Neuroarchitecture of Aesthetic Experience: Investigating Brain Oscillations for Interior Spaces With Curved Boundaries in Virtual Reality

This study takes an interdisciplinary approach to investigate interior space perception-environments where people spend much of their daily lives-by examining behavior and brain activity. Integrating psychology, neuroscience, and architecture, it explores three key components of aesthetic experience (familiarity, excitement, and fascination) within virtual reality environments. Using 32 virtual interior spaces with curved boundary types and varying architectural variables (size, light, texture, and color), 20 participants assessed aesthetic qualities while their brain activity was recorded via electroencephalography. Behavioral results reveal that horizontal boundaries were perceived as more familiar, whereas vertical boundaries (VB) evoked higher levels of excitement and fascination. Neural results showed that alpha and beta oscillations reflected perceptual and emotional engagement, particularly under vertical boundaries. Alpha desynchronization was observed in posterior and right-hemisphere regions, suggesting enhanced attentional engagement and spatial analysis during VB-related judgments. Beta activity showed differentiated patterns: Desynchronization during familiarity under VB reflected active environmental evaluation, whereas synchronization during fascination under VB pointed to top-down processing and emotional resonance. Notably, theta synchronization increased during familiarity judgments under VB, aligning with its role in memory encoding and cognitive effort. Together, these findings demonstrate that architectural features systematically modulate both the subjective experience and the neural dynamics of aesthetic evaluation. This study contributes to neuroarchitecture by elucidating how architectural design influences aesthetic experiences, offering insights for creating more functional and emotionally resonant spaces.