Book cover of The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses

Book description

First published in 1996, The Eyes of the Skin has become a classic of architectural theory. For every new intake of students studying Pallasmaa s classic text, The Eyes of the Skin provides a totally fresh understanding of architecture and a new set of insights. This third edition is intended…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked The Eyes of the Skin as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Exploring how and why Romans built their houses to impact all bodily senses sits at the heart of my book.

Whilst interest in planning and building for such full body experiences in architecture today has declined, Pallasmaa’s The Eyes of the Skin presents a compelling argument for the importance of understanding the role of the multiple bodily senses in our experience of built spaces around us.

Divided into two main sections, the first of these examines the pre-eminence of sight in the West and its detrimental impact on architectural practise and our built environs.

The second part considers the role…

From Hannah's list on multisensory history.

In my profession and working in a world that is bombarded with high-resolution images it might seem ironic to choose this book. Discovering this title as a student I was struck by the straightforward exploration of the broader sensory ability we all share. Pallasmaa explores the full sensory perception of built space and how relying on the merely visual, particularly at the design stage, robs us of a deeper sensory understanding of the architecture we create and inhabit. This book taught me how to recognise and trust what all my senses tell me rather than assuming I can fully understand…

If you love The Eyes of the Skin...

Ad

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Want books like The Eyes of the Skin?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Eyes of the Skin.

Browse books like The Eyes of the Skin

Book cover of Perfume
Book cover of In Praise of Shadows
Book cover of Eileen Gray: Architect/Designer

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,278

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like The Eyes of the Skin, you might also like...

Book cover of The Bridge: Connecting The Powers of Linear and Circular Thinking

The Bridge by Kim Hudson,

The Bridge provides a compassionate and well researched window into the worlds of linear and circular thinking. A core pattern to the inner workings of these two thinking styles is revealed, and most importantly, insight into how to cross the distance between them. Some fascinating features emerged such as, circular…

Book cover of And Then They Were Gone: Teenagers of Peoples Temple from High School to Jonestown

And Then They Were Gone by Ron Cabral,

Of the 918 Americans who died in the shocking murder-suicides of November 18, 1978, in the tiny South American country of Guyana, a third were under eighteen. More than half were in their twenties or younger.

The authors taught in a small high school in San Francisco where Reverend Jim…

5 book lists we think you will like!