THE ARCHITECTURAL THRESHOLD: TOWARDS AN ARCHITECTURE OF INTERACTION

Abstract

Disconnection, a problem endemic to the modern era, stemmed out of our excessive reliance on technology like cell phones and the internet. Though meant to connect us to a bigger world, they have rather inadvertently caused us to neglect our immediate context. The result is that we have lost connection to the people and places around us. Architecture which attempts to bring you back to the platform of physical interaction with space and people is the approach to take in order to remedy this situation, bringing people together in a space of mediation and allowing for interaction and exchange of ideas to take place. The approach to making architecture conducive to this purpose is through the idea of architecture which highlights the transition and thresholds, as a means of allowing its users to pause in order to deliberate and explore, emphasizing the journey through enriching spatial experience. The project is designed to understand the varying nature of the threshold space and their potential as spaces of distraction and interaction. Looking at historical precedents to identify and study the different types of threshold spaces that exist within architecture and their ability to create a dialogue between the user and the space. Taking the site of Saidpur due to its nature as a village within close proximity of Islamabad's center creating tension between the city and the village, being the ideal setting for an architecture which aims to encourage physical interaction with space and people.