Touching the Surface

Application of “Nahsicht” theory of Alois Riegls in Architecture Composition

Abstract

This research starts from questioning the visual dominance of modern architecture, referring to Alois Riegl’s (Late Rome Art Industry) notion of discussing aesthetics of proximity (Nahsicht), and discussing the possible relationship between visual-tactility and design parameters in architecture. By learning from tactility evolution in the visual art of antiquity from ancient Egypt to Rome times and modern expression, the research concludes the basic character and appearance of visual-tactility and relative design parameters from three aspects, including materiality, touchable scale, and space unreadability through authentic experience and. And in the final reflections on this visual-tactility research, the limitation of rational and formalized design methodology and the necessity of a sensitive perception of the phenomena of architecture is discussed at the end of the paper.