This paper contributes to a deepening of the knowledge about how
architectural experience can be described in neuro-phenomenological terms,
through the development of a cognitive-phenomenological approach to
examining architectural experience through text-based analysis. It aims to
develop an assessment tool to produce knowledge about one?s personal
experience and perception of the built environment by exploring the impact
of its spatial properties on an individual, taking as a case study Le
Corbusier?s experience of the Kasbah of Algiers. The results demonstrate
that this city has the power to stir emotional engagement that arises from:
a high cognitive-affective reaction towards the dynamic interactions between
the curved contours of its streets; the harmony of its colours; the
magnitude and vastness generated by its panoramic views towards the sea; its
proportions in relation to the dimensions of the human body in different
postures; the contrasts of the height, light, dimensions and ambiances; and
the spatial navigation that favours the act of walking to discover the
Kasbah and unveil its mysteries. These properties exist as complex networks
of interconnected physical and atmospheric elements, and they involve
integrated perception under the influence of previous knowledge, beliefs and
aspirations to shape Le Corbusier?s architectural experience of the Kasbah.
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