room and the Real Meaning of “Luxury” in New York City.” New Yorker. 7 October. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/nypl-rose-reading-room-and-the-real-meaning-of-luxury-in-new-york-city.