Atmosphere
1 the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet
• the air in any particular place
• (abbr.: atm) Physics a unit of pressure equal to mean atmospheric pressure at sea level, 101,325 pascals.
2 the pervading tone or mood of a place, situation, or work of art.
• a pleasurable and interesting or exciting mood
Atmosphere (the pervading tone or mood of a place, situation, or work of art)
is important to me - it affects me.
When I walk into a space I feel the space before I see it.
Atmosphere is so important to me, that I don't want to be in spaces that don't provoke my interest. I'd argue that most people feel similarly, whether we admit it aloud or realize it... we are affected by the spaces we inhabit.
To create atmosphere, we must first study it. I believe the best way to do this, is to visit many different spaces (any type...gardens, museums, natural landscapes, restaurants) and ask yourself how these spaces make you feel. Do you like the space? Why? Are there visual elements that remind you of other spaces? What are those visual elements? Are there familiar sounds in the space? Or a familiar negative sound or perhaps lack of auditory pressure? When we think about how we feel in spaces, we begin to develop and acquire an 'atmospheric' language that is useful in creating spaces that nurture us, make us feel good or just plain want to inhabit them.
I like the feeling of walking through narrow passages that end in more open areas, that feeling of a surprise at the end of a tunnel. In my garden, I've used plants that grow large spaced along side pathways, that 'close' or 'compress' passages leading to areas in the garden that are 'open' and feel more vast.
I encourage you to explore spaces and places that you find appealing and ask yourself why?
