Bachelor Of Architecture Studies ARCH6312 Critical Studies III

Mey Mey Nam 1554272 Architectural Theory and Criticism I

Response 1: Auckland Art Gallery, The Art, Body and Architecture.

This response reflects and reacts to the Auckland Art Gallery and The Eyes of the Skin by
Juhani Pallasmaa 1 and how the experience of architecture spaces is perceived through human
senses; visual, touch, smell, hear and taste. This response will reflect on the spatial architecture
aspect of Auckland Art Gallery, the exhibited art, and how it has evoked the ideas at play with
Juhani Pallasmaa’s points in the text 2.
The Eyes of the Skin by Juhani Pallasmaa points
out the importance usage of lighting in a building 3
and the sound and texture of the material used in a
space 4, how architecturally we should aim to create
a piece of architecture uses all these different
aspects and a way to create a multi-sensory place
for people to experience 5. The visual of the
building is what makes a first impression of a
building, but the experience inside is how you will
remember the building. In the reading, older
buildings were compared to newer buildings and
how they have utilised different ways to create
architectural space. More recent buildings were
said to have taken on more importance of the visual
aspect. “Every city has its echo, which depends on
the pattern and scale of its streets and the prevailing
architectural styles and materials. The wide, open
spaces of contemporary streets do not return sound,
and in the interiors of today’s buildings, echoes are
absorbed and censored.” 6 This quote directly
discusses the impact of sound in architectural space
and how it can affect our experience. Comparing a
closed-off space and an open space, a closed-off
space return the sounds that are made inside, which
reflect on our surrounding. In contrast, the open Figure 1 Pallasmaa, Eyes of the Skin Book Cover
space has many sounds travelling from all
directions, making it difficult to be immersed in the outside environment.

1
Juhani Pallasmaa, The Eye of the Skin (Chichester: Wiley, 2012)
2
Pallasmaa, Eye of the Skin, 43-55.
3
Pallasmaa, Eye of the Skin, 51.
4
Pallasmaa, Eye of the Skin, 54.
5
Pallasmaa, Eye of the Skin, 44.
6
Pallasmaa, Eye of the Skin, 55

0
The hallway on the ground floor of the Art
Gallery was a long corridor with various
artists' artworks hanging on the side of the
wall. Our natural instinct is to walk down
the hall following the structure of the space.
The space achieved intimacy between the
artwork and you by closing in the space into
a long horizontal way where artwork is
displayed and observed one by one in your
own space and time. “A powerful
architectural experience silences all
external noise; it focuses our attention on
our very existence, and as with all art, it
makes us aware of our fundamental
solitude.” 7 The impact of silence is
immense as it creates a solitary
environment to take in the experience of
walking down the hall and having your full
attention on each piece at a time. The light
shone on each exhibition, putting it in a
spotlight. The perception of space is not
only made through visuals but also shadows Figure 2 Hallway of the Auckland Art Gallery photo by author

and sounds. The use of light and shadow

can create a sense of boundary or
disconnect between spaces, making one
space seems like a stand-alone, private or
separate space. As an example, seen in the
picture, the usage of the light at the door
shows a strong separation between the
spaces; a different exhibition space is being
held the sharp line of light shines through
the gap in the walls. Without light and
shadow, visual architecture would cease to
exist.

Figure 3 Hallway of the Auckland Art Gallery Drawing by author

7
Pallasmaa, Eye of the Skin,

1
Walking up the stairs to
the first floor reveals an
ample space where usually
big art pieces are
displayed. As of the time
of visiting, no artwork was
exhibited; my eyes were
immediately drawn to the
stairway, which you can
glimpse through the see-
through glass panels. It
visually draws you as
there are many activities
on the stairs, the
circulation of visitors
going up and down, and Figure 5 Drawing of staircase on the first Figure 4 First floor of Art Gallery space photo
floor by author by author
occasionally stopping to
see the floor beneath them. The doubled-height open space is bright and spacious. It is
interesting that my gaze was set on the stair even though it was in a more shaded and more
minor part of the space. The continuous sounds of the footsteps on the stairways make the
building feels alive and busy, creating a sense of connection through this human interaction
with the building.
“Dancing Faun” by Luigi Firule on the
second floor where the manpower has a
low tone of light which play part of the
shadow background of the light shows the
illustration of depth. This man’s face and
body were covered by shadow, showing
how this sculpture the dynamic of his arm
being held high and body full of tension,
symbolising power and passion as he’s
working toward the Ancient Olympics. A
sense of camaraderie and diligence is
created through the way the sculpture is
framed; the extension of his arm and
scrunch of his knee create the vision of
understanding of discomfort, showing the
effort being put in for this pose.

Figure 6 Drawing by author of Dancing Faun Sculpture cast made

by Luigi Firule

2
Untitled, 11 Pairs of Shoes, 2001 by Lisa Reihana, stood out to me as an art piece that comes
alive. Maybe it’s the visual presentation of the show painting behind that seems almost like a
glimpse into the stories behind these shoes. A sense of belonging was achieved through the
depth and composition of the shoes, from small shoes like a toddler growing in size to normal-
size shoes. The art speaks to the audiences in a way that, just like the shoe size, we are growing
as well as drawing
upon the childhood
memories that we held
so dearly in us. The
subtleness of the
artwork surrounded by
the silence of the space
makes the imagination
run wild, trying to fill
in the empty sounds
and emptiness of the
artwork; it is like we
create our own stories
along these shoes.

Figure 7 A drawing of Lisa Reihana’s artwork by Author

“Dancing Faun by Luigi Firule on the second floor, where the manpower has a low tone of
light which play a part in the shadow background of the light and shows the illustration of
depth. This man’s face and body were covered by shadow, showing how this sculpture the
dynamic of his arm being held high and body full of tension, symbolising power and passion
as he’s working toward the Ancient Olympics. A sense of camaraderie and diligence is created
through the way the sculpture is framed; the extension of his arm and scrunch of his knee create
the vision of understanding of discomfort, showing the effort being put in for this pose.
A great architectural space is created using all our senses, from hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting
and smelling. It can be achieved in many ways and forms. We should aim to create a piece of
architecture that resonates with others and create a connection upon interaction. Auckland Art
Gallery is a very good example of this, using the flow of movement, the visual aspect using
light, and shadow and the big space filled with silence, making this a very personal and
immerseful experience for spectators.

3
Bibliography
Pallasmaa, Juhani. 2012. The Eyes of The Skin: Architecture and The Senses. Chichester: Wiley.

List of Figures:
Figure 1 Pallasmaa, Eyes of the Skin Book Cover ................................................................................. 0
Figure 2 Hallway of the Auckland Art Gallery photo by author ............................................................ 1
Figure 3 Hallway of the Auckland Art Gallery Drawing by author ....................................................... 1
Figure 4 First floor of Art Gallery space photo by author ...................................................................... 2
Figure 5 Drawing of staircase on the first floor by author ...................................................................... 2
Figure 7 Drawing by author of Dancing Faun Sculpture cast made by Luigi Firule ............................. 2
Figure 6 A drawing of Lisa Reihana’s artwork by Author ..................................................................... 3

Dancing Faun castmade by Luigi Firule, Late 1870s

Plaster of Paris, metal armature, paint
Collection of Auckland War Memorial Museum
Tamaki Paenga Hira

Untilted [11 pairs od shoes] by Lisa

Reihana, 2001
Leather
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki
purchased 2002