THE ROLE OF VIRTUAL ARCHITECTURE: PHENOMENOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

[EN] Virtual reality (VR) will soon allow users to access experiences that have never before been possible. Many cultural institutions such as museums, tourism sites, or libraries will undoubtedly utilize VR more for historical, scientific, artistic, and educational learning and enjoyment. Human cognition includes both physical and virtual experiences and thoughts, and we need to understand how and why different cognitive media such as real, visual including VR, or text object are differently recognized by people. Based on phenomenological consideration and analysis with the case of Korean built heritage, this theoretical study suggests the philosophical and theoretical frame for the usage and role of VR in cultural discourse of the community. Further research may seek to identify differences between the experiences of participants exploring those forms through experiencing both physical and virtual cultural heritage objects.