Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE OF GAZI UNIVERSITY, cilt.40, sa.4, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus, TRDizin)
The emergence of computer technology led to a reinterpretation of spatial concepts in architecture. Today's Metaverse environments offer real-time interaction on the internet, providing a sense of "presence" and "immersion" and featuring various virtual exhibition spaces. This study explores how virtual spaces differ from physical spaces, the impact of replicating physical world elements in virtual environments on users, the extent to which the sense of presence, how platforms take advantage of the boundless possibilities of virtual environments, and to what extent they align with the concept of pure virtual space. This study compared virtual exhibitions on Spatial.io and Decentraland both with each other and with physical spaces in the context of virtuality and reality. In the field study, 25 interior architecture students performed designated tasks within these spaces using VR technology. Subsequently, data was collected through the "Presence Questionnaire" and two open-ended structured interview questions. Content analysis of the collected data revealed that, while Metaverse platforms offer abstract and extraordinary spaces, they exhibit a tendency to replicate familiar physical spaces, elements, and actions. Furthermore, despite lacking physical boundaries, these virtual spaces fail to fully harness the potential of virtuality and fall short of achieving the concept of pure virtual space.