Raphael Gillet
“If the architecture is any good, a person who looks and listen will feels its good effects without noticing.”
– Carlos Scarpa
Architecture is about exploiting the space that we, as architects, are given to exploit. Architecture has always been about creating space, but we need to have a better understanding of it to properly exploit it. A well controlled space can be very powerful to its user and create a strong relationship, to create emotions. Spaces can lead to multiples reactions from its user depending on many factors. In this course will be explored the different parameters that can induce a sensitive reaction from its users.
This course had the purpose to explore spaces, to then understand the multiple factors that defines them. Working at first with our the most important factor, our intuitions, the feelings that will emerge will then be developed further understand different parameters, to find answers of why did we feel the way we did, using the principles What – How – Why. This exercise aims at raising more awareness in the way we perceive architecture and to develop our understanding of it. As feeling are felt by every humane, we will experience through the same parkours that we did with people having less understanding about architecture and its parameters.
A visit to the Maria Regina Martyrum memorial church in Berlin, built in 1963 by architects Hans Schädel and Friedrich Eber…
WHAT
INSIGNIFICANT
While exploring the vast space given to us, you feel exposed to the work even sooner as entering the gates, this feeling of monumentality reach to you without even thinking about it, straight high walls, the bells tower, the spaces, the buildings vastness space become unknown, until you lose yourself in the space, feeling small, feeling smaller as you ever were over something of a scale that exceeds you. This work makes mankind feel small, you are the prey discovering the food chain. You feel exposed and your body’s response towards it is to conquer the space, by trying to fill it by your insignificant size in this vastness.
HOW
ENCLOSED
Throughout his building the architect want you to feel small, feel lost, feel alone. The architect writes the spaces as it is not well known for us, wide, enclosed, unused. The high and thick walls keeps us from seeing any horizon, we are in the building, trapped by the mass. The architect demonstrates power performance through large reach, and height, the bell towers, reaches imposing heights, that the giant mass of the church seems to rely on three small walls. These characteristics, makes the space imposing.
WHY
COMMEMORATING
The title “Maria Regina Martyrum” refers to the Virgin Mary as the Queen of Martyrs. The history of this devotion dates back to the Christian tradition that associates Mary with the suffering and passion of her son, Jesus Christ. This devotion emphasizes Mary’s role as a witness and participant in Jesus’s suffering during his crucifixion. The Maria Regina Martyrum Church in Berlin was built to commemorate the victims of National Socialism. Also known as the Church of the Martyrs, in memory of those persecuted and killed during this dark period of German history. It was build after the war between 1952 and 1954, thanks to the initiative of the German bishop Wilhelm Weskamm.
Vast space given to us, exposed to the work, this feeling of monumentality reach to you without even thinking about it, the vastness space become unknown, you loose yourself in the space, feeling small, feeling smaller as you ever were over something of a scale that exeeds you. Makes mankind feel small.
WHAT
APPEAL
Entering the building, having experienced the outside, your curiosity exposes you to a similar, yet very different subject. Vastness is still enboxed, but this time, the connection to the sky is made through light. Up the stairs you feel the need to look up, and then your eyes are instantly attracted to light. By doing so, you progressively get to the point. The most sacred part of the church. Your eyes are attracted to the massive fresque that instinctively induce your body to reach a seat and observe. The monumentality of the space has still reached the inside, the wide concrete walls and the light induces you to look toward the fresque and the scene and losing interest to what is happening behind you.
HOW
PERSPECTIVE
Throughout his building, the architects create a certain appeal towards the inside, curiosity plays a role. After raising yourself in the room, you see light on the walls, this light creates interest, you follow the path of light, that further lighten up the edges of the fresque. The monumental also have a certain appeal, the painting proportions are upscaled to the room, the gigantic space end is attractive to the eye and therefore the body. The three different axis created with the benches guides you through the vastness of the space.
WHY
MARTYRUM
St Regina Martyrum commemorates the killing of 2891 resistants and opponents from the authoritarian regime. The resistants from the prison of Toplensee are then commemorated thought the monumental building. The impressing and powerful architecture is created to not forget the events that have happened in the past. This total artwork of the architects Friedrich Ebert, Hermann Jünemann and Hans Schädel is made to honour the martyrs from this period. The strong orthogonal building is a cult place
that had also the goal to commemorate.
ENTERTAINED
You feel like the ant, wandering around, needing to get to the point. You are now at the cinema, this big wide screen is made for you to be entertained. You are slowly absorbed by the movie and don’t think about what is happening outside anymore.
