The experience of movement in orbital space architecture: A narrative of weightlessness

Figures & data

Figure 1. Movement types in the built space of outer space (Adapted from Ahmadi, 2019).

Figure 2. Leap into the void (Photographed by Harry Shunk) (Source: http://www.yvesklein.com/en/oeuvres/view/643/leap-into-the-void/).

Figure 3. Erect posture in the presence of 1 g gravity as drawn by Da Vinci (a) (Source: Masali et al., 2011). Depicted segmental, torsional, and forward movement of body by dancer Jean Morel in the Synesthesia project (Illustrated by Paul Marlier) (b). Hauplik-Meusburger Subtly illustrates the differences (c) (Source: Hauplik-Meusburger, 2011, p. 19).

Figure 4. Interior views of the Endless House (Photographed by George Barrows) (Source: Springstubb, 2015).

Figure 5. Eight measures of symmetry (a) (Wilson & Chatterjee, 2005). Example of an abstract composition (form) using circular objects (form components) with a dynamic balance implying a downward visual weight (b) (Source: author).

Figure 6. Abstract experience of space inspired by Op art (Illustrated by Dağhan Kirişçi).⁴

Table 1. The table of movement clustering in orbital architecture (the numbering is used throughout the narrative to refer to these categories)

A. Movement of the Explorer (in relation to the built space)	B. Movement of the Perceiver (in relation to the form)	C. Movement regardless of the Inhabitant (in relation to the built form and space)
Circulatory Movement	Mental Movement	C1. Kinetic Formation: This notion accounts for all kinetic parts of the habitat which exhibit observable movement. It is divided to four major kinds of Skin unit system, Retractable element, Revolving form, Biomechanical, and Deployable parts.
A1. Bodily Movement: A proper grammar of movement is defined by a “General State of Tentativeness” with a spatial montage to zone the habitat into indoor and outdoor (difference in lighting, temperature, dimensions etc.) in order to generate “Sense of interiority” (Liddicoat, 2018). Interior built space in microgravity can be considered similar to a tensegrity structure in which occupants and form are considered as struts and cables, respectively. This “Benefit of Exercise” has to be improvised for all three types of bodily movement: Forward, Torsional, and Segmental.	B1. Association: A form resembles something linked back to our memory such as creating a ‘Sense of Home (Earth)’ as well as a personized space: An atmospheric design which associates to earth in all sensory aspects. On the side of the coin, association leads to meaning.
A2. Projected Bodily Movement: Imagined movement of body through space (Hardy, 2011). In the outer space with no gravity, one experiences ‘astral movement’ since the body becomes the movement itself (Marlier, 2017). Therefore, the two ubiquitous circulative types of movement in orbital habitats are ‘imagined bodily movement’, and ‘freefall’.	B2. Perceived Forces: A perceiver distinguishes patterns of movement in form/s such as Dynamism, Visual Forces, Imagined Forces, and Perceived Gravity.	C2. Natural Contributors: Light, Air flow, and Water in the built space.
	B3. Guided Imagery: Uniqueness and contrast (in terms of meaning) with the whole in some parts of the form facilitates guided imagery.	C3. Pictorial Representation: Painting, Sculpture, Frozen Transformation, and Virtual Reality which manifest some sort of represented movement.
Sensory Movement	Visual Movement
A3. Time Passing: Mimicking the pattern of natural light on earth in the built space helps to enhance sleep quality and thus creating an atmosphere. The lighting design of the space can be provisioned as an ever-changing palette of colors and different hues to complement a day-night cycle and to provide visual cues.	B4. Optical Movement: Horizontal, vertical, and free movement of eye across forms and through spaces
A4. Tendency: Any kind of spatial montage which is inviting for the explorer, generates tendency. “Haptic Design”, “Scent-sational Navigation”, and “Sonic Orientation” in a way that both facilitates route navigation, and makes room for a flexible architecture to attract curiosity and contemplation in motor planning.	B5. Marginal Attention: Referred to as ‘experiential edge’ (Bader, 2015), our peripheral attention can be preoccupied by enriched environmental affordances. Fractals, contrast (in color or texture of a small part of the form to maximize focus), and proliferating patterns are proper features of form in this regard.
A5. (Aesthetic) Appraisal: Emotional or affective response to the embedded stimuli.

Figure 7. The clusters of adjectives describing the affective quality of place, adapted from Russel and Pratt (1980) (a). The red dots are the adjectives descriptive of the confined places in microgravity. The only green dot represents the enjoyability of residing in microgravity per se. The modified Affect Grid, adapted from Russel et al. (1989) (b). Red, yellow, white, and green areas represent detrimental, sensitive, neutral, and beneficial scales, respectively, for design in microgravity condition regarding mental health.

Figure 8. “Cosmic dancer”; first sculpture in space (Sculpted by Arthur Woods).

Figure 9. A sequence of movement in Copula module in ISS (Source: NASA, 2016).

Figure 10. Interior (a) and exterior form (b) of Cupola Module (Credit: NASA). The dome of Hagia Sophia (c) (Credit: The Istanbul Insider).

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