Experimential montage as a method of representing architecture

The introduction of this thesis starts by the acknowledgement of the dominant role of visual perception in forming architectural representation. As an addition, it states from the beginning that actually, any kind of perception is involved in the experience of space therefore the study remarks that the architectural representation could not be based on only visual perception but a holistic apprehension as described later on. The study mainly indicates that the experience of space consists of the whole of all fragments, gathered through motion, time and sensation. This holistic perception helps produce a representation in a person's mind that is unique. Thus, conventional methods of architectural representation not containing enough information on personal experience may lead the user or examiner to have adoptation issues with the space designed during or after the design process. In this regard, cinematographic representation which uses motion and time would be considered a good value to understand a person's holistic perception of space. For that reason, the thesis examines cinematographic representational methods for a possible improvement to today's architectural representation methods. Methods like montage is analysed as a good reference to a person's fragmental perception of space. Some examples chosen of performative spaces that provide sensorial experience, will help the reader to understand a similar holistic representation created by montage and then will lead to examine heuristic montage as a method. This holistic perception in these examples will hopefully become clear as the thesis tries to explain the traces left in one person's memory of changing perspectives as a consequence of motions in a temporality manner. To be able to achieve that, the information on how cinematographic representation interprets the relation between motion, time and image will be the main structure for this study. This structure consists of five main chapters. In the first chapter, it is revealed that, conventional architectural representation methods may possibly lack sensual and motional perception through time. It is essential in this chapter, to present concepts of "perceived", "apprehended" and "experienced" space as these will be further examined to understand and comment on, how a person's holistic and multilayered apprehension connects and aligns fragments chosen from intantaneous sections. The second chapter studies the relation between representation and holistic perception while the elements of perception; sensation, temporality and motion is extensively elaborated. In the sequel, elements that are precluded in conventional representation methods are further examined by analysing two or three dimensional representation formats, this helps the study to draw a new outline for the representation of space as experienced by a person. In chapter three, the effects of cinematographic representation, that contain temporality and motion, on a person's perception of space are studied. Therefore, the linear or non-linear phrasing of fragments and it's connection to the whole, will be semtinized within Deleuze and Bergson's statements upon motion, time and image. As a result, in this chapter the thesis investigates the possibility to use cinematographical methods for a stronger connection between architectural representation and perception. The third chapter, it is also stated that montage, the main method of cinematography, consists of sequences, and how and in which order the fragments are placed is as important as temporality and motion. Thus, perception of real space is anticipated to be perceived better by such sequencing and this sequencing could be ideated by a person's mind as a heuristic montage. For that matter, the fourth chapter of the thesis studies representational formats which include sensorial perception. These examples are stated to be experienced on a three dimensional level as the aim of the thesis is to demonstrate their involment with holistic perception, unlike conventional methods that could be described as two dimensional. These three dimensional experiences could be real architectural spaces or only representations of another space. This emphasizes the value of sensation in representation and its effect on perception of space. In the last chapter, it is stated as a conclusion that the representation of space could be designed as an intermediary space itself that allows the person to understand how the original space is heard, touched, smelled, and moved inside and perceived in its temporality. Montage as a method and its possibility to provide this desired representation is evaluated furtherly in the conclusion.