Perception of architecture in the context of an extended-spectrum of cognitive factors. Selected issues

Katarzyna Słuchocka

doi:10.37190/arc220210

Abstract

Perception of architectural forms takes place in the processes of conscious and unconscious reception of architecture, during the observation or use of architectural spaces. Deepened perception as a result of sensory interpretation and reinterpretation may be of great importance in the processes of shaping the architectural environment, which is the context of our existence. The article discusses the problem of recognizing and categorizing architecture and the possibility of broadening the cognitive spectrum for the optimization of design processes. An architectural object perceived as an image remains a multi-format commentary also in its written form, accompanying people at every stage of their life, often having an impact on its quality. By careful observation and comparative analysis, based on selected examples from both the country and the world, referring to the author’s artistic interpretations and semantics, an attempt was made to indicate a new opening in the procedures of recognizing architecture. The aim is to confirm the thesis that the choice of observations, according to the existing, specific conditions of shaping architectural forms, relates to the sphere of sensory experience and may constitute another element facilitating the understanding and shaping of architecture. It is also important to show the relationship and links between the data obtained during the analysis and interpretation of images as well as their influence on the shaping of architectural spaces.

Keywords:
article
architectural-form
remark
image
perception

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2022

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Katarzyna Słuchocka*

Perception of architecture in the context of an extended-spectrum

of cognitive factors. Selected issues

Introduction

The basic problem that all analysis of perception un-

dertakes is the way in which the image of an object ap-

pearing in consciousness is related to reality [1, p. 20]. We

nd similar doubts in relation to architectural forms that

ambiguously ll the environment in which we live. Archi-

tecture, which is an inseparable component of our every-

day context, accompanies man in the aspects of physical,

biological and psychological life, satisfying the need for

security, property, sometimes luxury or vanity. It evokes

admiration, envy, laughter, and is sometimes the object of

mockery, although most often it is simply the background

of existence. In our considerations we attempt to answer

the question whether everyone perceives architecture in

the same way and how to get to know it eectively. James

Fitch claimed that […] in architecture there are no specta-

tors: there are only participants [2, p. 706]. We are there-

fore elements of a spatial composition created by designers

and years of history. Entangled in a complicated network

of mutual relations with the remaining components of the

puzzle [3, p. 85], we can inuence its shape by reacting to

stimuli that are generated in the processes of direct and in-

direct contact with given architectural forms. The register

of changes taking place within the observed architectural

spaces, details, colors, proportions, selection of nishing

materials, etc. by each participant-recipient occurs indi-

vidually, evoking various reactions. The selected research

method (image-semantic analysis) consisting in observa-

tion, evaluation and interpretation expressed in the written

word is an attempt to expand the cognitive area of archi-

tectural spaces. In this article, a selection of architectural

realizations from Poland and the world was used for the

analysis. The research was carried out in accordance with

the topic: “Architectural object – a work of art in the con-

text of perception processes” (2019–2021). The results of

individual stages of the research process were presented

in scientic publications and delivered papers. The results

of the work were also presented in the form of the orga-

nization of original exhibitions and multimedia shows as

well as participation in collective exhibitions, thanks to

which the group of interested parties was increased and

the adopted research method was popularized.

Purpose and methods of research

The aim of the study is an attempt to indicate the possi-

bility of a complementary use of the ambiguity of stimuli

and their interpretative reception in cognitive processes

related to the form and architectural space in the context

of perception processes. An attempt was also made to an-

swer the question whether the use of the essence of the

image, which is a data carrier (information on the newly

designed and put into use spaces), supported by verbal ex-

tension, may translate into an expansion of the cognitive

eld and an increase in the group of people potentially

participating directly or indirectly in shaping architecture.

In order to deepen the processes of perception in the con-

ducted research, sensory cognitive methods were used in

conjunction with the analytical, conscious selection of

given architectural forms, in this case their recording in

the form of photographs and verbal commentary. The pre-

sented examples of architectural structures are an original

selection supported by a preliminary exploratory analysis

in the eld (assessment of the character, function, degree

of connection with the context). Bearing in mind that […]

thinking with pictures is one of the recognized forms of

* ORCID: 0000-0002-0492-2761. Faculty of Architecture, Poznan

University of Technology, Poland, e-mail: katarzyna.sluchocka@put.

poznan.pl

DOI: 10.37190/arc220210

Published in open access. CC BY NC ND license

106 Katarzyna Słuchocka

non-verbal thinking in contemporary cognitive psycholo-

gy [4, p. 1], the factor enriching the interpretative under-

standing of reality, conscious frames and compositions of

verbal comments (graphic poem) was taken into account,

to emphasize the importance of the image in the processes

of perception of architecture. An important group of fac-

tors inuencing the quality of the cognitive process may

be word systems, composed on the basis of the assessment

of the character of an architectural object and analyzed in

the form of an image (graphic poem). The research was

conducted on the assumption that it may imply increased

involvement of people trying to understand and recognize

the external environment and encourage participation in

its indirect shaping (indirect participation).

The whole discussion was set in the framework of the

observational method, comparative and heuristic analy-

sis, case study and the original method of image-semantic

analysis, which were to conrm the purposefulness of ap-

plying the principles of extensive perception in the pro-

cesses of learning and dening architecture.

Perception of architecture – image and word.

The state of research

The research includes a picture-semantic analysis of

architectural forms perceived as a frame of a larger whole

and treated as an image (author’s frame in a photographic

record) and supplemented with poetic comments. There-

fore, referring to the image, usually associated with the

concept of artistic activity, including the sphere of author’s

expression, it is worth referring to Erwin Panofsky [5], an

art historian and essayist, who in 1932 found an interpre-

tative meaning for the encoded content in paintings-works

of art, thus providing a theoretical basis for the research

method. Another important point in the changing de-

nition of a painting was the manifesto of Joseph Beuys,

the creator of an extended denition of art, who in 1973

proclaimed that […] art is currently the only evolutionary

and revolutionary force (after: [6, p. 48]). Thinking about

the image has changed signicantly under the inuence of

the digital revolution, which has also expanded the oer

of new tools for creating images, accessible and reaching

us from all media. In many spheres of activity, the image

began to be treated mainly as a carrier of information. In

response to the increasing popularity of images, which

prioritize graphic usefulness in the transmission of infor-

mation, adequate skills of their reception have been devel-

oped, which are increasingly related to the perception and

presentation of existing and newly designed architecture.

Opening the history of art to other research disciplines, in

order to deepen the reection on the theory of the image,

was postulated by Gottfried Boehm [7, pp. 11–13] in the

article Return of Images. He emphasized that in the search

for a relationship between the eld of art and the shaping

of new denitions of the exterior, it is worth paying atten-

tion to the image of phenomena, because it will translate

into a better understanding and improvement of the us-

ers’ quality of life. Boehm convinced readers that the im-

age is an important means of communication, conveying

emotions and ideas. He believed that the images in their

honesty of presenting thoughts or the world are closely re-

lated to reality, that they constitute a specic interpretation

and continuation of the author’s message [8, p. 106]

. The

image, reaching a wide audience, can initiate a non-ver-

bal bond with the work of art and initiate the process of

interpreting an architectural form through the prism of its

depicted form. Juhani Pallasmaa commented on the im-

ages of architecture, saying that they contain non-obvious

guidelines regarding the reception of a given space, that

they represent the designer’s thinking about architecture

and, on his behalf, invite you to the interior, conrming

the truth and value of dependencies resulting from direct

contact with architecture and feelings taking place in its

company [9, p. 75]. In turn, Jean-Jacques Wunenburger

in his publication emphasized, referring to the philosoph-

ical way of perceiving and analyzing images, that they

combine a sensual and logical approach to the world, that

they present a specic cognitive dualism, complementing

each other [10, p. 46]. Rainer Mausfeld raised the topic

of image perception and the ability to use metaphors and

allegories [11, pp. 19–54]. Agnieszka Kłopotowska in the

article Niewidzialna architektura – status piękna w poza-

wzrokowej percepcji przestrzeni architektonicznej [Invis-

ible architecture – the status of beauty in the extra-visual

perception of architectural space], drew attention to the

importance of sensuality in the reception of architectural

spaces [12, pp. 269–274]

. The issue of feeling and the

aesthetic reaction related to the sensory emotions generat-

ed through the cognitive process was also discussed by Ali

Aumran Lattif Al-Thahab [13, pp. 327–352]. In his mono-

graph, Marco Frascari [14] described the issue of cognitive

activity carried out by architects while working on profes-

sional projects, pointing to the legitimacy of reusing ear-

lier successful episodes of architectural understanding, i.e.,

references to drawings-images of architecture, also taking

place at the level of aesthetic reception of images.

In the process of perception, the use – apart from the

sense of sight, touch, hearing, and neuroceptional expe-

rience of the world [15, pp. 105–116] – of an additional

element, which is a verbal type of commentary-interpre-

tation, can eectively deepen the cognitive process of

architectural spaces. An extended set of cognitive pro-

cesses may provide a person with a better contact with

reality, and thus a more conscious and reliable perception

of it, as Kazimierz Wolny-Zmorzyński wrote about in his

work [16, p. 116]. Emotionally expressed opinions about

a given architecture strengthen its perception, which was

mentioned by Wojciech Białus in the publication Efekt wi -

dzial ności [The Visibility Eect] [17]. The author per-

forms formal analysis of texts that directly aect specic

In the monograph Gottfried Boehm considers issues related to

the theory of the image in the context of seeing, looking and verbalizing

these actions, talking about the “iconic sense of images” [8]. It refers to

the iconic turn that took place at the turn of the 20

and 21

centuries

and called for the opening of art history to other research disciplines in

order to deepen the reection on the theory of image.

Kłopotowska draws attention to the essence of sensuality in the

reception of architectural spaces. In her study, she addresses selected

issues necessary for the perception of architecture by people whose per-

ception is not based on the main role of the vision analyser [12].

Perception of architecture in the context of an extended-spectrum of cognitive factors. Selected issues 107

knowledge inuences the course of information process-

ing. Interesting, in this aspect, phenomenological research

is carried out by Robert Schwartz [25, pp. 707–719], who

presents his position on the tradition of openness, which

can be referred to when perceiving and understood archi-

tecture using images and words. Gunila Jive’n and Peter

Larkham, in their study [26, pp. 67–81], focused on the

general experience of architecture, saying that the genius

loci of a given space is related to the feelings of people

experiencing it, not the designers’ intentions. Thus, they

adhere to the assumptions linking the perception of archi-

tectural spaces, its in-depth knowledge with the extended

cognitive process, each time based on human feelings.

Form, image, word – a case study

The images covered by the eyesight, as part of the dai-

ly recording of the outside, are processed individually by

everyone and build the reality that surrounds us. Addi-

tionally, enriched with verbal commentary, they broaden

the eld of cognitive perception, giving the possibility of

a fuller understanding of the selected spatial form. Under-

standing the world takes place through images that con-

stitute its components, and the verbal forms of expression

used to describe events and elements complete the com-

munication.

The article presents complementary systems of selected

architectural forms presented in the form of images (pho-

tographic record) and verbal commentary, using mecha-

nisms known from cognitive psychology, where vision

plays an important role in the study of images and gives

sense to express the observed reality. In the course of the

research, each time a set was considered, which consist-

ed of a selected architectural object and its interpretation,

i.e., an individual photographic arrangement and a graph-

ic arrangement of verbal supplements adequate to it [27].

The study uses original poetry comments congured for

the needs of the research and photographs taken during

previously conducted eld inquiries. Each of the selected

objects was treated autonomously, bearing in mind that in

the process of visual perception, the mind creates an im-

age that is analogous and directly related to a given object,

and exteroceptive stimuli (neuronal information) evoke an

individual vision of an object, phenomenon or situation.

In the course of the perception of architecture taking

place through verbal and photographic interpretation of

given architectural forms, we use pictorial thinking. We

identify the architectural form through the prism of the

photographic frame, i.e., the image. Adding literary com-

ments to an image (photographic record) implies new con-

gurations, deepening the recognition of a given space.

The composition of forms presented in the illustration

(Fig. 1) and the accompanying poetic commentary con-

cern fragments of the body of Stary Browar in Poznań [27,

pp. 34, 35]. It is no coincidence that the discussed object

was chosen, as it is an intentional operation of combining

history with elements of contemporary design trends. Con-

trasting combinations of authentic materials used in the

construction of the municipal brewery and the reconstruc-

tion carried out by ADS Studio resulted in an interesting

images, conrming the legitimacy of combining various

means of expression to optimize cognitive processes.

A comparative analysis relating to the recognition of

architectural forms through the prism of a poem combines

the literary eld with the construction of given pictorial

representations, completing the process of perception. The

attention devoted to the interpretation of the description

of architecture generates further symbolism of reective

insights. In these symbolic representations, words play an

important role. Anna Cymer, focusing on the work of Zbig-

niew Herbert [18], [19], noted that the poet had a sensual

and emotional experience for the poet, which is probably

why his notes on architecture remain relevant and fasci-

nating to this day [20]. In the case of expanded perception,

the poetic commentary touches an image (a reference to

painting or photography), which may be a work of art or

an architectural form. Poetry related to the subject of ar-

chitecture was also thoroughly discussed by Bogdan Zeler

[21, pp. 129, 130], paying attention to the valuable infor-

mation about objects contained in poetic verses.

One can refer to the perception of architecture in Polish

and European literature, for example, through the works

of Józef Czechowicz (Kościół Świętej Trójcy na Zamku

[Church of the Holy Trinity at the Castle]), Julian Przy-

boś (Katedra w Lozannie [Cathedral in Lausanne]), Miłosz

Kamil Manasterski (Architektura [Architecture]), Rainer

Maria Rilke (Cathedral), Tadeusz Różewicz (Gotyk 1954

[Gothic 1954]) and many others. By analyzing the exam-

ples of selected poetic interpretations, it can be conclud-

ed that each time they constitute an emotional comment

caused by contact with a given architectural space, hold-

ing attention and distinguishing it.

The research discussed in the article broadens the cog-

nitive spectrum by combining a verbal commentary with

its graphic composition, which implies another form of the

image. Image perception enriches your thinking and deep-

ens your imagination. It also translates into the develop-

ment of the ability to visualize reality, complementing the

cognitive process. The interference of the mind with the

state of the primary image is based precisely on semantics.

Words tame the subject with content and reveal the mean-

ing. It should be borne in mind that there may be cognitive

discrepancies between the word and the picture, generating

doubts about the accuracy of the word. However, this is

within the limits of error, as are the discrepancies in the re-

sults of interpretations carried out by various recipients-ob-

servers of architectural spaces. Marcin Jażyński, referring

to David Hume [22], noted that […] mental activities con-

sist in manipulating the empirical material accumulated

in impressions and ideas, […] that ideas are associated in

the mind. If the rst appears, it entails the occurrence of

the second [23, pp. 393–406]. It uses the theory of connec-

tionists

[24] stating that the attempt to replace a computer

metaphor with a brain metaphor is based on the functional

state of processes that store data for a very short time, and

The connectionist theory says that the attempt to replace a com-

puter metaphor with a metaphor of mind is based on the functional state

of processes that store data for a very short time, and knowledge inuen-

ces the course of information processing [24].

108 Katarzyna Słuchocka

image of architecture and functionality. The typographic

arrangement (image and poem) is to emphasize the pro-

cedures employed by architects, based largely on formal

contrasts. The irregular rhythm of the lines also intensies

the idea of combining “old and new”.

Another example of illustrating the architectural space

is the building of the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice,

by An Archi Group, which as a body situated in the con-

text of residential buildings is distinguished by its charac-

ter and function (Fig. 2). In its original performance, it in-

trigues and invites you to enter the interior like a work of

art for interpretation and dialogue with the artist. A verbal

and pictorial composition [27, pp. 40, 41] supplements the

description with a graphic designed to imitate a puzzle of

blocks, which, like the tasks performed, can combine both

work (didactic function) and play (a work of art has infor-

mational and decorative functions).

The building, colloquially named Bałtyk, located at the

Kaponiera roundabout in Poznań, designed by the MVRDV

studio, subjected to an interpretative analysis, is its icon-

ic showcase for some of the city’s residents, while others

believe that it does not t the context of its surroundings

Fig. 1. Stary Browar, Poznań (designed by Studio ADS, photo by K. Słuchocka)

Il. 1. Stary Browar, Poznań (proj. Studio ADS, fot. K. Słuchocka)

Fig. 2. Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Katowice (designed by An Archi Group, photo by K. Słuchocka)

Il. 2. Akademia Sztuk Pięknych, Katowice (proj. An Archi Group, fot. K. Słuchocka)

Perception of architecture in the context of an extended-spectrum of cognitive factors. Selected issues 109

ture is also the Chapel of St. Benedict in Switzerland (de-

signed by P. Zumthor). The photographic record in its

central, symmetrical composition draws the attention of

the observer towards the sky, and the reection is shown

in the arrangement of the poem (Fig. 4), also congured as

a central, vertical composition [27, pp. 48, 49].

(Fig. 3). Fascinations with its form are presented by the

arrangement of lines characteristic of the building [27,

p. 55], which is supposed to build tension and attract at-

tention, just like the architectural creation itself.

The image completed with a word in the verbal and

pictorial commentary adequate to the architectural struc-

Fig. 3. Bałtyk, Kaponiera roundabout, Poznań (designed by MVRDV, photo by K. Słuchocka)

Il. 3. Bałtyk, rondo Kaponiera, Poznań (proj. MVRDV, fot. K. Słuchocka)

Fig. 4. St. Benedict Chapel, Sumvitg, Grisons, Switzerland (designed by P. Zumthor, photo by K. Słuchocka)

Il. 4. Kaplica św. Benedykta, Sumvitg, Gryzonia, Szwajcaria (proj. P. Zumthor, fot. K. Słuchocka)

110 Katarzyna Słuchocka

In the company of modest, wooden architecture, which

is only a background for spiritual tranquility, man nds the

purpose of his journey, the justication for coming, and

this is also the verbal construction. The vertical, synthet-

ic notation is to complement the senses of feeling without

disturbing the perception of the whole, i.e., the ty po graphic

arrangement of pages in the monograph.

The composition, which consists of a photographic re-

cord of a frame from the Jewish Museum in Berlin, de-

signed by Daniel Libeskind (Fig. 5), also gives a feeling

of tranquility.

However, the procedure of maximum separation of

the photographed space from the verbal comment was

used here [27, pp. 72, 73], which is supposed to evoke

associations with isolation, exclusion, and the tragedy of

thousands of lives lost in concentration camps. It is sup-

posed to intensify the feelings acquired while visiting the

museum. Steen Eiler Rasmussen’s words regarding “the

building as a composition of only voids” [28, p. 48] ac-

curately t one of the functions of architecture. We are

dealing here with the phenomenon of design eective-

ness [29, pp. 179, 189], which means that the creation of

a given space meets the designer’s intentions. In this case,

the architect’s message is a synthesis of a sensory experi-

ence encompassing all perceptual impressions, enclosed

in concrete walls equipped with small openings through

which light seeps through. The creation of voids, ascetic

spaces devoid of excessive detail, without museum exhib-

its is […] a sensitive container for the rhythm of footsteps

on the oor, for the concentration of work, for the silence

of sleep [30, p. 12]. It awakens emotions deeply moving

people, painful associations with events and places. With-

out words, we become participants in a situational simula-

tion, where the form outlines a feeling that remains in our

memory for a long time.

Results

The architectural form perceived in a pictorial way and

supplemented with a verbal comment, which is an exten-

sion of the external characteristic, gains another starting

point in the cognitive process. The portrayed, selected

architectural objects or their fragments examined with-

out a complementary verbal commentary constitute only

a collection of original frames of reality. A given image

(in this case a photo), without the possibility of naming

individual elements, remains undeciphered until its com-

ponents are included in the linguistic sphere of the cog-

nitive process. The introduction of a poetic supplement

to the composition is an impulse that is to inuence more

precise building of a secondary – symbolic image in the

mind, thus deepening the process of giving sense to reali-

ty. The picture can be treated as an aid in comprehending

meanings and reality, as an interpretation of words, which

is supposed to bring the recipient closer to the expressed

design idea which, apart from purely logical basics, also

contains an emotional charge [10, p. 70]. In this process,

words can eectively mediate the mind’s interference

with the state of the primary image, and verbal communi-

cation can be considered essential here.

Fig. 5. Jewish Museum, Berlin, Germany (designed by D. Libeskind, photo by K. Słuchocka)

Il. 5. Muzeum Żydowskie, Berlin, Niemcy (proj. D. Libeskind, fot. K. Słuchocka)

Perception of architecture in the context of an extended-spectrum of cognitive factors. Selected issues 111

Table 1 lists the potential components involved in the

in-depth cognitive process of architectural forms, using

the image-semantic analysis method. Expanding the per-

ception process with additionally used verbal commentary

(recognition, description, reception, interpretation) acti-

vates subsequent senses to recognize and generates new

associations built in the mind, thus increasing the area and

possibilities of a more complete experience and identi-

cation of architecture.

It can be assumed that the author’s interpretations con-

tained in the reception of the compilation of the form, im-

age and words stimulate reaction, dialogue, and ultimately

reinterpretation, which plays a key role in the cognitive

process of architecture. The process of reinterpretation

takes place on the levels of intimacy and depends on the

sensitivity, and indirectly on the way of portraying archi-

tecture or its fragments:

image of architecture ↔ verbal comment

↔ graphic-verbal form of interpretation

As a consequence, opinions which are based on emo-

tional perception are strengthened and at the same time

activate and familiarize them with the often foreign archi-

tectural form. Semantic transfers of meanings and broad-

ening the eld of reception, thanks to the combination

of individual components of the nal version of the im-

age-composition into the intended composition, strength-

en the message and broaden the spectrum of perception.

The sensuality that arises from the depth of feelings be-

comes more realistic and allows the use of another opening

in the cognitive process. It is worth returning to the way

architecture was perceived by Zbigniew Herbert, who, as

Cymer describes in an interesting way, saw traces of the

development of our civilization in […] architecture, but

he perceived it not analytically, but emotionally and sen-

sually [20]. The specicity of the approach to the percep-

tion of the outside world, the sensitivity as well as compo-

sitional and verbal inclinations give a dierent meaning to

the experience of architecture. In an original way, they pay

attention to detail, details and genius loci, which perhaps

go unnoticed by the majority of recipients. This implies

the claim that expanding the way of perceiving architec-

ture, apart from its pictorial presentation, also through the

prism of verbal commentary, may be an eective tool in

the cognitive process of architecture.

The applied image-semantic analysis gives grounds to

argue that the conducted research may contribute to the

consideration of the above-mentioned method as a tool for

in-depth recognition of architectural forms from the sen-

sual and behavioural side.

Conclusions

The study highlights the possibility of deepening the

sen sitivity and imagination, as well as broadening the eld

of perception with the use of pictorial (author’s photo-

graphic record) and verbal (poetic commentary) interpre-

tation. An image, in this case a photographic register of

architectural spaces, becomes a gateway to associations

emerging in the course of cognitive processes and to new

meanings of the observed space being built. The search for

relationships between the areas of pure art, design arts and

verbal poetic commentaries can complement the sensual

perception of architectural space. They also conrm the

legitimacy of the complementary use of the ambiguity of

Architectural structure

Process of perception in the context of photographic register

(cognitive direction)

Process of perception in the context of verbal commentary

(cognitive efficiency)

1. the general nature of an architectural form or its fragment 1. emotional attitude towards an architectural form

2. material characteristics and colour of materials 2. associations and an extensive situational narrative

3. dimensions of the architectural form 3. references to the internal experiences of a process participant

4. compositional dependencies 4. private commentary

5. relations with the external context 5. abstract polemic

The applied method of image-semantic analysis

1. Deepening sensitivity and imagination

2. Building a secondary – symbolic image in the mind

3. Deepening of emotional attitude towards a given architectural form

4. The possibility of initiating the process of reinterpretation

5. Expansion of the cognitive process related to the architectural form

6. Extension of the group of people who can actively participate in the cognitive process of the architectural form

7. Possibility of fuller recognition of a given architectural form (detail, composition, genius loci, etc.)

8. Possibility of deepening the ability to visualise reality

Table 1. List of potential components participating in the in-depth cognitive process of architectural forms

with the use of the image-semantic analysis method (elaborated by K. Słuchocka)

Tabela 1. Zestawienie potencjalnych elementów składowych biorących udział w pogłębionym procesie poznawczym

form architektonicznych z wykorzystaniem metody analizy obrazowo-semantycznej

(oprac. K. Słuchocka)

112 Katarzyna Słuchocka

stimuli deepening perception and originating in the basic

senses, as well as additional elements important in the ob-

servation process: analysis and interpretation (analysis of

verbal interpretation). This in-depth analysis and reception

of architectural space, taking place with the help of the

interpretation of an architectural form (an interpretive im-

age and a verbal comment), can eectively increase the

sensitivity and awareness of users of architectural spaces,

strengthening the social identity and individuals. Expand-

ing the eld of interpretation and reception of architectural

space with the sphere of sensual perception opens up new

possibilities of interpretation and tightens distant areas of

research, giving a new dimension to articulations and se-

mantics, treated as opinion-forming factors. It also implies

further sets of data necessary for a factual assessment of

architectural spaces. An in-depth perception process is

an investment in the shape of future architecture and the

comfort of our existence, and the form and image set, sup-

plemented with a word, is proof of the necessity to expand

the eld of activity in terms of recognizing architecture.

The presented research methods, based on the analysis of

representations of the model version of architecture, its

sensual reception and interpretative representation, may

facilitate the identication of the right way of creating

architecture, ultimately consciously implicating the space

intended for humans. As Rasmussen [28, pp. 225–237]

argued in his study, referring to the issues of acoustics

in architecture, that architecture can be heard, it can also

be assumed that poetic comments, which are a graphic

complement to the image-photograph of architecture, are

a cognitive tool helpful in its understanding and compre-

hending while the provoked reinterpretation plays a key

role in the cognitive process of architecture.

In the presented research process, taking into account

the method of image and semantic analysis, other forms,

events or phenomena may also be the subject of studies.

The above-discussed thematic research entitled “An ar-

chitectural object – a work of art, in the context of per-

ception processes” concerned only selected architectural

forms. The survey and opinion-forming method planned

for implementation will enable us to fully conrm the va-

lidity of the applied method.

Translated by

Kinga Uszko-Skrzypczak

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Perception of architecture in the context of an extended-spectrum of cognitive factors. Selected issues 113

Abstract

Perception of architecture in the context of an extended-spectrum of cognitive factors. Selected issues

Perception of architectural forms takes place in the processes of conscious and unconscious reception of architecture, during the observation or

use of architectural spaces. Deepened perception as a result of sensory interpretation and reinterpretation may be of great importance in the processes

of shaping the architectural environment, which is the context of our existence. The article discusses the problem of recognizing and categorizing

architecture and the possibility of broadening the cognitive spectrum for the optimization of design processes.

An architectural object perceived as an image remains a multi-format commentary also in its written form, accompanying people at every stage of

their life, often having an impact on its quality. By careful observation and comparative analysis, based on selected examples from both the country

and the world, referring to the author’s artistic interpretations and semantics, an attempt was made to indicate a new opening in the procedures of

recognizing architecture. The aim is to conrm the thesis that the choice of observations, according to the existing, specic conditions of shaping

architectural forms, relates to the sphere of sensory experience and may constitute another element facilitating the understanding and shaping of

architecture. It is also important to show the relationship and links between the data obtained during the analysis and interpretation of images as well

as their inuence on the shaping of architectural spaces.

Key words: architectural form, remark, image, perception

Streszczenie

Percepcja architektury w kontekście poszerzonego zakresu czynników poznawczych. Wybrane zagadnienia

Percepcja form architektonicznych zachodzi w procesach świadomego i nieświadomego jej odbioru, w trakcie obserwacji lub użytkowania prze-

strzeni architektonicznych. Pogłębiona percepcja, odbywająca się w wyniku sensorycznej interpretacji oraz reinterpretacji może mieć duże znaczenie

w procesach kształtowania środowiska architektury, stanowiącego kontekst naszej egzystencji. W artykule poruszono problem rozpoznawania i ka-

tegoryzacji architektury oraz możliwości poszerzenia spektrum poznawczego dla optymalizacji procesów projektowych.

Obiekt architektoniczny, postrzegany jako obraz, pozostaje wieloformatowym komentarzem także w zapisie słownym, towarzysząc człowiekowi

na każdym etapie życia, mając często wpływ na jego jakość. Drogą wnikliwej obserwacji, analizy porównawczej, na podstawie wybranych przykła-

dów z kraju i ze świata, odnosząc się do autorskich interpretacji plastycznych i semantyki, podjęto próbę wskazania nowego otwarcia w procedurach

rozpoznawania architektury. Celem jest potwierdzenie tezy, że wybór spostrzeżeń według zastanych, określonych warunków kształtowania form

architektonicznych odnosi się do sfery doznań zmysłowych i może stanowić kolejny element ułatwiający zrozumienie i kształtowanie architektury.

Istotne jest także wykazanie zależności i związków zachodzących między danymi pozyskiwanymi w trakcie analizy i interpretacji obrazów oraz ich

wpływem na rozumienie przestrzeni architektonicznych.

Słowa kluczowe: forma architektoniczna, komentarz słowny, obraz, percepcja