Mankind is endowed with a range of senses. These senses combine to influence humans’ perception of the world around them. The role of vision, however, has come to dominate other sense modalities in western culture. The technology that people interact with on a daily basis—cell phone displays, computer screens, televisions—alienates them from their surroundings and one another. Relying solely on the visual format impoverishes the remaining sensory realms, and instantaneous dissemination of imagery detaches people from the realities of time and distance.
Architecture is predominantly designed and critiqued based on a visual syntax. Many designs rely entirely on aesthetic metaphors to communicate their underlying theories, and are experienced, solely through distilled snapshots in printed and digital media. Contemporary architecture’s inclination toward the visual detaches the body from its environment, confounding the role of architecture as the art of mediation and reconciliation between man and his environment.
Architecture cannot be simplified into a purely visual medium; buildings have an inherently sensual nature. The intent of this study is to investigate the reality of architecture, not merely through the traditional inquiry of sight but through the engagement of auditory encounters. This study will catalog and analyze a variety of aural architectural scenarios, and synthesize the analysis into an aural architectural design process. This methodology will be applied to the design of an aural edifice. The resultant project will consist of architectural interventions in the abandoned Cincinnati subway tunnels that manipulate the urban soundscape to emphasize and challenge auditory perception.