Narrative Potentials of Rooms and Spaces: about the different qualities of spaces
„There are many spaces. They overlap, vibrate with each other and are accessible in very different ways.“
(„räumen“ exhibition, weißensee kunsthochschule Berlin, 2025)
The exhibition „räumen“ captures a fascinating concept: space is not static, but dynamic, multilayered, and continuously created through our interaction. The ways we use and perceive (public) spaces is shaped by habits, prescribed, and governed by social norms in various ways.
Throughout the course 'Narrative Potentiale: über das Wesen von Räumen und Orten' (Narrative Potential: On the Nature of Spaces and Places), taught by Simon-Mary Vincent at the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, we explored different qualities of spaces, their acoustic properties, and shed light on the margins and boundaries of spaces.
Marc Augé: About Places and Non-Places
Spaces rarely exist in isolation. A physical environment is constantly layered with social interactions, digital & social networks, and emotional atmospheres. They „vibrate“ together because a change in one dimension instantly shifts the dynamic of the others. We move through architecture, feeling intimidated by high walls or delighted by the openness of a hall. The space surrounds us and takes us in. Not every space is accessible to everyone in the same way. Barriers can be physical (wheelchair access), but it can also be intellectual, cultural, or psychological.
The French anthropologist Marc Augé offers a comprehensive analysis of the different characters and qualities spaces have in his 1995 book, „Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity“ (french original published in 1992). The concept of „Places“ and „Non-Places“ was a groundbreaking analysis, that is used and referred by many scholars concerned with space in different kind of ways until today (Bherer 2023).
Augé used this distinction to describe how late capitalism and globalization have fundamentally altered our everyday spatial environments, transforming our relationship with the world into one of transience and consumerism. Within 'Non-Places' he saw the mark of a ‘super-modernity’, an excessive modernity in which time and space are shortened to the extreme, and individualism reigns. Heterogeneity disappears as capitalism and modernity shape spaces worldwide in a uni-form and moving through the world is now conducted by passing through ‘non-places’, spaces that are the same everywhere in the world, such as airports, car parks and hotels (Bherer 2023). In direct contrast to 'places', which he conceptualised as being relational, historical, and concerned with identity, non-places are designed and intended for the frictionless passage of a nameless and faceless multitude. The paradox of non-places, according to Augé, is that anyone can feel „at home“ in them regardless of their actual background because they are „equally alienating to everyone“ (Augé 1995, cited quoted from Buchanan 2010)
If a place can be defined as relational, historical and concerned with identity, then a space which cannot be defined as relational, or historical, or concerned with identity will be a non-place. Marc Augé, 1995
The hypothesis advanced here is that supermodernity produces non-places. We should add that the same things applied to the non-place are also valid to the place. It never exists in pure form; places reconstitute themselves in it; relations are restored and resumed in it; the performance of everyday life finds its setting within both forms. Non-places may usefully be thought of as machines whose main utility is their ability to substitute for, and to improve upon, human interaction—the automatic turnstile is faster than the conductor, the ATM more convenient than the bank, and the credit card simpler than cash (Buchanan 2010).
When do we enter the sphere of “non-places” ? When there are no people involved in interaction? Or is an S-Bahn car full of ‘smombies’ already a “non-place”?
From Augé's analysis of (non)places, we moved on to Liminal Spaces and the question when the dissolution of places happens and enter the sphere of liminal spaces.
The term „liminality“ (from the Latin word limen, meaning „threshold“), was originally introduced by French ethnographer Arnold van Gennep. The British anthropologist Victor Turner coined the term „liminal spaces“ defining it as a state of being „betwixt and between“ established social positions. Originally, a liminal space was not a physical room, but rather describe transitional identity processes. It describes the threshold of a transition when you have left your old identity behind, but have not yet arrived at your new one. In recent years, the internet culture has picked up on that term and re-contextualized „liminal spaces“ into a distinct visual aesthetic. Today, it refers to empty, abandoned, or transitional physical places that feel eerie, nostalgic, or dreamlike. These spaces feel uncanny because their primary purpose is to be filled with people, and seeing them totally emptied of human life creates a sense of spatial limbo.
Utopia – U·topos? Finding ourselves in Heterotopias (M. Foucault)
In contrast to the dystopic qualities of non-places, the course introduced Michel Foucault's concept of Heterotopias (literally „other places“).
While a utopia is an idealized, imaginary place that does not actually exist, a heterotopia is a real, physical space that exists outside of all other spaces, acting as a sort of counter-site. They are places that simultaneously mirror, distort, contest, or invert the normal spaces of the society that surrounds them.
Both terms, the term „Topos“ (wie Ort) and „Topia“ (wie Dystopie/Utopie) originate from the Ancient Greek word „tópos“ (τόπος), which simply means „place“ or „location“. While „Topos“ is a term for an actual physical space, -topias (used as a suffix in words like utopia or heterotopia) describe spatial and philosophical concepts.
• U-topia: (Greek ou = not / no). A no-place or an impossible, perfect ideal space that does not (yet) exist.
• Hetero-topia: (Greek heteros = other). An other-place. Real spaces that function by entirely different rules and disrupt or mirror the rest of society (like Foucault's museums or prisons).
• Dys-topia: (Greek dys = bad / abnormal). A bad place. The exact opposite of a utopia—a nightmare vision of the future.
• A-topia: (Greek a = un-, without). A place without a place or absolute placelessness. Metaphorically, it is also used for things or people so extraordinary that they cannot be classified nor understood in common societal categories.
How can an U·topos be created? A space to dream and imagine other possible realities
The Nap Institute - Rest is resistance!
A recent book, that challenges one very sentient quality of modernity, it's high-paste grindculture, is Tricia Hersey's „Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto“ (2024).
Hersey builds her argument around the statement that rest is not a privilege or luxury like the dominant culture makes us believe. Rest, she states, is a human right.
“Rest is as natural as breathing and waking up. Rest is part of our nature.”
(Tricia Hersey 2024)
As natural as rest is, the spaces and structures we inhabit force us more and more to (re)act fast, move constantly, adapt drastically to changing conditions. While the time to rest, mostly coined as unproductive time, is time when we potentially lose options to optimize ourselves, may it be skill-wise, body-wise or job-wise. Others become anxious when resting, as their situation is so precarious, money wise, that resting is not permitted in order to not fall off. Acceleration is one of the most prominent motive, to describe the dynamic of the current modernity (Rosa 2005).
In her book, Tricia Hersey, appeals to the readers to lose the shame that we got trained to feel when resting. Stating this shame does not belong to us, as our system appreciates and needs any kind of rest. She encourages the reader to reimagine rest, which is more than taking naps. The emphasis is on doing whatever is restorative and nourishing. The book motivates to integrate rest as an everyday practice, instead of resting only during vacation, as a dedicated momentum to rest.
Not once does Hersey mention self-care. Instead she focusses on community care - which she describes as holistic, reciprocal and inclusive. In contrast to self-care which tends to be more individualistic and can get performative. Community care is where Hersey sees truly transformative potentials (Chaudhari 2025).
Combining the thought of opening up a space where other societal imaginaries can be materialized in a physical room and Tricia Hersey's analysis of collective rest—as the most transformative form to counter modernity—brings up the thought of creating a space for collective rest.
If (hyper)modernity tends to produce more and more spaces that alienate humans from each other, while our lived realities in public spaces enfold progressively dystopic visions of 1980s science fiction, creating spaces that bring people together to cultivate empathy and slowness seems to become a resistant act.
How can spaces be equipped with qualities that offer rest in (semi)public settings and make strangers open up to each other to share topics dealing with everyday life in the polycrisis?
Snoezeling - A Room designed to Rest Together
Snoezelen rooms, conceptually defined as controlled multisensory environments (MSEs), function as a specialized form of spatial therapy designed to facilitate deep rest, emotional regulation, and sensory deceleration. Originally developed for individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions, these spaces deliberately counter the demands of modern hyper-stimulation by offering a dedicated environment for calming the nervous system.
The core approach relies on a soothing yet stimulating atmosphere. These rooms are including various senses simultaneously through the integration of ambient lighting, color gradients, acoustic soundscapes, and calming scents. Crucially, they emphasize tactile and vestibular stimulation, utilizing specialized equipment such as waterbeds, diverse physical surfaces, or textured walls to foster grounding and physical relaxation.
Due to their clinical and therapeutic origins, Snoezelen environments have historically remained accessible primarily within institutional or closed-group arrangements. Developed in the Netherlands in the 1970s, the concept has since been adopted globally; it is particularly widespread in Germany, which hosts more than 1,200 institutional rooms. As part of an inclusive kindergarten group, I had the opportunity to experience this spatial practice on a near-weekly basis. I vividly recall the profound soothing and balancing effect it provided—offering an escape into a sanctuary of ambient music, shifting lights, and comforting waterbeds.
In times of the polycrisis, with depressions and anxieties being increasingly present, expanding the accessibility of these environments offers a valuable opportunity. Reconceptualising these environments and transforming them into (semi) publicly accessible spaces of collective care and shared rest may be meaningful steps towards opening up spaces that support societal resilience.
Building a new snoezelen room for anxiety in times of polycrisis
The idea of reconceptualizing a modern Snoezelen room for anxieties in times of polycrisis is a research interest I have carried with me for quite some time— as a concept that combines rest and sensory joy to build support structures. Unlike the original Snoezelen concept, this space is not intended to fully calm down the user and its nervous system, but to offer a non-private relaxing space for rest, exchange and support in dealing with the effects of the polycrises.
This project is built upon the following core pillars of inspiration:
Multisensory [Learning] Environments are taking an important role in the discourse around new forms of learning and engaging with topics of personal and social-ecological transformations. Sensory immersion allows people to process complex information not just intellectually, but emotionally and physically. It's commonly used in [edu-] escape rooms, immersive exhibitions, museums, and many more.
As an alternative to a typical 'performer-audience-relationship' that one can find in various context, may it be education, concert, art performances or readings, multi-sensory-environments are an invitation for the visitor to explore and participate within the room. In contrast to unidirectional knowledge processes, which direct the attention and information transmitted in a clear way, processes of knowledge exchange are multidirectional and not guided by the 'teacher', but the role as an organizer is rather to shape the framework and hold the space for exchange on a certain topic.
Ambient Focused Listening Bars are a emerging type of bar, that are already well-established in Japan and start to pop up in various places in europe. It's a new form of going out, meeting people in public, which is not focused on drinking alcohol, being loud and funny, but an invitation to meet in a rather calm public space, that offers delicious drinks, tea and cultivate calm and warm encounters. It's kind of a new form of a bar, that reacts on emerging desires for not being loud, energetic and drugged.
Designs for Pluriverse & Polyphonic Design
As an approach to engaging with the collapse of our surrounding ecosystems, it is an important step to sharpen our perspective on the conditions of existence for different lifeforms, distinct from the hegemonic Western idea of life and future through the lens of innovation and productivity. Arturo Escobar (2018) made an important contribution with theorizing the concept of pluriverse, which has part of Latin American social movements for decades. The concept of pluriverse focuses on the co-existence of multiple lifeforms and truths, beside the colonial narrative of growth and development, and claims a right for existence of different (marginalized) lifeforms at the same time.
The concept of polyphonic design stems originally from the musical concept of polyphony-the use of simultaneous, yet independent, melodic lines in a composition. Coming from there, it got transferred from the 20th Century into concepts of contemporary forms of visual arts, sound design and lately also design (Monopol 2024).
Representing the of idea polyphonic design in the snoezelen room, will be applied through the sound layer. Through various contributions mixing field recordings, music, and poetic contributions, the sound will weave a composition of different layers of sound, more-than-human worlds, and spoken word. Multispecies Design will be integrated through the offered drinks (Water-Kefir) and decoration of the space.
Visual Elements leaning towards Hauntology
The visual language of the Snoezelen room (space design/invitation/sharepic) includes different visual elements referencing the discourse around hauntology. Through this, the visual impressions create an expectation for a kind of mystical atmosphere leaning towards otherworldliness, while subtly referencing the Anthropocene. By integrating visual aesthetics inspired by Thai spirit houses San Phra Phum and Polly Pocket houses, the design represents the ghosts of the past, present, and futures that haunt us. This uncanny combination visualizes an invitation into a playful space that is in correspondence with current realities around climate change and the need to process pain through collective spaces. The work of artist Bang Sang-ho precisely illustrates this coexistence of vibrant, Polly-Pocket-esque worlds and multispecies design.
Implementation
PROCESS DESCRIPTION: HOW TO ORGANIZE A SPACE
0) Preparations:
☑ Find a free room to host event >> offline.place, Neukölln, Schillerkiez
>>>>Dates are set: 29./30.November
☑ Find possibilities for funding to pay cultural contribution >> solved via donations and cooperation with local NGO
☑ Design Invitations, invite friends and colleagues in advance
Collaborations need to be formed around:
1) Space Design
Conceptually
- fluffy, bubbly, asmr, blue-purple-yellowish light situation
- listening focused
- magical mystical mood -> ghostly, hauntology -> interspecies encounter - snoezel room kitsch (a bit vaporwave)
- Light Design rather through anologue visuals / microscrope, av video mixer, prisma, overhead projector
Elements:
„Pluszakzcelem“ by polish artist Uchatka: handmade plushies through wich the artist brings varies critters, tentacles, protozoon and plants into the space
„Ball ohne Titel“ von Carla Rösel aus dem FHP Soft Objects Kurs, a bubbly undefined object from another space
tree mushrooms attached to walls, bar and shelfs
Bass Shaker Floor Elements resonating with the sound brought through Artists Paul Mehde and Thomas Brenninger
Analogue visuals brought through visual artists Uchatka with a live overhead visuals and a physical visual interface in a screen brought through visual artist Justus Ehras
waterbed?? was unfortunately too heavy to bring into the space
2) Bar
Conceptually:
- representing the art of hosting
- offer nice drinks, without alcohol (requirement by offline bar)
- beautiful colours
Elements:
Water Kefir infused with different herbs and fruits provided by Louisa
Options for self-made warm bubble tea, or just black or herbal tea
Lentil soup provided by Kim and Becciu
3) Cultural Contributions
Conceptually
Saturday : Ambient - Dreamy Space to play - Nice Drinks - Open all day Sunday: Rather Workshop and exchange oriented space
Time Limitation from Offline until 22:00
Estimated Opening Times Saturday 14:00 - 22:00 & Sunday 16 - 22:00
//Ideas
☑ Ambient, Spoken Word Music ---- Felix and me
☐ Live Audio Journey Annares Urras Express
☐ Ambient Music - Create like a afternoon neighbourhood ambient cafe?
☐ participatory sound collage with contributions of visitors?
☐ ASMR like participatory audio-visual Installation - Sand? Microskope? Camera? Mic/Loop/Whatever?
☐ body related workshop that deals with ghosts and sorrows
☐ crouchet
☐ fermenting
☐ collective reading
☐ Mushroom performance - Multispecies Art (Music) Performance
☐ Poetry Workshop
☐ Writing Letters
>>>> the actual program was the following:
4) Awareness Team
There is only few public snoezelen rooms already existing in europe, so opening up a space with the invitation to rest, laying down, being vulnerable and opening up emotionally, in a (semi) public environments with walk-in-walk-out situations can create challenges.
It's therefor important to create a good line up, communicate opening hours and a visible awareness concept/team to make sure, people joining the space feel safe and stay safe.
Reflexion
The Reaction of the visitors was overwhelmingly positive. New relationships formed after spending the afternoons together in the snoezelen room, connected with the desire to create such a space together again.
Main Feedback: „Warum gibt es solche Orte nicht öfter?“
My network of artists and practioners was essential to stem such a space, due to the point that tasks are very various when organizing a room concept. The Snoezelen Room rather strengthened the Network. Carrying the responsibility and curational work for the whole event as an individual organizer was too much.
It seemed very helpful to have a scheduled program, to give people an orientation what they can expect to happen and when they plan to come. Just the space itself with an idea/concept to share and cocreate anything, wouldn't be enough, as it became evident sunday afternoon.
Money wise was the event relying on voluntary donations of the visitors and received a financial contribution through the NGO that presented their movie. It was enough money to cover the costs, but not enough to give an financial appreciation for the efforts of the cultural contributors. Having an entry fee plus bar could change that situation, as cultural fundings take lots of effort and time to apply for.
Political topics were brought up explicitly through the movie that the local NGO presented and the following discussion. This frame was good and well communicated. After this point, the political elements of the space could be rather characterized through the form of being together: eating together, reading zines, listening to audio books, taking care for the space together.
Although there was no bartender or person distributing the food, people collaborated instantly in taking responsibility for the bar, the dishes and their needs all together. Not serving alcohol kept the space in a relaxed and pleasant, non party oriented atmosphere.
References
Augé, Marc (1995). Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity.
Bherer, Marc-Olivier (2023). Marc Augé, anthropologist of contemporary ‘non-places’, URL: https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/news/marc-auge-anthropologist-of-contemporary-non-places
Buchanan, Ian (2010). Non-Place. In: A Dictionary of Critical Theory (1 ed.). Oxford University Press. URL: https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100237780
Chaudhari, Sampada (2025). Book Review: Rest is Resistance. A landmark book about disrupting capitalism and reimagining our world. URL: https://www.sampadachaudhari.in/articles/rest-is-resistance-a-landmark-book-about-disrupting-capitalism-and-reimagining-our-world/
Escobar, Arturo (2018). Designs for the pluriverse: Radical interdependence, autonomy, and the making of worlds. Duke University Press
Hersey, Tricia (2022). Rest is resistance: A manifesto. Little, Brown Spark.
Monopol Magazin (2024). Polyphones Design - mit Füsun Türetken. In: „Fantasiemuskel“-Podcast #41, URL: https://www.monopol-magazin.de/fantasiemuskel-polyphones-design-mit-fuesun-tueretken
Rosa, Hartmut (2005). Beschleunigung. Die Veränderung der Zeitstrukturen in der Moderne. Suhrkamp.
„räumen“ exhibition, weißensee kunsthochschule Berlin, 2025 URL: https://kh-berlin.de/projekte/projekt-detail/4149
Snoezelen.info - Sensory Rooms and Therapy Explained
