Phenomenology of Place

Norberg-Schulz

Phenomenology can be identified as the interpretive

study of human experience, including clarifying
human situations, events, meanings, and experiences
as they spontaneously occur in the course of daily life.
1. It is a philosophical approach which helps
identifying the importance of places to people.
2. It also can clarify how architecture and
environmental design can be a vehicle for place
making.
The modern architecture and urbanism is critically
analyzed here and the urge to return to place based
design is voiced out.

This work is a direct reference to perceived crisis

in the design profession.
Modern design is viewed here as product of elite
and not responding to the place .

The aspect of place based design is given

importance which is quite relevant in Indian context
also.

POSITIVE IMPACTS OF THE WORK

The work shed light on the importance of taking into
account the aspect of context based design.
Stressed the importance of using materials,
texture, and sensory experience which are relevant to
place.
The concepts of place ,genius loci, identity
contributed greatly in influencing designers to go for
place based design approach.

THE KEY ASPECTS

Dwelling: gaining an existential foothold

Genius loci: the spirit of the place
Place: the concrete manifestation of humans
dwelling
Concretize: to make the general visible as
a concrete, local situation
Cultural landscape: an environment where
man has found his meaningful place within
the totality.

3 steps towards a phenomenology

of place
1.

2.
3.

Distinguish between natural

(landscape) and human-made
phenomena (settlement)
Categories of earth/sky, outside/inside
Character: the basic mode in which
the world is given

Possible relationships between natural

and human-made places: gathering
1.

2.
3.

Visualize: building demonstrates human

understanding of nature by replicating what
is seen in nature
Complement: building adds what is
perceived to be lacking in nature
Symbolize: building demonstrates human
understanding of nature and self by
translating that understanding onto built
form

Genius Loci
A Roman concept- every independent being has its
genius ,
It is regarded as the guardian spirit.

Genius Loci

Socio-economic factors are not the most

important in shaping genius loci: The
existential meanings have deeper roots.
They are determined by the structure of our
being-in-the-world.
if the settlements are organically related to
their environment, it implies that they serve as
foci where the environment is condensed and
explained.
Protecting and conserving the genius loci
means interpreting it in ever new ways

Cultural Landscapes
Through the interaction of surface relief,
vegetation and water, characteristic totalities
or places are formed which constitute the
basic elements of landscapes.
3 archetypes:

Romantic
Cosmic
Classical

Romantic Landscapes

Original forces
strongly felt
Rugged with lots of
places
Dwelling an
interaction between
humans and earth
e.g., Norwegian
farm

Cosmic Landscape
Earth doesnt provide
foothold
No individual places
structured
Sky is structured by the
sun rather than the
earth
Genius loci a
manifestation of
absolute
e.g., Ulurul (Australia)

Classical Landscape

Intelligible
composition of
distinct elements
Meaningful order
Human scale
Dwelling by placing
as equal partners
humans and nature
e.g.,Tuscany

Complex Landscapes

Mixture of pure
archetypes

E.g., Beirut,
Lebanon

INDIAN CONTEXT: