The Royal Academy of Arts’ (RA) in London will soon be transformed into a multi-sensory “architectural maze” with the construction of seven installations by seven world-famous architects for the exhibit, Sensing Space: Architecture Reimagined. Participants, handpicked by curators Kate Goodwin and Drue Heinz, include Alvaro Siza, Eduardo Souto de Moura, Pezo von Ellrichshausen and Kengo Kuma.
Sensing Space’s concept was inspired by a conversation with an architect “etched in [Goodwin’s] mind” that exposed her to the relationship between haptic touch and architecture. Thus, she aspired to create an exhibition that encouraged viewers to experience architecture a new and visceral way.
"We're doing something we never do, which is encourage visitors to touch," said Goodwin.
As described by Wired, “The exhibit is also not designed for the sake of art or play, but aimed squarely at introducing architecture to a new audience or, alternatively, reawakening perspectives in an old audience. [...] The hope is to give laymen and amateur experts alike a new and accessible way to experience architecture in their daily lives, by being reminded of what it was about it we once found so enthralling. As children it was easy to see a curve in the wall as an excellent spot to imagine a cave, or associate the hard cool wood of a stairwell handrail with being home -- it's this sense of possibility and familiarity the exhibit hopes to evoke.”
Sensing Space: Architecture Reimagined's opening reception will take place on January 21, 2014. More information can be found here on Wired.
