Architecture Department
College of Engineering / University of
Sulaimani
The Eye of the Skin
Architecture and the Senses
By
Shaista Muhammed Raouf
Supervisor
Dr. Wrya Sabir Abdullah
The Eyes of the Skin
Juhani Pallasmaa's seminal work, "The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the
Senses," delves into the importance of the tactile sense in our experience and
understanding of the world. Pallasmaa argues for a multi-sensory approach in
architecture, one that fuses our image of self with our experience of the world,
transcending mere visual fabrication and fantasy.
He emphasizes the role of architecture in articulating the experiences of being in-
the-world, thereby strengthening our sense of reality and self. This book
challenges the dominance of vision in architectural theory and practice,
advocating for a more balanced sensory experience that includes the often-
suppressed modality of touch.
Architecture and the Senses
Multi-Sensory Integration Embodied Experience
Architecture that enhances life addresses An architectural work is not just a visual
all senses simultaneously, integrating our experience but an integrated material,
self-image with our worldly experience, embodied, and spiritual essence, offering
creating a sense of complete embodiment shapes and surfaces molded for the touch
and spirituality. of the eye and other senses.
Existential Engagement
Both the artist and craftsman engage directly with their bodies and existential experiences, rather
than focusing on an external, objectified problem.
The Role of Touch in Perception
1 Skin's Perception 2 Architectural Interaction
Our skin is capable of distinguishing Architecture must engage the tactile
colors, suggesting that we do indeed sense to create a conceptual bridge
'see' through our skin, challenging the between the dominant sense of vision
visual dominance in sensory perception. and the suppressed sense of touch.
3 Embodied Creativity
Creative work necessitates a bodily and mental identification, where the maker's entire
constitution becomes the site of the work.
Technology and Design
Computer Imaging Haptic Contact Imagination and Embodiment
Computer imaging tends to Drawing by hand and model- In our imagination, we hold the
flatten our multi-sensory making put the designer into object in our hand and inside our
imagination, turning the design haptic contact with the object, head, with the physical image
process into a passive visual fostering a deeper connection modeled by our bodies, inside
manipulation. with the creative work. and outside the object at the
same time.
Vision and Knowledge
Historical Precedence
In Western culture, sight has been regarded as the noblest of the senses, with
knowledge and certainty often equated with vision and visibility.
Philosophical Ocular Metaphors
Philosophical writings are replete with ocular metaphors, to the extent that
knowledge has become analogous to clear vision and light as the metaphor for truth.
Technological Separation
Our technological culture has further separated the senses, privileging vision and
hearing over the more 'private' senses of smell, taste, and touch.
Ocularcentrism in Architecture
Architectural Art Form Primarily visual
Modernist Idiom Intellectual and visual focus
Impact on Popular Taste Limited penetration due to sensory imbalance
The dominance of vision in architecture, often referred to as ocularcentrism, has led to a neglect of
the body and other senses, resulting in a sense of alienation and detachment in contemporary
settings.
Challenging Ocularcentrism
Visual Dominance Reclaiming Touch Sound and Space
The hegemony of vision in our There is a growing recognition of Sound also plays a critical role in
culture has been critiqued for its the importance of touch and the our spatial experience, and its
tendency to dominate and control, other 'private' senses in creating a integration into architectural
leading to a reevaluation of the more humane and engaging design can lead to richer, more
role of other senses. architecture. immersive environments.
By challenging the ocularcentric paradigm, we can strive for a more balanced sensory experience in architecture,
one that respects and integrates all senses, fostering a deeper connection with our environments.
Thank you
