BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE

THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303

SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (August 2017)

Name: Benjamin Tan Zi Hern ID No.: 0324857

Lecturer: Mr. Prince Favis Isip Tutorial Time: 10-11
Reader/Text Title: Space, Place, Memory and Synopsis No: 3
Imagination Author: Juhani Pallasmaa
In the second half of Juhani Pallasmaas Space, Place, Memory and Imagination,
the author emphasized on human body and memory. Pallasmaa argues human body are
in a constant exchange with our setting. This argument contrast with the community
sentiment when the author further stated that remembering is not only a mental event, but
it involves the act of embodiment and projection which engages our entire body.

One of the most agreeable point in this article stat that through Pallasmaas view,
architecture is a slow and quiet, emotionally a low-energy art form in comparison with the
dramatic arts. In the text, the author also argues that architecture establish frames of
perception and horizons of understanding which are needed to provide the ground and
projection screen of remembrance and emotion. The next point which also created a
resonance in my mind is Pallasmaas argument on the loss of respectful dialogue with the
past, both distant and immediate in modern architecture which leads to architectural
amnesia. Pallasmaas used the examples that human constructions of technological age
have forgotten verticality altogether, has ring the alarm in me to notice todays skyscraper
are either out of geographical and historical context, or lack of space to elaborate on the
theme of historicity.

Pallasmaa intentionally emphasize on how modernity has suffered from architectural

amnesia and bereft of identity when constructions are designed without the consideration
of the past. In modern metropolitan life, where people are keener to the future and tend to
overlook the past, architecture leans toward the direction to create structure and no longer
the exchange of experience. I believe a balance between addressing the future and
collaborate the past has to be achieve in order to create the form of art which can survive
time and stimulate the future generations.

Word Count: 296 Mark Grade

Assessed by: Date Page No.