ABSTRACT
The role of spatial experiences in shaping our ideas about time is exemplified by the popular idea that the future lies in front of us. Similarly, a “prospect” was originally a purely spatial notion describing a view into the distance. It was not until the sixteenth century that it took on the additional meaning of an anticipated event. During the early twentieth century there was a popular belief among many architects that beauty was essentially the “promise of function.” Few would share such a utilitarian perspective today, but as Anu Besson notes, the phenomenologist Maurice Merleau-Ponty argued that “every environment invites us to take some action.” While the ability to anticipate events has clearly been critical to our success as a species, perhaps less obvious is the fact that positive images of the future are critical to our well-being.
