Oneiric architecture: a filmic exploration of the subjective dream experience

Abstract

The mind’s ability to fill void space with elaborate landscapes and complex structures is truly extraordinary. As humans we have an innate ability to create spaces, sometimes entirely new, sometimes variations of places we know, drawing from elements that we encounter in our conscious lives. This thesis explores this phenomenon of dreaming from an architectural perspective. This research considers the history of dreams as cultural and artistic phenomena and their subsequent representation amongst a vast array of media. Film is identified as the most appropriate medium to represent the temporal qualities of dreams, and as such, is suggested as a potential tool for developing an architectural design strategy. In response to an increasingly objective architectural landscape, the hypothesis suggested herein uses filmic devices to design spaces that mimic aspects of the subjective dream experience. This thesis has culminated in the proposal of a “dreamatorium” development on Bethel Lake in Sudbury, Ontario. The project is a public park that explores oneiric space through a series of pathways and pavilions.