Liminal practice

TOPOS
Nov 4
5 min read

Article by Erica Chladová and Robert van der Pol

liminal office [for architecture and landscape]

We were approached by TOPOS to chime in on the series “Liminal Spaces”. The writing of this article has given us the opportunity to reflect further on the meaning of liminal (or liminality) and what it means for us in our architecture and landscape design practice. Liminal office, shortened to LMNL, was founded in Rotterdam in 2017 and since moved to Oisterwijk, North Brabant in 2021.

Figure 1: Grondvorm, landscape laboratory (Source: LMNL, 2024)

The word liminal finds its etymological root in the Latin limen, meaning threshold. We chose it as the name of our office and apply it to design by seeing it as a transitional phase between old and new, or between inside and outside, that offers unparalleled new possibilities. Old and new in the case of design obviously means the existing and the future vision. Starting with what composes a certain site now, and what it will be transformed into through our design approach. Liminality for us is also present in the transition between inside and outside, between architecture and its landscape. Herin lies our fascination, and the strength of our approach, being trained as architects and landscape architects, and designing both simultaneously. We are careful in our practice to take on projects that bridge the two fields as much as possible.

There is a distinct difference between the academic meaning of the word liminal (as used by Arnold van Gennep, Victor Turner and Bjorn Thomassen) and that of the “internet liminal” which is trendy among gamers, horror fans, and writers. The use of the word has increased exponentially in the last decades, leading to some discussion over its meaning, which varies depending on its application and context.

Figure 2: Use of the word liminal over time (Source: Google, 2025)

The definition of liminal space which seems to dominate at the moment emerges from the aesthetic of the uncanny, the unsure and the undefined. If this is applied to space, we would criticize it and deem it unsuccessful. Backrooms, banal offices, scary empty halls with bad lighting and eerie sounds. If one were to apply a positive outlook to liminal space you would imagine that the space crosses the threshold from standard to the exalted, being so powerful that the occupant feels deeply moved by the power of the design, the atmosphere, the light, the air, to the point that their breath is taken away, they get goosebumps or are moved to tears…

The word changes meaning when prefixes are added: supraliminal, where elements are clearly and intentionally perceived by the user to influence their experience and emotions, contrasting with subliminal effects, which are unconscious but just as important. Designers balance these elements to strike a specific emotional chord, and to influence behavior through observable elements like archetypal spaces, material choices, and lighting, aiming for a strong, meaningful connection with the built environment.

In anthropological terms liminality expresses a particular intermediary stage in rituals, consciousness or state of being, a threshold into an entirely new reality. It is the space “between". A transition from one state of being into another. A state where the old has faded away but the new has not yet been brought into being, where the rules of both (or neither) apply, forming a dreamlike whole charged with raw potential. Is this not what we are busy with while we design and build? We see it as our job to imagine a better future and shape it through the design of space.

Architecture and landscape architecture are intimately related to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs by providing the physical and functional environment where users fulfill their basic human needs. Architecture occupies the more basic tier of safety and security, yet having a well-connected and usable outdoor space/landscape falls into the higher tier of love and belonging. We find it interesting that they are separate. Designing a good connection between inside and outside will benefit and elevate the daily lives of people, they feel happier, more accepted, safe and secure - promoting well-being and upward mobility.

Figure 3: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (Source: LMNL)

Expanding on this and focusing again on the positive potentials of liminality, and hope, instead of dread or uncertainty, we present the classic quote from Dostoyevsky’s The Idiot: “The world will be saved by beauty”. In our society beauty is often seen as an add-on, but we think it is at the core of everything that matters. The creation of beauty is heightened when it is integrated. The design of liminal space, the in-between, accelerates the betterment of the world, more so than the design and creation of separate elements. Iain McGilchrist argues that beauty has the power to reunite us with the world and with each other, and to help us overcome the alienation and disconnection that are characteristic of modern life, through a more intuitive and empathetic way of knowing, fostering a sense of wonder, awe, and appreciation for the world around us. Beauty, or successful design, can play a key role in this process by integrating the analytical and rational with the intuitive and emotional.

Next to the spatial and temporal liminal one can also apply liminal thinking to their work. Rachel Botsman has considered the importance of liminal thinking as “a state of ambiguity or doubt that exists right before a breakthrough into a new way of thinking”. Yet, as designers we sometimes encounter systems, incentives, or processes that intentionally, or unintentionally, shut down this type of thinking, forcing the need to jump to conclusions or only focus on concrete outcomes. These can take many forms, client demands, rules and regulations, lack of time, or lack of vision. It is our job to push beyond this and keep the bigger picture in sight and in mind.

Design can and has changed the world. Botsman says: “When you zoom out, we're living in one of the greatest liminal periods in history. Many traditions are being dissolved, hierarchies challenged, and institutions eroded. In the words of Victor Turner, we're in a 'Betwixt Period' where the old world is being left behind, but we don't know what lies beyond the threshold. Navigating uncertainty is THE most essential skill in the 21st century. Something must end. Then you must wait and wonder (often confusing and frustrating). Then you have to experiment with other choices and directions. Then you have to commit and invest in the route you've taken (I mean really commit). And then, finally, you feel the benefits of the discovery.”

Figure 4: Why liminal thinking is an essential skill (Source: Linkedin, Rachel Botsman, 7 Nov 2022)

Working in the liminal space means to push the boundaries, be critical, and move beyond the familiar, yet staying adjacent to it, shifting the Overton window. Humans are wary of change, but can be moved incrementally towards the new and as of yet unconventional, as long as they are rooted in familiar behaviour or vernacular. As designers it is our job to identify the issues at hand and respond to them with new solutions. Whether that has to do with climate change, use of materials, drought, programming, maintenance, or something else. At LMNL we believe in designs where the built form and living landscape benefit from and interact seamlessly with one another. Landscape isn’t subordinate to the structure – the structure, however, is secondary to its surroundings, or the whole. Our goal is to design that interaction between architecture and its landscape to create more playful, powerful, and liveable places with a look to the future.