ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Cognitive Science
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1588729
This article is part of the Research TopicBeauty and the Mind: Cognitive Science of the SublimeView all 5 articles
On the experience of the sublime in architectural atmospheres. A phenomenological inquiry
Provisionally accepted
- University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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The concept of the sublime has inspired numerous philosophical inquiries throughout the evolution of aesthetic thought. This article examines the type of experience referenced by philosophers in their discussions surrounding the concept of the sublime. We thoroughly explore the experiential dimensions by analyzing the sublime from a psychological perspective anchored in phenomenology. More specifically, our research concentrates on the manner in which the sublime is perceived within architectural contexts. Through a phenomenological examination of architectural experiences depicted in esteemed literary works, we propose a comprehensive framework detailing the experiential manifestations of the sublime. Finally, we discuss the philosophical, aesthetic, and psychological implications of the sublime experience, as well as its intricate relationship with atmosphere.
Keywords: Sublime aesthetics, Phenomenological method, Phenomenology of architecture, Phenomenological Psychology, Atmosphere
Received: 06 Mar 2025; Accepted: 29 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kudahl, Roald and Køppe. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Benedikte Kudahl, bku@psy.ku.dk
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