Art as integral part of architectural space

Thesis (M.S.V.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1993.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-97).To integrate art with architecture is the intention of every architect. However, many times other requirements overwhelm artistic potential. There are numerous good, simple examples in the history of architecture where solutions to a variety of often functional requirements have produced exceptional artistic expressions, which in tum have inspired contemporary architectural practice. Pre-industrial architecture not only responded to natural conditions in the environment; it employed all the senses as well ·. in its design of living environments. Today, unfortunately, we rarely find that architects pay attention to sound, smell, water, natural cycles, or, almost unimaginable, to time. Our technology encourages us to separate ourselves from nature. However, this same technology can help us to reintegrate ourselves with nature by designing better living environments. This thesis is, therefore, my way of rethinking design principles that shape the contemporary urban environment and often give it such a cold, formal image. My own philosophy of design is given in the introduction. The rest of the thesis is basically the supportive material, which further illuminates the ideas presented in the introduction. The first part discusses some general trends in contemporary society in order to place my own view of design within a broader context, while the second part lists numerous examples from the history of architecture and art to illustrate and further my philosophy. At the end, in the appendix, I present one of my own projects, the Interactive Water Curtain, to concretely show some of the implications of my aesthetics. Through this work I hope to illustrate the richness of various traditional architectural practices that take advantage of sound, water, time (celestial movement), fragrances, and even living creatures in designing places. I hope this will stimulate creative thinking about using not just visual effects in the design of our living environment, but employing acoustic, olfactory, astronomical, ecological, and kinesthetic design in order to create sensually richer and more pleasant environments where people can live in harmony with nature and other living creatures.by Marta Vahtar.M.S.V.S