2019

The Architectonics of Atmosphere

Raychel Gao

[email protected]
Intro
Redesigning Eighthirty Coffee Roastery with Atmosphere

The Architectonics of Atmosphere

This thesis scrutinises the particular ecstasies that draw us towards atmospheric environments, culminating in three design investigations. Each investigation illustrates how atmospheres ought to be understood and involved at the forefront of the design process using various media. 

When architects present their projects, they often speak of 'atmosphere', as a tool to move us. But do they genuinely feel this ‘obscure object of desire’ or is it imagined?1 With its nebulous and mercurial nature, can we aim to design atmospheres, or are they merely by-products of architectural designs? How can we design an atmospheric space?

This thesis is ultimately a search for the architectonics of atmospheres, built from the author’s deepest inquiries about the architectural experience.

1. Griffero, Tonino. Quasi-Things: The Paradigm of Atmospheres. Translated by Sarah De Sanctis. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2017.

Investigation A: The Atmosphere Lab

 
Persp6 Pep
The proposed design provides a place for designers and architects to experiment with the atmospheric attributes in their own designs before commencing on a permanent build
Material Lib
Material library of props to set the scenes
Sketch2

Investigation B: Ritual-Infused Atmosphere

 
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Investigation of atmosphere through the art of making fused with Japanese tea ceremony rituals
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Tearoom as a spatial construct that focuses on the ritualistic and mindful processes that privilege the sensorial experience over the visual
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Investigation C: Brewing Atmosphere

Redesigning Eighthirty Coffee Roastery with Atmosphere

 
Sensory Thinking Space
Atmospheres as a series of multi-sensory bodily experiences that enhance the programme of a space​
Qr 2 Panorama Qr 91Eb5E66 14Ec 4834 B684 C073Fbd5B2E8
Please scan with smartphone camera for panoramic experience