Pallasmaa 7 Senses Analysis

Throughout this essay I will be studying the works and theories of Johani Pallasmaa. My main focus will be on his theory of the existential embodied experiences and the use of the seven senses. My aim with this research would mainly be to investigate and fully understand how we as humans experience a certain emotion pertaining to the different senses.my investigations will firstly be done through examining the theory of Palasmaa in some of his own works, then I will be looking at Freedom Park designed by Mashabane Rose Architects in collaboration with GAPP Architects and Urban Designers and MMA Architects. I will be analyzing how the human body was used as a proportioning method and then the important theory on which most emphasis will be placed

This cause the buildings to have an elaborate outer façade but because of the lack of the other senses become 2 dimensionally flat and lose some character. According to Pallasmaa we have to return to the use of a multi-sensory approach. Taking the accent away from vision only but instead use it to enhance the six other senses. We do not only use our senses for receiving of stimuli but also to store the knowledge obtained throughout our daily lives. With reason to the embodied memory a certain and specific emotion will be triggered when one of the 7 senses is aroused. Architecture will have more meaning behind it when the embodied memory and senses are to be incorporated into the design of buildings.

Palasmaa agrues that we are becoming detached from our environment due to a lack of the use of the seven senses. These six senses includes; touch, smell, vision, hearing, taste and existential body movement. In order to incorporate these senses one has to fully understand the human body, and that everything has to be measured equaly with its proportions. Due to the dominance of only the visual sense and the lack of the rest buildings become isolated from its environment. This also cause us as humans to grow detached from nature and the surrounding

We should return to using the human body as the perfect scale, creating architecture that arouse the senses allowing for the beholding individual to embrace his own opinions through the use of their senses and existential experiences.

Throughout my analysis of Freedom Park designed by Mashabane Rose Architects I found that they really embraced the theories of Juhani Pallasmaa. In the next paragraphs I will explain how Pallasmaa’s theories were incorporated into their design. The main concept of Freedom Park was “to provide a pioneering and empowering heritage destination that challenges visitors to reflect upon our past, improve our present and build on our future as a united nation.”

Freedom Park consists of several different sections that each tell a different story. Each section make use of the senses to allow for the individual passing through to experience a specific emotion. Because each individual has a different embodied experience each will experience a different