Graphic depictions of form and space in architecture: a visual perception outlook
Magdalena WÄ…sowicz
doi:10.37190/arc210310
Abstract
The article discusses the issue of the interpretation of two-dimensional graphic representations in architecture which spatially order and divide the visual field into figure and ground (background) by means of perceptive criteria. The Gestalt theory was used to explain the relationship between graphic representations in architecture and the shaping of the built environment corresponding to the recipient’s perceptive possibilities. The article demonstrates that each two-dimensional representation of an architectural idea can be subjected to an analysis and interpretation in respect of the system of figure-ground fields. The ordering of gestalts in the visual field can also refer to urban and plot development plans, sections, projections and façades. The gestalt-based graphic technique makes it possible to record the relationship of space and material objects in architecture, identify space characteristics as well as clarify functional organisation, circulation, zoning and other characteristics in a building. In the article, the author proposes the classification of representations into four categories, such as: 1) interior space of the building and its material structure: walls and internal space as well as openings in the aforesaid walls, 2) body of the building in the context of surrounding spaces, 3) interior space and space surrounding an architectural structure, as well as 4) programme components. This classification is presented using examples of contemporary buildings.