Representation of SpatialAtmosphere in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Tabatabaie Ebrahimi, Seyed Ali; Tafazzoli, Zohreh

doi:10.48308/sofeh.2023.232006.1265

Representation of SpatialAtmosphere in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Seyed Ali Tabatabaie Ebrahimi ¹

zohreh Tafazzoli ²

¹ دکتری معماری، گروه معماری، دانشکدۀ معماری و شهرسازی، دانشگاه شهید بهشتی، تهران، ایران

² Assistant Professor, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

10.48308/sofeh.2023.232006.1265

Abstract

Objectives and Background:
This article investigates and introduces the modes through which spatial atmosphere is represented in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Understanding the techniques for staging spatial atmosphere in a narrative can foster the reader’s imagination and deepen their perception of the elements that generate atmospheric qualities. Spatial atmosphere in fiction emerges through the mediation of specific generators within the text, producing an integrated experience between the external environment and the internal states of the characters. Scholars of architecture who explore the relationship between literature and design have shown particular interest in atmosphere, as identifying how diverse atmospheres are constructed in fiction can inform both writers and architects—especially those seeking to create spaces with distinct atmospheric qualities. Hence, examining various strategies for evoking atmosphere in narrative can contribute to the development of architectural design skills.
Materials and Methods:
Relying on the theories of Gernot Böhme, Peter Zumthor, and Alberto Pérez-Gómez, this research introduces aspects of experiencing spatial atmosphere. In the next step, based on these theories and drawing on the work of Klaske Havik and her concept of atmosphere threshold, the study presents atmosphere generators within the text as tools to identify and introduce various methods of representing spatial atmosphere in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Using key concepts from these thinkers and through a descriptive and analytical strategy, the study explores and classifies different modes of atmospheric representation in the story.
Results and Conclusion:
The spatial atmosphere in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is constructed through six distinct modes: 1- Defamiliarisation of place, 2- Environmental influence on character mood, 3- Collective use of space, 4- Mapping and temporal awareness, 5- Technological speculation, and 6- Atmospheric enchantment. For each mode, specific narrative instances are examined, along with their function within the story and their potential contribution to the imaginative development of architects.

Keywords

Spatial atmosphere

Design imagination

Representation

Narrative atmosphere

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Subjects

Architecture

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