e x p l o r i n g
P H E N O M E N O L O G Y
Laban Dance Theatre[2000-2002]; an expression of phenomenology to represent meaning through bodily experience.
by Ivana Prophet
The meaning concealed amongst the walls of a building is hard to recognise or even notice as an occupant uneducated in architectural theory. Contemporary architecture seems to show a lack of communication in terms of religious, anatomical or social meaning. Instead architects utilise phenomenology to convey meaning and initiate certain feelings to impact the occupants’ experience. Herzog & De Meuron utilise Phenomenology in their design to allow occupants to familiarise themselves with the building through the chronological layout and tectonic design. This paper aims to determine how and why the design adapts phenomenological design tactics to create a dance centre that is configured in a way that occupants will become instantaneously familiar with. The paper will interpret the use of Phenomenology as a theoretical concept that is subconsciously utilised in the design industry. It will also analyse the design method behind the Laban Dance Theatre through its aesthetics and tactical configuration. Designed by award winning architects Herzog & De Meuron and constructed between 2000-2002, the building was designed for the primary purpose of dancing, which is mimicked in its façade, through wrapping around the site. The industrialised yet vibrant façade system, which allows the building to blend in with its surroundings through near translucent, polycarbonate panels, will also be examined in regards to the aesthetics and how it facilitates to the building’s function. Herzog & De Meuron’s use of design elements contribute to the ornament and functionality of the building including the light qualities, affects of open spaces, the colour and materiality. Finally, after exploring these key points, the paper will determine if the use of Phenomenology allows for a sense of familiarity for all occupants in a building that appears inapt for a dance space.
The meaning of a building can be difficult to recognise for most occupants who have a lack of knowledge in architectural theory and can thus overlook the ideology conveyed by the architect. Constructed between 2000-2002, the Laban Dance Theatre, located in London, United Kingdom, is a dance school which takes the form of a warehouse but demonstrates otherwise. Herzog & De Meuron convey meaning through their use of phenomenological design tactics which demonstrate an inviting space for visitors of all circumstances. Phenomenology is explored as a theoretical concept and how it can be considered as an architectural design approach. Design components such as materiality, vibrant colours, configuration of the building and ornament are used to subconsciously convey the function of the space. The industrialised typology may convey an alternate function than what is within, but is deciphered through the architect’s play of colour, materiality and the obtained experience. Herzog & De Meuron’s use of phenomenological design demonstrates how it can display the function, environment and meaning of the building to an occupant through design components despite their lack of architectural comprehension.
Phenomenology as a Theoretical Concept
The word Phenomenology defines when the concept of phenomenon coincides with the experience.[1] A phenomenon describes an existing occurrence and focuses especially on one that’s existence is questionable or superior. An occupants’ experience in a building is manipulated by the design components of a space and the emotions it may instigate. One may suggest that architecture is merely a play with form that is created to accommodate a practical purpose. Although this may be the case, architecture is a form that can phenomenologically represent human existence in the way that it influences the images we contain in our memory and the feelings it captures.[2] The characteristics and external façades of a building can seduce our imagination away from reality and instead wander into what the walls may conceal.[3] Thus this theoretical concept can apply to the design industry in a way that strategically impacts the observer’s anticipated and obtained experience of the building.
The design of a building in regards to the aesthetics, is a primary aspect not only for the visual pleasure of the occupant but for the experience obtained in terms of phenomenological theory. When investigating the reason or meaning of something the experience is taken away from what is visible to us and the focus shifts to the strategy of the making of the existing.[4] This means that we are unable to appreciate what is offered to us and the experience itself and thus away from the phenomenon.[5] The depth and angles of a space create a range of views and can therefore deliver various experiences depending on the order in which the occupant circulates around the space unlike a two-dimensional artwork that does not change with the position in which it is viewed. All phases of the building are bound to each other by structural, ornamental and phenomenal elements and can be altered by which condition they were experienced.[6] For example, visiting a place that is uncomfortably cold may instigate a negative experience for the occupant compared to someone who visits the space at a more comfortable microclimate. The delineation of the building can therefore be interpreted in different ways by various individuals. This concept develops the design strategy of keeping the aesthetics simple and easily recognised to therefore allow the occupant to subconsciously become familiar with a space.
What is Communicated by Architecture as a Language
Ideas and meanings are communicated through design components and can be academically understood by persons who have an understanding of architectural theory or architecture as a language.[7] Charles Jencks describes the difference of the understanding of a building between an architect and a member of the public, which it is assumed that they have no intent but to use the building for its purpose rather than understand it for its ideologies and subtle meanings:
A Post-Modern building is .. one which speaks on at least two levels at once: to other architects and a concerned minority who care about specifically architectural meanings, and to the public at large, or the local inhabitants, who care about other issues concerned with comfort, traditional building and a way of life.[8]
A building may not communicate a message as legibly as other contemporary media such as television or printed media, and is by no means a form of medium[9], but may be able to coherently express meaning, ideas and may be used as signifier to the function of a room. Similar to an artwork or a poem the design components such as the colours, materiality, structural elements or the way in which spaces are configured can communicate the architectural solutions or ideas of a building generated by the architect. In addition, architecture may not necessarily be saying anything intelligible but may subconsciously be conveying the purpose of a building.[10]
Similar to how a person can be understood by another person once they have become familiar with their personality and characteristics, one can read a building of similar configuration once they have become familiar with the design regime of a certain building type.[11]
The Configuration of a Dance Space
Buildings contain design components that allow for its function to become familiar to the occupant. For example, the components that distinguish a commercial building from a home may include the large open foyer compared to the small hallway or the office spaces compared to the personalised bedrooms. The design of a dance centre must use the components that make it a familiar space to visitors and frequent occupants. This design approach is essential for a building that is indistinguishable from the exterior such as the Laban Dance Theatre.
The success of a performance space can be pronounced by its attractiveness and location. Regarding the site location, one that is encompassed by populated public spaces and public transport or plentiful parking can encourage audience development.[12] When approaching a building with the primary purpose of dance, one may expect to encounter a grand façade that declares its prominence. Dance theatres heretofore consisted in a bold façade, a fair example of this would include The Joyce Theatre (Figure 1.), with ostentatious lights which line a sheltered entrance in an off-Broadway style, leading visitors inside.[13]
The spaces for visitors who come on a rare occasion need easy access to the building and an obvious circulation path to where they must go. William Hammond, executive director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre states, ‘the more you make the event easy and accessible, the more they are going to want to go.’[14] Therefore accessibility and a clear path is essential. In addition, a structure with a large open foyer facilitates the arrival and circulation of many visitors at one time. With many rooms to accommodate, narrow or direct corridors allow the visitors to find their way easily.
In terms of spaces for the frequent occupants, the dancers, the design must strongly support the focal areas such as the stage, support spaces for performers, rehearsal spaces and areas for dressing and washrooms. Interior fixtures and required comfort design components also need to be considered. These include a multilayered sprung flooring, natural, ambient and performance lighting, air ventilation and climate control. These components are required for the feasibility and safety of the dancers. Privacy is an necessity in any building where avoiding exposure is required. Private spaces such as dressing rooms require efficient light for make up but may use an excess amount of artificial lighting.
Figure 1: The façade of the off-Broadway style, Joyce Theatre (1941), New York, USA. Black Mass, "Midnight Movies for True Believers," http://www.blackmassmovies.com (accessed October 18, 2015).
The Phenomenology Communicated Through the Façade and Landscape
If the phenomenology of the Laban Dance Theatre is analysed in terms of the key points previously addressed, the ideology behind the design can be revealed. The façade of the building is the first visual factor the visitor obtains and is what allows the visitor to distinguish one building from another. The design of the exterior convinces us that we want to be in this place and lures us into the building. Alexandra Lange, an architecture critic at Dezeen and the author of Writing About Architecture: Mastering the Language of Buildings and Cities, explains, ‘Design is not the icing on the cake but what makes architecture out of buildings and the places we want to live and eat and shop rather than avoid.’[15] Lange describes the utility of a meaningful façade. It is not what makes the structure but without a façade with subtle meaning or style, we would be looking into each building trying to make a distinction between a museum and a hospital.
The Laban Dance Theatre is situated alongside glazed apartment buildings, a line of standard semidetached English homes and the functional industrial buildings required in every city. Amongst the tightly configured English residential block, the structure stands out with its contemporary and colourful materiality. On the other hand, the location does not benefit the function as it is not surrounded by public precedents but more industrial type structures.
Figure 2: The industrial factory façade of the Steiff Factory (1903), Giengen, Germany. Fernandez Solla, Ignacio. "Facades Confidential," http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com.au (accessed October 19, 2015).The façade of the off-Broadway style, Joyce Theatre (1941), New York, USA. Black Mass, "Midnight Movies for True Believers," http://www.blackmassmovies.com (accessed October 18, 2015).
Containing the energy filled rehearsal and performance spaces of the Laban Dance Theatre sits an opaque and colourful polycarbonate box.[16] The façades combine an industrial yet artistic style of aesthetics that create a representation of a playful warehouse. Similarities can be seen in the façades of a building such as the Steiff Factory Building (1903) in Germany (figure 2.). The curtain wall of the factory addresses practical issues of the function and technical performance through the use of translucent materiality.[17] The structure was built to accommodate the production of dolls and other German toys and required abundant natural light and a comfortable interior environment.[18] Buildings such as these fundamentally prioritise the materiality and performance over form as it is a building that is not intended for entertainment. This consequently suggests that the façade of the Laban Dance Theatre is one similar to a structure that prioritises the function over form and does not clearly convey its function to those who do not read more than what is visible.
What makes the Dance Theatre more than a warehouse is the tinted façades of magenta, turquoise and green. This impacts the impression of the building considerably and the feelings instigated are similar to those when looking at a watercolour painting, soothing and cheerful. The colours are not only used for ornament but can be used as a navigational system as each colour represents each studio. When direct views to the exterior are required or desired, a panel of polycarbonate is replaced by a reflective insulated panel of glass. The glazed panels are mirror-like to the exterior in the day, echoing the mirrored walls of the rehearsal spaces[19]. These dark reflecting glazed panels wrap the far south corner, concealing the view into the foyer space within. By day the opaque polycarbonate panels blend in with the sky, soaking in the colours, and by night the warehouse turns into a dimly lit box with a rhythm of coloured panels.
The entrance is located on the curved façade which hugs and welcomes visitors into the space. The pathways are surrounded by elevated folding lawns that lead you to the main entrance door, creating a clear pathway.
The Phenomenology Communicated Through the Layout and Configuration
The layout of the building separates the public spaces from private spaces utilised only by the performers and teachers. As you enter the foyer, the internal walls are inconsistent with the decoration. Visitors are welcomed with hot pink, lime green and a white wall decorated with abstract art symbolising the creativity and youth of the space. A curved ramp accompanied with a spiral case, which continues the curved theme with a surging timber railing that lines the two ramps and staircase, leads the occupant in different directions. The large open foyer gives a ‘cityscape’ view leading up the expansive ramp to the opposite side of the building, down the narrow ramp to the lower theatre entrance or up the spiral staircase to the top level.[20] The ramp allows for a large lobby area for many visitors to enter through during performances.
In the centre of the building sits the main 300-seat theatre. The rehearsal rooms and intermixed classrooms wrap around the theatre and line the perimeter of the building. The intermixture of activities promote communication throughout the building. Internal glazed walls are used to structure rather than separate the administrative, library, cafeteria and parts of the production facilities.[21] Colours are utilised internally to represent the different areas of the building. The majority of studios are located on the top floor, each with a different size, form, height and colour to allow differentiation. Daylight penetrates not only the four façades; but through the three courtyards laid in at different depths to enable natural light, visual connection and spatial orientation throughout the building.[22]
The double skinned façade transmits diffused daylight through the rehearsal rooms with out glare. At night the rooms glow from the inside and the shadows projected from the rehearsal rooms are seen from the exterior (Figure 3.). The rehearsal rooms’ phenomenological functions have been considered within the design through the façade’s assemblage of materials.[23] The elements of the outside world, such as the clouds and sky, are replicated in the interior through the variable tones of shadow and light infused by colour but do not link the inhabitants’ experience directly.[24] The commuters passing by or approaching the building receive an initial experience before entering the building itself. The movement of the dancers within are registered as shadows and are projected against the façade. This contributes to the commuters awareness of the function of the building through subtle meaning. This also interacts the performer with the observer and increases the dancers’ experience of being watched within a social space.[25]
Figure 3: An analytical representation of the glowing box at night time and the projected shadows through the polycarbonate panels which connect with approaching visitors.The industrial factory façade of the Steiff Factory (1903), Giengen, Germany. Fernandez Solla, Ignacio. "Facades Confidential," http://facadesconfidential.blogspot.com.au (accessed October 19, 2015).The façade of the off-Broadway style, Joyce Theatre (1941), New York, USA. Black Mass, "Midnight Movies for True Believers," http://www.blackmassmovies.com (accessed October 18, 2015).
The Meanings Behind the Ornament and Functionality of the Building
The meaning of architecture has been lost and, at its best, is unidentifiable.[26] Contemporary architects are interested in predicting the behaviours of occupants of which will inhabit the environments they design.[27] The variables in a space can also affect one’s primary feelings, the way we subconsciously feel in certain environments. On the other hand, architects needs to rediscover the true meaning of architecture and link the phenomenological authentic feelings with their design as Herzog & De Meuron demonstrate through their building[28]. The importance of applying relative ornamentation is explained by Juhani Palasmaa, ‘If it lacks contact with the sensory memories that live in our subconscious and link our various senses, art could not but be reduced to mere meaningless ornamentation.’[29] Architecture, as a form of art, should move the occupant in a way that makes them associate with the meaning of the building. In terms of the Laban Dance Theatre the meaning is found within the walls and the configuration of the space.
The walls convey the theatre’s creative and youthful function with the colourful polycarbonate panels. The use of vibrant colouring facilitates one’s perspective on the playful ideology, which in turn promotes a safe and inviting space. Our minds do not wander into the assembly of the building or the materiality as the facades present a sense of awe. It also recognises that it is a space that considers freedom and imagination as that is the sense you obtain when approaching the abstract forms of lawn. One may want to run amongst the hills reminiscing youth and creativity as a child.
The configuration develops a phenomenological experience that allows members and visitors to navigate the building. The intermixture of activities and the angles and depths at which they sit develop a connection between all students, teachers and visitors. Visitors are welcomed and acknowledged, allowing them to see the active spaces in motion. The two charcoal imitating spiral staircases invite the visitors up and around the building as they swiftly move and connect the building replicating of the dancers’ movement. The wrapping series of corridors, ramps and walkways alternate with colour, form and quality of light. The dark corridors are intentionally uninviting to those who do not attend the centre but are familiar to those who do. It is also evident that the ramps become narrow towards the private areas of the building (Figure 4.). As a visitor with no architectural analysis experience but familiar with architectural regimes, one is able to navigate the building using the feelings they experience initiated by the design components of the building.
Figure 4: An analytical representation of the separation of private and public spaces through narrow and dark spaces.
Through analysing Phenomenology as a theory concept, the design components of the Laban Dance Theatre have been interpreted in a way that can be understood by an occupant that may be utilising the space for various purposes. Architectural language may be used to demonstrate meaning through design components but can be hard to decipher. It has been examined how the experience of the building and the feelings that are initiated whilst moving through a space can demonstrate the functions, meaning and ideologies conveyed by the architect. Despite the industrial typology of the building, it has been recognized that the phenomenological design tactic demonstrates the function of the space through its façade design, colour tinted polycarbonate panels, the configuration of the space and the way it connects the performers with the surroundings and visitors. Through analysing façade systems that the Laban Dance Theatre seems to have recreated, one can see how the function may be mistaken for something more industrial. The colour tinted polycarbonate panels are not only used to impact the emotions and experience of an inhabitant, but are used as a navigational system to recognise and differentiate the various studio spaces. The façade design is also utilised to benefit the experience of the performers as they are given the sense that they are performing to a social space whilst also maintaining privacy. Colours, forms and light of the interior are subconsciously recognised by the occupant and also utilised to distinguish private and public spaces. As demonstrated, the use of phenomenology can be incorporated in a design to impact the inhabitants’ experience and behaviour in a building and decipher the hidden meanings of the ideology. Herzog & De Meuron ideologies are demonstrative of a creative and joyful space where freedom and youth is obtained.
R e f e r e n c e s
[1] Abiboo Architecture Quick Tour Through Phenomenological Thinking In Architecture (2015) http://www.abiboo.com
[2] Pallasmaa, Juhani. The Geometry Of Feeling: A Look At The Phenomenology Of Architecture. Skala: Nordic Journal Of Architecture And Art 4, no. June (1986), 22-25.
[3] Pallasmaa, Juhani. The Geometry Of Feeling: A Look At The Phenomenology Of Architecture. Skala: Nordic Journal Of Architecture And Art 4, no. June (1986), 22-25.
[4] Cerbone, David R. Understanding Phenomenology. (Chesham: Routledge. 2006), 1-10.
[5] Cerbone, David R. Understanding Phenomenology. (Chesham: Routledge. 2006), 1-10.
[6] Cerbone, David R. Understanding Phenomenology. (Chesham: Routledge. 2006), 1-10.
[7] Johnson, Paul-Alan. The Theory Of Architecture. (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 1994), 417-421.
[8] Jencks, Charles. The Language Of Post-Modern Architecture. (New York: Rizzoli. 1977), 6.
[9] Johnson, Paul-Alan. The Theory Of Architecture. (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 1994), 417-421.
[10] Johnson, Paul-Alan. The Theory Of Architecture. (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 1994), 417-421.
[11] Johnson, Paul-Alan. The Theory Of Architecture. (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 1994), 417-421
[12] Armstrong, Leslie, and Roger Morgan. Space For Dance: An Architectural Design Guide. (Pub Center Cultural Resources. 1984), 16.
[13] Armstrong, Leslie, and Roger Morgan. Space For Dance: An Architectural Design Guide. (Pub Center Cultural Resources. 1984), 101-105.
[14] Armstrong, Leslie, and Roger Morgan. Space For Dance: An Architectural Design Guide. (Pub Center Cultural Resources. 1984), 15.
[15] Lange, Alexandra. Writing About Architecture: Mastering the Language of Buildings and Cities. (New York, USA: Princeton Architectural Press, 2012), 8-9.
[16] Murray, Scott. Translucent Building Skins: Material Innovation in Modern and Contemporary Architecture. (New York, USA: Routledge, 2013), 56-69.
[17] Murray, Scott. Translucent Building Skins: Material Innovation in Modern and Contemporary Architecture. (New York, USA: Routledge, 2013), 50-56
[18] Murray, Scott. Translucent Building Skins: Material Innovation in Modern and Contemporary Architecture. (New York, USA: Routledge, 2013), 50-56
[19] Murray, Scott. Translucent Building Skins: Material Innovation in Modern and Contemporary Architecture. (New York, USA: Routledge, 2013), 64
[20] Arcspace “Laban Dance Theatre.” (2013) http://www.arcspace.com/features/herzog--de-meuron/laban-dance-centre/
[21] Arcspace “Laban Dance Theatre.” (2013) http://www.arcspace.com/features/herzog--de-meuron/laban-dance-centre/
[22] Arcspace “Laban Dance Theatre.” (2013) http://www.arcspace.com/features/herzog--de-meuron/laban-dance-centre/
[23] Murray, Scott. Translucent Building Skins: Material Innovation in Modern and Contemporary Architecture. (New York, USA: Routledge, 2013), 67
[24] Murray, Scott. Translucent Building Skins: Material Innovation in Modern and Contemporary Architecture. (New York, USA: Routledge, 2013), 69
[25] Murray, Scott. Translucent Building Skins: Material Innovation in Modern and Contemporary Architecture. (New York, USA: Routledge, 2013), 69
[26] Pond, Irving K. The Meaning of Architecture: an essay in constructive criticism. (Boston: Marshal Jones Company, 1918), 23-27
[27] Mikellides, Byron Architecture for People: Explorations in a New Humane Environment. (Michigan: Studio Vista, 1980), 9-14
[28] Pallasmaa, Juhani. “The Geometry Of Feeling: A Look At The Phenomenology Of Architecture.” Skala: Nordic Journal Of Architecture And Art 4, no. June (1986), 22-25.
[29] Pallasmaa, Juhani. “The Geometry Of Feeling: A Look At The Phenomenology Of Architecture.” Skala: Nordic Journal Of Architecture And Art 4, no. June (1986), 22-25.
