LIMINAL SPACES
Research | RCA GDL
Liminal spaces is a research project which looks at transitional moments to consider what in-betweenness means in the context of design. Reflecting on my own experiences and those around me, I noticed how the human body moves through space. Spatial layouts enable us to move, but with that movement comes a search for moments of relief. As I delved deeper , I realised that designed spaces often prohibit or demarcate spaces of rest and waiting, leading people to seek comfort through existing elements in the built environment. This may not always be comfort for the physical body but can extend itself to a visual pause or a moment of material touch. Overall, this research project situates itself to better understand the experience of movement and pauses in order to explore how designers can punctuate spaces.
To respond to my data, I experimented by drawing the map of my sites from memory. This helped me locate an understanding of the pace of my movement. Here, I was able to map out what I felt, a quality which cannot be easily captured through the technical nature of floor plans.
The map above is of my visit to Covent garden. From my memory map it is evident that my perception of the north hall (to the left) is bigger than the south hall, even though both are of the same dimension.