The architecture of the seven senses

The architecture of our time is an art of the printed image fixed by the hurried eyes of the camera . As building lose their plasticity and their connection with the language and wisdom of the body , they become isolated in the cool and distant realm of vision . Our structure become repulsively flat , sharp edged immaterial and unreal . Natural material expresses its age and history as well as tale of its birth and human use , but the materials of today sheets of glasses , enameled metal and synthetic materials , present their unyielding surface to the eyes without conveying anythings of their materials essence or age . Painting and sculpture have lost their sensuality and instead of intimacy work of art frequently signal a distancing rejection of sensuous curiosity . Architecture of the senses is the five senses were understood to form a system from the highest sense of vision down to the lowest sense , Touch the system of sense was related to the image of the cosmic body .Every touching experience of architecture is multi sensory , qualities of matter space and scale are measured equally by the eyes , ear , nose , skin , tongue , skeleton and muscle , Architecture involves seven realms of sensory experience which interact and infuse each other . The sense do not only mediate information for the judgment of the intellect , they are also a means of sensory thought . Acoustic intimacy , every building or space has its characteristic sound of intimacy or monumentality , rejection or invitation hospitality or hostility . Sight makes us solitary , whereas hearing creates a sense of connection and solidarity . We stroke the edges of the space with our ear , but the contemporary city has lost its echo . Silence , time and solitude , the most essential auditory experience created by architecture is tranquillity . Architecture presents the drama of construction silenced into matter ans space , architecture is the art of petrified silence . Architecture experience silenced all external noise , architecture as all art , makes us aware of our fundamental solitude . Building and cities are instruments and museums of time ,they enable us to see and understand the passing of history . Experiencing a work of art is a private between the work and the viewer that excludes other interactions . Art is made by alone for the alone . Art projects an unattainable idea . Space of scent , the strong memory of a space is often its odor , a particular smell may make us secretly re-enter a space that has been completely erased from the retinal memory , the nostrils project a forgotten image and we are enticed to enter a vivid daydream . Abandoned houses always have the same hollow smell , its because the particular smell is caused by the visual emptiness observed by the eyes . Contemporary images of architecture appear sterile and lifeless as compared to the emotional and associative power . The shapes of touch , the skin reads the texture , weight ,density and temperature of matter . The skin traces space of temperature with unerring precision . We trace the density and texture of the ground through our soles , the sun is healing experience , it makes one part of the eternal cycle of nature , one senses the slow breathing of the earth . There is strong identity between the skin and the sensation of home . The experience of home is essentially and experience of warmth .Great architecture offers shape and surface molded for the pleasurable touch of the eye . The eye is the sense of separation and distance , whereas touch is the sense of nearness , intimacy and affection . images of muscle and bone , primitive man used his body as the dimensioning and proportioning system of his construction . The essence of a tradition is the wisdom of the body stored in the memory . A building is not an end to itself , it frames , articulates , restructures , gives significance and unites . We behold touch , listen and measure the world with our entire bodily existence and the experiential world is organized around the center of the body . Bodily identification , perceptively of necessity of a bodily identification in art , this is what the sculptor must do , he must strive continually to think of and use from in its full spatial completeness . A work of art function as another person , with whom we converse . In a sense the landscape painter must almost look at the landscape as if it were himself , himself as a human being , the landscape thinks through him and he is the consciousness of the landscape . We feel pleasure and protection when the body discovers its resonance in space . The sense of gravity is the essence of all architecture structure and great architecture makes us conscious of gravity and earth . Taste of architecture , vision becomes transferred to taste certain colors as well as delicate . What lies within the darkness one con not distinguish , but the palm senses the gentle movement of the liquid , vapor rises from within forming droplets on the rim and a fragrance carried the vapor brings a delicate anticipation . The task of architecture , the timeless task of architecture is to create embodied existential metaphors that structure man being in the world . Architecture enable us to pace ourselves in the continuum of culture . Our home and domicile are integrated with our self-identity they become part of our own body and begin . Architecture is the art of mediation and reconciliation . I do experience my sense when i inter a religion places such as temple , church or mosque , i experience it by my eyes , ear nose and touch , almost all of my sense . On the other hand , when i go back to my home town i alway have the smell sense , as like i reach home already . some time i try to apply some of it on my design by the eye sense , as putting the nice and slow colors which make the human to feel comfortable , or by touching the materials . there are many things which really can connect the architecture with the our senses , and it's make the design wonderful and interesting to the human being .

monument , testimony and memory

First of all the history of the Jew in Germany and the repercussions of the Holocaust . The museum exhibits the social , political and cultural history of Jews in Berlin from the 4th century to the present The longest road leads to the "Stair of Continuity" and to the Museum itself . The second leads to the "Garden of Exile and Emigration" .The third to the deadend of the "Holocaust Void." . The building measures more than 15,000 square meters. The discussion about a Jewish Museum in Berlin was in process for almost a quarter of a century. The conclusions reached were the ones formulated in a brief for the competition held in 1988-1989 .

From understanding the three basic ideas , i can tell that , the Jewish museum is successful .

The three basic ideas that formed the foundation for the Jewish Museum design are :

First , understanding the history of Berlin without understanding the enormous intellectual, economic and cultural contribution . Second , the necessity to integrate physically and memory of the city of Berlin .Third , the acknowledgement and incorporation of this erasure can the history of Berlin and Europe have a human future. The project is about two lines of thinking, organization and relationship 'Jewish Museum ' .

From what Daniel said about the four aspects of the project , i can strongly agree that , the Jewish museum is successful . The first aspect of the project ,The site is the new-old center of Berlin on Lindenstrasse next to the distinguished Kollegienhaus a connection of relationships between figures of Germans and Jews .The invisible and irrationally connected star which shines with absent light of individual address. The second aspect, the music of in Berlin. Greatest work is the opera called 'Moses and Aaron ' which , for an important structural reason could not be completed due to the logic of the libretto. The cutoff of Act 2 of Moses and Aaron which culminates with the notmusical fulfillment of the word. The third aspect , the names of those persons who were deported from Berlin during the fatal years of the Holocaust.The everpresent dimension of the deported and missing Berliners. The fourth aspect , the project is formed by Walter Benjamin's , it’s continuous sequence of 60 sections along the zigzag. The is Walter Benjamin's urban apocalypse along the One Way Street.

Also there are three underground 'roads' which programmatically have three separate stories. The first and longest road leads to the main stair, to the continuation of Berlin's history, and to the exhibition spaces in the Jewish Museum. The second road leads outdoors to the E.T.A. Hoffman Garden and represents the exile and emigration of Jews from Germany. The third axis leads to the dead end - the Holocaust Void.

To create a new Architecture for a time which would reflect an understanding of history, a new understanding of Museums and a new realization of the relationship between program and architectural space. Therefore this Museum is not only aresponse to a particular program. The example of the Jew museums are :

The Libeskind Building , zig-zag best describes the form of the Jewish Museum's New Building. The architect Daniel Libeskind's design is based on two linear structures which, combined, form the body of the building. The first line is a winding one with several kinks while the second line cuts through the whole building. At the intersections of these lines are empty spaces 'Voids ' which rise vertically from the ground floor of the building up to the roof. Libeskind imagines the continuation of both lines throughout the city of Berlin and beyond .

The Voids , the Voids represent the central structural element of the New Building and the connection to the Old Building. The Museum's Voids refer to 'that which can never be exhibited when it comes to Jewish Berlin history , humanity reduced to ashes.

The Axes , there are three axes symbolizing three realities in the history of German Jews. first and longest of these axes is the 'Axis of Continuity' it connects the Old Building with the main staircase which leads up to the exhibition levels. Second , the 'Axis of Emigration' leads outside to daylight and the Garden of Exile. Third , the 'Axis of the Holocaust' is a dead end . All three of the underground axes intersect, symbolizing the connection between the three realities of Jewish life in Germany.

Libeskind admits a powerful faith in the ability of people to learn both from history and from architecture. In this he eerily echoes the assimilated Jews of the Hitler era. They believed profoundly in German culture and felt proud of their contributions. A building and a city are always present across time and across history, the act of building transforms the culture of a city . I think the Jewish museums are successful , from what u can see and know about the the basic idea , aspect and the tree roads .

The national museum in Malaysia , has the same effect but not as strong as the Jewish museum . From what i saw , the museum represent the traditional Malay building from ' the roof and the materials ' . There is some museums in Malaysia have stronger effect then the national museum , which is Iban museum because the museum represent the Iban people history . The museum structure same as the Iban house which called The long house and the materials effects the structure itself .

There is in the national museum a sculpture for the Hnag touh , who was hero in Malaysia back in the days . But the environment at the museum doesn't show that , there is one of the most important hero in Malaysia . the materials and lighting of the museum is not represent the perfect show . I think the museum structure has a really big effect to represent the heroes as the must represented . by make the museum Old - new structure as a future structure .

Remembering the home

It's all started when i was 6 to 8 years old . My family has moved to the house when i turned 6 years old and they still living there .The apartment is on the mountain , because my country Lebanon consider as mountain country . The house is the last floor of apartment which is 26th floor . As i remember we use to spend our often time at the balcony because of many reason . Firstly , the view from the balcony is amazing , it views the mountain and the building under us . Secondly , the weather up there is really cool and windy which allow us to don't use air condition that much , we use to open all the house windows and enjoy the fresh air . thirdly , the sun light which can enter all my house since the sun rise till the sun set which also allow us don't use light till the night time , so we can save the electric fee . Anyway , from what i remember i use to spend my all time inside the balcony ' playing /have some meals with my family even / some time sleeping inside the balcony ' . I use to Feel the freedom when i stand there . Now days , i'm studying architecture course . So , i notes that i always into an open building which has big opening and which has nice view . Even now in my house here in Malaysia has really nice view and it's on the top floor of the apartment , which really make me comfortable when i open the windows and let the wind and the sun light to enter . I just feel these things are part of who i am . So , that cause my all design assignments have the open space concept which the use of the natural light / wind and view . And i always add at least one of them on my design concept . Now i knew why i'm into this style , it's all goes to my childhood and the house which i grown up in .