Human scale is a fundamental concept for exploring architectural design.It combines the physical qualities of the human body, as well as the movement, perception or psychological abilities of human beings.However, why do we see some buildings deliberately designed beyond our standards?This is not a mere functional consideration, but is closely related to multiple factors in society, culture and aesthetics.
Human interactions with the surrounding environment are based on their physical characteristics, abilities and limitations.
In architectural design, human scales can affect the planning of features such as stairs, doorways, railings and other spatial features.These elements are designed to meet the needs of most people and ensure user comfort and safety.However, as some buildings tend to break this scale, the reasons are worth exploring in depth.
Many scientific objects go beyond the human scale, whether they are huge galaxies or tiny molecules.This makes us often need to rely on data and time scales that are contrary to our intuitive perception when we understand the world.This is also reflected in architecture, where many designs deliberately challenge human intuitive feelings.
Human interactions in space are based on an understanding of their perception.
The design of an architecture is not just about building a physical space, it is also about people's sensory experience, including factors such as vision, hearing and light.This makes the definition of human scale not only physically, but also deeper into how people can perceive and understand space.
Relative to human height and scale, some buildings are deliberately designed to be "greater than life".These designs usually have the following purposes:
Social and cultural signals:
Such as "Motherland" sculptures, such buildings are intended to express a certain power or meaning.Aesthetic effect:
Modernist architecture emphasizes the purity of structure and the clarity of form, which makes many buildings lose their consideration of human scale.Automotive Scale:
Some commercial buildings are designed to be able to read from the route of the car, and these buildings are often designed to be wider and lighter.For example, the John Hancock Building in Boston and the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin all reflect this phenomenon.These buildings are aesthetically shocking every pedestrian with their grandeur and power, but at the same time they can also feel distance.
Common sense is often related to human experience, and the concept of human scale also operates under this framework.For example, many units of measurement once originated directly from the structure of the human body.With the advancement of technology, systems like metric systems attempt to scale units to a range that can match human experience.
In architecture, the combination of common sense and physical scale is regarded as a basis for design.
For designers, understanding human sensory and psychological abilities can help them create space settings that meet the needs of use and are attractive.However, in some cases, designers choose to violate these principles in pursuit of a larger scope of effects or social messages.
The challenge of architectural design lies in how to balance human needs with the spectacularity of space.In the face of magnificent buildings, we can't help but wonder whether the messages they convey can really be understood by everyone?What is the "suitable" scale, does it continue to evolve with the progress of social and cultural development, or is it always fixed?