Gaston Bachelard, born in 1884 in France, emerges as one of the preeminent figures in the philosophy of science and poetry of the twentieth century. Initially a postal engineer, Bachelard later moved towards philosophy, obtaining his doctorate at the age of 40. His work focuses mainly on the implications of the exact sciences such as physics and chemistry, carrying out a profound reflection on the role of the scientific imagination. However, it is with’The Poetics of Space’ (1958) that Bachelard distinguishes himself in exploring the intimate and personal dimensions of living space. In this book, the analysis shifts from the exact sciences to poetic reverie, investigating how lived spaces - such as the house, the cellar or the attic - influence our thoughts, dreams and emotions. Through a series of meditations on the various’corners’ of the house, Bachelard invites us to reconsider our relationship with everyday places, elevating the concept of space from a simple physical reality to a receptacle of dreamlike meanings and memory. Bachelard’s approach opens a new way to understand the complex interaction between man and his environment, highlighting the importance of imagination and poetics in shaping our experience of the world.’The Poetics of Space’ is not just a text of philosophy or literature but a work that crosses and unites both fields, showing the transformative power of spaces in the construction of the self and our psychic reality.

Reverie in Bachelard’s’The Poetics of Space’
In’The Poetics of Space’, Gaston Bachelard explores the concept of’reverie’ as a state of daydreaming that allows individuals to immerse themselves deeply in spaces, creating an intimate emotional and cognitive connection with their surroundings. Bachelard argues that’reverie’ facilitates an experience of space that is both imaginative and personal, allowing people to reconfigure everyday spaces into places charged with meaning and emotion. A key example is found in the discussion of cellars and attics, where Bachelard illustrates how these parts of the house evoke feelings of mystery and intimacy. Cellars, with their darkness and humidity, become places of refuge and secrecy, while attics, illuminated by light and filled with old forgotten objects, arouse nostalgia and curiosity. The author analyses in detail how’reverie’ can transform these spaces into settings of infinite narrative possibilities. Bachelard further explores how’reverie’ influences the perception of other architectural elements such as doors, windows and corners, each with its own symbolic connotations and capacity to provoke deep personal reflections.. Thus,’reverie’ serves not only as a means of escape, but also as a tool for self-discovery through the environment.

Space and Psyche in The Poetics of Space
In’The Poetics of Space’, Gaston Bachelard explores topological archetypes as fundamental paradigms through which the individual experiences and interprets the spaces in which he lives. Archetypes such as the house, the cellar and the attic are not only physical structures but sites of profound psychological and symbolic valences. Bachelard considers the house to be the nucleus of being, a’universe’, as he says, which protects the subject and contributes to the formation of identity. The cellar and the attic are used to explore contrasts in the unconscious: the cellar represents the subconscious, repressed desires and mystery, while the attic rises to rational and enlightened thought.’The house allows us to dream in peace,’ Bachelard writes, noting how living spaces influence our psyche. These places evoke memories, dreams and fears, acting as catalysts for self-analysis and philosophical reflection.. Through an exegesis of these spatial metaphors, Bachelard articulates a phenomenology of the imaginary, demonstrating how space is not only physical, but an essential component of the construction of thought and subjective experience.

Phenomenology of Space According to Bachelard
Gaston Bachelard, with’The Poetics of Space’, undertakes a phenomenological investigation of the intimate spaces that we inhabit both physically and in our imagination. This work stands out for its ability to combine phenomenological philosophy with poetic experience, suggesting that spaces such as the house, the cellar or the shell are charged with psychic meanings. Bachelard draws inspiration from the phenomenology of Edmund Husserl, especially for the approach that privileges the direct and personal experience of objects, and from Martin Heidegger, who considers’objects’ not only as physical entities but as bearers of meanings and history. The ninth chapter of’The Poetics of Space’, for example, explores how an old chest can evoke a continuity of the past in the present, illustrating the typical intertwining of phenomenology with poetry. However, Bachelard goes beyond Husserl and Heidegger by introducing the analysis of dreams and poetic images as tools to understand the hidden meanings of spaces, thus connecting phenomenological perceptions with emotional experience and the symbolic. His methodology opens new ways for understanding not only the spatial but also the temporal aspects of human existence, thus placing his work in the broader context of 20th-century phenomenological discourse.

The interdisciplinary influence of The Poetics of Space
Gaston Bachelard, with’The Poetics of Space’, has pushed the boundaries of philosophy and literature, influencing architects, designers, poets and psychologists. The book explores how spaces influence human emotions and thoughts, a concept that resonates deeply in the fields of design and architecture. Architects such as Steven Holl have adopted Bachelard’s reflections on the intimacy of spaces to create environments that promote serenity and reflection. In literature, poets such as John Ashbery have drawn on the concept of home as a protective and maternal space to explore new dimensions in the dynamic between space and solitude. In design, the manipulation of space and the conscious use of materials mirror Bachelard’s approach to sensory engagement, as seen in the works of designers such as Phillipe Starck, whose creations often aim to evoke specific emotional responses, underlining the importance of’home’ in interior design. In psychological contexts, the book has opened new avenues for exploring the relationship between the physical environment and mental well-being, inspiring therapeutic approaches that consider the environment as a critical component of the healing process..’The Poetics of Space’ thus remains a milestone in modern thought, whose relevance crosses and unites different disciplines, influencing theory and practice in fields that intertwine emotional and physical elements of the places we inhabit..