Interiors and cities

Architecture, interiors, urbanism – three subjects I’m passionate about (like many of you) as an architecture student, a former interior designer, and person who loves spending time in cities.

The relation between architecture and interiors is clear – a building is holistic being in my opinion, not separate exterior and interior scopes designed and viewed independently of one another (although unfortunately that is case many times in practice).

The relation between architecture and cities is also clear. It’s something we’ve discussed extensively throughout this class and in our studios.

Besides sharing the common thread of architecture, I’d hardly considered how cities and interiors pertain to one another. So I was captivated by the comparison made in class this week between the two when presented with the idea of reflecting the richness and intricacies of cities in building interiors.

I think that’s a really beautiful analogy and an accurate way to describe works from architects like Steven Holl and Peter Zumthor, whose works create powerful human experiences through tactile mediums.

It also made me think of Scandinavian architecture, which I really admire. During WW2, Scandinavian designers developed the theory of New Empiricism, which rejects functionalist and rationalist architecture for a more humanistic, organic architecture to create a positive human experience in the built environment, as seen in works from Alvar Aalto and Eero Saarinen.

This idea also seems prevalent in present-day Nordic works. A project I recently stumbled upon and really admire is The Financial Park Offices in Stavanger, Norway by Helen + Haard with SAAHA. The way the organic forms of the circulation paths between the mezzanine interact and weave through one another remind me of old city streets, beautifully vibrant in diversity and inviting exploration. I also see parallels to the small pockets of urban space in more private areas – a conference space hugged by a sloping wall or retreats off the main circulation paths.

Even as a new building, I think it does an excellent job or reflecting the richness and intricacies of a city within its enclosed spaces.