Introduction
Have you ever walked down a long, empty corridor with lights buzzing overhead and felt a slight sense of unease, as if you were not meant to be there? Or perhaps followed a ‘staff-only’ route in a busy restaurant to reach a back-of-house toilet, noticing how odd and disconnected it felt?
These moments capture the essence of liminal spaces, where you feel like you are neither fully here nor there.
Despite often being overlooked and viewed as merely functional they can be quite important to the overall atmosphere of a place. These in between spaces are crucial in shaping how people move, feel, and fully experience the buildings we design.
In this post, we explore what ‘liminal’ means and where this concept comes from. We also take a closer look at how liminality relates specifically to architecture and physical spaces. Towards the end, we share some practical suggestions to help you reimagine and design these spaces, so they work better for everyone who uses them. This not just includes the public, but also the people who work tirelessly, behind the scenes in the upkeep of the buildings we design. Continue reading to learn more.
What does Liminal mean?
The word ‘liminal’ comes from the Latin root word ‘limen’ which translates to ‘threshold.’ In architecture, a threshold is a familiar concept referring to an element that establishes where one space ends and another begins, within a building.
Architectural thresholds are often recognised as physical details like door sills, steps, or strips in the floor. But they can also be more subtle, revealed through changes in lighting, ceiling height, or materials that quietly signal to users that they have entered a new space. These transitions influence how people sense and experience a building. For example, a corridor connecting two rooms feels different from the rooms themselves. Similarly, the back-of-house path you take to reach a toilet has its own spatial character, distinct from both the bustling dining area you just left and the private space you are about to enter.
The idea of liminality, however, goes far beyond physical transitions. It describes anything that exists between two defined states, a point of transition that never fully belongs to either side. Liminality can be physical or metaphorical, representing places, moments, or experiences where boundaries blur and certainty fades. Put simply, liminal means being ‘in-between.’ It is like existing in a grey area rather than embodying something that is absolute. An example is a ‘maybe’ instead of a definite yes or no.
Liminal experiences can be found in all aspects of life and take many different forms. Some are easily overlooked while others feel impossible to ignore.
In physical spaces, liminality often appears in places designed for movement, like corridors, tunnels, or train platforms, where people pass through without staying. But liminality can also be felt when familiar places are encountered outside their usual context. Entering an empty classroom during an open evening at your school can feel strange without the usual chatter of students. An art gallery between exhibitions sits quietly, caught between emptiness and use. Being the last one in an office building late at night can feel quietly tense without the hum of conversations and clattering keyboards. City streets on Christmas Day can feel eerily still, as if time has paused.
Even an everyday object like a cup of tea left on a table, sits between being enjoyed and being forgotten.
Liminality also appears in transformative periods of life, like adolescence, when someone is not quite a child and not yet an adult. It can even encompass the bittersweet, emotional mix of excitement and sadness on the last day of school.
These types of experiences often carry a feeling of anticipation, as if nothing and everything could happen all at once. Liminal moments are often associated with mystery, unease, and the feeling of being suspended between what was and what comes next.
Even the architectural design process is full of liminal moments. The first client meeting, where expectations are shaped but nothing is made certain, sits on the threshold between possibility and commitment. Designs that exist only on paper hover between conception and construction. And even a finished building stays in a liminal state until people finally inhabit it and bring it to life.
The Origins of Liminality
The concept of liminality was first introduced in anthropology by Arnold van Gennep (1873-1957), a French ethnographer and folklorist, through his 1909 book Les Rites de Passage (The Rites of Passage).
In the book, he described how many cultures mark important life changes like birth, marriage, and death with ceremonies or rituals known as rites of passage. While these rites differed around the world, he observed that their purpose of helping people move from one stage of life to another was universal.
He presented that all rites of passage follow three main phases, namely:
- Séparation (preliminary or separation from old state)
- Marges or marge (literal translation: margin, representing liminality or transition period)
- Agrégation (post-liminality or incorporation into new state)
He introduced the concept by describing the middle stage in rituals, which he called marge (margin). In this stage, participants were no longer in their old state but not yet accepted into the new one. Van Gennep viewed this transitional phase as temporary, as it existed between the more stable periods of social life. He characterised it as a time marked by ambiguity, potential, and transformation.
The specific term liminality was later introduced and popularised by British cultural anthropologist Victor Turner (1920-1983), who studied rites of passage in Zambia among the Ndembu people and more broadly across cultures. He explored how the liminal phase dissolves social roles and creates a sense of unity he called communitas.
Turner also developed influential theories of symbols, ritual, and performance that are closely tied to liminality, describing individuals in this phase as being ‘betwixt and between.’ His work on African rites of passage, including The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure (1969), has helped establish liminality as a key concept in understanding social and cultural change.
Beyond anthropology, the idea of liminality also appears in fields like psychology, neuroscience, and physiology. In these disciplines, it often refers to thresholds which are points at which a stimulus shifts from being imperceptible to being noticeable. This could be the softest sound you can hear, the faintest touch you can feel, or the dimmest light you can detect.
What is Liminal Space?
While liminality can describe many kinds of transitions in life this post focuses specifically on physical liminal spaces within architecture. These can be understood in two main ways.
First, the literal, spatial definition. Liminal spaces are physical areas existing in between two other places. They are designed to connect spaces and often act as thresholds, marking a transition from one to the other. Liminal spaces are also known as transitional spaces because of their functional purpose. Think of corridors, staircases, roads, bridges, tunnels, waiting areas, service routes, train stations, and airports as examples. These exist to facilitate movement.
Sometimes people treat these spaces as temporary destinations, like when meeting at a train station or gathering in a lobby. But even in these instances, the goal is to eventually go someplace else. This shows that these spaces fundamentally remain transitional.
Lingering in liminal spaces which are meant for transition is what may cause the uneasiness. This discomfort can surface because they are meant for people in transit not necessarily for prolonged stays. That being said, there are ways to minimise this effect, and we will explore them in another section of this post.
Second, the psychological and perceptual layer. This goes beyond simple function and describes how liminal spaces make us feel. Some liminal places, through the way they are designed can just feel off and uninviting. For example, a dimly lit corridor or empty hotel lobby.
Spaces with no windows, where you are not able to tell the time of day, can specially create a sense of distortion. You might feel as though you are stuck and unable to keep track of time. They also have this quality of seeming as though they could be anywhere in the world. Such places can feel almost inescapable or otherworldly, as if they exist in a whole different dimension. In addition to this, they can heighten your awareness of being alone.
Liminal space can also describe familiar places that appear strange when encountered outside their usual context. These environments often seem suspended in time and purpose, evoking nostalgia, or a sense that something is amiss. A deserted shopping centre might seem frozen in an undefined state, caught between what it was and what it will become.
This connects to the concept of the uncanny which was first explored in psychology by German psychiatrist Ernst Jentsch (1867-1919) in his 1906 essay Zur Psychologie des Unheimlichen (On the Psychology of the Uncanny). He described the uncanny as not knowing whether something is alive or inanimate. Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) expanded on this in his 1919 essay Das Unheimliche (The Uncanny). He argued that the uncanny happens when something familiar suddenly feels strange or frightening, often because it brings back repressed memories or childhood fears. He gave examples of doubles, repeated events, and lifelike figures that blur the line between what is real and imagined.
Other examples of liminal places are:
- Hotel or Hospital corridors
- A car park without cars
- Empty city streets at dawn
- Train platforms late at night
- Abandoned structures like factories, forts, or ruins
- Post-disaster areas
Sometimes, the two ideas overlap. An airport is always a liminal space in the functional sense, but it can also feel strangely empty and surreal if silent in the middle of the night. Or if you stumble upon a quiet spot.
Common features of liminal spaces include:
- A sense of in-betweenness
- Emptiness or lack of human presence
- Familiar spaces appearing unfamiliar
- Subtle eeriness or uncanny atmosphere
- A feeling of time standing still
- Ambiguous function
- Repetition of architectural elements
- Isolation from the outside cues like daylight and views
- Quietness or mechanical sounds
- Scale that feels out of proportion
It is important to note that liminal spaces don’t always have all these qualities at once. A space might be liminal simply because it connects places, or because it feels suspended in time or sometimes both.
Why do Liminal Spaces Matter in Architecture?
Liminal spaces matter deeply because they shape how people move through, experience, and feel within buildings. While they are often overlooked as mere circulation or leftover zones, these spaces can profoundly influence our emotional connection to a place.
Spaces like corridors, back-of-house routes, waiting areas, and service zones are frequently given minimal attention as the main functions as prioritised from the outset even in space planning diagrams. This sometimes ends up as long, dim, or oppressive passages. But these liminal spaces are heavily used by staff, service workers, and visitors moving through unfamiliar buildings.
Liminal spaces also have a powerful impact on emotions and perception. An empty corridor might feel eerie, while a waiting area might create either restlessness or calm. Small design decisions like adding natural light, choosing warmer materials, ensuring clear sightlines, or even introducing greenery can dramatically transform how these spaces feel.
Beyond facilitating movement, liminal spaces can affect how people feel and behave. Theories like phenomenology in architecture and research in environmental psychology, show that architectural design influences our emotions and perceptions. Poorly designed transitional areas may contribute to feelings of unease or loneliness, while thoughtful design can make even brief passage through these spaces feel welcoming and supportive.
It is also critical to consider all building users, not just the public. Service workers, cleaning staff, and building maintenance crews deserve routes and spaces that are efficient and safe rather than hidden or neglected.
This idea even extends to architectural visualisation. Renderings populated with people and entourage convey life and movement, while empty scenes can exude a distinctly liminal feeling. Unless that is what you wish to convey, as is the case in some exploratory architecture university projects.
Good design recognises that every part of a building, including liminal spaces, contribute to the user experience and deserves thoughtful consideration.
Related Ideas
Several concepts in architecture, theory, and culture overlap with the idea of liminal space.
Supermodernity and Non-places
Supermodernity is a term coined by philosopher Marc Augé. It describes the conditions of contemporary life shaped by excess mobility, information overload, and rapid urban development. This produces vast ‘non-places’ that people traverse through. These spaces often feel liminal because despite being highly functional they lack a sense of place. They exist purely for transit and feel anonymous and disconnected.
Junkspace
Architect Rem Koolhaas’s concept of ‘Junkspace’ also relates to liminality. He coined the term in his 2001 essay, titled the same, to critique modern architecture’s tendency to generate sprawling, leftover spaces lacking clear purpose or identity. While the term carries a negative tone, the concept overlaps with liminal space in describing environments that exist between clear functions.
Architectural Styles
Certain architectural styles, like Brutalism, with its raw concrete surfaces and imposing interiors, can also intensify feelings of liminality. The lack of ornamentation, stark geometries, and repetitive structural elements often contribute to spaces that feel both monumental and eerily empty. Sometimes even bold colours or unexpected design choices can add to the liminal aesthetic.
Kenopsia
Kenopsia is a term used to describe the unsettling feeling that comes from being in places that are usually full of people but are encountered empty and quiet. While it overlaps with liminality, it focuses more on the emptiness rather than on transition. For example, an abandoned shopping centre might feel both liminal and kenoptic because it is a space designed for movement but is hauntingly empty. Meanwhile a quiet office building at night can feel kenoptic because it is still in use but momentarily deserted.
Art, Film, and Photography
Art, film, and photography have all played significant roles in popularising liminal aesthetics.
Artists like Giorgio de Chirico, often associated with the Metaphysical art movement, evoke liminal atmospheres through dreamlike cityscapes, empty plazas, and elongated shadows that create feelings of stillness and unease.
In photography, Hiroshi Sugimoto explores similar themes through his long-exposure images, like his Theatres series. In it, empty cinema interiors are transformed into glowing spaces filled with stillness.
Thomas Demand, a German artist, also contributes to the liminal aesthetic by building meticulous paper models of real spaces, which he then photographs to create images that feel both familiar and strangely artificial.
Additionally, many directors use architectural elements to evoke liminal atmospheres in film. In Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, the Overlook Hotel becomes a powerful example of liminal space, with its endless corridors, stark lighting, and symmetrical compositions.
Together, these artistic expressions show that liminal spaces are not merely architectural concerns but part of a broader cultural and emotional experience.
Things to Consider for Your Next Design Project
When designing liminal or transitional spaces it is important to keep in mind the experiences of all users from visitors to staff and many others who help keep buildings running. Here are some prompts to guide your thinking:
- Are staff and service routes clear, safe, and pleasant to use? Or do people have to navigate long, indirect paths to reach their destinations?
- Do the liminal spaces make people feel comfortable?
- Is there enough natural light to make transitional areas in your building feel welcoming? Could you introduce rooflights or windows with views to the outdoors?
- Can green or blue spaces be incorporated to bring moments of calm and connection to nature?
- How do acoustics impact these spaces? Are they quiet enough to feel calming, or do echoes and mechanical noise create discomfort?
- What materials and finishes can you use to enhance the quality of the liminal spaces in your building?
- Are pathways and layouts accessible and intuitive for people of all abilities?
- Is wayfinding and signage clear and helping all users navigate your building confidently?
- How will staff safely access features like green roofs or other maintenance requiring areas?
- Do transitional spaces have the potential to stand out as unique design features, or should they blend quietly into the background?
Ultimately, liminal spaces should not be treated as an afterthought. They deserve careful design, so they serve everyone who uses them, even if it is only briefly. Whether it is a cleaner finishing a late shift, a passenger who has missed a flight, or someone navigating a quiet corridor. These users deserve spaces where they feel respected, safe, and cared for. Good design ensures that no one is invisible, and that every part of a building contributes positively to the overall experience.
Books
Here is some liminal space related further reading:
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Conclusion
Liminal spaces remind us that architecture is not just about walls and rooms, but about how people feel as they move through the ‘in-between.’ When thoughtfully designed, these transitional areas can add meaning and beauty to our everyday experiences. Whether grand or mundane, liminal spaces deserve the same care and creativity as any other part of the built environment.
We hope this post helped you understand liminal spaces a bit better.
Thank you for reading!
Your Comments
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Author
Written by Valanne Fernandes, a Part 2 Architecture graduate. Valanne is a content creator with First In Architecture, spending her time researching, writing and designing inspiring new content for the website.
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