The threshold as a contemporary design theme

Historically a space of the limit, of defense of the interior from the exterior, the threshold space today becomes an element of transition, full of meanings for the contemporary world. The space of the threshold today represents an element of strong design interest, as a bridge between the protected place represented by the domestic interior and the external world, seen as attractive and stimulating. As a permeable element between inside and outside, it opens the private dimension to infi nite possibilities of contact and interpretations of the collective system. As a symbolic space of human relations, the threshold is analyzed in this volume according to a multidisciplinary approach, with contributions coming not only from the world of architecture but also from the world of sociology, psychology and neuroscience, comparing the historical development of architecture with contemporary scenarios and future perspectives.