Observing Shadows

By Li-Han Hong

The shadow has a strong presence in painting, photography, sculpture and literature. However its role seem neglected in architecture, where its actual presence is the most palpable. Shade and shadow are among the strongest characterizations of any building; even when we are far enough away not to be able to touch a building, its shadow creeps out and touches us, both physically and emotionally. The interaction between our body and shadows is part of our visual and spatial experience, although we rarely consider its potential uses. As it is with all solid “bodies,” the shadow is the fluid “double” of architecture.

My thesis attempts to classify the roles and uses of the shadow in a variety of examples drawn from visual art, literature and architecture, culminating in a brief analysis of Le Corbusier’s Monastery of La Tourette (1953-60). My categories, some of which inform different constructions of identity, include the silhouette, the memory device, the double, the illusion or dream, and the “dark half.” By showing the diverse quality of shadows available to us, I hope to enrich our understanding of the architectural object and its effects.