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Transcript of Experiencing Built Space
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EXPERIENCINGBUILTSPACE:AFFECTANDMOVEMENT
byEva
Perez
de
Vega
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EvaPerez
de
Vega
EXPERIENCINGBUILTSPACE:AFFECTANDMOVEMENT
ABSTRACT p.2
PHENOMENOLOGY,PERCEPTION,SENSATIONANDAFFECT p.31.1Phenomenologyinarchitecture:subjectandmeaning
1.2Perceptionandsensation
1.3Thenotionofaffect
EXPERIENCINGBUILTSPACE p.82.1Objectofperception.Associationandintuition
2.2Objectofsensation.Movement
2.3Objectofaffection.Performance
THEPROBLEMOFPHENOMENOLOGY p.163.1Deleuze'scritiquesofphenomenology.Bodywithoutorgans
3.2Broadeningphenomenology:multiplicityandemergence
3.3.Phenomenologywithoutorgans
NOTES p.21
BIBLIOGRAPHY p.23
ILLUSTRATIONCREDITS p.24
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ABSTRACT
Thispaperaimstolookattheexperienceofbuiltspacebeyondthesubjectiveand
signifyingconnotationsofphenomenologyinarchitecture.Insteadofexperiencing
throughsubjectivemeanings,theattemptistolookattheaffectivedimensionofspace.
Whatdoesitentailtoexperiencebuiltspaceintermsofaffect? Ifaffectpertainstoan
affectionthatmodifiesboththemindandthebody,1itisatonceaperceptionanda
sensation,andtiedtotheideaofmovement.Sohowdoesphenomenologyriditselfofthe
ideasthathavehelpeddefineit? ItwillbethroughDeleuze'scritiqueofphenomenology
andthenotionofaffectasseenthroughhisconceptionofthebodywithoutorgansthat
willset
the
ground
for
a
possible
new
way
of
experiencing
architecture.
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StevenHoll,Ske
PHENOMENOLOGY,PERCEPTION,SENSATIONANDAFFECT
1.1Phenomenologyinarchitecture:subjectandmeaningTherepudiationofthetermphenomenologywhentheorizingaboutarchitecturestemmed
largelyfromitsperceivedindividualandsubjectivequalityaswellasfromcertain
associationthetermhaswiththenotionofsignificanceormeaning.Aftermanyyearsof
academicrejection,phenomenologyinarchitecturehasacquiredsufficientdistancefrom
earlydebatesthatitisnowpossibletoproperlyassessitssignificance.Thispaperwould
liketoarguethattherearecertainspacescertainarchitectures2 whichcanbe
experiencedbeyondthesubjectiveandbeyondthemeaningful;experienceswhichblend
subjectandobject,whichblendperceptionandsensation;experiencewhichhaveaffectas
theirmain
drive.
Gilles
Deleuzes
criticism
of
phenomenology
is
indeed
targeted
at
the
notionsofsubjectivityandsignificance.Aswewillseefurther,hiscritiquewillactually
provideameansforreevaluatingtheassumptionsmadewhendiscussingphenomenology
inarchitecture,andopenupnewpossibilitiesfortheexperienceofbuiltspace.
ForMerleauPontyphenomenologyisamethodofdescribingthenatureofour
perceptualcontactwiththeworldandisconcernedwithprovidingadirectdescriptionof
humanexperience.
Through
theorists
like
Christian
Norgerg
Schulz
and
Alberto
Perez
Gomez,phenomenologyinarchitecturehasbeenlargelyidentifiedwithHeideggerian
thoughtandwhatwasseenashiscallforareturntopersonalauthenticity.3Inpractice,
phenomenologyisindeedassociatedwiththeindividualexperienceofaspacethroughits
sensationalqualitiesoflight,sound,texture,color,andperspective.Eventoday,socalled
phenomenologicalarchitectsstresstheimportanceoftheindividualsubject;"spaceisonly
perceivedwhenasubjectdescribesit.Itispreciselyatthelevelofspatialperceptionthat
the
most
powerful
architectural
meaning
come
to
the
fore."
4
Steven
Holl's
illustrationsoftendepictalonelyfigureimmersedinthespaceofitsown
experience;itislikeaglimpseinsidesomeone'suniqueinterpretationofthe
space.Butdoallexperiencesofbuiltspacerequireorimplyasubjective
viewpoint?Isitpossibletoexperiencebeyondthesubjectivismthatsocalled
phenomenologicalarchitecturesubstantiates?
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AccordingtoDeleuze,phenomenologyassumestheworldtobeprimordially
impregnatedwithunivocalmeaning."5 Indeedtherearemanyexamplesofarchitecture
impregnatedwithmeaning:theBastilleacquiredmeaningasaresultofaparticularhistoric
event6;thetourEiffelacquirednationalisticmeaningeventhoughitsintentwasjusttobe
amanifestationofengineeringprodigy;inthese,asinmanyothercasesitwasan
imperativehumanwishtoassignspecificmeaningsontoconstructs.Butisthereawayto
experiencearchitecturedevoidofassignedmeaning?
Fromaneutral,nonhumanperspective,buildings,constructs,creationsor
destructionsaresimplyatransformationofmatter.Whetheritiscreationordestruction,
transformationofmatteronlyacquiresmeaninginahumancontext,throughhuman
consciousness.Eventhedestructioncausedbyanearthquakecanbeseenfromnature's
perspectiveas
a
simple
rearrangement
of
matter.
7Formed
matter
in
itself
has
no
meaning
hasnovalueasanobjectofrepresentation. Ifwewereabletolookattransformationof
matterfromaneutralpointofview,whatwouldwesee?Howwoulditchangeour
experienceofbuiltspace?
1.2PerceptionandSensation
Inattempting
to
elucidate
the
problem
of
phenomenology
in
architecture
it
is
important
to
lookatthenotionsofperceptionandsensation.InhisclassicbookThePrimaryWorldofthe
SensesErwinStraus,establishesafundamentaldistinctionbetweenthetwo.Perception,
heargues,isasecondaryrationalorganizationofaprimary,nonrationaldimensionof
sensationorsenseexperience(lesentir)9.Theprimarysenseistheonewesharewith
animals;itisanunreflectiveandinstinctive.Sensationdealswithcorporealitythesenses
andperceptionistheintellectualization ofthatcorporeality.
Strauss
elaborates
on
this
distinction
by
contrasting
the
space
of
geography
and
the
spaceoflandscape.Geographicalspaceisthatoftheperceptualworld,wherethingsare
fixedwithinalterablepropertiesandanobjectivenotionofspacetime.Landscapespaceis
thesensoryworld,aspacewithshiftingreferencethatconstantlymovesaswemove.
Strausstalksoflandscapepaintingasillustratingthisconceptofthesensory:"Landscape
paintingdoesnotdepictwhatweseebutitmakesvisibletheinvisibleInsuchlandscape
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Descartes'illus
ofmindbodyd
perception.IfasStraussuggests,perceptionpertainstotherationalworldofgeographical
spaceandsensationtotheirrationallandscapespace,thenwhatkindofworlddowelive
inwhenexperiencingbuiltspace?Inthiscontextistheresuchthingasapuresensory
experience,orapurelyperceptualone?Whatkindofbuiltspaceallowsforsuchan
itemizedexperience?Whatislacking,ifanything,inthatspacethattouchesonlythe
irrational,leavingtherationalunscathed?Theseareonlysomeofthequestionsthatthis
paperwouldliketoaddress,andinordertodosothereisathirdnotionthatneedstobe
broughttothefore;affect.
1.3Thenotionofaffect
Ifperception
is
of
the
mind
and
sensation
of
the
body,
in
trying
to
explore
thesetwonotionsasanexperientialunitweseemtobefacedwiththeclassicmind
bodyproblem.IfweweretotaketheCartesiandualiststandpoint,thenperception
andsensationwouldhaveopposingandirreconcilableproperties,withtheminds
perceptionasdominantandincontrolofthebodyssensation.Seenthrough
Straus'conception,sensationseemstoprecedeperception;itisthebodywhich
holdsprimacyoverthemind,thebody'ssensationtriggersthemind'sperception.
Onthe
other
hand,
if
we
were
to
take
the
Spinozistic
conception
of
the
mind
body
problemthenwewouldbedealingwithasinglereality;perceptionandsensationwouldbe
seenastwoattributesofonesamesubstancejustseenfromdifferentontological
viewpoints.11Thusneitherthebodynorthemindprevailovertheother,neitheroneis
dependentordominantovertheother,thebodycannotcommandthemindtothinkand
themindcannotmakethebodyfeel.
It
is
this
relationship
of
perception
sensation/
mind
body
that
we
would
like
to
expanduponwhenlookingattheproblemofexperience,specificallytheexperienceof
builtspace.Spinozafurtherdevelopsitthroughhisnotionofaffect.Asheexplains,the
conceptofaffectisinclusiveofboththemindandthebody.Althoughoftenequatedwith
theemotions,theconceptofaffectismuchmoreencompassing;itpertainstoanaffection
thatmodifiesboththebodyandthemindthroughtheideaofdesireandpotential.Itisat
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onceperceptionofthemind andsensationofthebody12.InSpinozawordsaffectsare:
"affectionsofthebodybywhichthebody'spowerofactingisincreasedordiminished,aided
orrestrained,andatthesametime,theideasoftheseaffections."13
Affectisbothexternalandinternal.Affectionisthestateofabodyinsofarasitis
subjecttobeingaffectedbyanotherbody,bytheactionofanotherbody.Therefore,
affectionimpliesanexteriority,amixtureoftwobodies;onebodyactingontheother,
affectingit,andtheotherbeingactedonbythefirst,beingaffectedbyit.However,affect
doesnotdependontheaffection,itisenvelopedbyit.Inotherwords,withinaffection
thereisanaffect.14
Spinoza'sabovedefinitionincludes"theideaoftheseaffections".Thereisa
distinctiontobemadebetweenthenotionofaffectandofidea.Ifwelookattheaffectof
lovefor
instance,
there
is
an
idea
of
the
loved
thing
and
this
idea
has
a
representation
(the
imageofthelovedobject)butloveitself,asamodeofthought,doesnotrepresent
anythingandisnotrepresentedbyanything.Thereforeitistheideaofanaffectwhichis
representational.Affectisassociatedwithanidea,andthatideahasarepresentation
externaltothebody,buttheaffectitselfdoesnothavearepresentationandisnot
necessarilyexternaltothebodyundergoingthataffection.15Affectinitselfisnotanidea;
itremainswithintheabstractunrepresentationalrealmofpuresensation.
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Spinoza'sexampleofPercep
EXPERIENCINGBUILTSPACE
2.1Objectofperception
Whatrolesdoperceptionandsensationplaywhenexperiencingspace?Canaspace
beperceivedobjectively?BernardTschumi'sQuestionsaboutspace16 seemtopointtothe
thornyissue: "Istheperceptionofspacecommontoeveryone?Ifperceptionsdiffer,dothey
constitutedifferentworldsthataretheproductsofone'spastexperience?"Whenwe
experiencesomethingthroughperception beitaspace,anobject,apainting,basicallya
thing weprojectourpastlivedexperiencesontothatthingthroughtheideaof
associationandmemory.AsSpinozapointedoutwhenwritingaboutknowledgeinThe
Ethics,perception,
or
imagination
as
he
referred
to
it,
cannot
be
relied
upon
as
a
source
of
truthsincetheperceptionofonethingtriggerstheperceptionofanotherthingina
randomandsubjectiveway.Itisexternalstimulithatactonthebodyallowingitto
perceiveonlyasubjectiveviewofreality17.
Spinozaillustratesthiswiththeexampleofasoldierandafarmer
observingthetracesofahorse.Thetwowillrecalldifferentthoughts
basedontheirownsubjectiveview;forthesoldierthesewillbringimages
ofother
soldiers
and
of
war,
for
the
farmer
they
will
remind
him
of
a
plow
andofafarmfield18.ForSpinozaourperceptionofsomethinginvolves
attributingitexistence,butitdoesnotgiveusanyknowledgeofitstrue
nature.Thereforeperceptioncannotbetrustedasasourceofknowledgeduetoits
inherentsubjectivity.
PaulValeryseemstobeaimingatsomethingsimilarinhis"OnPainting"whenhewrites:
"Manlivesandmovesinwhathesees,butheonlyseeswhathewantsto
see.
Try
different
types
of
people
in
the
midst
of
any
landscape.
A
philosopherwillonlyvaguelyseephenomena;ageologist,crystallized,
confused,ruinedandpulverizedpoques;asoldier,opportunitiesand
obstacles;andforapeasantitwillonlyrepresentacres,andperspirationand
profitsbutallofthemwillhavethisincommon,thattheywillseenothingas
simplyaview"19
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Venturi.Houseforhi
Eachindividualmentionedinthispassageisperceivingthelandscapeinadistinctly
subjectivewayandprojectingdifferentpossibilitiesforthelandscapewhichareshapedby
associationoftheirrespectiveprofessions.Soifmanseesonlywhathewantstosee,and
perceivestheworldaccordingtothatwhichhasalreadyshapedhim,doeseveryoneseea
differentreality?Twoindividualscouldhaveradicallydifferentexperiencesofaspaceifitis
experiencedsolelythroughperceptionofassociation;theirexperiencewouldsaymore
abouttheindividualthanaboutthespace.Soisthereanexperienceofspacethatgoes
beyondthesubjective?Whatkindofexperienceispossibleifwesomehowmanageto
avoidprojectingourpastexperiencesontowhatwesee?Theanswerseemstolieinthe
ideaofperceptionasprimaryforceofexperience.Thus,wecanrewordthequestionas:is
thereanexperiencebeyondtheperceptual?
Wecouldalmostdistinguishbetweentwotypesofperceptionbyassociation;an
associationwhichisexternaltoourbeing,akindofimposedassociation,whichispassive
andbound;andassociationwhichisinternal,selfmotivated,activeandfree.The
associationgeneratedbyeachlandscapespectatorinValery'spassageisinternally
motivated,generatedbythatwhichconstitutestheindividualfreedomofeachviewer;
theirprofession.Anexternallymotivatedperceptionbyassociationwouldbethatimposed
fromwithout,
like
the
reading
of
postmodern
architecture.
One
is
more
instantaneous
and
instinctive;theotherrequiresponderanceandinterpretation.
Postmodernarchitectureattemptedtopointalmostexclusivelytoourpowerof
associationbyusingrepresentationandplayingsemanticgameswitharchitectural
language.Inordertoappreciatethiskindofarchitecturalconstructonehadtobe
'educated'andinstructedspecificallyonhowtoreadsuchwork,whichusuallymade
references
to
historic
architecture.
It
played
with
our
perception
of
history
and
wasdrivenbyastrongwilltoproducearesultthatwouldhaveaspecificreading.
Whileallarchitecturecantoacertaindegreeberead,itispostmodern
architecturethatreducesarchitecturalspacetoasemioticinterpretativegame.
ToexemplifythisisthefigureofRobertVenturiwhoworkedtryingtofindvalues
fromthepast,AsanarchitectItrytobeguidednotbyhabitbutbyaconscioussenseofthe
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MCEsch
Rubinvasef
Nolli,Mapo
pastbyprecedent,thoughtfullyconsidered."20Precedentistheexternallymotivated
association,andknowledgeofthisprecedentisnecessarytoexperiencehiswork.Even
thoughVenturihassuggestedthatheavoidsanykindofintellectualization abouthis
practice21,anyappreciationofhisworkneedsanintellectualizationofarchitectural
historicallanguage.
Thehousehedesignedforhismotheristheembodimentofhissemanticand
associativeapproachtoarchitecture;itisemblematicofanarchitecturewhichneedstobe
read,itislikeagameforarchitectsandcriticswhocanreadintothedetailsandrealize
Venturisgesturalmessagesthroughcontinualreferencesandplayfulassociationswith
historicarchitecture.Thereisnothingsensualaboutthiswork,nothingvisceralormoving;
itispurelyanexercisefortheperceivingmind.
Perceptionbyinternalassociationallowsuscertainfreedomofexperience;
itallowsustofabricateanyfigureandgroundrelationshipwewishbetweenthe
objectsofourattention.Dependingonhowwefixourattentionthefigureand
groundcanchangecompletely.Whenonelooksforsomethingandcannotfindit,as
withSartre'sexampleoflookingforPierreinthecaf,oneexperiencesthenegation
ofthatthing,oneexperiencesthatthingasalack.22Thisphenomenological
understandingof
negation
has
to
do
with
the
perception
of
the
existence
of
a
lack.
Thusperceptionbecomesakindofintuition,whichisfreetobeexperiencedinany
waydesired.ThisnotionoffiguregroundcanbevisualizedthroughtheworkofMC
Escher,whoactivelyplayswithourfleetingperceptionofshapeandspace.These
illustrationshavebeenfurtherdevelopedinpsychologicaltestsaswiththefamous
RubinvasefigureillustrationortheRorscharchtest24.
ThemapsofRomecreatedbyGianbattistaNolliinthemideighteenth
centurywererevolutionarysimplyforthefactthattheyrevertedthefigureandthe
groundoftraditionalmaps,thereforeallofsuddenthecitycouldbeexperiencedin
termsofitspublicspaceitsvoids ratherthanfromitspositivevolumesconstructions.
Thisbringsustoacrucialissuewhenlookingattheideaofbuilt space;whenweperceive
aspacedowefocusonthespaceitself,itsemptiness thevolumeofnegativespace,orisit
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theboundariesofthespacethatfirstcometoourattention?Andhowdoesthisshifting
focusaffectourexperience?
Recentresearchinspatialorientationhasactuallyputintoquestionthetraditional
cognitivemodelwhichwasbasedonareadingofvisualcuesgivenbyobjectsandforms
withinaspace.Instead,ithasbeenfoundthatthebrain'sabilitytoorientincreasesthe
emptierthespace;thushumansorientmorebytheshapeofaspacethanbyvisual
characteristicsfoundwithinit.25Sowhatistheshapeofspaceandhowdoweexperience
it?Thesestudiessuggestthatratherthananexoreferentialvisualcuesystem,ourspatial
experiencefollowsaselfreferentialsystembasedonmovementandvariationsof
movement.Weexperiencespaceasqualitativemovement;throughnotionsofsensation
ratherthan
object
oriented
perception.
2.2Objectofsensation
Bythedistinctionmadeearlierbetweenperceptionandsensationwehaveseenhow
perceptionisreferredtoasanobjectorientedexperience withcleardifferentiation
betweensubjectandobject;whilesensationasaselfreferentialexperiencewheresubject
andobject
lose
their
boundaries.
So
can
there
be
such
a
thing
as
a
purely
sensory
experience?
TheworkofAustralianbodyartistStelarcseemstoaimatthis.Itisbasedonthe
ideathatthehumanbodyhasbecomebiologicallyinadequateandthroughinterventions
onhisownbodyheattemptstoobjectifythebody;toerasethebodyassubjectinorderto
createabodyasobject.Stelarc'sbodyisnotperformingtoacquireanewidentity,its
actionsarenotdirectedtoproducemeaning,rathertheyaredirectedatthenotionofpure
sensation.
As
described
by
Paul
Virilio,
Stelarc's
work:
"approach(es)
the
body
as
object
in
orderto"negate"it(counteractit)infavorofpuresensation."26Thebodybecomesan
objectofsensation.Howdoesthisnotiontranslatetotheexperienceofbuiltspace?
Therearespacesthatcanbeperceivedandunderstoodatasingleglance.
Essentialistspaces,spacesrelatedtominimalistconceptionsofarchitecturecanbe
perceivedthisway;theyarestatic,unchangingandalreadyunfolded.Thesearespacesof
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AlbertoCampoB
EnricMiralle
Universit ofV
LeCorbusier,
Villa
perception,notspacesofsensation.Theycanbedescribedwithasingleidea,
withasinglesketch,andofferlittleornoambiguityofinterpretationor
experience.
Spacesofsensationarethosethatneedtobesensed;experienced
throughsensation throughachanging,movingconception,attimesambiguousand
fleeting.Sensationandmovementareinseparableaspectsofexperience.Sensationisin
factakindofmovement,atendingtowards;aforce.Wedon'tmoveinaspaceasmuchas
thespacemoveswithus,thereisnoseparationbetweentheobjectandsubject,between
insideandoutside."Insensing,bothselfandworldunfoldsimultaneouslyforthesensing
subject;thesensingbeingexperienceshimselfandtheworld,himselfintheworld,himself
withtheworld"27Thebodyofsensationrendersitselfpartofwhatisbeingsensed;itisan
indivisibleaspect
of
that
which
is
being
experienced.
TheworkofSpanisharchitectEnricMirallesisaneloquentexampleof
this.Thespaceshecreatesareimpossibletoperceive,onecannotunderstand
thembysimplylookingatthemandponderingaboutthemfromadistance.One
needstobeimmersedwithinthespace,tomoveinandaroundit,tobecomea
bodyofsensationinordertosenseitwithoutassigningmeaningor
representations therearenonetobeassigned.Experienceofsuchspaces,aswiththe
Universityof
Vigo,
do
not
render
clear
mental
pictures;
only
confused
and
vague
approximations;ambiguitiesandpotentialities.Indeedsensationislinkedtotheideaof
potentialityandtheDeleuziantermbecoming,somethingwhichisinaconstantprocess
ofconstructingitself.
Movementcanhoweverplayanimportantpartalsointhenotionof
perception.LeCorbusier'spromenadearchitecturellespeaksquiteclearlytothis
idea;itdealswithexperiencingatemporalprogressionthroughaningeniouslink
of
spaces
that
allow
a
gradual
exploration
of
the
space,
often
through
the
use
of
ramps.Theperceptionofthespaceandtheelementssurroundingitchanges
progressivelydependingontheirlocationinspacetimewithintheproject.Howeverthis
progression,thischange,isfixedanddirected;ithasaspecificintentionalityandaspecific
reading.Itisalmostlikeacinematicsequence.Thusperceptioncanrelatetomovement
butitisafixed,qualitative,notionofmovement,unlikesensationwhichisaconstantly
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changingmovement.Thisdifferenceisofcrucialimportancewhendealingwiththenotion
ofaffect.
2.3Objectofaffection
Theexperienceofspacesofsensationdependonstimuliwhicharriveatourvarioussensory
organsfromtheexternalworldcausingchangesinourmentalandphysicalstates,
ultimatelycausingustofeelasensationwhichhasaffectedboththemindandthebody;in
otherwordsanaffect.
Theideaofmovementisessentialtounderstandaffect.Indeed,movementand
affectarelinkedthroughtheSpinozisticconceptionofthebody,whichisamode
determinednot
by
its
substance
but
by
degrees
of
motion
and
rest.28
Indeed
what
distinguishesonebodyfromanother,whatindividuatesabody,isitsmechanicproperties
ofmotionandrest,speedandslowness.Inthissense,abodyconsistsofanintensityof
motion,orvariationofmotion/reststates.29However,Spinozaalsorecognizesthegreater
structuralcomplexityofthebodyandconceivesofitbeyondthepurelymechanistic
principalsofmotion,tyingittothenotionofpotential.Eachtransitionthebodyundergoes
isaccompaniedbyavariationincapacity,achangeinthepowertoaffectandbe
affected.30Movement
has
a
physical
component
(the
body)
and
a
mental/emotional
counterpart(affect).GillesDeleuze,putitveryclearlyinthefollowingquote:
"Abodyisnotdefinedbytheformthatdeterminesitnorasadeterminatesubstance
ofsubject()abodyisdefinedonlyby()thesumtotalofthematerialelements
belongingtoitundergivenrelationsofmovementandrest,speedandslowness();
thesumtotaloftheintensiveaffectsitiscapableofatagivenpowerordegreeof
potential().Nothingbutaffectsandlocalmovements."31
Thebodyhighlyconditionsourengagementwiththeworld;itisourphysical
presenceandthemeansthroughwhichweunderstandourenvironmentbothbuiltand
natural;"thebodyitisourexpressionintheworld,thevisibleformofourintentions.Even
ourmostsecretaffectivemovements...helptoshapeourperceptionofthings."32Byreceiving
externalstimulifromtheworld,throughareflectiveexperience,webecomeawareofour
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body.Butwhileweareawareofitsexistence,wedonothavefullknowledgeofthebody's
capacityoritsinternalmechanisms.33Weknownothingaboutabodyuntilweknowwhatit
cando,inotherwords,whatitsaffectsare,howtheycanorcannotenterintocomposition
withotheraffects,withtheaffectsofanotherbody.34Thebodyisthusmoreaboutasetof
dynamicrelationsandinteractionsthanproportionsandstaticwholepartsrelationships.It
isasanentityintransition,inconstantchangingrelationshipwiththeenvironment.
Inthiscontextwehavetoaskourselves,whatcanthebodydo?Howdoesit
understandtheenvironment?Asafirstapproximationonecouldintuitthatitisthrough
experience,throughakindofphenomenalreadingoftheenvironment.Butinsteadof
relyingpurelyonthesensorial,wewouldliketolookatabroaderanddepersonalized
notionofexperience,whichisthatofexperiencingthroughamultiplicity35ofmovements
andaffects.
A
body
that
experiences
space
as
a
changing
entity,
is
that
which
is
allowed
to
moveinandaroundit,enhancingthedynamicsofthephysicalmilieuandsimultaneously
enhancingitsunderstandingofitwithouterasingitsambiguitiesandnuances. Theremust
beakindofsymbiosisbetweenbody,actionandspace,whichallowsthebodytoperform
asanextensionofthespaceandthespaceasanextensionofthebodysaction,rather
thanasarepresentationofit.Insteadofrelyingonanalogyandproportion,sublimating
thebodytomeasurementandrepresentation,onecouldthinkofthebodyalmostasifit
werea
collection
of
force
fields,
or
vectors,
which
affect
a
space
through
its
changing
movementwithinit.
Thereisastrongaffirmationwithintherealmofcontemporaryarchitectural
practicetonegateolderconceptionsofanthropomorphisminfavorofdiscoveringnew
unforeseenrelationshipsbetweenthebodyanditsphysicalmilieunotbasedonsymbols
andrepresentationbutratheroneffectandaffectthroughaction/performance.
Architectureshouldseeklesstobeanabstractionofthelineamentsofthebodyand
more
to
engage
the
bodys
effective
and
affective
spectrum.
It
is
a
faulty
assumption
thatpatterningarchitectureonthebodymakesitmorehuman,justasitisafaulty
assumptionthatthebodyisthepatternoftheuniverse.36
Themeaningofthebodyitselfhasnointerest.Insteaditgainssignificancewhenitis
activatedbyamultiplicityofexternalconnectionsandaffects;throughhowitcanoperate,
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ChoreographingSpa
architecture
throughitsactions.Thereforespaceceasestobeamerecontainerforthebodyand
becomesanelementofmultipleeventsthatincludesthebody.
Toexemplifythisideaofsymbiosisbetweenbodyandspacethrough
thenotionofpotential,letustakealookatanarchitecturalinstallationcalled
ChoreographingSpace.37Theproject,developedbye+iarchitecture,aimedat
exploringtheintersectionofarchitecture,movementandperformanceand
becameatonceperformanceeventandarchitecturalenvironmentbyfusing
performer,audience,spaceandmovementintoonecontinuousexperience.Thiswas
achievedbyenvelopinganeutralspacewithaninteractivemeshcapableoftransformation
throughtheinteractionofviewersorperformers.Themovementofthebodywouldaffect
thespace,
transforming
it,
and
in
turn
the
transformation
of
the
space
would
affect
the
possibilitiesformovementofthebody.Affectingandbeingaffectedinacontinuousloop
ofexchange.Eventhoughthephysicalbodywasusedasameanstoexploresensuous
space,byfusingthebodywiththespaceitself,thesubject(viewer/performer)became
partoftheobject(interactivespace)andthebodylostitsverysubjectivitygivingwaytoa
subjectobjectexperience.
Notall
spaces
can
be
experienced
in
the
same
way.
We
have
seen
how
certain
architectureswereindeedgeneratedwiththeveryintentionofbeingobjectsof
interpretation,oftheperceivingmind,andothersintentionallycreatedforthebodyof
sensation.WithprojectslikeChoreographingSpaceitishardtoconceiveoftheexperience
ofspaceaspurelysensualorpurelyperceptual;boththeworldofthesensesandthatof
themindneedtoworktogethertoexperiencethisspaceinitschangingfacets.
Experiencesofspacethatareboth,movingonasensualandirrationallevelyetinspiring
and
clarifying
on
an
intellectual
level
are
those
related
to
the
notions
of
affect
and
movementasfirstputforthbySpinozaandlaterdevelopedbyDeleuze.
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THEPROBLEMOFPHENOMENOLOGY
3.1Deleuze'scritiquesofphenomenology.BodywithoutorgansDeleuze's
critique
of
phenomenology
targets
its
conception
of
both
perception
and
consciousness.Forhimallconsciousnessissomething,asopposedtotheHusserlian
phenomenologicalpointofviewwhereallconsciousnessisconsciousnessofsomething.38
"Byinvokingtheprimordiallived,bymakingimmanenceanimmanencetoasubject,
phenomenologycouldnotpreventthesubjectfromformingnomorethanopinions
thatalreadyextractedclichsfromnewperceptionsandpromisedaffections."39
Wehaveseenhowphenomenologyhasbeenlargelyunderstoodassettingupconditions
fora
perceiving
subject
to
be
anchored
in
the
world
through
an
experience
of
a
perceived
object,andthisexperienceisdirectedtowardssomethingbyvirtueofitscontentor
meaning.Phenomenologyinarchitecturehasbeenprimarilyassociatedwithanexperience
fromthefirstpersonpointofview,andoftenlinkedtoaperceptionofaspacebasedonits
assignedsubjectivemeaning.Butarchitecturetodaycannolongerbeunderstoodsimplyin
termsofmeaningorcontent,andDeleuze'scritiqueofphenomenologyoffersanewway
oflookingat,andexperiencing,architecturewhichrethinkstraditionalnotionsassociated
withtheexperienceofbuiltspace.Canarchitecturalspacebeexperiencedbeyondthe
individual,beyondthesubjectiveanddevoidofinherentmeaning?Deleuzegivesusinsight
intohowthismightbepossible,andsetsthegroundforapossibleexplorationofthis
throughhisnotionofbodywithoutorgans.
Deleuze'scritiqueofthetermssubjectivity,significance(meaning)andorganism
(body)arerootedinanunderstandingthattheyproclaimakindofbindingandclosure.
Wherephenomenologyproclaimsinterpretationandclosureinexperience,Deleuze
suggeststhepossibilityofopeningsandthecreationofnewmodelsofexperience;an
alternatemodeofexperiencerelatedtocontinuousbecomingratherthansimplybeing.He
suggeststhatwithinthenotionsofidentityandconsciousnessthereareothermore
affectivestatesofbeing:fieldsofimmanence.
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Deleuzedeniestheworldoftheselfdefiningenclosedsubject,oftheorganized
organism,andasacounterpartheproposestheBodywithoutOrgans(BwO).ABwOisnot
anorganismwhereallthesensesworktogethertoreportfixedcharacteristicsofthe
outsideworld.Itisnotsomuchwithoutorgansaswithoutorganization,itisopposedto
theorganizingprincipalsthatdefinetheassemblagesoforgansandexperiences.TheBwO
hasnoneedforinterpretationasthesubjectivebodydoes,yetitcannotexistincomplete
oppositiontosubjectivity.Itcannotcompletelybreakfreefromthenotionswhichitis
tryingtochallenge,subjectivityandsignification,withoutriskingdisintegration.Inorderto
haveaffectandbeaffective,itmuststillexistwithinthesystemitaimstosubvert.
TheBwOdeniesthestructureoforganizationwhichcomposesanorganismyetis
necessarilythehostofsuchanorganism.InspiredbythebiologistAugustWeismann,
Deleuzeprovides
the
example
of
the
egg
and
the
chicken40;
the
chicken
is
put
forth
as
the
devicecreatedbytheegginordertoreproduceitself.Thechickenistheorganism;theegg
istheBwO.Yettheeggdidnotcomebeforethechicken;theBwOdoesnotprecedethe
organism,itisadjacenttoitandcontinuallyintheprocessofmakingitself.41"Itisnolonger
anorganismthatfunctionsbutaBwOthatisconstructedThereisnolongeraSelf[moi]
thatfeels,actsandrecalls;thereisa"glowingfog,adarkyellowmist"thathasaffectsand
experiencesmovements,speeds."42InseekingtomakeourselvesaBwOweneedto
maintaina
mode
of
expression,
but
one
that
is
rid
of
a
priori
signifiers
and
of
the
conclusivefieldoflanguage.Therefore,theBwOdeniesthesubjectiveandtheimplied
meaningoftheexperienceofthings,yetcannotexistwithoutaffect,anaffectthatisina
continuousprocessofbecoming.TheBwOhasitsownmodeoforganization,whose
principalsareprimarilyderivedfromSpinoza'ssinglesubstance.43
SowhatkindofspacearewedealingwithinaBwO?Whatkindofphysical
propertiesdoesthisspacehave?Clearlyitcannotbepartofthestaticuniversedescribed
byNewtonianphysics,sinceNewtoniandynamicsdescribesonlypartofourphysical
experience.44IftheNewtonianuniverseisoneofbeingwithoutbecoming,whatDeleuze
seemstoproposeisauniverseofbecomingwithoutbeing,thatis,auniversewhere
individualsexistbutonlyasanoutcomeofbecomings.
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Deleuzeconsiderstraditionalnotionsofspacetobeimposedbythesubject.
Thereforeheintroducestheconceptofthevirtualwhichisinsteadlinkedtothespaceof
possibilities.Thevirtualdoesnotdenyexperience,insteaditisaconditionofactual
experience;asystemofrelationsthatcreatesactualspacesandsensations,itisdefinedby
itsaffects.Onthesamelines,topologicalspaceisvirtualspacethathasthecapacityto
affectandbeaffected,inotherwordsithasaffects.
Sowhatisaspacethathasthecapacitytoaffectandbeaffected?Earlierwegave
theexampleofChoreographingSpaceprojectwherespaceandbodywerereciprocally
affectingandbeingaffected.Therefore,inaDeleuziansensethisisatopologicalspace,a
virtualspacewhichhasbecomeametricspacethroughaprocessofbecoming.
3.2Broadeningphenomenology:multiplicityandemergence
Anexpansionofphenomenologicaltheorysuggeststhatarchitectsand
architecturetheoristsaddresstheconceptsofbecoming,multiplicityandemergenceas
facetsofphenomenology.Todothisitisnecessarytotakeanotherlookatperceptionand
livedexperience.Toavoidonetoonesubjectobjectexperienceonemusttakenoteof
Deleuze'sstatement: "Perceptionwillnolongerresideintherelationbetweenasubjectand
anobject,
but
rather
in
the
movement
serving
as
the
limit
of
that
relation
()
look
only
at
movements."45Butwhatkindofmovementsarewetolookat?
Deleuze'sconceptionofmovementstronglyrestsontheSpinozisitcfoundation
discussedearlier.ForSpinozamovementisnotactual,quantitativemovement,butone
thatcombinesthephysicalbodywiththemental/emotionalthroughtheconceptofaffect.
SimilarlyinDeleuze,movementcannotbesimplyperceived,itisimperceptiblebynature
andcanoccuronlybymeansofaffectandbecoming.Thisencompassingcharacteristicof
movement
and
body
of
affection
is
what
may
set
the
ground
for
a
broadening
of
phenomenology.
Whenexperiencingspacethroughaffect,wearefreeingourselvesofinherited
meaningsandassociatedperceptions;weareexperiencingspaceaswhatitdoesrather
thanwhatitaimstorepresent.Hence,asseenearlier,thereisatightlinkbetween
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experienceandthenotionsofpotentialandperformance.Thesereferstoaforce,a
tendingtowards,ineffect;amovement. Andinthisprocessofcontinualdevelopmentand
change,ofbecoming,weidentifythenotionofmultiplicityasacrucialcomponent. This
kindofexperiencedoesnotprovideasinglereadingofaspace,butmultiple;overlapping,
everchangingandattimes,simultaneous.Outofthesemultiplicitiesofinteractionsand
affects,certainrecognizablepatternswillemerge.Thesepatternshoweverareinconstant
processofevolving,constantlyredefiningandcreatingthemselves.
Inourclaimthatthereexistsadifferentkindofphenomenology,onefreedfrom
subjectivityandsignificance,werelyontheconceptsofmultiplicityandemergenceto
providethegroundworkfromwhichtounderstandourexperiencingofbuiltspace
throughaffect
and
movement.
And
though
it
is
true
that
certain
spaces
have
more
propensitiestobeingexperiencedasobjectsofperceptionwhileothersneedtobe
experiencedthroughtheirqualitiesofsensation,allspacescanbeexperiencedwithinthis
newunderstandingofphenomenology.Ineffect,experienceofbuiltspacebecomesan
emergenceofpossibilitiesthroughmultiplicityofaffect.
3.3PhenomenologywithoutOrgans
Someoneattemptingtoproposeanargumentagainstthisclaimmightoffera
Sartreaninspiredcritique,andsuggestthatitisinfactimpossible,withinahumancontext,
tohaveanysortofexperiencedevoidofmeaning.Indeed,meaningisoftenregardedasan
indispensiblepartofhumanconsciousness.Furthermorethiscritiquecouldsuggestthat
proposingaphenomenologyembeddedwithinthenotionofmultiplicitymightsimply
causetheinterpretedmeaningstomultiply.Thuswhileitmayencouragingmultiple
meanings,
we
are
nonetheless
stuck
within
the
realm
of
meaning.
Inresponsetothiscounterclaimwewouldliketotakeanotherlookthebody
withoutorgans.Aswehaveseen,theBwOexistswithinthesystemthatitisattemptingto
deny;itcannotcompletelybreakfreefromthenotionswhichitistryingtochallenge
withoutriskingdisintegration.Solutionstophilosophicalproblemsareneverfreeofthe
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categoriestheyattempttodismiss.ThisiswhattheBwOhasillustrated.Thusasolutionto
theproblemofphenomenologyinarchitecturenecessarilywillhavetodealwiththeissues
ofphenomenologythatitistryingtoquestion.Wewillneverridourselvescompletelyof
subjectivityandsignificanceinbuiltspace;allspacescanstillbegivenasubjectivereading
andassignedspecificmeanings.However,wecanlookbeyondthesenotionsandattempt
todefineanewkindofexperiencing,onethatismoreinclusiveandlessfixed;onethat
incorporatesthepresubjectivebodyofaffectionthroughnotionsofemergenceand
multiplicity;asabodywithoutorgans.Ineffectwhatweareproposingisthepossibilityof
aphenomenologywithoutorgans.
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NOTES
1BenedictdeSpinoza.TheEthics.III.D3
2SpaceislooselyequatedwithArchitecturehere,howeveritisimportanttopointoutthatnotallspacescan
becalled
architecture,
but
all
architecture
has
spaces.
Firstly
it
is
important
to
clarify
what
it
is
we
mean
by
builtspace.Notallbuiltspaceisarchitecture,yetallarchitecturehasbuiltspace.Sowedontrefertoa
subwayplatformasarchitecture,butwedorecognizeitasbuiltspace.Thoughitisnotthepurposeofthis
papertodefinearchitecture,wewouldliketonotethatwhenreferringtobuiltspaceweareusually
referringtothebuiltspaceofarchitecture.
3StevenPerrella,Form,Being,Absence.Architectureandphilosophy.Prattjournal,p.85
4StevenHoll,Parallax,p.13
5Reynolds,Jack,andJonRoffe."DeleuzeandMerleauPonty:Immanence,UnivocityandPhenomenology,"
JournaloftheBritishSocietyforPhenomenology37,no.3(October01,2006),230.6Jean
Paul
Sartre,
"The
Storming
of
the
Bastille"
in
CritiqueofDialecticalReason,p.351
7JeanPaulSartre.BeingandNothingness,p.40
9RonaldBogue,Deleuzeonmusic,paintingandthearts,p.116117
10ErwinStraus,ThePrimaryWorldofSenses:aVindicationofSensoryExperience, p.322
11BenedictdeSpinoza.TheEthics.III.P2Schol.
12Iamreferringtosensationasthephysicalcomponentofaffectandpercptiontothementalcomponent
ofaffectbasedonSpinoza'snotionofaffecteventhoughhedidnotusedthesetermsinthisway.
13BenedictdeSpinoza.TheEthics.III.D3
14GillesDeleuze,LectureTranscriptsOnSpinozasConceptOfAffect
15Ibid.
16BernardTschumi,"QuestionsOfSpace"inArchitectureandDisjunction,p.53
17BenedictdeSpinoza.TheEthics.IIP18.Schol.
18Ibid.,IIP18
19PaulValery,"onPainting"inSelectedWritingsofPaulValery,trans.AnthonyBower(NewYork:New
Directions,1964),.222
20RobertVenturi.ComplexityandContradictioninArchitecture,p.13
21StevenPerrella,Form,Being,Absence.Architectureandphilosophy.Prattjournal,p.85
22JeanPaulSartre.BeingandNothingness,p.41
24Rorschachtestisamethodofpsychologicalevaluationinwhichsubjects'perceptionsofinkblotsare
recordedandthenanalyzedusingintuitiveinsight.Timingoftheresponseiscritical;subjectsareusuallynot
allowedtopondertheirresponse.
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25BrianMassumi.ParablesfortheVirtual:Movement,Affect,Sensation,p.180
26PaulVirilioonStelarc'ssuspension:BrianMassumi.ParablesfortheVirtual:Movement,Affect,Sensation,
p.103
27
Erwin
Straus,
The
Primary
World
of
Senses:
a
Vindication
of
Sensory
Experience,
p.351
28BenedictdeSpinoza.TheEthics,IIA'1.Definitionofthebody:"Allbodieseithermoveorareatrest"
29Ibid.,IIL1
30BrianMassumi.ParablesfortheVirtual:Movement,Affect,Sensation,p.15
31GillesDeleuzeandFelixGuattari.AThousandPlateaus,p.260
32 MerleauPonty,ThePrimacyofPerception,p.5
33ThisideaofcomesfromSpinoza,TheEthics
34
Gilles
Deleuze
and
Felix
Guattari.
A
Thousand
Plateaus,
p.257
35Deleuzianconceptofmultiplicity,whichisexpandedfurtheroninthepaper
36Reiser+Umemoto.AtlasOfNovelTectonics,p.85
37e+i architecture,ChoreographingSpace(www.choreographingspace.com)aninterdisciplinaryproject
thatexplorestheintersectionbetweenthematerialworldofarchitectureandtheimmaterialnotionsof
movementanddance,inordertocreateanenvironmentthatiscapableofbothvisualandphysical
exchangebetweenparticipantsandthespace,bothaffectingandbeingaffectedbyit.
38GillesDeleuze,Cinema1:TheMovementImage,p.56
39GillesDeleuze,WhatisPhilosophy?p.150
40KylieMessage,"BodyWithoutOrgans"inTheDeleuzeDictionary.p.34
41GillesDeleuzeandFelixGuattari.AThousandPlateaus,p164
42Ibid.,p162
43"BodyWithoutOrgans"inTheDeleuzeDictionary,p.34
44DeLanda,Manuel.IntensiveScience&VirtualPhilosophy.NewYork:Continuum,2002.P.85
45GillesDeleuzeandFelixGuattari.AThousandPlateaus,p282
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EvaPerezdeVega
BIBLIOGRAPHYBogue,Ronald.Deleuzeonmusic,paintingandthearts.NewYork:Routledge,2003
DeLanda,Manuel.IntensiveScience&VirtualPhilosophy.NewYork:Continuum,2002
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Deleuze,Gilles&Guattari,Felix,WhatisPhilosophy?Trans.JanisTomlinson,NewYork:ColumbiaUniversity
Press,1996
Deleuze,Gilles.LectureTranscriptsonSpinozasConceptofAffect.www.webdeleuze.com/php/sommaire.html
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Deleuze,Gilles,Cinema1:TheMovementImage.Minneapolis:UniversityofMinnesotaPress,1986
Holl,Steven.Parallax.NewYork:PrincetonArchitecturalPress,2000
Ihde,Don,"PhenomenologyandArchitecture"andParella,Steven,"Form:Being;Absence",inForm:Being;
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Massumi,Brian.ParablesfortheVirtual:Movement,Affect,Sensation.Durham&London:DukeUniversity
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MerlauPonty,Maurice.ThePrimacyofPerception,ed.JamesM.Edie. Chicago:NorthwesternUniversity
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"Body
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Venturi,Robert.ComplexityandContradictioninArchitecture.NewYork:MuseumofModernArtPress,1966
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ILLUSTRATIONCREDITS
StevenHoll,sketchesexhibitedattheMOMA,NewYork
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CampoBaeza,
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e+iarchitecture,ChoreographingSpace,photoBrandonJacobsMills,2007:p.15