Mood Swings: Architectural Affective Disorder.

What is architectural mood? Is it subjective, or objective? Phenomenological, or conceptual? Consistent, or constantly evolving? John McMorrough, Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan, here considers the theme from four different angles - indicative, imperative, interrogative and subjunctive. He suggests that we are embarking on a 'manic' phase, in which the noise of modern life makes making an impression ever more difficult, but the vocabulary of mood in architecture just might be growing richer as a result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]