An investigation into the perception of space in children through visual representations: The Children's Library in Giresun (The Capuchin Catholic Church)

Abstract

Children's physical and mental activities cause them to show differences in their perception and evaluation of spaces. Correctly designed spaces specifically for the child support the physical and psychological development of the child positively. In addition, children who can establish strong relationships with historical places develop a sense of attachment and belonging to the place, which is also important in the transfer of such places to the coming generations. Capuchin Catholic Church (Giresun Central Children's Library) has an important place in the memory of the city and is the sole example in the region. It is used by children. The present study discusses how children perceive the church. The study aims, on the one hand, to reveal how the church is perceived by children, and, on the other, to examine how the child's perception of space and expression styles change depending on age. To this end, children were made to draw visual representations and these images were converted into numerical data. These data are discussed in terms of the preoperational period and the concrete operational period which takes into account the developmental stages of the child. The study employed observation and mapping methods. It was concluded that the child's perception of space changes depending on age, experience and frequency of use of the space, and historical buildings are important stimuli for the child's perception of space.