Four years ago I was sitting in Blount Auditorium where Weldon was presenting on Byzantine architecture. Up until that point I had found most of the historical world architecture being covered exotic because I hadn’t traveled and experienced other cultures aside from still images and the occasional movie. Once in a while you’ll come across a building that demands your attention. When he put up the slide of the Hagia Sophia and began explaining its significance I lost my concentration on the lecture because my focus shifted entirely to how incredible the quality of light looked.
It never crossed my mind that four years later I would be standing inside of it.
Before our group had left for Istanbul, we were assigned to read Architectural History or Landscape History? by Dell Upton. One of the important points he reminds his readers of is that architecture is not something which should be fragmented and analyzed separately, it needs to be experienced holistically. Architects have a tendency to focus heavily on sight while neglecting the other senses. With that in mind, I want to try and write more about the other experiences that cannot be described through still images.
When you walk up to the entrance of the building you’re facing several sets of monumental doors, the central one being open. Through them you can see the intermediate lobby between you and the main space inside. Unexpectedly, when I first walked in it wasn’t the light that I reacted to first, but the sound: the wind blows through each of its (relatively) small openings and the cumulative volume is noticeable.
I do have video shot inside, however it’s rather large for WordPress (1.29GB) so I won’t post it on here.