How can the structures we live with affect our minds?
472 words | About 3 minutes
Architecture is widely recognized within many fields, from geography to law, as something which can influence and regulate our behavior. The effects of architecture are most deeply investigated in sociology as either having symbolic meaning or through affecting people’s actions and behavior. A 2004 literature review by Mallett relates many of these aspects of the self which architecture can affect to critical psychological processes. The designs of houses, for instance, can hugely affect the social dynamics therein with relation to the psychological states of comfort, relaxation and security.
One notable example of the psychological effects of architecture can be seen in the redevelopment of the Norwegian National Opera House. In 2000, a relatively small architecture firm, Snøhetta, won a commission to redesign the national opera house in Oslo. The company places a huge importance on the psychological impacts of public space, and this ethos can be clearly seen in this building. One of the founders of the firm relates their work to that of a sheepdog herding guests at a party without them noticing: their architecture is intended to guide people through and around it, without them knowing they’re being guided.
The opera house as seen from the Oslo bay
The opera house itself has several interesting features which are reflective of Snøhetta’s ideals. The firm decided to openly display the employees who carry out work for the opera: costume-makers, set designers and more. These workers inhabit a four-storey “Factory” at the back of the opera house, where visitors can watch as they carry out their jobs. On the exterior, the architects constructed a shallow sloping roof which comes up from the Oslo harbor, with walkways and open space on top for visitors. Here, live feeds of opera performances are often projected in front of the building, for anyone to see from the roof of the opera house. The building is also open nearly 24/7: a result of Snøhetta’s interest in “keyless” public spaces which are always open.
The Oslo opera house is a shining example of the effects that architecture can have on psychology: these defining features have had significant results on the behavior of both tourists and residents of the area. Exposing the opera’s work spaces has improved ticket sales, as the opera-goers can clearly see where their money is going. As well as a financial effect, the opera house has improved social factors. The building is situated on an old industrial site, reclaiming a large area of space which was previously essentially useless to the public. The new building has established itself as a prominent social space, which is incredibly useful in an age where “third spaces” are rapidly disappearing. In a way, Snøhetta have achieved their goal of “herding” the opera house’s visitors, as the building has created a sense of relaxation with measurable psychological effects for everyone involved, without the public necessarily knowing they’re being affected.
