Perceptual and Visual Void on the Architectural Form:Transparency and Permeability

Form, space and voids are the basic elements used in architectural design process. In this paper, the concept of void is addressed in relation to the architectural form. Voids in architectural form are classified into two main headings by examining a great number of examples in terms of the effects created on the form: cognitive and functional. Cognitive voids are related to perception and are used to create various visual effects. As the heading indicates, functional voids are created to meet certain needs and desires. We further classified cognitive voids under three sub-headings as conceptual, perceptual/visual, and sculptural/ monumental. Functional voids were also divided into six sub-headings; entrance, corner, balcony/ terrace, gallery/atrium/courtyard, surface, transition/circulation. Our discussion is focussed on perceptual/visual voids, which is classified under the cognitive voids. Perceptual/visual voids can be explained with two sub-concepts: transparency and permeability. Perceptual effects desired to be emphasized with the help of voids are explained by the concept of transparency, while the visual effects are explained by the concept of permeability. Although void is one of the main elements used in architectural forms, it has not been discussed in this context previously. With the selected examples, here we showed that the perceptual/visual voids classified under cognitive voids can be associated with well known architectural concepts, such as transparency and permeability. Moreover, the void classification made in this study may be useful in comprehending of architectural form.