The Psychology of Space – The Circle
The Psychology of Space – The Circle
Last Sunday a good friend of mine gave me a newspaper cutting of an article featured in the Daily Telegraph she’d seen the previous week entitled “The magic of King Arthur’s Round Table”. I read on with fascination as the narrative described why a round table is the best seating arrangement because seating people in a circle means they are less likely to be argumentative. “When people are placed in a circle they feel like they “belong”, but put them in rows and the situation is more likely to bring out individuality. University professors in Canada sat volunteers around different shaped tables and analysed their reactions to advertising. They found that those people seated in a circle or oval were more positive about adverts which conveyed groups such as family or friends.”
“The findings of this study could prove useful for designing rooms such as classrooms, waiting rooms and restaurants.”
This is a regular topic for discussion at Rotunda Living, as we are aware that a circular room brings it’s occupants together like no other indoor environment can.
Just for a little fun, I’ve included a breakdown of the “Psychological effects of Shapes” obtained from an architectural college study for those of you who might also be fascinated by the effect of form in the built environment.
Psychological Effects of Shapes
Circle
Connection, community, wholeness, endurance, movement, safety, perfection
Refers to the feminine: warmth, comfort, sensuality, and love.
Rectangle / Square
Order, logic, containment, security.
Rectangles provide a fourth point, which is mathematically the foundation for 3D objects, suggesting mass, volume, and solids.
Triangle
Energy, power, balance, law, science, religion.
Refers to the Masculine: strength, aggression, and dynamic movement.
Blogpost written by Gemma Roe.
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