LIGHT AS A SPATIAL AND SEMANTIC FACTOR IN ARCHITECTURE: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH

Abstract

The article presents an interdisciplinary analysis of the phenomenological approach to architecture with a particular emphasis on the light-spatial category as a means of shaping human emotional and sensory experience. Light is considered not only as a physical phenomenon but also as a crucial tool in the creation of architectural space, one that defines its depth and meaning. The aim of the study is to reveal the potential of phenomenology as a method that facilitates the design of spaces capable of evoking both individual and collective experiences. It is emphasized that phenomenology focuses on the bodily and emotional experience of a person within space through the categories of light, shadow, material, and time. The article notes that in the Ukrainian architectural context, this method has long remained on the margins of academic discourse, giving way to more rationalist approaches. The analysis of the works of Tadao Ando, Le Corbusier, and Louis Kahn demonstrates how light structures space, sets the mood, and shapes archetypal images.The article also examines the cultural aspects of using light from antiquity to the Gothic period, where it served as a bearer of symbolic meaning, as well as in the paintings of great masters such as Rembrandt and Titian. Contemporary architecture is returning to the understanding of space as a sensory and emotional experience in which light functions as a key medium of communication. Particular attention is paid to the potential integration of phenomenology with neuroscience to study the impact of lighting scenarios on human beings. In architecture, light plays a dual role: it defines the physical structure of space while simultaneously shaping its emotional and semantic dimension.Thus, the authors justify the importance of an interdisciplinary design approach that considers both artistic and neurophysiological aspects of spatial perception. The application of such an approach opens new perspectives for creating environments that not only meet functional requirements but also enable deep personal interaction with architecture.