Beyond the Frame: Exploring Haptic Space and Movement in Architectural Experience

Overlooking the User Experience

The reliance on static imagery often results in the negation of user experience, which is an essential element in judging the success of architectural design. Experiential qualities—how a space feels, sounds, and responds to movement—are mostly lost when architecture is presented solely through visual means. Lasansky's description of Milstein Hall uncovers how the design invites much collaboration with and engagement by users, hence illustrating that architecture must be perceived as a living entity that allows interaction (Lasansky,2011). It challenges the traditional perception of architecture as an inanimate object and seeks to express buildings' operation with relation to their users.

While static representations of a building have been considered, the idea of haptic space points out the need to consider how a user navigates through and experiences a building. It makes architecture not just an object of viewing but a medium through which people interact with and connect to others. Herein, much emphasis can be placed by architects on the creation of social interaction, creativity, and emotional resonance through the use of movement and engagement with users.

The Emotional Connection to Space

One very significant aspect that gets lost in static representations of architecture is the emotional connect to be felt through bodily interaction with space. Bruno points out how haptic routes elicit emotional responses, movement now becoming a narrative experience (Bruno, 2002). In most static images, this emotional connect is completely lost; therefore, they do not portray a rich tapestry of experiences that define architectural spaces.

The relation between architecture and emotional response can be further explored through the lens of contemporary cityscapes. Take, for example, New York City's High Line, an elevated park built on a former railway line. The walk through the High Line engages the senses: scents from different plant life and changing vistas coupled with interactions with other people moving through it. Still images of the High Line can show off its design and aesthetic appeal, but it cannot capture the dynamic experience of moving through the space, the sounds of the city below, or the serendipity of coming across art installations along the path.

We have the same linkage between movement and emotion with the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain. The organic forms and open spaces make it easy to invite exploration and discovery. A visitor experiences this museum as a space, which deviates from merely being an art collection into one that inspires emotional bonding through movement. The static pictures of the Guggenheim may show its iconic shape, but they cannot reveal the transformative aspect of walking through its halls and rooms.

The Importance of Design for Movement

Understanding the role of movement in architecture cultivates a new type of design principle around user experience. Once the attribute of movement is considered an integral part of the architecture, architects can then achieve a haptic space that encourages users to explore and interact with them. For example, even public space design—parks, plazas, and streetscapes—can also determine how people navigate through and interact with their environment. More specifically, a well-designed public square encourages social interaction, while a poorly designed one may inhibit movement and engagement.

Lasanky criticizes the OMA’s Milstein Hall for not designing for movement: 'Spaces must allow for interaction and collaboration among the users' (Lasansky, 2011).

It is in this regard that architects' design focuses on user experience, creating environments that respond to the needs of their inhabitants, thus fostering a sense of community and emotional connection.

Furthermore, Borden's research on skateboarding culture showed how informal movements through city spaces can make challenge to the conventional architectural narrative and, hence, suggested that architecture should adapt to accommodate diverse modes of interaction (Borden, 2001). Such a view encourages architects to think about how different sets of users are interacting with each other over space, resulting in inclusive and adaptive designs.

Expanding the Narrative: New Architectural Examples

Besides the cases discussed, there are hundreds of contemporary architectural projects that reflect the principles of haptic design and user engagement. The way in which architecture generates feelings by motion can clearly be recognized in the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, by Antoni Gaudí. The play of light, space, and form creates a sensory experience that engages visitors on multiple levels. Walking through the basilica means moving into an ever-changing atmosphere, where light breaks through the stained glasses and reveals the detailed complexity of the structure. This experience is dynamic and cannot be caught in static images; it really emphasizes the role of movement in getting to understand a building's very essence.
Another good example is the Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi, where, through design, it encompasses a dramatic LED grid shell, creating a visual drama that also invites movement and exploration. Various elevated pathways with diverse views over the hotel and surrounding landscape are made available for visitors to walk through. The space is experienced through moving within it; this fosters interaction and builds up a better understanding of the architectural intent behind the design.

The Haptic Nature of the Heydar Aliyev Center

The Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan, by Zaha Hadid, may be regarded as one outstanding example of this concept-what is usually referred to as haptic architecture-engaging a number of senses and focusing on motion, touching, and interacting with the structure. In fact, it will be an outstanding example of how architecture can transcend static representation into a dynamic lived experience.

The core of the design in the Heydar Aliyev Center speaks to fluidity and continuity. Organic rises of undulating curves from the landscape seem to seamlessly merge into the structure itself. This smooth transition really blurs the line between interior and exterior, inviting the visitor to explore the building as an integrated whole, rather than separate parts.

Engagement through Movement

The sweeping curves guide visitors along natural pathways, encouraging them to move fluidly around and through the building. The building does not have any sharp angles or rigid delineations; the journey is uninterrupted and intuitive, effortless.

The surfaces almost invite touch: polished and smooth, they reflect light at changing intensities throughout the day, creating a dynamic interaction between the structure and its surroundings. In this respect, the building is physically ascended or descended by visitors as the external plaza becomes the roof structure. The design encourages exploration whereby the building itself is a playground of discovery.  

Interactivity and Connection

Heydar Aliyev Center is not just a passive space, but rather an engaging one in itself for visitors. The form carves out pockets of open and enclosed space-for social interaction, relaxation, or personal reflection. For example, the interior contains exhibition spaces and cultural programming that can engage visitors with art and culture in a setting that feels immersive. The galleries are designed with open layouts and flowing forms, echoing the exterior of the building to create an enhanced visitor experience. 

How the Curves Reflect Dynamism

The wavy design of this building epitomizes motion, as if the building flows constantly. Unlike static geometries used in conventional buildings, the Heydar Aliyev Center even evokes a sense of motion from a distance. It is the curvature of the structure that reflects the flow of energy and continuity, rejects rigidity, and suggests a building that would bend and adjust to and evolve with its surroundings.

Light is used effectively to enhance this dynamism. The smooth reflecting surface of the façade generates changing patterns of light and shade as the sun moves across the sky, producing the impression of a living building.

User Interaction with the Building

People visit the Heydar Aliyev Center as a journey. The flowing pathways take them on a tour through a series of engaging spaces in different ways. Walking along the curving facade, one can feel the textures of the materials underfoot and see the interplay of light and shadow. Inside, the absence of corners and sharp edges ensures that the movement feels uninterrupted and organic.

Most interactive is the outdoor plaza, extending into the building's structure: it invites people to congregate, sit, and play, offering an insight into how civic life combines with architectonic form. The design thus extends an invitation to experience the building not just as a structure but as an evolving environment.

Haptic Design Philosophy

The philosophy of design for Hadid is the fluidity of human experience. She aimed to design places that would involve both the body and the mind by letting users experience architecture on a sensory level. The Heydar Aliyev Center is just one example, as it focuses on people's physical and emotional interaction with the building. The curves are not aesthetic in purpose but functional-they guide movement, invite touching, and connect emotionally.

Conclusion

The static image of buildings as mere images wickedly undermines our understanding of architecture as a dynamic and lived experience. Haptic engagement, use experience, and emotional connection are some of the key dimensions that static images leave out. In this sense, by focusing on mobility and interaction, architects can design spaces that better resonate with users at a deeper level and cultivate a sense of community and engagement. The works of Giuliana Bruno, D. Medina Lasansky, and Iain Borden, along with the practical examples contained within architectural projects, all serve to underscore the necessity for reconsideration in the way we represent and understand architecture in the contemporary landscape. Continuing an investigation into the relationship between movement and architecture, one must consider buildings as not just objects to be looked at but rather as environments to be experienced.

Image prompt - An immersive architectural scene highlighting a modern building designed to evoke movement, social interaction, and sensory engagement. The architecture features flowing lines, soft lighting, and open spaces that encourage people to explore and connect. The design emphasizes haptic interaction and multi-sensory experiences, with curved pathways and areas for casual gatherings. People are moving through the space, interacting with each other, evoking the sense that architecture is more than a static structure—it’s an environment to experience."

References

  • Borden, Iain. “Another Pavement, Another Beach: Skateboarding and the Performative Critique of Architecture.” In The Unknown City. Contesting Architecture and Social Space, edited by Iain Borden, Joe Kerr, Jane Rendell, and Alicia Pivaro, Cambridge: MIT Press, 2001.

  • Bruno, Giuliana. “Haptic Routes: View Painting and Garden Narratives.” In Atlas of Emotion. Journeys in Art, Architecture and Film, New York: Verso, 2002.

  • Lasansky, D. Medina. “Sensationalizing OMA’s Milstein Hall at Cornell University.” The Senses & Society 9, no. 1 (2011): 99-107.

  • Lodge, Chris. Free Runner in OMA’s Casa de la Musica. Vimeo. Accessed October 25, 2024. http://vimeo.com/75328510#.

  • “Parkour Architectural | Villa Savoye HD.” YouTube. Accessed October 25, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFIQbjR4RmM.

  • Schumacher, Patrik. Zaha Hadid Architects: Complete Works 1979–Today. Taschen, 2020.

  • https://www.archdaily.com/448774/heydar-aliyev-center-zaha-hadid-architects