LISTENING: THE PERCEPTION OF SPACE THROUGH SOUND

Abstract

This dissertation is a multidisciplinary approach to architectural phenomenology, specifically on the sense of hearing. It brings together philosophy, music and architecture to inform us of a new way of perceiving space through music, with philosophy as an underlying concept to understand the cognitive processes. The paper seeks to understand how sound affects the way we perceive and experience space, and what spatialities can we discover from breaking down this sensorial phenomenon. I explore the auditory perception of space through studying the structure and perception of music that has inherent spatial qualities. Definitions of space and auditory space will be introduced, before delving into the concept of existentialism, or consciousness in space as affected by sound. Studies on psychology, phenomenology and ecological perception in relation to sound will be examined to understand the cognitive processes behind perception. The patterns of sound and motifs in music will then be examined in relation to the perception of auditory space. Two music case studies are used to examine what has been discussed about perception and auditory space. The case studies show that such a relationship exists between space, music and consciousness, and that other spatialities beyond the physical exists when observed from the perspective of music and philosophy.