PERCEPTION OF SPACE IN MOTION : MASS RAPID TRANSIT ARCHITECTURE

Abstract

The need for increasingly more efficient Mass Rapid Transit stations has created a demand for designs that not only to provide the required ease of movement and functional practicality, but also to accommodate the perceptual experience of the users. The modern Mass Rapid Transit stations involve complex human transactions: At stations, users experience a change in the mode of travel and the transition in the speed of travel. Being able to serve as the mediators between different scales of motion and methods of transportation, the stations play the crucial role in addressing the human perception of space in motion. The purpose of this study is to broaden the understanding of perception of space under different motional conditions. In the assessment of considering motion as an aspect of architectural design, an investigation of spatial characteristics and visual factors is undertaken in this study to look into the user’s perceptual experience in the railway environment. The study emphasizes on the rhythmic and textural features of the spatial characteristics, together with the directional and orientative visual factors that satisfy the sequential visual experience under various motional conditions. Through the examination of various spatial characteristics and visual factors, this study attempts to illustrate the possibility of creating a more experiential environment where the human perception of space in motion could be adopted as a design criterion. Consequently, the study aims to demonstrate the need for greater awareness in this area of design provision and to heighten design sensitivities in the Mass Rapid Transit station design and planning process.