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primordial need for covering. In fact, a room can be defined
without delimiting walls, for example, as a skeleton structure,
solely by its contours, and its elevation defined by a ceiling
panel; in this case, the roofed volume nonetheless appears as
an interior, and the projection of the panel’s contours onto
the floor substitute for its delimitation by walls. The elevation
of the ceiling and of the room adds a third dimension to the
plan. While the plan is responsible primarily for organizing
the > spatial structure, a room’s expressive qualities are deter-
mined mainly by the combination of plan and elevation (and
its variation).
Depending upon the social situation, our > personal
space expands; it is smaller in intimate encounters, and oc-
cupies more space in public settings. In addition to the req-
uisite surface area, the leeway for manoeuvring also requires
an appropriate elevation. This corresponds to the fact that
a low ceiling seems to bring voices and noises closer, while
they seem further away beneath higher ones. Variations in
ceiling height provide a differentiated range of rooms; those
with lower ceilings are better suited to secluded situations,
and taller ones correspond instead to more convivial activi-
ties. Attentive to such considerations, for example, is Adolph
Loos’s > Raumplan. A variation in room heights can also be
achieved by raising the floor level in relation to the ceiling
height, or by the installation of > galleries or platforms.
The atmospheric character of a room is dependent upon
room height. Just as a very low ceiling may convey an impres-
sion of intimacy and security, but also of airless, smothering
constriction, a very high ceiling may suggest spaciousness and
festiveness, but may also evoke feelings of lostness. Associated
with the variegated forms of the ceiling is a rich symbolism,
for example, of the vault of heaven or the firmament, or of a
grove of trees or ship’s hold.
Although the ceiling is generally only noticed incidental-
ly, a distinct shift in ceiling height or the introduction of a spe-
cial form draws the gaze involuntarily upwards. The design of