Halloween Blog - Scary Architecture Design
How Spaces Can Make Us Feel Fear
Architecture, like art, can make us feel all sorts of emotions, it can inspire and excite people or bring calm, and even happiness. But it can also make us feel fear. At Axis Architecture, we explore how certain design choices can create spooky or unsettling spaces. Whether it’s for creative purposes or by accident, architecture can sometimes leave us feeling uneasy to the extent of feeling fear.
How Space Can Create Fear
To start, the way a building is designed can affect how we feel. Size has a great impact on feelings; for instance, a huge, tall building might make us feel small; on the other hand a cramped, tight space can make us feel trapped. Architects can use these tricks to create a sense of fear. Interior Designers have the same capacity to condition our feelings with their specification choices. For example, high ceilings and cold materials like concrete can make a room feel intimidating, lost and uncomfortable; while smaller, dark spaces can feel claustrophobic.
The ‘Uncanny’ in Architecture
Sometimes, spaces can seem normal but still feel strange, even though nothing is out of place at first glance. This feeling, known as the “uncanny,” happens when something looks familiar but isn’t quite right. To clarify, imagine walking into a house that looks normal but has weirdly angled walls or rooms that don’t quite make sense. This type of design can make us feel uneasy and out of place, like we’re in a space that shouldn’t exist.
Light and Shadows for a Spooky Mood
Light and shadows are fundamental design tools. Any designer will use these tools to shape the space the want to create. Furthermore, lighting is a big part of creating a mood in architecture and interior design. Dim lighting and strong shadows can make a space feel cosy, but with the right colour scheme it can transform into a mysterious or even scary space. Architecturally, Gothic or old, brutalist buildings often use shadows to hide parts of the building, leaving us wondering what’s in the dark. At Axis, we understand how to use light carefully to balance atmosphere and comfort, depending on the project.
Materials That Create Unease
The materials used in buildings can also affect how we feel. Dark, cold, hard surfaces like concrete or metal can make a place feel lifeless, clinical or even a bit frightening. On the other hand, warm materials like wood can make a space feel cozy and welcoming. In scary architecture, these cold materials are used on purpose to create a sense of discomfort.
Maze-Like Layouts: Getting Lost on Purpose
Buildings with confusing, maze-like designs can make people feel anxious or afraid. Twisting hallways, dead-ends, and paths that don’t lead anywhere can make us feel lost and unsure. While this wouldn’t work in a home or office, it’s great for haunted houses or art installations where the goal is to make people feel unsettled. Hollywood uses these tricks on traditional Halloween movies, like Haunted Mansion, Vivarium or Monster house or many others.
Modern Examples of Scary Architecture
Today, scary design elements are often used in places like haunted attractions, museums, or art exhibits. These spaces invite people to explore their fears in a controlled, safe environment.
Architects like Daniel Libeskind, use these examples to create all sorts of emotions. To be mentioned is Berlin’s Jewish Museum, where sizes, tilted lines, materials and shadows, shape each space to create a feeling of isolation, fear, oppression and being cast-out.
Conclusion
While fear can be a fun design tool, it’s important not to overdo it in spaces like homes or offices, where comfort and safety are the top priorities, however there is no harm in decorating for Halloween, creating spooky spaces with the clever use of dark fabrics, strong up-lights pointed to corners, leaving the rest of the room in the darkness.
