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HIERARCHY OF SPACES
FIGURE 25: NURAGIC AND CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM BY ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS (NURAGIC AND CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM, 2006)
Hierarchy is the principle of arranging elements to show their order of importance (Visual Hierarchy) and establishing a relationship between the form and the spaces. The order of significance aids in highlighting the spaces and forming a connection between what the user sees and perceives. When we design spaces, the order of the spaces can be determined according to the movement of the users through various spaces. This order aids in the form development which helps orient the user orient in the structure. The visual hierarchy influences the order in which the human eye perceives what it sees. When the visual hierarchy responds to the design intent, it has a greater impact on the experience of the user. In order to guide the human eye to see spaces and structures in an order, a few techniques such as dominance and complexity of form are used. Complex objects often dominate the surrounding spaces as the human eye spends more time trying to analyze it. This can be seen in a lot of modern buildings designed by Zaha Hadid, Frank O. Gehry, etc. Dominating architectural elements draw attention by breaking the rhythm from the surrounding spaces or structures.
