A peregrination: through spice

Abstract

In recent years, the field of architecture has witnessed a growing recognition of the significance of embodied sensory experiences in shaping our perception of space. How we interact with our surroundings extends beyond visual perception, encompassing the multisensory engagement with and movement through the environment. This corporeal journey employs the changing qualities of haptic experiences- smell, taste, sound, and bodily orientations. An emerging understanding of architecture as a sensorial medium opens exciting possibilities for exploring how cultural elements, such as food and its associated sensory experiences, can be translated into an embodied architectural journey. South Africa’s rich cultural diversity has fostered the emergence of vibrant communities, each bringing its unique heritage and traditions. Among these communities, Indian South Africans have enriched the country’s cultural fabric through their culinary practices and the use of aromatic spices, tantalizing the senses. The distinct flavours and fragrances found in Indian cuisine are deeply intertwined with personal, familial, and communal histories, forming an integral part of the South African identity. The culture of Indian spice is by no means static. To architecturally articulate this dynamic culture, the dissertation seeks to analogously map the smell-taste journey through different spices as a cinematographic journey through different architectural nodes and experiences. Taking this cinematographic journey will result in not only a visual but an embodied peregrination through the narratives interwoven within the history and culture of spice.