Interior Architect As a Place-Maker

Nur Ayalp

Interior architecture, as a profession has many dimensions in its intrinsic value. Designing interiors mainly have physical, psychological and cultural dimensions that are all interrelated with each other. In the dimension of physical existence, the interior space shapes the main needs of body posture, human dimensions, and the sight of seeing that are the features of activity types. When human behavior and psychology considered there comes the term place rather than space. As space is the main medium for human habitation, the term ‘place' emerge that involve experience, sense, and meaning. The interior designer (as a place maker) has a responsibility of structuring a bridge between the user and the place. In developing this bridge the culture act as an important filter that affects our initial perception and behavior in the place. All the elements of design such as color, light, texture, material and the furnishing have changed their meaning and valued according to cultural preferences. Each time they gain new meaning for the different user group that makes the design process more complex relations.Moreover, all these interrelated dimensions gain their form and meaning with recent technological innovations. We are facing the fourth industrial revolution. We are facing with the development of artificial intelligence ended up with the concept of machine learning; we can redesign reality; reorganize genetic codes; neuroscience redefines code of brain. As a result, we are dealing with the challenge of facing a dramatic change in our visual culture.

Form this point of view, interior architect deals with the problem of designing places, not only with its physical features but also with its psychological, cultural and technological dimensions. This presentation focuses on the transformation of ‘place-making’ concept with its recent challenges. Are we going to deal with the state of no space and no place?