The essence of entrance: a discussion on the entrance in architecture

Abstract

Entrance as an experience can be characterised as consisting of two basic qualities, movement and change. When entrance occurs in architecture these qualities manifest themselves in the physical patterns of the environment, which create the entrance. Two of these patterns are primary patterns - always present in the architectural entrance. The first, 'Here and There', can be thought of as setting goals or targets in the entrance, while the second, 'Transition', is concerned with the experience of moving through the environment. The impact that an entrance has is dependant on the way these patterns interact and work together to create the conditions for movement and change. Sometimes, wonderful entrances are created, in which the patterns come together so well and so naturally that the experience transcends the architecture to become, an event.