What tools and modes of representation to reflect an architectural atmosphere?

International audienceFor about thirty years, research in French architectural schools has been involved in the question of atmosphere (1), especially thanks to the contributions of CERMA (Centre for Methodological Research in Architecture) and CRESSON inside the joint research CNRS unit "Architectural and Urban Ambient Environment". The theoretical knowledge finding its source within this framework follows two complementary directions: the first being a sensitive approach and the second a technical approach. Atmosphere does indeed come within a spatial experience, but the physical phenomena it is made up of, take into account specific knowledge and know-how such as lighting, thermal physics, acoustics, etc…(2)The study presented here is a part of a PhD work of which the aim is to qualify the atmosphere representation produced by architects during the different conception stages. We suggest a reflection on conception methodology so that the initially suggest atmosphere lasts all along the conception process and in the lived spaces.In this paper, we are more particularly interested here in the manner in which atmosphere is represented by the architect during the conceptual phase. An architect must indeed produce images to give shape to his project and to communicate it. The question will be asked about the capacity of pictures to translate atmosphere intentions. Two different buildings, whose respective architects had foreseen their atmospheric intentions, before the designing stage, will help us in our study. This way, we will analyze the reasons which motivated the building designer’s choices in the production of atmosphere representations: how does the architect get to suggest feelings through image? What tools and modes of representation does he mostly use