Aquatecture: water and architecture

Abstract

Water is an element with unique appeal. It has the ability to affect the minds and emotions of people. This appeal not always apparent in the water compositions of today. A fundamental reason for this is that we have lost our respect for water. A respect that can only be regained with a greater understanding of its physical, psychological and symbolic properties. The physical properties that are of primary concern are waters form, scale, texture, sound, colour and its ability to reflect and play with light. Using water in architecture so that its unique appeal is realised requires the stimulation of a positive psychological response. It relies on the presence of three factors: i A sense of cycle. ii The immediacy of water and iii Composition in time. The design should be composed in our time, but should suggest a time beyond our own. With these factors in mind, the architect can utilise water to enhance the spaces he designs. Water can play a role in the organisation of space. It can be a central, linear or radial organising element, or it can be the setting for a space. Water can create illusions that affect the way we perceive space. It can appear to deepen a space, reduce a distance or expand a space. New Zealanders have had a strong association with water in the form of the sea, lakes and rivers. It has been an important part of New Zealand society, commercially, symbolically and for recreation. This historic association and respect for water has not been regularly portrayed with its use in the urban environment or in individual buildings. Easy accessibility to naturally occuring bodies of water in New Zealand contributed to both a complacent attitude and its minimal use in architecture.