Kinesthetic construct of the vertical and the horizontal

Last week's reading of Hildebrand's visual-kinesthetic in sculpture leads us into this week's reading of "The Essence of Architectural Creation" by Schmarsow. By taking a classicist approach (which Frankl also does as well), Schmarsow states that there are 2 preconditions for spatial constructs: 1) the external stimuli and 2) the predisposition to the intuited form [Anschauungsform].

The "external stimuli" is the reason why we have such constructs such as this:



and this:



which are basically the "human need for protection against the hardships of the exernal world" and are thus "only the contingent cause" (p. 286).

It is the "intuited form" derived from our innate desire for symmetry and harmonizing the individual parts to each other as well as to the whole that compels humans to "press toward spatial creation [Raumgestaltung]" (p. 287). Here is part of that word from last week - gestalt. Embodying the "whole".

This is what differentiates the Caribbean huts from what Schmarsow calls "art architecture" or "creatress of space".

This creatress of space, in accordance with the ideal forms of the human intuition of space, begins with the "axial system" of the verticals and horizontals. Thus, it is not just the construct but the ideals of the line that provides the meaning or the essence of space.

It was hardly any coincidence the basilica plan was adopted for early Christian churches. Constantine (as well as his retinue of builders) knew what he was doing when he took a site from the periphery (outside city walls) and made it a central sacred space using the idiom of Rome's imperial and glorious past.



The eye, guided by the kinesthetic vision, is directed toward the apse.

It was only due time before architects managed to unify the horizontal with the vertical in Hagia Sophia to privilege the upward gaze that aligned perfectly with their religious doctrine.



Space will never cease to be static as long as our kinesthetic sensations are transferred to the spatial form.

Julie