A Phenomenological Investigation of the Presencing of Space

Abstract

In this paper the author explores certain fulfilling personal experiences that he describes as the presencing of space, i.e. the way in which an individual’s spatial involvement may put him or her in contact with reality as a whole. These experiences are investigated from a phenomenological perspective, and the differences between them and other similar experiences, such as that of the sublime or topophilia, are highlighted. A neologism is introduced: topoaletheia (from the Greek topos, space understood as region, and aletheia, disclosure) to name a distinctive type of spatial experience. This concept may enrich the discussion about our involvement with space in our built environments.