| Why does the modern city feel alien? In his seminal book The Eyes of the Skin, Juhani Pallasmaa explains the feeling of alienation and detachment that one experiences in the modern city. He emphasizes that there is a lack of hapticity, or a lack of physical connection that an observer has in post-industrial cities. The media, as well as modern buildings, focus on ocularcentrism to display an immediate image or message, rather than a series of experiences which enrich and connect the user with the architecture. The scope of the thesis will be to explore the realms of neuroscience to be able to explain what this really means: what is our connection with the physical world? By asking this question, I will investigate through neuroscience how the modern city goes against perceptual needs. The influences it has on our well-being are dictated by more than biological imperatives; modern buildings pride themselves in the incorporation of green building technology and design, whether they have state of the art mechanical systems, maximization of sunlight, facilities that recycle waste matter, etc. Although admirable, these are ail technical solutions. Architecture is also dictated by economic and political pressures. With this model, it inevitably follows a top-down pyramid scheme, where the inhabitants are at the bottom. Buildings seem like they stand alone in the horizon, objects that are supposed to display authority and power of the company or owner Their repeated typologies reflect a society that preaches diversity, but in reality, instills sameness. The complexity of the natural world is what is hardwired in us, and if we do not reflect it, our minds will be anesthetized from our environments. |
