Enclosure and interior architecture

“One of the more enduring equations is the Vitruvian trilogy; venustas, firmitas, utilitas ---‘attractive appearance’, ‘structural stability’ and ‘appropriate spatial accommodation.’ It is obsessively repeated throughout centuries of architectural precepts, though not necessarily in that order. ” [1] The piece is a record of the three most important elements (attractive appearance, structural stability and appropriate), which the architects need to consider during any architectural project. It states that any successful architectural project must contain these three essential points. We cannot neglect any of them because of the familiar relationship. If the architects only concentrate on the beautiful and attractive elements of the space and do not consider structural elements, this project will not be a practical one. That means people who are in the space will be afraid that anything may happen anywhere, anytime; if the architects’ only concentrate on construction and structure for any design project and do not consider any aesthetic elements, the project will become vapid, mechanical and unattractive. Thus, the architects’ design ideas are enclosed and limited by these essential considerations such as structure, dimensions and cost during an architectural project. In fact, they don’t have the freedom to design exactly what they envision. Therefore, Bernard Tschumi told us that these three important considerations have to be considered when architects’ take on a new project.

Lou Michel says that “Architectural space is defined by its boundaries. Space would be a limitless void without some sense of enclosure or visual reference that communicates a sense of place.”[2] Architects usually represent space by the use of scaled and dimensioned drawings, floor plans, sections, and elevations. ‘Those conventions locate spatial boundaries at any one place comprises the spatial envelope.’ It means that interior spaces might not just be enveloped by actual structural systems such as ceilings, walls and floors. Perhaps it can be any natural space.

If our eye is a camera, we can take any pictures from the front of our vision. That is how the eye sees the environmental spatial envelope; that is how the brain comprehends them. In the picture, everything we have seen is created with shapes, contours, lines and 3 dimensions, which come from objects, buildings, roads, sky and so on. For example, if someone is walking on the street and sees buildings on either side of it, their perception of urban space will become an imaginary spatial interior within their vision. The space impacts their visual perception and imagination. As an imaginary space, each wall, floor, ceiling is seen at a 90 degrees angle to the line of vision. And these also create a one point perspective. Therefore, the natural space is being enclosed in configurations of bounded space.

“The colorful walls serve a number of functions. Structurally, they support the two-level bridge as well as a barrel vaulted skylight that follows that space below. The walls were also positioned to create a curving perspective to enrich the experience of space. The green protective guardrail on the upper level moves in Gestalt good continuation and contributes to the flow of space, especially on the right side where the walls momentarily move out of sight.” [3] ‘Attractive appearance’ always can allure people’s visual perception and makes us feel curious. Most women will always be enclosed by a nice colourful dress or any clothes in a fashion store; most men will always be allured by a beautiful car they have seen; and people will be enclosed by any colour from their life. We see different colours from objects that surround us in the world, and we cannot live in an uncolored world. If it is like that, how can we exist? Otherwise, an attractive architectural space should be lit and coloured. If there is a vapid and uncoloured interior space which is dark, dirty and has no colourful surfaces, will it allure people to get in? It will not. They will not be attracted and enclosed by any interesting things they personally think. At the gallery there were lots of spot lights on the ceiling focusing light on each art work within the space. The most attractive art work drew me in automatically because these colorful appearances enclosed my vision. That colour attraction enabled me to stay there and observe at length. Therefore, created by light, colour induces mood sensations, stimulates feelings, and influences behavior. However, it is essential that an architect must understand this principle and apply it to interior architecture, because light and color influences the lives of people in their everyday environment.

Coloured surfaces are affected by different light qualities, and they also appear when subjected to the dimming consequence of shadow. Also artificial lighting allows a single object to be dramatically highlighted.[4] In darkness, a single action, event or element can be spot-lit. When these spot lights irradiate on all of these art woks in the interior space in the art gallery, each piece of work is enclosed by these spot lights. By this way, when lights are irradiating on each work at the same time, these lights are also irradiating on walls and the floor. There are many shadows that appear because of their shapes. If we are standing in the middle of the interior space, a shadow envelops on the bottom of the walls and will surround us. Thus, lighting will affect interior spaces directly, and any objects within interior spaces will be influenced by lighting. Lighting can reinforce the feeling of 3 dimensions in interior spaces, and let people’s visual perception to be enclosed and limited by it. As an interior architect, it needs to be considered that the influence of cast, attached shadow and the shadow effects of texture; all reduce the value and saturation of a surface color from its appearance.

To compare with that what Bernard Tschumi and Lou Michel says. Benard Tschumi thought that an attractive appearance was one of these three important elements to consider necessarily. And Lou Michel thought that lighting and colour elements are very important for any interior designs. Therefore, it is able to connect these ideas to do a design project is necessary. If an interior space without these elements, it will not be a successful one. Also Lou Michel talked about that the interior space is a limitless void which created by boundaries. People can define that an interior space could be an imaginary space which in a natural world. Thus, peoples’ visual perception is being enclosed by colours and any views they have seen.

Architects’ minds will be enclosed and limited by some important considerations, which are attractive appearance, structural systems etc. Every professional architect will do an unsuccessful architectural project without these elements. Therefore, they cannot neglect any of them. This word enclosure is a main focus to educate me on understanding what an interior is. It is not only an entity; but also may be an imaginary space from the natural world. Moreover, people’s visual perception affects their life. However, architects’ must consider many important elements, which solve these existing problems for an interior space; how these design elements interact each other; how to use the right ideas for interior spaces. Most people normally exist within interior spaces for 80 percent of time every day. That means interior design affects people’s sense of vision and sense of feeling directly. Architecture is designed for humans and should be considered and appropriately applied for human lives as well. Architects must consider how to combine design ideas and functions together.

[1] Bernard Tschumi Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture：An Anthology of Architectural Theory
[2] Lou Michel, Light: The space of space. PP 102
[3] Lou Michel. Light, the space of space P99
[4] Light: The space of space. PP 97