Yanzhi Yang is a PhD researcher with professor Caroline Voet at the KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture where she works on the research project Thresholds of Poetics in Architecture. A Research on Architectural Transitions through Spatial Analysis and Phenomenology
Her research explores the multifaceted role of thresholds in architecture. Traditionally viewed as mere physical barriers, thresholds are reinterpreted in this research as pivotal “intermediary” elements that mediate spatial, psychological, and sensorial transitions. This research also situates thresholds within the context of contemporary architectural theories, examining how these insights integrate and reinterpret these transitional spaces. It aims to dissect the nuanced ways in which thresholds influence human experience, evoke poetic atmosphere in order to unveil the interactions within architectural spaces. Based on case study research that compares European and Chinese cases through writing and drawing, the research will trace back the concept of threshold in the architectural field and place it in a contemporary theoretical spectrum. It also integrates phenomenology to understand the essence of human poetic experiences in threshold spaces with the ways of embodied cognition to explore bodily perception, as well as cultural psychology to analyze the cultural connotations and social significances of these spaces on macro level. The synergy of these frameworks allows for a comprehensive understanding of thresholds, highlighting their potential to enhance the aesthetic and functional aspects of an architecture in transformation.