Permeable boundaries: exploring the architecture of the psyche in cinematic spaces through collage

Encounters with interior spaces are influenced by past experiences and state of mind. Much of how architecture is experienced therefore is not readily apparent and is sensed rather than seen. Psyche impacts this experience of lived space, from an individual’s awareness of themselves within it, to the perception of space itself. Film offers a distinctive representation of this subjective experience through its narrative form and command of visual, audio and temporal language. The emotive and visceral power of film render it an accessible and immersive medium, and as such make it uniquely placed to communicate less tangible qualities of space and character.<br/><br/>This thesis analyses the use of interior space in three notable examples of contemporary motion pictures, Fight Club (David Fincher, 1999), Mr. Robot (Sam Esmail, 2015-2019) and Joker (Todd Phillips, 2019). The acutely intimate discernment of each protagonist’s interior environment is the result of varying forms of psychological disruption, where boundaries break down between the real and imaginary, and the surreal intrudes upon the tangible depiction of the interior. To unpick this spatial representation I have deployed collage as an exploratory, visual methodology to analyse and experiment with, to potentially reveal the less perceivable, yet invasive intangible layers of lived space.<br/><br/>This research uniquely addresses the frequent oversight of psychological qualities of the interior in architectural discourse. To this end I propose an analytical and experimental method rendering the psychological content of space visible. Defining this intangible nature of architecture as the psychosphere (or the psychological atmosphere), I term this technique ‘psychospheric collage method’ of analysis. The process consists of interrogating expressive film language and content through an architectural lens documented through sketching, storyboarding and textual enquiry. From these fragmented components I compose a new visual language capable of signifying the layered psychological atmosphere in which a character resides, thus facilitating its consideration within architectural design and enabling articulation of our intimate encounter with the interior.<br/><i><br/>Thesis embargoed until 31 July 2027</i>.<br/>

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Doctor of Philosophy

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral Thesis

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Queen's University Belfast

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Brady, Cliona

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Kacmaz Erk, Gul
• Turner, Niek

• Architecture
• film
• psychology
• interior
• intangible qualities
• collage
• disruption
• lived space

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

oai:pure.qub.ac.uk/portal:studenttheses/81f5168f-7d1e-4231-ba82-6cf5d59f73d1

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:pure.qub.ac.uk/portal:studenttheses/81f5168f-7d1e-4231-ba82-6cf5d59f73d1