Is Design Emotional as well as Aesthetic?

I was reading the September 12-18 issue of the South Florida Business Journal’s article about the renovations of several local restaurants, when I read this quote by Chris Mitchell, Principal and Design Director at Gensler Miami: “Design decisions are psychological as well as aesthetic.  Being transported emotionally by space and food is key.” As you know, I have an architecture and interior design practice in the Boston, MA area (and also in South Florida), where I have focused some of our research and consulting on improving the design decision-making process for better project outcomes, so Mr. Mitchell had my attention with the words “design decisions.”

Being transported emotionally by space and food makes me think of one of my favorite Korean television shows, “Bon Appetit, your Majesty.”  In the final episode of a cooking competition in ancient Joseon (Joseon vs. Ming cooks) where discussions of smell versus taste, and technique versus heart/memory are both engaging and enlightening. One of the reasons that I love both modern and ancient K -Dramas is because they usually have pivotal as well as ordinary scenes of people eating together. When was the last time that you were emotionally transported by food?

Now let’s think about whether you were ever transported emotionally by a space or a building or a monument? I can think of a few public monuments that took my breath away, not just by the object, but by the meaning of the place.  An example would be the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, where so many of our relatives came to this country with nothing but hope for a better, safer future.

Another emotional experience for me was in Rome, at the Colosseum, and at the Pantheon where the combination of the spaces themselves with their history were mind-blowing. (Note to famed light artist James Turrell: Your amazing and powerful installation at Mass MOCA was not the first oculus to wow me.)

There are so many spaces in the natural/wild parts of our world that evoke both aesthetic and emotional responses. Picture yourself at the top of a mountain, in the middle of a formal garden with a wild meadow beyond, or at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Do these references help you imagine how everyday spaces like restaurants, theaters, and even nursing homes might also touch our emotions and our aesthetic sensibilities?

Please respond with one or two of the spaces that you think fit the challenge of being able to touch both your head and your heart!