MA-SSA – THE MEANINGFULL EMPTYNESS
The Japanese concept MÀ represents meaningful empty space. This can be about the silence between two bars in a piece of music or that between two spoken sentences in a play. This emptiness is a compositional element that is essential for the experience of the whole.
This principle also applies to the built environment. The space between buildings can, if well designed, significantly contribute to the perception and appreciation of them. By considering MÀ as an essential element of the built environment, MÀ-SSA is created: a meaningful built environment where space and buildings harmoniously come together.
Awareness of this is essential for solving our major task: the intensification of our cities. At the exhibition, we analyzed the MA of some of our buildings. This was recreated in a large installation at the ABC Haarlem. The viewer had the opportunity to move through the installation and experience MA. A book of the same name was published in conjunction with the exhibition.