on sound as a medium
As people we are prone to create a connection with a specific place. We explore and create our own “safe places” where we feel a certain kind of an emotion, but the emotions have to be triggered by something external. Every favoured place has certain aspect to it that sparks our firs connection with it.
Media play an interesting and important part in this process. Whether it's the sound, visual, smell or light of the place, it helps us to connect with the place. But what are the architectures that used these before the era of modern digital media? One I picked is st. Paul's Cathedral as it interacts with the observer in different ways.
First, when you enter the grand big dome of the cathedral you're confronted with your smallness. With high pillars and painted walls high above your head concentrating in one small light spot, you feel the grandiosity and the real dimensions of the building. Cathedral from late 11th century combines elements from Baroque, Neoclassical and Gothic periods. With the specific structure of the interior, even the smallest sound is magnified and echoed inside. This is the second and the most obvious medium playing a big role in this piece of architecture. As sound travels we interact with the space at the very same moment. This gives us an instant reaction that can trigger a connection with the space we're in.
Although the dome itself is huge, with the combination of the sound, structure and light it leaves one-dimensional identity behind. It will always offer us different perspectives on how to interact with it or show us the uniqueness in this particular combination. And although we will never feel cozy in the middle of the dome, the construction doesn't offer a chilly experience without leaving a trace.
