It is the Synopses of the Text A Readings: A Global Sense of Place Learning from Las Vegas The Eye of the Skin: Architecture and Senses

1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (APRIL 2019)
Name: Chai Phey Chiat ID No.: 0334480
Lecturer: Mr. Nicholas Ng Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: A Global Sense of Place Synopsis No: Reader 1 Text A
Author: Doreen Massey
Global sense of place is described through ‘Time-Space Compression’ to identify the rootedness of a place. In this
reading, Massey emphasized on the social relations which connection creates culture that brings the global sense of
place. She argues that a sense of place should be produced through progressive but not reactionary view as places
are not framed by boundaries. Social differentiation or hierarchy creates the ‘power geometry of time-space
compression’ from place to place where the elite hold disproportionate decision power to drive the flow and movements
of a sense of place. This ended up in developing a politics of mobility and access which brings the argument about
‘locality’.
The writer’s opinion on time-space compression mostly argues on multiple identities instead of single, unique identity
as the single identity (locality) is the element that is threatening a place from developing. The extroverted sense of place
is an intersection point formed by the networks of social relations which is strengthen by the movements and
communications among places and this creates multiple identities and a global sense of place. On the other hand,
introverted sense of place locates itself within a boundary that brings the past and denying progressive movement which
is a reactionary respond towards a space.
It is true that time-space compression creates a global sense of place since in the past, colonizer had implanted cultural
aspects to other countries and therefore multiple identities had been formed within a country. Progressive sense of
place can be found everywhere, and time-space compression nullified the need for geography which current social
connection creates a sense of human geographic identity to a place as changes in interactions change the places and
occasions of interactions.
Time-space compression is a progress that creates the uniqueness or rootedness of a place which is not limited by the
geography nor the boundary of a place but the social connection. If reactionary view is used to deal with the sense of a
place, duplicating of place turns to lack of development. Due to cultural sharing in the world, I personally think that there
is no single way to identify a place as a single identity as sense of a place is formed by multiple identities, which is a
combination of the social relations and geography. As a conclusion, a global sense of place is not just about the
rootedness of a place, but it is a process that connects all the people together with different culture to create the culture
of a place, to create a global sense of place and community.
Word Count: 424 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date 29/05/2019 Page No. 1

2. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (APRIL 2019)
Name: Chai Phey Chiat ID No.: 0334480
Lecturer: Mr. Nicholas Ng Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: Learning from Las Vegas Synopsis No: Reader 2 Text A
Author: Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Steven Izenour
The late modernism leads architecture from iconology to symbolism which shows the path of transformation in
architecture from the architects. The invention of its own vernacular, and the significant advertising in Las Vegas lead
to the architects’ judgmental views.
The authors portrayed that modern architects are focusing on ornamental contribution while abandoning iconology as
tradition in architecture. They should have designed architectural form which the program and structures are determined
by logical process, but architecture has become symbolistic in modern architecture in expression of content but not the
spaces that derive the form of the building. Words and symbols became part of the architecture which formed an
architectural persuasion.
Las Vegas is filled with symbols that are used to communicate between community and buildings and are the symbol
of the space. They convey symbolic messages to the community from the far towards urban setting. Signage and
commercial landscape are not boldly served as a symbol but a way finding element that gives direction to the
community.
Neither subtle expression nor bold communication in architecture leads to an argument. Architecture that stands alone
are not able to communicate with people as it might be meaningless without symbolic element and seems disconnected
from the road. Graphic signs become the architecture of the landscape that bridge the communication between
community and the space, it turns to be a connection, a commercial persuasion, but not a pop art.
It is true that architects should firmly believe that architecture should be standing as a clear, bold communication to the
public that forms the spirit of a place. A pure architecture is to speak its own language to community and yet, without
graphical representation that forms a subtle expression, the architecture is neutral.
As a conclusion, symbolism architecture in late modernism is important in communicating itself to the outside world but
it should be done with iconology architecture to make itself to communicate better although symbols form the messages
and the details of the architecture that creates an architecture of persuasion, an architecture that creates an identity of
a space. The amount of the symbolism towards architecture should be adequately done, but not too much, as to achieve
the quality of an architecture, and the spatial quality, that creates an architecture that shows the inside out perfectly to
the public. Architecture is not just about pure structures, but also an art that portrays its message to the people.
Word Count: 402 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date 29/05/2019 Page No. 2

3. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (APRIL 2019)
Name: Chai Phey Chiat ID No.: 0334480
Lecturer: Mr. Nicholas Ng Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the
Senses
Synopsis No: Reader 3 Text A
Author: Juhani Pallasmaa
Senses are essential in experiencing architecture where the main point is the senses that shape the architecture.
Pallasmaa emphasized the visual and other senses to express and experience architecture, so as the philosophers, as
sensory architecture is prioritized in prevailing visual understanding of the art in building, so senses and architecture
should be interrelated.
People often connects the world through only visual sense without relating it to other senses, which this is opposed by
Pallasmaa. It is impossible to have only visual communication from people towards architecture experience, because
architecture requires senses in the body. Architecture and sensory experience fuse into each other to enhance existing
experience and this is true that a building should provide an interaction through multi-sensory experience.
Qualities of space, scale and form are measured by 5-senses: sight, taste, touch, smell, and sound. The philosophers,
and Pallasmaa argue that the eye collaborates with other senses which are regarded as the extension of the sense of
touch. The most important sensory, touch, allows people to experience spatial depth and it connects to architecture. It
is further elaborated that vision reveals what the touch already know. Experiencing space through visual system makes
people a distant observer, so visual system comes after every senses as it cannot determine the value of an object or
a space.
People tends to seek for unique experience through physical structures which is not enough. A work of architecture
infuses both physical and mental structures, as visual system would only experience 2-dimensional graphics but multi-
sensory provides spatial depth and tactile value. Mental sense evokes somebody’s thought, while architecture frames
and focuses their thoughts, which the geometry of thoughts reflect the geometry of the space. It proves that senses
shape the form of a space, which in turn shapes the architecture.
In my opinion, architecture should be shaped with the senses to allow full user experience towards a space. An
architecture without senses is a space without the spirit as users cannot feel anything. It is the life of a space to engage
community to feel it with senses. The relationship between senses and spaces allow architecture to spark for clear
thinking through the senses and body and medium of architecture. Therefore, a space is not just defined as an
architectural space but it is a space with life, with the presence of materials and spirit.
Word Count: 390 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date 29/05/2019 Page No. 3