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The Mystery of Human Senses: How Does Architecture Affect Our Emotions and Cognition?
As an important environment for human life, architecture has a profound impact on our emotions and cognition. When we walk into a building, whether it is a towering skyscraper or a low-rise residential building, the building's scale, form, material, etc. directly interact with our senses, affecting our comfort and emotional response.
Human size and proportions are of considerable importance in architectural design.
Human scale is usually defined as the physical characteristics of humans, including height, stride, arm span, etc. These characteristics play a key role in the design of buildings. Designing spaces that fit the human body can improve the quality of life of users and make them feel comfortable and safe. Whether it is a spacious corridor, a suitable door width, or a reasonable staircase proportion, these designs make people feel friendly and invisibly increase our sense of identity with the space.
However, the impact of architecture does not stop at the physical dimension. The visual aesthetics of a building can also have an emotional impact. In many cultures, buildings with unique shapes and bright colors inspire our curiosity and love. On the contrary, dull and aesthetically pleasing buildings may make people feel depressed and bored.
Human perception is a system that is more than just physical behavior; it is influenced by culture, personal preferences, and experience.
The capabilities of the human senses, including vision, hearing, and touch, also play an important role in architectural design. Designers need to consider the use of light, the transmission of sound, and the texture of materials, all of which can affect people's emotions and behaviors. Good lighting design can make a space brighter and enhance people's positive emotions, while good acoustic design can reduce noise disturbance and make people feel relaxed.
The concept of ergonomics can also be applied to architectural design. This field explores the characteristics of human physiology and how these characteristics can be incorporated into design to create more humane spaces. Whether it is the height of the chair, the design of the table, or the layout of the office, human movements and usage habits should be taken into consideration to improve functionality and comfort.
Architecture is not only a combination of spaces, but also a carrier of emotional communication between people.
As society changes, the function and purpose of buildings are also evolving. Modern architectural design increasingly emphasizes the inclusiveness and interactivity of the community. For example, the design of many urban parks and public spaces strives to create an environment suitable for people to socialize and interact, and to promote communication between people. In such a space, people can relax and enjoy life. Such functions make the building not just a physical existence, but a part of life.
While architecture is often designed with human scale in mind, there are cases where this principle is deliberately violated. Monumental buildings and large sculptures often use grand proportions to inspire awe and reflection. The Motherland statue, for example, uses its sheer size to convey a heroic sentiment. Such designs pursue shocking aesthetics and also convey strong values in social and cultural aspects.
When designing, architects often have to find a balance between functionality and aesthetics. Particularly within the Modernist architectural movement, there was a strong desire for purity of form and simplicity of structure, which sometimes led to a disconnect with the human scale. For example, buildings such as Boston's Hancock Building and Berlin's New National Gallery, although highly praised for their aesthetics, may not necessarily resonate with ordinary people.
Common sense concepts often fail to apply to phenomena that are beyond human intuitive experience.
Ultimately, the value of architecture lies not only in its physical form, but also in how it affects our lives, emotions and social interactions. When creating, designers need to start from human intuitive feelings and try to understand the impact of space on human emotions and cognition. As technology advances and people's needs change, we should perhaps reflect on how we can grasp the human scale and feelings that remain unchanged amid all these changes.
