Perceiving place: How can a gallery use the five senses to enhance remembrance and provide an inclusive multisensory experience?
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Other Title
Authors
Harrison, Regan
Author ORCID Profiles (clickable)
Degree
Master of Architecture (Professional)
Grantor
Unitec, Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology
Date
2023
Supervisors
Schnoor, Christoph
McConchie, Graeme
McConchie, Graeme
Type
Masters Thesis
Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)
Keyword
Albert Park (Auckland, N.Z.)
Rangipuke (N.Z.)
Auckland (N.Z.)
New Zealand
Aotearoa
sense of place
memory in architecture
history
decolonisation
Māori cultural landscape
art galleries
multi-sensory environments
interactivity
Rangipuke (N.Z.)
Auckland (N.Z.)
New Zealand
Aotearoa
sense of place
memory in architecture
history
decolonisation
Māori cultural landscape
art galleries
multi-sensory environments
interactivity
Citation
Harrison, R. (2023). Perceiving place: How can a gallery use the five senses to enhance remembrance and provide an inclusive multisensory experience? (Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional)). Unitec, Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6303
Abstract
The human body is gifted with the ability to perceive, interact and experience space using our senses. This research project explores the intricate relationship between human sensory perception, architecture, and memory, focusing on the historical and cultural context of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
This project delves into the impact of colonisation and decolonisation, focusing on the case of Rangipuke, Albert Park in Auckland. It explores the concept put forward by Author Jennifer Cole of ‘historical forgettng’ and the intentional suppression of memories related to the colonial past. The project seeks to follow Linda Tuhiwai Smith‘s line of argument for the importance of acknowledging and integrating indigenous perspectives and methodologies in the process of decolonisation. By bridging the gap between historical memory and modern everyday life, the research emphasises the need to transform existing structures and design philosophies within museums and public spaces.
Equally, the research project examines sensory experiences in architecture through the lens of phenomenology, drawing on the works of influential theorists like Juhani Pallasmaa, Peter Zumthor and Christian Norberg-Schulz. Pallasmaa has suggested to go beyond the conventional understanding of the five senses, to include the atmospheric sense. Exploring this sixth sense reveals the integral role of sensory perception in experiencing a space. Pallasmaa’s concept of atmosphere emphasises that the mood and essence of a space cannot be fully apprehended through visual stimuli alone; this needs to be a bodily sensory experience.
This notion aligns with the insights of Swiss Architect Peter Zumthor, who underscores the intricate relationship between senses and memories, asserting that our recollection of a space is intricately intertwined with our sensory connections.
Consequently, sensory experience emerges as an inseparable companion to the notion of memory. Adopting a sensory-driven approach to design thus becomes a compelling means to establish and evoke a profound connection to architecture and place.
This research project seeks to create an architectural intervention that fosters a genuine connection between visitors and Albert Park, enabling the past to thrive and empowering its entry into the future. By utilising the full range of human senses and integrating cultural and historical contexts, the interactive installations within the park will serve as a means of storytelling, evoking emotions, and providing a multi-sensory experience to connect all visitors to place.
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