Driven by the senses…

Maria Chatzidourou Open House Athens 2024 · Accessibility and Inclusion
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Encountering this year’s Open House Europe theme, I immediately thought of a specific tour for people with visual impairments, which I photographed on behalf of Open House Athens. It was a very educational experience that taught me observing architecture can have many different approaches that don’t necessarily require sight.

Visitors moved their hands over tactile maps as their bodies navigated through the corridors. They felt the changes between spaces and through touching the tactile models, came up with questions that hadn’t even crossed my mind until then, focusing on the building’s features in a meaningful way.

Through this tour, I realised we don’t always perceive art and architecture using the full extent of our senses.