Factors affecting the perception of photogenic quality in public spaces; Insights from Arcade Independence Square, Colombo

Abstract

Photography having one less dimension than Architecture, is one of the main elements of modern-day public user. With the growth of social media, the influence of media on the daily tasks of the average user has increased exponentially in the last decade. This study analysed the perception of public spaces in this new context of photography and social media, in relation to the photogenic quality of a space. The identification of reasons behind the perception of photogenic quality in public places would help both the designers and the government administration to create better public spaces. The study was executed with reference to three selected spaces of the Arcade Independence Square in Colombo considering 3 user groups ( n=94 ) selected based on their knowledge base namely; architecture, photography and a neutral group from general public adopting an online questionnaire survey. The findings identified visual elements of the space/composition as the significant reason behind the perception of the photogenic quality of a space followed by cultural influence and social media.