Intangibles

Peter Zumthor’s lecture on Atmosphere and Architectural Environments provided a unique perspective into the mind of one of the most private contemporary starchitect’s. Zumthor lays out nine parameters in which atmosphere is influenced, this being; “Body of Architecture, Material compatibility, Sound of a space, Temperature of a space, Surrounding objects, Between composure and seduction, tension between interior and exterior, levels of intimacy, the light of things.”

The ability to take intangible qualities such as atmospheres and translate them into words is extremely impressive. It made me think how do we, as architects, understand space? Often discussed and labeled as a good space or a bad space how can we label intangible experiences as good or bad, successful or unsuccessful? Does it relate to tall ceilings, materiality, color or all of the above? Obviously, we as architects rely of certain drawings to portray the atmospheric quality of a place though renderings, sketches, and sections. However, is there not a way to boil down these qualities into a list in order to explain why or why not a space or atmosphere is successful? It seems to me there is a common thread, woven between all successful architects and that is his or hers mastery of space and accompanying set of intangible skills.