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Argument › No. 18/2026

City as Atmosphere. “UN.seen Iasi” photography workshops

https://doi.org/10.54508/Argument.18.14

  • / Faculty of Architecture “G. M. Cantacuzino” Iaşi, RO

Abstract

Over time, the urban environment serves as a living laboratory within architecture education, fundamentally shaping students’ understanding and visions. Drawing on the concept of “atmosphere” as the most impactful architectural quality, this paper posits that direct engagement with psychical space is essential in architecture learning. 

Well-known contemporary theorists and architects advocate for prioritizing experiential factors, underlying the role of the city in cultivating a nuanced understanding of place and time. The current paper explores how such emphasis in architectural curricula can profoundly shape the architectural thinking of students, transforming the city into a dynamic sketchbook for perception and space design.

The workshops “Un.seen Iasi. The City as Atmosphere” presented in this review, vividly exemplify this learning approach by immersing students in the lesser-known urban environment of Iași. Through guided tours, hands-on workshops, and photography, students are trained to actively perceive, analyze, and creatively interpret the unique ambiance of the city. In this context, photography is used as a critical, didactical, and analytical tool to observe and translate urban experiences into powerful visual narratives, capable of shaping public perception on the forgotten patrimony of Iasi.

Keywords

atmosphere, architecture photography, experiential and participative learning, architecture education, lesser-known heritage

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