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| dc.contributor.author | Mackett, Collin | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-04-30T18:24:04Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-04-30T18:24:04Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-04-30 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10429/2556 | |
| dc.description | Today’s society is so used to the world’s simplistic designs which fill our environments, that people do not question their understanding of reality. Architecture and the physical environment provide an opportunity to design spaces that please the audience while engaging them within. In what regards can architecture be a way for viewers to question what they see to break the everyday norm? This thesis focused on illusions within architecture and the experiential questioning of the physical world. Using architectural illusions, viewers have an opportunity to consider the design differently than they normally would. This can ensure that people do not fall into the familiarity of the everyday structured world and encourage a more open mindset. Throughout history, there have been several examples where architectural illusions have been used to create jaw-dropping atmospheres for users and the audience. Whether more subtly done in works such as the Greek Parthenon and Baroque church Sant 'Ignazio Loyola in Rome, or in a more obvious manner such as the famous Ames Room, illusions create a questioning of what is truly designed and constructed. Illusions and the understanding of visual perception date back to Ancient Greece with mathematician Euclid. He is considered the father of optics as he stated in his book, The Optics of Euclid that "lines drawn directly from the eye pass through space of great extent...things upon which the vision falls are seen and things upon which the vision does not fall are not seen" (Euclid 357). This, explains that there is no magic to how the eye and mind perceive images, it is simply the science of perspective. Visual perception and the use of perspective were a way for architects to trick the viewers and make them believe something that is not real. Ancient theaters such as the Teatro Olimpico create false depth of field and perspective. Several churches across Europe have ceiling panoramas which make viewers unable to understand the true height of the space. While architects and artists pushed the understanding of visual perception in their works, it was not until the 1900s that they saw advancements toward the understanding of optical illusions. Specific studies on optics and illusions began through the 19th and 20th centuries as newer technologies helped better understand the subject. Scientists such as Peter Roget, Richard Zollner, and Herman von Helmholtz are just a few of those who helped begin more in-depth studies into the mechanics of optical illusions and how they impact the human eye. In today’s architectural world, perspective is still utilized as a design strategy, yet is not one that is prioritized to create similar atmospheres such as the historic structures. An article by Paraskevi Panteliadou, introduces the concept of optical illusions in architecture and their role in influencing how people perceive and experience spaces. She mentions that there are three general types of illusions that are seen through architecture: Specific Points of View, Viewer’s Motion, and Independent Mechanisms. Depending on the space designed, the architectural environment and movement of the viewers would determine which category it falls into. A recent study done by Greig Dickson, Daria Burtan, Shelley James, and David Phillip, combined optical illusions and the physical environment by creating a walking experience across four different illusions. The study concluded that walking on floors with high-contrast patterns, including the visual illusions in the study, can affect people’s walking experience. Physical precedents of where modern-day architecture utilizes optical illusions and visual perception are discussed in Illusions in Design: New Trends in Architecture and Interiors. The book categorizes works into subthemes of illusion such as Camouflage, Matter, Outside/In, and Repose and Silence. Several works by architects and artists are also used as precedents through this thesis such as work by George Rousse, Peter Kogler, and Kurt Wenner. This thesis intended to address three research questions regarding architecture’s use of illusions. The first question looks at how the use of illusions in architecture can create more engaging and social environments for people. Architectural illusions should be utilized to capture reactions and involvement from the audience in some way as they have for all of history. Instead of having spaces that are unappealing or lack interest, is it possible for the use of illusions to assist people in engaging with their surroundings? The second question discusses how illusions in architecture can produce radical changes in environments regarding the atmosphere of interior spaces. With the use of illusions in physical spaces, it can become possible to transform the tone of the space rather than a monotonous atmosphere. The third research question addresses how illusions can push the limit of understanding visual perception through design and architectural principles. This is in hopes of encouraging the advancement and use of optical illusions in architecture for future designs. Based on the findings throughout this thesis, the use of illusions in architecture can transform the environment to create a more interactive experience for users. People have become so accustomed to the simple world that they cannot appreciate design which questions our reality. It is seen that the mindset of the world has been simplified to a degree in which the spaces which people interact with do not challenge our visual perception. Architecture has the ability to convince people of their surroundings based on the design yet prioritizes ones that are easy to perceive as a design that follows the function. With the understanding of how much more interactive a design can be with optical illusions; the physical environment can transform to more than just an uninvolved space. Overall, this thesis used mixed methodology to support the concepts. Primarily, creating installations is one method that was a direct way to understand people’s engagement with illusions in the physical environment. Varying the focus of what each installation is based around allows distinct aspects to be explored and created. The purpose of the installations was to display how illusions can be utilized in everyday spaces to question viewers in ways they are not familiar with. Other methods following the installations were surveys and observation. Surveying and observing how people feel towards the illusions also gave feedback on the thesis’s concepts in a larger sense. Receiving different responses and seeing people’s interactions with the installations demonstrate that the idea of illusions in architecture is beneficial. Looking at precedents and other artworks done by artists and architects also helped aid in the understanding of how illusions in architecture are used around the world in different environments. It was worth comparing these works to know the techniques involved as well as the outcomes. Within this thesis, it can be argued that architecture is not needed to question viewers’ environments; and that architectural environments can and should be well designed to suit users’ needs and wants rather than ones that challenge their visual perception. The thesis encouraged the use of optical illusions in architecture, yet some may believe that certain spaces are designed to engage people already and other spaces have no need to question viewers' reality. Although there may be architectural designs that highlight people’s visual perception to satisfy the eye, other designs may disregard any knowledge of it and create instances where the eyes are deceived intentionally or unintentionally. Although the stance of illusions in architecture can be thought to be beneficial towards people’s interactions with their environments, there are some limitations throughout this thesis. While creating the different installations, the period of creation can have a large impact on the ideology. Due to this thesis being a yearlong study, it is worth noting that the installations needed to be thought out, designed, and created in a time-efficient manner to create multiple throughout the study. Other limitations regarding the installations are the constructability as well as spatial aspects. The effectiveness of each could be greater with a more professional take on the installations such as some of the precedents studied. It can be assumed that with more attention to the construction both financially and technically, the installations could better showcase the ideas. Also, the audience in which these methods were put was primarily staff and students at the School of Architecture and Community Development at the University of Detroit Mercy. The mindset and understanding of visual perception based on architecture may have influenced the interactions towards illusions as architects are often forced to think creatively. By attempting to present a new perspective to the staff and students, it was and always will be a challenge to change someone’s view on certain topics. While some may be open to the concepts discussed within this thesis, others may see it as too subjective and one that does not fit properly in the world of architecture. Overall, this study was valuable for architecture to break away from everyday design that people are growing familiar with. The discipline of design allows people to have thoughts and emotions about what they see and experience, yet illusions can manipulate what they see to create different understandings of what is seen. It is important for people to ask questions about what they see to create environments that highlight their perception. Everyone has been deceived to believe something whether 2D or 3D, and the entertainment of that questioning is what should continue within people’s everyday lives to keep an open mindset towards their surroundings. It is an unfortunate analysis of how simple society’s minds have become to everyday orthogonal spaces which takes away from the experience. | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | Architecture and the physical environment allow an endless opportunity to manipulate viewer’s visual perception to make them question what they see. Throughout history, optical illusions have been used within architecture to create awe-inspiring spaces and faux realities. From Ancient Greece to the Baroque Era, buildings had illusive visuals as a way of tricking the viewer into having various interpretations of the space. As the world’s understanding of illusions advance, and so does the potential of future designs. This thesis looks to answer if techniques of illusion can create more engaging and social environments for people. The primary aim of this investigation is to emphasize the use of optical illusions within architecture as a way of ensuring people feel engaged. Several examples of architecture in today’s world can be defined as unappealing, simple, or boring, as designers have not continuously considered the visual perception of their audience. Various methods have been used to gain a better understanding of optical illusions and visual perception in the built environment. Creating physical installations focusing on different aspects of experience, precedent studies of contemporary and historical buildings as well as artists and designers, and reading varying articles have all benefitted this thesis. Most of the methods produced lead to similar findings. The majority of the studies showcased how illusions within the physical environment can create a more positive experience for those who engage with them. Although this thesis is a very broad topic of understanding, its importance highlights why the use of illusions in architecture should be implemented more. While contemporary architecture pushes new understandings of possible designs; the consideration and knowledge of visual perception are essential for a world of immersion. | en_US |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | en_US |
| dc.subject | Illusions | en_US |
| dc.subject | Perception | en_US |
| dc.subject | Visual Perception | en_US |
| dc.subject | Installations | en_US |
| dc.subject | Reality | en_US |
| dc.title | More Than Architecture | en_US |
| dc.title.alternative | A Visual Questioning of Reality | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
