ThinkAboutThinkingAboutLight:

APhenomenologicalInvestigationofLightinginBuiltEnvironments

AMajorPapersubmittedtotheFacultyofEnvironmentalStudiesinpartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsforthedegreeofMasterinEnvironmentalStudies,

YorkUniversity,Ontario,Canada.

TaylorStone210601706

July26,2011

StudentSignature:_____________________________________SupervisorSignature:__________________________________ (PeterTimmerman)

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TableofContents

Abstract Foreword Acknowledgements

iiiiiiv

1. Introduction:InSearchofLight 1

TimesSquareatNight…LightasaTopicofInquiry…NoteonPaperStructure

2. QuestioningArchitecture:EcologicalDesignasaQualitativeFieldofInquiry 8

EnvironmentalismandArchitecture…ThisisNotAboutArchitecture

3. Phenomenology:TheoreticalFramework 15InSearchoftheExperientialBasisofExperiences…ArchitecturalPhenomenology…Ecophenomenology…QuestionsofScale

4. FindingtheLight:ExperientialandInterpretiveUnderstandings 25SeeingtheLight…SomeThoughtsonLightasMetaphor…MetaphorsBuriedbutNotForgotten…SeeingtheLight,Almost

5. DundasSquare:BigCityLights 46TheCityatNight…LightandSpace,andDarkness…ACosmosUntoItself

6. TheTerrenceDonnellyCentreforCellularandBiomolecularResearch:AWorldWithoutWindows 63

AWorldofGlass…AllanGardens…InsideOut,OutsideIn

7. St.Gabriel’sPassionistParish:InLightofReligiousExperience 81Light,Materialization,Colour…TheLightofGodintheDarkAges…ANewReligiousExperience…CathedralChurchofSt.James

8. Conclusion:Reflections 105

SummaryandConcludingRemarks…LookingBack…LookingForward…Coda:StillSearching

Appendix 112 1) ResearchMethod2) BuildingCredits

WorksCited 119

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Abstract

ThisMajorPaperisaphenomenologicalinvestigationoflightinginbuiltenvironments.Asaworkinphenomenology,thereisnothesisguidingtheinquiry.Instead,thepaperisframedaroundasetofquestions,andasearchforinsightsthroughexperience.Researchisfocusedontherelationshipbetweenexperientialandtheoreticalunderstandingsoflight,andtheimplicationsforecologicaldesign.Muchhasbeensaidregardingthevariedhistoryandtheoriesoflight.Likewise,quantitativeconcernsoverlightingareprevalentinenvironmentalliterature.However,fewworksexplorelightfromaqualitativeperspective.Assuch,anewavenueisopenedhereforexploration–investigatingthephilosophicalpresuppositionsinformingunderstandingsoflightandtheirsignificanceforenvironmentalthought.Theunderlyingthematicfocusisaconsiderationoflight’sabilitytoeitherfosterorhindernotionsofconnectednessbetweenhumansandthemore‐than‐humanworld,specificallyinbuiltenvironments.

Afterintroducingthetopicoflightasanareaofinquiry,thelargertheoreticalframework,namelyecologicaldesign,isaddressed.Anargumentismadeforadeeperquestioningofbeliefsinformingdesigntheory,andtheusefulnessofenvironmentalthoughtforprogressingthisgoal.Phenomenology,andspecificallyembodiedarchitecturalphenomenologyandMerleau‐Pontianecophenomenology,areintroducedasamorefocusedmethodologicalandconceptualframework,mergingarchitecturaltheoryandenvironmentalthought.Utilizingthisframework,aresearchmethodologyisdevelopedthatcombineshermeneuticandfirstpersonphenomenologicalanalysis.

Followingtheestablishmentofaconceptualframework,aphenomenologicalinvestigationoflightisundertaken.Theargumentismadethat,duetolight’suniquenature,itcannotbeexperiencedasanisolatedphenomenon.Hence,metaphoricalinterpretationsareusedtodescribeandunderstandlight.Whilesomeconceptualabstractions(discussedherein)canbeuseful,theyalsodisregardtheexperientiallightinformingtheirexistence.Aproposedunderstandingoflightthroughrelationality,akintoMerleau‐Ponty’snotionofflesh,ismade.Fromthisnewvantagepoint,acontemporaryinterpretationoflightisexplored.

Afterestablishingarelationalconceptionoflight,thetensionbetweenexperientialandinterpretiveunderstandingsareexploredinthreecasestudies:DundasSquare,TheTerrenceDonnellyCentreforCellularandBiomolecularResearch,andSt.Gabriel’sPassionistParish.Achapterisdevotedtoeachsite,designedasphenomenologicaldescriptionswithinsertedhistorical/philosophicaltouchstones.Theformatismeanttofurtherdiscussionconcerningtherelationshipbetweenexperiencesoflightandmetaphoricalovertones,aswellashowunderstandingsoflightmanifestinbuiltenvironments.Throughouteachcasestudy,severalinsightsareuncoveredregardinglightandlighting’sabilitytoenhanceorshadowtheconnectednessbetweenhumansandthemore‐than‐humanworld.Theconclusionbrieflysummarizescasestudyfindings,andoffersfuturedirectionsforrelatedresearch.

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Foreword:RoleofMajorPaperinPlanofStudy

TheprimarygoalofmyAreaofConcentrationwastocriticallyexaminepresuppositionsunderlyingunderstandingsofarchitecture,focusedonthepotentialutilizationofenvironmentalthoughtinarchitecturaltheory.MyMajorPaperaddressesmyAreaofConcentrationasawhole,concernedwiththisprimaryresearchinterest(aswellasseverallearningobjectives).

Chapter2islargelyanexerciseinexpandingandrefiningmyAreaofConcentration.ItalsofurtherdevelopsthelearningobjectivefromthecomponentContemporaryGreenArchitectureandTheory(learningobjective4.1).Chapters3,andmyresearchmethod(intheAppendix),evolvefromthecomponentEnvironmentalThoughtandWritinggenerally,andPhenomenologyspecifically.Ihavebuiltonthelearningobjectivesconcernedwithecocriticismandenvironmentalwriting(1.2and1.3),andappliedthemwithintheconceptualframeworkofarchitecturalandecologicalphenomenology(2.2and2.3).Theinvestigationsintoarchitecturalphenomenology,whiledirectlysatisfyinglearningobjective2.2,alsodevelop4.1andmyAreaofConcentrationgenerally.Hence,IhaveusedthecomponentPhenomenology,withinthebroaderscopeofEnvironmentalThoughtandPhilosophy,toaddressbothContemporaryGreenArchitectureandTheoryandmyAreaofConcentrationholistically.

MyMajorPaperdoesnotexpandonthecomponentEnvironmentalPsychology.Therelatedlearningobjectives(3.1and3.2)weresatisfiedthroughcoursework,andIchosenottopursuethemanyfurther.WhileIbelievedevelopmentsinenvironmentalpsychologyrelatingtobehaviourandhealthareimportant,myemergingresearchinterestsareconcernedwithphenomenologicalunderstandingsofexperience.AsIprogressedthroughmyMESdegree,theintersectionofenvironmentalthoughtandarchitecturaltheorybecamemyprimaryinterest(ratherthanresearchintothebehaviouralandhealth‐relatedeffectsofbuildings).

LightwasselectedasaresearchtopicwithinthebroaderphilosophicalscopeofmyAreaofConcentration,allowingfortheapplicationofvarioustheoriestoaparticularphenomenon.Chapters4‐7examinelightandlightingindetail,applyingthelearningobjectiveslistedabovetoarelevanttopicforcontemporaryarchitecturaltheory.

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Acknowledgements Iwouldfirstandforemostliketothankmypartner,Michelle,andparents,HowardandCathy,fortheirunwaveringsupportthroughoutmyMasterinEnvironmentalStudies.Secondly,Iamextremelygratefulforthecontinuedandinvaluableresearchsuggestions,formattingadvice,andeditingfrommysupervisor,Prof.PeterTimmerman.WorkingwithProf.Timmermanincourses,independentstudies,andmajorpaperindependentworkhasbeenkeytomyacademicdevelopmentattheFacultyofEnvironmentalStudies.IamalsoindebtedtomyfriendsandpeerswhovolunteeredtheirtimetoeditmyMajorPaper,inpartorfull,andprovidehelpfulcritiques:MichelleEkuban,KathrynKomorowski,andBenWeststrate.Finally,IwouldliketothankmyfatherforhisassistanceinphotographingDundasSquare.

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Introduction:InSearchofLight

Seeinglightisametaphorforseeingtheinvisibleinthevisible,fordetectingthefragileimaginalgarmentthatholdsourplanetandallexistencetogether.Oncewehavelearnedtoseelight,surelyeverythingelsewillfollow.

­Zajonc,CatchingtheLight343TimesSquareatNight

Inthespringof2010IvisitedNewYorkCityforthefirsttime.Mypartner,friend,

andIdrovefromTorontoandarrivedwellaftersunset.Wewerestayingwithafriendin

NewJersey,wholivedalongtheshoreoftheHudsonRiver.Fromherapartmentbalconywe

couldseethesteadyglowofManhattan’sjaggedskyline.Excitedtoexplorethecity,we

immediatelytookaneveningferryacross.

Itwasnearing10pmwhenwesteppedfootinManhattan.Ourfirsttaskwastowalk

eastintotheheartofthecity.Wezigzaggedalongaseeminglyinfinitemazeoflow‐rise

buildings.Duetotheconsistentheightofthebuildings,thedarkness,andmyunfamiliarity

withNewYork,itwassurprisinglydifficulttoorientmyselfwithinthegriddednetwork.

Thesefactors,combinedwithmyeffortstotakeinasmuchaspossible,didnotprepareme

forthespectacleahead.

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Withoutwarning,westeppedintotheheartofTimesSquare,nearthecornerof49th

and7th.Ifounditadazzlingandmagnificentsight,evenassomeonewholivesinamajor

metropolis.Notonlywerethestreetsbuzzingwithpedestriantraffic,buttheskywasalive

withanarrayofcolourfullights.Enormousneonsignsandscreensfilledthespacearound

andaboveus.Thesitewasfluidwithmovement–ofpeopleandcolours–ineverydirection.

Thelightsstoodoutagainsttheshadowybackdropofthecityscapeandbluish‐charcoalsky

beyond,creatingbothadynamicsiteandanarchitecturalspace,initsownright.Butitwas

morethansimplyobservingalightshow:Ibecameimmersedintheflowofyellows,blues,

reds,andgreens.Iwasinaspaceof“liquidcolour,”asHolldescribesTimesSquareatnight

(QuestionsofPerception69).Thelightdidnotmerelycreatethemoodofthespace;thelight

wasthespace.Withoutpassingthroughanydoors,Ihadenteredintoanewspaceboth

physicallyandfiguratively–aspacecreatedoutoflight.

ThenextdaywewalkedthroughTimesSquareagain.Thistime,however,itwas

mid‐afternoon.Thefoottrafficwasequallycongested,butthespacewascompletely

different.Mostofthesamelightswereon,butnowsunlightwaspenetratingthe

streetscape,creatingatmosphericlightandfullyilluminatingthespace.Nolongerwerethe

electriclightspointsofinterestonadarkbackground,buttheyweretinyspotscompeting

withtheambientandreflectedlightofthesun.Theseartificiallightsourceswerenotso

brightormagnificentnow,andthebuildingsandthegroundaroundthem,atnightjusta

mutedcanvas,werefullyvisible.Thedullgreyconcrete,vastamountsofsteelandglass,and

hyper‐advertisingwerenowprevalent.Thespace,deniedofits“truecolours,”wasdirty,

crowded,andhectic.Itwas,byallaccounts,justanothercrowdedintersectioninamajor

city.

Shortlyafterthisvisit,myexplorationintolightbegan.Ifoundmythoughts

returningtoTimesSquareconsistently,specificallythefascinatingandtroublesome

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contrastingversionsofTimesSquare.Howfarhavewecome,thatwecancreatespaces

meanttobeexperiencedfreeofnaturallight?TimesSquareisanartificialspacecreatedby

vastamountsofartificiallight,carvedoutofthedepthofdarknessbeyondandabove.Itis

evidencethatwecannowpushbackthedarknessatwill.So,whatbecomesofthenight?

Andwhatbecomesofnaturallight,themostessentialfacetofEarth’secology?Inorderto

explorethesequestions,wemusttakefirstconsiderlightitselfasatopicforinvestigation.

LightasaTopicofInquiry

Reflectingonmyinspirationsforwritingaboutlight,theexperienceofvisiting

TimesSquarecarriesastrongresonance.WhereideasoriginateIcannotsay,butIcan

concludethatvisitingTimesSquarewasaninstancewheresomething“everyday”was

perceivedinanewway.LivinginToronto,andgrowingupinsouthernOntario,Ihavebeen

surroundedbyoutdoorelectriclights–streetlamps,neonsigns,billboards,etc–myentire

life.Yetthatparticularexperienceallowedmetounderstandthisphenomenoninanew

way,toseeitfromadifferentvantagepoint.IntheconcludingpagesofCatchingtheLight,

Zajoncemphasizestheimportanceofepiphanousmoments,ormomentsofinsight,forthe

developmentofknowledge.“Formillenniaonecanseethesunriseandnevernoticethe

rotationoftheearth…Wecanwakeeachmorningforsixtyyearstotheglowofthedawn

andneverseelight”(342).Weconsistentlypassbytheimmediatelivedexperienceofa

phenomenonandmovetowardsanabstractnotion,thoughttobethetruereality.Whatis

needed,urgesZajonc,isthedevelopmentofourabilityforinsightthroughanattentiveness

tothesemomentsofepiphany.Thisisperhapsthecentraltaskofmyresearch:totakethe

phenomenonoflight,aspresentedinthelivedexperienceofthreebuiltsitesinToronto,

andattempttoseethoseexperiencesfromaslightlyalteredvantagepoint.Thegoalisto

lookbehindthelightwetypically“see”andre‐discoverthelightgiventooursenses.Iwill

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beholdinglightuptothelight,or“holdingacandletotheSuntoseetheSunbetter”(Kahn,

“SilenceandLight”231).

Iwillexaminetheenvironmentalimplicationsofaphenomenologicalinvestigation

oflight.Agreatdealhasbeenwrittenonthevariedscientific,philosophical,andreligious

theoriesoflight.Likewise,architectsandarchitecturaltheoristshavesaidmuchregarding

lighting.Yetthereislittleliteraturethatexploresthephilosophyoflightandlightingfrom

anexplicitlyenvironmentalperspective.Lightingisoftenconsideredviaitsvarious

quantitativeaspectsinenvironmentalthought,butlittleattentionisgiventotheunderlying

presuppositionsinformingourconceptionsoflight.Myresearchwillmergephilosophical

andarchitecturaltheoriesoflightwithinanenvironmentalframework,openinganew

avenueforexploration.Suchaninvestigationwillproverelevantforarangeofdisciplines,

butshouldfirstandforemostbeunderstoodasanexerciseinenvironmentalthoughtwith

implicationsforarchitecturaltheory.Iamexaminingbuiltenvironmentsasembodied

manifestationsofourunderstandingoflight.

Lighthasbeenafocusoftheologians,philosophers,artists,andscientistsfor

centuries.Someofthegreatestthinkersinhistory,fromPlatotoNewtontoEinstein,all

spentconsiderabletimesearchingforthe“truenature”oflight,yetithasconsistently

eludedcapture.Tomoveforwardwitharelevantexploration,weshouldnottrytofind

some“truenature”butexplorehowlightmanifestsitselfinourexperiences.Whatisneeded

isnotafinaltruthconcerninglight,butareflexiveandrelevantunderstandingofhowlight

participatesinourdailylives.

The transformations of cultures over time have had profound effects on theinsightshumanityhashadintonature.Wehaveseenthecharacterofsuccessiveagesreflectedintheimagestheyhavemadeoflight.Theseformasequence,notofdisjointedfragments,butawholethatunfoldsintime,aseriesofawakeningsthatbespeaksan innerevolutionarydevelopment…Theveryexistenceof thattransformation suggests the possibility of further evolution, individually andculturally, and the possibility of relinking themoral and sensual, the physicaland spiritual, in a fresh, unitary imagination. Past change occurredwith little

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self‐consciousness. Mistakes could be left behind. The time of unconsciouschange isover, as environmental andnuclearhazardsdailybringhome tous.We now inhabit the entire planet, and have learned the potency of ouraccomplishments. Future evolution must be shaped self‐consciously. (Zajonc337‐8)

Lightcanbeconsideredbothasaphysicalphenomenon,andalsoasaconceptualone.Itis

theboundarybetweenthephysicalandthemetaphysical,betweenspaceandideas.Inour

timeofgrowingenvironmentalconcerns,aconsciousinterpretationoflightinrequired.At

best,wemayfindsomeaspectofexperiencinglightthatdrawsusoutofourselvesand

allowsus(andourbuiltenvironment)toparticipateinthecosmos,toaccessour

connectednesstothemore‐than‐humanworld1insomesmallway.

NoteonPaperStructure

Iusedphenomenologyasaconceptualframeworkandresearchmethod,2andsodid

nothaveathesisguidingmyinvestigation–animportantaspectofphenomenological

researchistoallowforflexibilityinresearchandoutcome(vanManen,ResearchingLived

Experience13).Rather,myinquirywasformedaroundaninitialquestion:howcan

experiencesoflightinbuiltenvironmentsprovideasourceofconnectednessbetween

humansandthemore‐than‐humanworld;and,conversely,howdoesmediatedorartificial

lightingacttoreinforcetheconceptualdivisionbetweenbuiltandnaturalenvironments?As

aworkofphenomenologicalresearch,Ibeganmystudywithoutafirmconclusioninmind.

Throughoutmyliteraturereviewoflightandlighting,ideasbegantoform.WhenIstarted

writingIhadageneraldirectionandlayout,bothofwhichhavechangeddramaticallysince.

Hence,theprocessofdiscoverythroughresearchandwritinghasservedastheprimary

output.1Theterm“more‐than‐humanworld,”whichwillbeusedthroughoutinreferencetothenaturalworldbeyondhumans,isborrowedfromDavidAbram’sTheSpelloftheSensuous.2SeeChapters2and3formyconceptualframework,andAppendix–“ResearchMethods”foradetailedaccountofmyresearchmethodology.

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Thefollowingchapterwillcontextualizethepresentresearchinrelationto

contemporarytrendsingreenarchitecturaltheory,withanemphasisontheneedforgreen

designtomovebeyondquantitativewaysofknowing.Iwillmaketheargumentthat

environmentalthoughtisanextremelyrelevantavenueforresearchinarchitecturaltheory.

Chapter3willfocusonthetheoreticalframeworkforthepresentinquiry,namelyamerging

ofarchitecturalandecologicalphenomenology(withinthelargerfieldsofarchitectural

theoryandenvironmentalthought,respectively).Chapter4isaphenomenological

investigationoflight,examiningthetensionbetweenfirsthandexperiencesandabstract

metaphorsusedtounderstandlight.Chapters5‐7arecasestudiesofthreebuiltsitesin

Toronto,meanttobuildontheexplorationsinChapter4.Thecasestudieswillbe

structuredasfirst‐personphenomenologicalwritings,withscholarlytouchstonesaddedto

complementthedescriptions.Thefirst‐personaccountsbuildontheexperiential

understandingoflightfirstdiscussedinChapter4.Thetouchstonesaremeanttoexpandon

metaphoricalunderstandingsthateachspaceembodies,therebyenrichingthefirsthand

observations.Thethreesitesare:DundasSquare,theTerrenceDonnellyCentreforCellular

andBiomolecularResearch(CCBR),andSt.Gabriel’sPassionistParish.Allarerecently

completedsites–DundasSquareisanoutdoorurbanpublicspace,theCCBRisanexplicitly

greenacademicbuilding,andSt.Gabriel’sisthefirstLEED‐certifiedchurchinCanada.As

such,thecasestudiesrepresentareasofkeyimportanceforfuturegreendesignpractice.

***

“Inthemiddleoftheforestthere’sanunexpectedclearingwhichcanonlybefoundbythosewhohavegottenlost.”

­Tranströmer,“TheClearing”(qtd.inStoner141)

Whensearchingforlight,itiseasytogetlost.However,intheprocesswemaycatch

aglimpseofthe“unexpectedclearing,”whereoursociety’smeaningfulinterpretationof

lightrests.Disentanglingourvariedideasoflightisasdifficultasseparatingthesunfrom

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thelightitemits,yetitmustbeattemptedifwearetocreateaqualityoflightingin

architecturethatmayengenderanenvironmentalethicwithinus.Light’s“truenature,”or

theelusive“firstlight”thatscientistsandphilosophersseek,isreallyametaphorforthe

“connectivetissueweavingtogetherallofexistence”wesooftenlookfor(Zajonc325).

Searchingforlightrevealsmanyintricaciesandmysteries,butatthecentreoftheclearing

thereisperhapsonlyareflectionofus.Whenlookingforlight,wecanonlyhopetofindour

values,ouraspirations,andourselves.“Againandeveragain,itisourselveswhomwestudy

instudyinglight”(Zajonc329).Bynature,lightisonlyeverwhatwechoosetoseeaslight.

AsthequotefromZajoncbeginningtheintroductionimplies,examiningthatreflectionwill

havearesonatingeffectwithinenvironmentalthought,architecturaltheory,andbeyond.

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QuestioningArchitecture:EcologicalDesignasaQualitativeFieldofInquiry

EnvironmentalismandArchitecture

Architectureanddesignfacenecessarychanges.Societiesaroundtheworldare

confrontedwithever‐increasingenvironmentalconcerns,causingdesignerstoincorporate

newmodelsandtechnologies.AnimportantdevelopmenthasbeentheLeadershipin

EnergyandEnvironmentalDesign(LEED)GreenBuildingRatingSystemandprofessional

accreditation.Intheirownwords,LEED“encouragesandacceleratesglobaladoptionof

sustainablegreenbuildinganddevelopmentpracticesthroughthecreationand

implementationofuniversallyunderstoodandacceptedtoolsandperformancecriteria”

(CanadaGreenBuildingCouncil).TheLEEDratingsystemispredominatelyconcernedwith

technicalefficiencies,focusingonissuessuchasenergyconsumption,waterusage,and

indoorairquality.Theresultantstandardimpliesthataskyscraperormansionbuiltmore

efficientlythanitspredecessorshasbeenofficially“greened.”

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Technologicalinterventionsare,ofcourse,extremelyimportant,butarenot

sufficientforatrulyecologicalarchitecture.1Theprimaryshortfallofthistechnological

strandofgreenarchitectureisthatitoperateswithinapreexistingdesignparadigm.As

BuchananexplainsinTenShadesofGreen,mostcontemporaryarchitecture(greenor

otherwise)conformstoeithermodernorpost‐modernparadigms(29).Modern

architectureisareflectionofmodernculture,bornofreductiveandinstrumentalthinking

focusedoncapitalism,growth,andmaximizingprofit.Whileearlymodernarchitecture

soughttocritiqueindustrialsociety’sexploitationofnature,ittoowaseventuallyco‐opted

bygovernmentalandcommercialclients.Thetenetof“functionalism”becameanexcusefor

universalismandutilitarianismwithregardstostandardsandcost.Ironically,the

functionaliststyle,adoptedworldwide,hasprovedtobedysfunctionalinmanyclimates

(Buchanan16).Post‐modernarchitecturewasareactionary(atleastinsomeofits

expressions)andtemporarysuccessortomodernism,basedon“spurioustheory”andwith

littlestayingpower(Buchanan29).Theresultantarchitectureofthe20thcenturyrelied

heavilyonanindustrialaestheticandideology.Light,withinthisparadigm,hasfalleninto

prescribedtechnocraticcategorizations–naturallightmustbe“maximized”ingreen

design,orisasourceofheatandelectricitytobeharvested.Itbecomesaquantifiableand

controllablefeature,existingmainlyasone“checkmark”onalonglistofdesignstrategies.

Discussingtherelationshipbetweenarchitectureandnature,inTheDynamicsof

ArchitecturalForm,Arnheimdefinestwoapproaches(214):wecanseeourselvesas

rationalcreaturessuperiortonatureandusegeometricalforms,thussettingusapartfrom

theinferiorwilderness.Or,wecanseeourselvesasan“outgrowth”ofnatureandattemptto

1Theadjectivesgreen,sustainable,andecologicalareusedthroughoutthisMajorPaper.Whilealldescribethesamegeneralpractice,Iwouldliketodistinguishbetweentheirmeanings.Iamusinggreenandsustainabletodescribetechnicalandsuperficialapproaches,andecologicaltodescribedesignapproachesthatincorporatetechnologiesintoalargerphilosophicalframeworkattemptingtofacilitatearelationshipbetweenhumansandnature/naturalprocesses.

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designinharmonywithnaturalsurroundings.Buildingscouldgrowoutofthelandscape

andtakebiomorphicshapes,aswastheintentionofFrankLloydWright’sOrganicism.Both

approachescarrystrongsymbolicstatementsregardinghowweunderstandourexistence

within,andrelationshipto,oursurroundings(Arnheim216).Whilethesetwoopposing

approachesmaybeoversimplifyingtheissue,theideapresentedisimportant–howshould

weconceiveofourcultureandourselvesintheworld,andinrelationtonature?

Presuppositionsunderlyingdesigntheorymustbescrutinizedalongsidetechnical

interventions.Green,orsustainable,architectureoperatingwithinanexistingparadigm

mayonlyreducenegativeimpacts,inextricablyfailingtoaddressanyfundamentalchanges

intherelationshipbetweenbuiltandnaturalenvironments.Variousdesignershavelooked

formoreradicalstartingpoints,sincethe“eco‐efficiency”ofcurrentpracticerunstheriskof

simplydestroyingEarthataslowerpace(McDonoughandBraungart61‐3).Buchanan

explainsthatgreendesignmusttranscend“mereenergyefficiencyandtheminimizationof

pollution”(19),allowingnaturetimetorepairandregenerate.InCradle­to­Cradle,

McDonoughandBraungartargueforaneco‐effectivedesignstrategythatcontributestothe

healthofnaturalsystemsandproducesnolastingdegradation.InBuildingforLife,Kellert

arguesforadesignphilosophythatsupersedesminimizingnegativeimpactsandis

reciprocallyrestorativeforhumansandnature.Theresultingdesignswouldincorporate

naturalmaterials,forms,andprocessesasviablealternativestodominantmodesof

building,whilealsoexaminingforgottentraditionaldesignwisdom.2Insummary,a

questioningoftherelationshipbetweensocialandnaturalsystemsisunderway,witha

particularfocusonthemediatingroleofthebuiltenvironment.

Theabovetheorists,andothers,oftenadvocateforafoundationalenvironmental

ethicinformingdesignpractice;thisisthefocalpointformyresearch.Beforedesigning,or2 The anthology Sustainable Architecture White Papers (2005) provides a wide range environmental initiatives and practitioners currently working in this field.

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establishingtheoriesofdesign,acriticalexaminationofthefundamentalassumptions

informingourthinkingaboutarchitecturemustoccur–weneedtothinkabouthowwe

thinkaboutarchitecture.Technologicalinnovationsprovideareadyresponseto

environmentalconcerns,butarelimitedtoshort‐termtools,thusfailingtoinvestigatethe

evolvingrelationshipbetweenhumansandthemore‐than‐humanworld.WhatLEED(and

othersimilarapproaches)givesisananswer,butwhatisneededisadeeperquestioningof

ourculturalassumptions,ourdesignassumptions,andourplaceintheworld.“Hence,the

designofgreenbuildingsmustinvolvemorethanresolvingtechnicalandecologicalissues

toalsoaddresssocialandspiritualones”(Buchanan13).WhileBuchanan’s“10Shadesof

Green”arelargelyconcernedwithtechnologicalandhealth‐relatedissues,histenthshade,

CommunityandConnection,opensupanimportantphilosophicaldiscourse:

The mind set that tolerated our destruction of the natural world and thelegacies left to us by history depended on the suppression of a sense ofconnectionwitheachother,natureandthecosmos,aswellastopastandfuturegenerations.Ifagreenarchitectureistohelpbringaboutasustainableculture,itmust regeneratea senseof communityandconnection to,evencommunionwith, the natural world… The ultimate ideal would be an architecture thatfostered in various ways a deep sense of communion with nature and thecosmos.(37)

Similarly,Winesstates,“Themissionnowinarchitecture,asinallhumanendeavor,isto

recoverthosefragilethreadsofconnectednesswithnaturethathavebeenlostformostof

thecentury”(18).ForWines,thiscanonlybeachievedbybridging“conservaion

technology”withan“Earth‐centricphilosophy”(18).

ThisisNotAboutArchitecture

Ifarchitectureistorecoverourforgottenrelationshipwithnature,architectural

theorymustseektounderstandwhatthatconnectednessis.Toachievethisgoal,wemust

interrogatetheethicalbasisfordesigningbyincorporatingtheexplorationsof

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environmentalthoughtintodesigntheory.3AsDelucaexplains,“…environmentalismhas

alwayshighlightedtheimportanceofhowwethinkabouttheenvironment,thatideasof

naturearepowerfulbecausepracticesfollowfromideas.Inotherwords,howwethink

aboutnatureguideshowweacttowardsnature”(68).Ifso,ourconceptualizationofthe

relationshipbetweenbuiltandnaturalenvironmentsisparamountforarchitecturaltheory.

Architecturepossessesarichpotentialforphilosophicalinvestigationsfroman

environmentalstandpoint,despitethe“anti‐urbanbias”traditionallyfoundin

environmentalthought(LightandWallace4‐10).Buildingsareuniquelypositionedas

agentsofchange,duetotheirabilitytoreflect,affect,andcommentonculturalvalues.“At

themomentofitscreation,architectureisboundtothepresentinaveryspecialway.It

reflectsthespiritofitsinventorandgivesitsownanswerstothequestionsofourtime

throughitsfunctionalformandappearance,itsrelationshipwithotherworksof

architecture,andwiththeplacewhereitstands”(Zumthor,ThinkingArchitecture23).King,

in"EnvironmentalEthicsandtheBuiltEnvironment,”addsanenvironmentalethictothis

position,arguingthat“weconsiderhowwemightcritiquethecontemporarybuilt

environmentandenvisiononemoreinconsonancewithenvironmentalaspirations.”(116).

Hecontinues,

…we need to understand the metaphorical usefulness of this concept of themargin between the built and the wild. Buildings, cities, and domesticatedspacesofallkinds function inpartaspermeablemarginsbetween thehumanand thenonhumanworld, articulatingand ramifyinghuman interactionswiththenonhumanworld…Theverymaterialofourbuildings,theirrelationshipstooneanother inspace, thedegreetowhichtheirstructuresaresensitive to theforcesofsun,wind,andwater,andtheextent towhichourbuildingsenhancehuman well‐being or promote illness, all these dimensions of the builtenvironmentmediatebetweenthehumanandthenaturalworld.Howwebuildand design our world will have a profound effect on our ability to perceive“through”thatbuiltmediumtoconnectwithawildnaturebeyondit.(129)

3 Iamusingthetermenvironmentalthoughtinplaceofenvironmentalphilosophytobetterrepresentthediverserangeofframeworksandresourceswithinenvironmentalstudies.Hereecophenomenologyisofprimaryconcern,butresearchinphilosophy,literature,naturewriting,culturalstudies,art,ecofeminism,etccanhaveramificationswithinarchitecturaltheory.

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King’sbeliefsclearlyresonatewiththeaspirationsofBuchananandWines.Given

architecture’sculturalimportance,architecturaltheorycannotbeleftoutofenvironmental

thought(andviceversa).Architectureneedstocarefullydrawinspirationfrom

environmentalthought,fulfillingitsdutytoprovidespiritualaswellasphysicalshelter

(Harries17).Whatisneeded,asHarriesstates,isarchitecturethat“transformsour

understandingofhowweshouldlive…Agreenerarchitectureisneeded,notjusttoaddress

ever‐moreunavoidableenvironmentalproblemsbut,morefundamentally,tohelpbring

aboutachangeofheart”(17).LeopoldstatedinrelationtohisLandEthicthat,“Wecanbe

ethicalonlyinrelationtosomethingwecansee,feel,understand,love,orotherwisehave

faithin”(214).Assuch,atrulyecologicalvisionofarchitectureneedstoincludemorethan

justphysicalcharacteristics.

Iwillbeproceedingfromthestancethatenvironmentalconcernsareacultural

questionmorethanatechnologicalproblem.AsEverndenexplains,

It is not a question of our encountering the crisis and resolving it throughtechnology.Thecrisisisnotsimplysomethingwecanexamineandresolve.Weare the environmental crisis. The crisis is a visiblemanifestation of our verybeing, liketerritoryrevealingtheselfat itscentre.Theenvironmentalcrisis isinherent in everythingwe believe and do; it is inherent in the context of ourlives.(128)

Thereisnoenvironment“outthere”thatwecanseparateourselvesfrom,justaswecannot

isolateourbuildingsfromthenaturalworld(thedevastatingnaturaldisastersofthepast

fewyearsserveassomberremindersofthisfact).Addressingenvironmentaldilemmas,and

thuspotentialarchitectural“solutions,”requiresacarefulconsiderationofourbeliefs

regardingnaturalandbuiltenvironments,andourowninvolvementinthemore‐than‐

humanworld.

Movingforward,ecologicaldesignmustbere‐openedforquestioning,allowing

poeticsandphilosophicalponderingbackin.Wemustexploreideastoseewheretheylead,

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andnotwalkhead‐downtowardthe“answer”toanill‐conceivedquestion.Mycurrent

researchlooksforadeeperunderstandingoflight–notaspecificdesigninterventionthat

useslight,butthetheorythatcaninformthatdesign.Iwillbeutilizingphenomenology,and

morespecificallythedevelopmentsinarchitecturalandecologicalphenomenology,asatool

forreachingthisgoal.Throughdetaileddescriptionsinformedbyenvironmentalthought,

onecaninterrogatethebuiltenvironmentforitsecological(dis)connectedness.Inthebook

OnArchitecture,Rushponderswhetheranembodiedexperientialunderstandingcouldelicit

are‐conceptualizationofarchitecture(47).Iwouldliketoexpandonthatquestionandask:

cantheconceptofanembodiedexperienceofarchitecture,whencombinedwith

environmentalthought,engenderashiftinvalues,orattheleastaraisedlevelofecological

consciousness?

3

Phenomenology:TheoreticalFramework

Thereisapowerintheordinarythingsofeverydaylife…Weonlyhavetolookatthemlongenoughtoseeit.

‐Zumthor,ThinkingArchitecture17 Tosearchfor“epiphanousmomentsofinsight”intolight,asZajoncurges,wemust

attempttobreakfreeofconceptualabstractionsandreturntolivedexperience.Thus,an

interrogationofourbuiltenvironment,searchingfortheseedsofconnectednesscontained

within,canbenefitfromthemethodologicaltoolsofphenomenology.

Thefollowingisabriefdiscussionofphenomenology,andmorespecificallyits

architecturalandecologicalsub‐disciplines.Itmustbenoted,however,thatthegoalisnot

toconveyacompleteorextensiveoverviewofphenomenology,orthesesub‐disciplines.

Thefollowingdiscussionrepresentsacriticalselectionofphenomenologicalideasthatare

relevanttomycurrentexploration.

InSearchoftheExperientialBasisofExperiences

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Phenomenologycanbedefinedastheexplorationanddescriptionofphenomena,

wherephenomenareferstoanythingthatcanbeexperienced(Seamon).Or,considered

morepoetically:

Phenomenology is a project of sober reflection on the lived experience ofhuman existence‐ sober, in the sense that reflecting on experience must bethoughtful, and as much as possible, free from theoretical, prejudicial andsuppositionalintoxications.But,phenomenologyisalsoaprojectthatisdrivenbyfascination:beingsweptupinaspellofwonder,afascinationwithmeaning.Therewardphenomenologyoffersarethemomentsofseeing‐meaningor"in‐seeing" into "theheart of things" asRilke so felicitouslyput it.Notunlike thepoet,thephenomenologistdirectsthegazetowardtheregionswheremeaningoriginates, wells up, percolates through the porous membranes of pastsedimentations—andtheninfusesus,permeatesus,infectsus,touchesus,stirsus,exercisesaformativeaffect.(vanManen,“PhenomenologyofPractice”12)

Phenomenologyisgenerallydescriptiveinsteadofexplanatory,focusingonsensorial

experience.Thegoalisnottoexplainaphenomenon,asistheaimofpositivistsciences,but

toreturntotaken‐for‐grantedsubjectiveexperienceandpaycloseattentiontoallits

subtleties–hencephenomenology’scallforareturn“tothethingsthemselves.”However,it

wasneverenvisionedasarejectionofscientificendeavors,butratheranattempttoground

themintheexperiencesfromwhichvalueandmeaningemerge(Abram,TheSpellofthe

Sensuous33‐6).Merleau‐Ponty’scomments,whiledescribingtheapproachoftheartist

Cézanne,encapsulatesphenomenolgy’saim:“Thetaskbeforehimwas,first,toforgetallhe

hadeverlearnedfromscienceand,second,throughthesesciencestorecapturethe

structureofthelandscapeasanemergingorganism”(“Cézanne’sDoubt”67).

Ofthediverseapproachestophenomenology,themethodofclosedescriptionin

searchofunderlyingmeaningservesasaunifyingcriterion.“Phenomenologicalresearchers

generallyagreethatourcentralconcernistoreturntoembodied,experientialmeanings.

Weaimforfresh,complex,richdescriptionsofaphenomenonasitisconcretelylived”

(Finlay6).Inordertoachievethisgoal,researchersemploythephenomenologicalreduction,

or“bracketing.”Initsmostbasicform,bracketingisanactoftemporarilydoubtingan

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objectorevent’sexistence,allowingonetoisolatefirsthandexperiencefromconceptual

abstractions.Everndenexplainsthemethodbystating,“Perhapswemayatfirstthinkof

phenomenologyasakindofdeliberatenaivetythroughwhichitispossibletoencountera

worldunencumberedwithpresuppositions”(57).Throughbracketing,thegoalistoachieve

aphenomenologicaldisclosure,wherethephenomenoninquestionrevealsitselfina

differentormorecompleteway(Seamon).Thereisnopunchlineorsummarizingthesisin

phenomenologicaltexts,butagradualrevealingthroughquestioning,observing,and

writing(vanManen,ResearchingLivedExperience13).Seamonexplainsthat,“Thebest

phenomenologicalworkbreakspeoplefreefromtheirusualrecognitionsandmovesthem

alongnewpathsofunderstanding.”1

ArchitecturalPhenomenology

Phenomenologicalinsightswereintegratedintoarchitecturalthoughtasearlyasthe

1960s,andareevencreditedwithhelpingformtheacademicdisciplineofarchitectural

theory(Otero‐Pailosxiii).Thefirstgenerationoftheorists,suchasNorberg‐Schulz,sought

toexpandarchitecturalunderstandingstoincludeelementsofexperientialandhistorical

significance;theseinvestigationswereoftenHeideggarianandbasedonideasofdwelling

andplace.Otero‐Pailos’accountofphenomenologywithinarchitecture,Architecture’s

HistoricalTurn,explainsthatphenomenology’spopularitywithinarchitecturalthought

wanedduringthe1980s,supercededbypost‐modernismanddeconstructivism(23).While

someconsiderarchitecturalphenomenologytobea“has‐been”discipline,itsdescriptionof

experiencesstilloffersanentrypointforuncoveringunexaminedandsignificantaspectsof

humanengagementwithbuiltenvironments(Rush4‐6).Asmallbutstrongcontingentof

1SeeAppendix–“ResearchMethod”foradetaileddiscussionofhowIutilizedphenomenologyasmyresearchmethod.

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philosophersandacademicsnowutilizephenomenologyasacriticaltool,morecommonly

thanarchitectsthemselves.2Thereisalsoasmallgroupofcontemporarypractioner‐

theoristsutilizingphenomenologyintheirdesignsandwritings,predominantlyconcerned

witha“phenomenologyofembodiment”ratherthanhistoricalmeaning(Otero‐Pailos12).

WangandWagnerdefinethisapproachasan“individualphenomenology,”focusingonthe

immediateandsubjectivesensorialengagementofapersonwiththeirsurrounding(11).

AnearlyexampleofthisembodiedapproachisRasmussen’sExperiencing

Architecture,from1959.Rasmussenprovidesadetailedanddescriptiveaccountof

understandingbuiltenvironments,exploringthediversephysicalattributesonemay

encounterwhenconfrontedwithanarchitecturalspace:hardvs.softforms,heavyvs.light

appearences,colours,lighting,sounds,scaleandrhythm,etc.Amorerecentexampleis

Pallasmaa’sTheEyesoftheSkin,whicharguesforanunderstandingofarchitecturethat

goesbeyondvisualprejudiceandexploresexperiencethroughallthesenses.Pallasmaa’s

goalisto“reconstructtheexperienceofanundifferentiatedinteriorworld,inwhichweare

notmerespectators,buttowhichweinseparablybelong”(16).Zumthor’swritingfocuses

ontheatmosphericqualityofbuildings,andisconcernedwithaspectsofarchitecturethat

cancreateamemorableorsignificantexperience(Atmospheres11).Hollisperhapsthe

mostexplicitlyconcernedwithphenomenology,specificallythewritingsofMaurice

Merleau‐Ponty(Parallax302‐5).Hewritesmainlyonincorporatinganembodieddesign

processintoarchitecture,whilealsoconsideringtheexperientialeffectsofbuilt

environments.Thesetheoristsallshareaphenomenologicalfocus,andthereforeare

concernedwithhowexperiencescanbedescribedandinterpreted.

Usingthevocabularyandinsightsofferedbywritingswithinembodiedarchitectural

phenomenologycanassistincloselyandconsciouslyexaminingfirsthandexperiences.2 The Environmental & Architectural Phenomenology Newsletter, in publication since 1990, acts as a clearinghouse for academics and professionals to explore phenomenology-related design issues.

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Plummer,inTheArchitectureofNaturalLight,explainstheusefulnessofthe

phenomenologicalmethodforexamininglightinginarchitecture,stating,“Bysuspending

judgmentandgraspingthingsinakindofprimalencounter,itbecomespossibletodiscern

themostelusiveandsubtleaspectsofbuildings,includingaspectsoflightwefailoftento

consciouslynotice”(12).Greatarchitectsthroughoutthe20thcentury,explainsPlummer,

becameinterestedintheimmaterialaspectsofbuildings.LouisKahn,FrankLloydWright,

LeCorbusier,andAlvarAaltobegantoquestionwhetherlight“existsinitsownright,”not

merelyavehicleformakingotherthingsvisible(10).Thisledtoanexplorationoflighting

effectswithprofoundexperientialresonance.Whilethelargertrajectoryofmodern

architecturemayhaveabandonedthesephenomenologicalinquiries(seeChapter2),

PlummerbelievesthatPallasmaa,Zumthor,andHollhaverevivedtheexplorationof

lightingfromKahn,etalthroughwritinganddesigning(13).

Thus,theembodiedstreamofarchitecturalphenomenologyprovidesastrong

frameworkfordiscoveringsignificantexperiencesoflightinbuiltspaces.However,these

descriptivetoolspredominatelyportrayanethicalambivalencetowardsenvironmental

dilemmasorhuman‐naturerelations.Toinfuseenvironmentalethicsintophenomenology,I

haveturnedtoecophenomenology.

Ecophenomenology

Ecologicalphenomenology,orecophenomenology,isarecentsub‐disciplineofboth

phenomenologyandenvironmentalphilosophy.ItsoriginsareoftencreditedtoKohak’sThe

EmbersandtheStars,from1984,andEvernden’sTheNaturalAlien,from1985.Evernden

usesthetoolsofphenomenologytoexamineenvironmentalismandecology,concluding

thattheveryideaofanenvironmentseparatefromhumansisafundamentalproblem.

Instead,arguesEvernden,environmentalismisnotaboutanenvironmentoutthere,but

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aboutrelationships(142).Abram’sTheSpelloftheSensuousisanothermajorcontribution,

inwhichheundertakesadetailedphenomenologicalinvestigationoftherelationship

betweenlanguageandthenaturalworld.BrownandToadvine’seditedcollection,Eco­

Phenomenology,helpedsolidifythefieldasanemergingareaofinquiry.3

Ecophenomenologyisanyphenomenologicalinvestigationinfusedwithan

environmentalethic.Phenomenology’spurelydescriptivefocusposesapotential

shortcoming(Langer117),howevertheincorporationofanethicalstancefrom

environmentalismoffersitnewdirections.Likewise,environmentalthoughtstandsto

benefitfromphenomenology’scentraltask,whichis“toactivateandreactivatethecomplex

articulationsandrelationsofthings,restoringthroughdescription,throughdramatization,

aparticipatoryengagement(bodily,imaginative,etc)withthings”(Wood215).Thus,

ecophenomenologyisacross‐disciplinaryframeworkthatisbasedontwoclaims:

…first, that an adequate account of our ecological situation requires themethodsandinsightsofphenomenology;and,second,thatphenomenology,ledbyitsownmomentum,becomesaphilosophicalecology,thatis,astudyof the interrelationships between organism and world in its metaphysicalandaxiologicaldimensions.(BrownandToadvine,xii‐xiii)

Areturntosubjective,sensoryexperience,ecophenomenologistsassert,canmovebeyond

conceptualabstractionsandfostermomentsofinsightregardingourconnectednesstothe

more‐than‐humanworld.Describingtherelationshipbetweenenvironmentalismand

phenomenology,Woodassertsthatecophenomenologyisbothanecological

phenomenologyandaphenomenologicalecology,offeringamiddlegroundforreciprocal

exploration(231).

Ecophenomenologyhasmanypathways,butresearchoriginatingwithFrench

phenomenologistMauriceMerleau‐Ponty(1908‐61)bestcomplementstheembodied

approachtoarchitecturalphenomenology.Merleau‐Ponty’swritingsonembodied3 Additionally, journals such as Environmental Values, Environmental Ethics, and Environmental Philosophy have featured contributions utilizing or discussing ecophenomenology.

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experiences,andart,providearelevantbaseforinvestigatingtherelationshipbetween

oneselfandtheirbuiltsurroundings,includinglighting.Merleau‐Ponty’sPhenomenologyof

Perceptionisoftenregardedashis“magnumopus.”However,hislastandunfinishedwork,

TheVisibleandtheInvisible,isoftencitedbyecophenomenologists.Ofparticularinterestin

thisworkisthechapter“TheIntertwining–TheChiasm,”inwhichMerleau‐Ponty

introducestheconceptsintertwiningandflesh.Thesetermsareoftensurroundedby

ambiguity,causedbytheinadequateexplanationgivenbyMerleau‐Ponty(becauseofhis

suddendeath)andtheradicalnatureoftheideas(Brook354‐5).However,some

philosophersbelievetheseideasmaybekeyforatransformationinenvironmental

thinking,asMerleau‐Pontywasattemptingtoovercomethedivisionbetweenpersonand

environmentpresentinhisearlierwritings(Hansen234).Hewasattemptingtodescribe

ourengagementwiththeworldthroughanall‐encompassingmedium,orflesh,inwhichall

thingsareinteractingandreciprocating,orintertwined.Theseconceptscanperhapsbebest

understoodthroughMerleau‐Ponty’susageofthewordchiasm,whichdenotesacrossing

overoftwothings(usuallyinan“X”).ItisthepointofconvergencethatMerleau‐Ponty

focuseson,theexchangebetweenpersonandworld(Merleau‐Ponty,TheVisibleandthe

Invisible215).Itisimportanttonotethatfleshdoesnotdenotesomenew“stuff”apartfrom

subjectsandobjects,butspeakstotheinteractionbetweenthingswithinaholisticmedium

(Brook357).“TheFleshisthemysterioustissueormatrixthatunderliesandgivesriseto

boththeperceiverandtheperceivedasinterdependentaspectsofitsownspontaneous

activity”(Abram,TheSpelloftheSensuous66).Thechiasmicandparticipatoryrelationship

itselfbecomesthefocusofMerleau‐Ponty‐inspiredenvironmentalphilosophy(Abram,The

SpelloftheSensuous128).

LangerseesMerleau‐Ponty’srelationalphilosophyaspotentiallyhavingthemostto

offerenvironmentalismofanyphenomenologist,butalsofeelsthathisphilosophycanbe

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enhancedbyenvironmentalthought(117).Assuch,Merleau­Ponty’sconceptsshouldnotbe

treatedasdogmatic,butasentrypointsforecologicallysignificantphilosophicalinquiries.

ManyenvironmentalphilosophersworkwithMerleau‐Ponty’sphenomenologyina

traditionallyacademicmanner,butothers,suchasAbram,seeanewdirectionwithinhis

work.“HowmightawriterdeeplyinformedbyMerleau‐Ponty’sinvestigationsbeginto

address(inamanneraccessiblenotonlytophilosophersandscientists,buttocurious

personsofanybackground)thefragmentationofhumanexperience,andofnature,atthe

startofthetwenty‐firstcentury”(Abram,“EarthinEclipse”150)?Theinsightsofferedby

Merleau‐Ponty,andthoseinfluencedbyhim,provideausefulframeworkforinvestigating

ecologicalconnectivitywithinbuiltspaces.Merleau‐Pontyoffersare‐oriented

understandingofhumansandtheirexistentialsetting,focusingonrelationshipsand

interconnectionsratherthanseparationandcategorization.Paramountisthenotionthat

engaginginaMerleau‐Pontianinvestigationisto“beginnotwiththoughtsbutwithour

body’sengagementswiththeearth–withinter‐corporealactivities”(Liberman41).

QuestionsofScale

Aftercomparingembodiedarchitecturalphenomenologytoecophenomenology,one

maynotethestrikingdifferencesinscale.Embodiedarchitecturalphenomenologydeals

withintimateencountersinspecificspaces,whileecophenomenologyisconcernedwith

large,existentialquestionsfocusedontherelationshipbetweenhumansandnature.The

apparentdisparitybetweenthesescalespresentsadifficulttension,butitalsothesource

foraninterpretiveandethicalpositioning.AsnotedinChapter2,acentralaimistouncover

architecture’spotentialserviceasasiteforreinforcingtheconnectednessbetweenhumans

andnature.Embodiedarchitecturalphenomenologyprovidesthetoolsforadetailed

investigationofaparticularsite,andecophenomenologycaninfusethiswithanethical

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orientation.Ecophenomenologyspeaksaboutourinextricablerelationshiptonature;

embodiedarchitecturalphenomenologycanassistinexpressinganddescribingthisidea.

JustasWoodconceivedofecophenomenologyasbothanecologicalphenomenologyanda

phenomenologicalecology,myresearchcanbeenvisionedasbothenvironmentally

consciousarchitecturaltheoryandarchitecturallyrelevantenvironmentalthought.Assuch,

ahybridofthesetwosub‐disciplinesprovidesanidealdomainforaccessingourthinking

aboutthinkingaboutarchitecture.

Architecturalphenomenologistshavealludedtoconnectednessandecological

concsciousnessarisingfromspatialinvestigations,andthepossibilityforanenvironmental

ethicinarchitecturaltheory.McCannbelievesthatMerleau‐Pontianthoughtcanrestructure

architecturaldesignintoan“intercorporealact—anexpressionofdeepcarnalkinshipin

whichourengagedsensoryexperienceoftheworldgivesrisetoanexpressivecarnalecho

oftheexperience”(“WildBeauty”5).Elsewhere,McCannstates,

Allarchitectureentanglesitsdesigneranditsinhabitantswiththelargerworld,blurring subjective boundaries and intertwining vision and visibility, sensingandsensuousness,movementandspatiality.Byunderstandingtheimplicationsof Merleau‐Ponty’s work for both the design and experience of architecture,recognizing inparticularthe importanceofmovementandmateriality,wecanestablish a relationship with architecture that reveals the intertwined andintersubjectivenatureoftheFlesh.(“EntwiningtheBodyandtheWorld”278‐9)

Likewise,ecophenomenologistshavewrittenonbuiltenvironmentsandtheboundaries

betweenbuiltandnaturalspaces.Abram,inWoodandStone,undertakesapoeticreadingof

hishome,exploringthesentienceofmaterialsandtheconstantinteractionbetweenhimself

andhishome.Abramconcludesthat,“One’srelationtoone’shouse…isnotarelation

betweenapuresubjectandapureobject–betweenanactiveintelligence,ormind,anda

passivechunkofmatter”(181).Rather,itisoneofreciprocity.Whetherwechooseto

acknowledgeitornot,Abramalludes,weareinfluencedandinformedbythematerials

fromwhichourbuildingsareconstructed.OutofMcCannandAbram’sinvestigations,the

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relationalcoreofexperienceshinesthrough,allowingnewquestionsregarding

architecturaltheorytoemerge.

Thetaskistotakeapragmaticapproachwiththesetheories.Thefollowingfour

chapterswillinvestigatethephenomenonoflightingindetail.

4

FindingtheLight:ExperientialandInterpretiveUnderstandings

Wenowturntolightitself.Beforeexploringthelightingatthreedifferentsitesin

Toronto,somediscussionofourvariedculturalunderstandingsoflightisrequired.After

undertakingaphenomenologicalanalysisoflight,thereisanexplorationofmetaphorsand

theirapplicationtocomprehendinglight.Mygoalisnottopresentanexhaustivesynthesis

ofthelongandcomplexhistoryandtheoriesoflight.Rather,Iwillbeextrapolatingfromthe

insightsandconclusionsofvariousscholars,tohelpillustratetheinterpretivequalitythatis

presentinourexperiencesoflight.Threespecificcategoriesof“metaphoricalovertones”

willbeelaboratedon,astheyservetoenrichdiscussionsinlaterchapters.A

phenomenological(re)analysisoflightwillconcludethechapter.

Thefollowingdiscussionislargelyinformedbytwohistoricalsurveysonlight,

ArthurZajonc’sCatchingtheLightandDavidPark’sTheFireWithintheEye.Furthermore,

DavidGrandy’sTheSpeedofLighthasservedastheprimarysourceformy

phenomenologicalanalysisoflight.

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SeeingtheLight

Tobeginaphenomenologicalinvestigationoflight,thetoolsthatphenomenology

suppliesmustbeapplied,soastobringunbiasedattentivenesstolightasitpresentsitselfin

dailyexperiences.However,thisconceptuallysimpletaskquicklybecomescomplicated,

whentryingtooperationalizeaphenomenologicalmethodology.Itisnotwhollypossibleto

applythephenomenologicalmethodofbracketingtolight.AsIsithereandtype,Iamtrying

tolocatelightinthisspace(areadingroominYork’sScottLibrary).Iknowthelightsources

–theoverheadfluorescenttubesandsurroundingwindows.Icanseewhatisilluminated–

thedesk,mycomputer,myhands,etc.ButIstillhavenotfocusedonlightitself.Aroom“full

oflight”isnotenvisionedasaspacepackedfullofmaterialsubstance,butaspacewherethe

surfacesarebrightlylit.“Lightisthere,butyoulookthroughitwithoutseeingit”(Park50).

Seeinglightindependently,ashasbeenknownsincePlato,isnoeasytask;infact,lightis

impossibletodisentanglefromourperceptionoftheobjectslightilluminates(Grandy89).

“Lightissuchthatwecannotseeitwithoutseeingbyit,afactthatkeepsusfromseparating

lightfromourexperienceoflight–thetwoarecoincidental”(Grandy49).Aninvestigation

intoexperientiallightinevitablybecomesadiscussionoflighting,orlight’scharacteristics,

effects,andresults.Lightbecomesaninteractionbetweentheworldandus,unabletobe

isolatedforexaminationthroughlivedexperience.

…light and eye are not sufficient for the experience of light. That experienceregistersonlywhenmaterialsurfacesarethrownintothemix.Sowhileitmaybeconvenienttothinkoflightassomethingapartfromtheexperienceoflight,thereisnoempiricalbasisforsuchthinking.Lightshowsuporannouncesitselfonly at the interface of physical and perceptual reality. That no doubt iswhylightmovesashorizonsmove–withourmotioninmind,asitwere,becauseourmindful awareness of the world is already implicated in the world’s reality.(Grandy43)Lightpresentsavisualparadox,beingalwayspresentyetneveranautonomous

“thing.”Thiselusivenessfromdirectexperiencehasbeenasourceoffascinationfor

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millennia.Themysterious,otherworldlyqualitiesoflighthavepreoccupiedreligion,science,

literature,andartinmanysocietiesthroughouthumanhistory.Whenexamininglarger

historictrendsinourunderstandingoflight,suchasthosebyZajoncandPark,asimpleyet

revelatoryconclusioncanbereached:lightitselfhasnotchangedthroughoutthecenturies,

onlyourdefinitionshave.AsZajoncstates,

Overmillennia,cultureshaveembracedanddiscardedcountlessimagesoflight.Within a single lifetime, likewise, we have lived within and shed successiveunderstandings of light. Through research, artistic praxis, and quietcontemplation, light’s elusive being constantly re‐creates itself in our mind’seye,offeringfreshepiphaniestoeverygeneration.(343)

Understoodinthisway,lightonlyever“is”itsinterpretation.Thereisdifficultybracketing

presuppositionsinformingourunderstandingoflight,sincethosepre‐conceivednotions,

andnotdirectexperience,shapeourknowledgeoflightasanisolatedphenomenon.The

intertwiningoflightandexperiencecannotbeunwound,thereforeabstractconcepts,often

manifestingasanalogiesandmetaphors,becomenecessaryforexplaininglight.

Timeandtimeagain,therehasbeenafinal,truenatureoflightrevealedby

theologians,philosophers,andscientists.Yet,eachtheoryhaseventuallybeenaltered,

forgotten,ordiscreditedentirely.Thesenumerousmeaningsplacedontolighthavebeen

continuallylayered,creatinganexperienceoflightblurredbyvariousconnotationsand

symbolism.AsArnheimexplains,

Symbolscouldnotrelyontheexpressivequalitiesofsensoryexperienceifthatexperience were not endowed with metaphoric overtones in daily practice.Sunlight streaming through the windows when the shades are raised in themorningisnotperceivedasamerechangeinbrightnesslevel.Onlybecauseitisreceived as a gift of life, exposing the world to us and us to the world, canilluminationserveusasabroadlyvalidsymbol.(209)

Aphenomenologicalinvestigationoflightbecomesanattempttodisentanglefirsthand

experiencefromlayersofinterpretiveandmetaphoricovertones.

SomeThoughtsonLightasMetaphor

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Metaphorsareeffectiveatbringingforwardideasthatwouldotherwisebedifficult

toarticulate,helpingtoprovidemeaningtoexperience.Whenexplainingsomething

inaccessible,suchaslightasanisolatedobject,metaphorsbecomeparticularlypowerful.In

theanthologyPoemsforArchitects,Stonerdescribesmetaphorasthetoolthathas

“flourishedinexorably”inpoetry(4).Bygivingonethingthenameofanother,ametaphor

confersasymmetricalreciprocitybetweentwothingsanddiminishestheconceptual

distancebetweenthem.Anideaandanobjectintermingle.Throughtheuseofmetaphors,

cities,buildings,andlifeitselfcanbecomea“forestofsymbols”(Stoner4).Inthissense,

metaphorsbecomeatoolusefulforinterrogatingarchitecture.InQuestionsofPerception,

Holldiscussestheimportanceof“extra‐architectural”ideas,andspecificallyliterary

metaphors,forprovidingauniquemeaningtoarchitecturaldesign.Theeffortofholding

togetherthesetwoincongruousthings(aliterarymetaphorandafunctionalprogram)can

createadynamictensionandsymbolismfortheresultingdesign(119).Ideasmove

outwardsfromabstractionandintoarchitecture.

McKay,inVisàVis,acollectionofessaysonpoetry,meditatesonthetension

betweenlanguageandexperiences.Hearguesthatlanguageandwritingaretechnologies

usedtoaccesstheworld,a“rememberingapparatus”(65).OfparticularinterestforMcKay

istheprevalenceofmetaphorsinpoetry.Hebelievestheyallowwildernesstore‐enterour

language,toshowlanguage'sowninadequacy(85).Ametaphorclaimsafalsitythatposesas

atruth,sincethecomparisonisneededtoexplainthesubjectinquestion.“Withametaphor

thatworkswe’reimmediatelyconvincedofthetruthoftheclaimbecauseitisn’trational”

(69).Withlight,however,metaphoricalunderstandingsandlightitselfoftenbecome

blurred;weloosesightoftheirrationalityofmetaphorsthatMcKayfindssoeffective.Atthis

point,themetaphorbecomesrational–itceasestobeadescriptivetechnique,oratoolfor

design,andbecomesfactual.

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InThePoeticsofSpace,Bachelarddismissesthevalueofmetaphorsfora

phenomenologicalstudy,callingtheirusageanephemeraland“fabricated”imagewithout

genuineroots(74‐5).InTheFlameofaCandle,Bachelardreflectsonthedangersoftaking

metaphorsasfact.Generally,explainsBachelard,wecontemplaterealityby“metaphorizing”

it(20).However,whenirrationalcomparisonsbetweenfamiliarphenomenabegintocreate

asymbol,thedifferencebetweenwhatisperceivedandwhatisimagineddissolves.Aflame

isnolongeranobjectofperceptionbutaphilosophicalobject.Atthispoint,concludes

Bachelard,“anythingispossible”(21).Aflame,orlightgenerally,isnowopenfor

interpretation.

ThroughoutCatchingtheLight,Zajoncstressesthetroublesomeissueofconceptual

modelsmorphingintofactualaccounts.Whetherpoeticorscientific,thevariousimagesof

lighthavealwaysbeensubjective.Theintentionalitydirectedtowardslighthelpstogive

experiencesmeaning,butitishighlyinterpretive.Whenthisisforgotten,imagesbecome

falseidols(37).Theoriesoflightcanaidreflectionandassistinafullerunderstandingof

light,howeverwhenanalogoustheoriesareunderstoodastruthfulaccountstheyhinder

insightratherthanpromotingit(306).Whatmaybeginasaconceptualmodelforclarity

(“lightislike…”)canmutateovertimeintosomethingtakenliterally(“lightis…”).Light

becomespurelysymbolic,arepresentationofanabstractidea.Atthispoint,lightisameans

toanend–toitsmetaphoricalrepresentation–andnolongeranendinitself.Itbecomesan

attributeofthe“other.”Duetolight’ssimultaneouscommonnessandelusiveness,ithas

fallenvictimtothissecondarycategorizationtimeandtimeagain.

Whenmetaphoricalunderstandingsareadoptedwithoutquestion,wepasstoo

quicklyoverlivedexperienceandtheinsightsitcanprovide.Thishasmanifestedinour

language,ourideasaboutlight,andourbuiltenvironments.Tobetterconfrontourcurrent

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andpotentialunderstandingsoflight,wemustfirstexaminethoseimagesburiedbutnot

forgotten.

MetaphorsBuriedbutNotForgotten

Thefollowingisabriefanalysisofthreemetaphoricalunderstandings(cosmologies,

mathematization,andecology)thatpervadeourthinkingaboutlightandlighting,servingas

thegroundworkfordiscussioninthesubsequentcasestudies.Thevalidityofeachisnotthe

focus,buttheinherentmeaningthateachcarries.“Itwouldbebetterifweaskednot,were

priorviewsoflighttrue,butrather,whatisthesignificanceoftheview”(Zajonc184)?Ihave

takenpoeticlibertiesandomittedsomespecifics,inordertofocusonunderlyingthematic

threads.Intheprocess,tangentialmetaphoricalcategorizationsandrelatedartisticand

architecturaltheorieshavebeenincorporatedintomydiscussion.Zajoncassertsthatartistic

andspiritualinsightsintolightareasimportantasscientificones(37),andItootakethis

stance–aestheticandtechnologicaldevelopmentsbothcontributetoarchitecturaltheory.

Additionally,thesecategorizationsshouldnotbeunderstoodasdistinct–eachmetaphor

overlapsandintermingleswiththeothers,aswellaswithmetaphorsnotpresentedhere.

***

Beforemovingintothethreemetaphorsdiscussedbelow,somementionoflightas

illuminationisnecessary.Understandingsoflightasanilluminatingagentpermeatethrough

allsubsequentmetaphors.Light,whetherexplicitlyorimplicitly,issomehowakinto

knowledge,abletoprovideunderstandingandenablereflection.Itistheleastcorporealof

allimagesoflight,basedsolelyonthecapacityofthemindtoproducerationalinsight.

AsfarbackasPlato,sightwasametaphorforallknowledge(Zajonc22).Inthe

Timaeus,Platostates,

…our ability to see the periods of day‐and‐night, of months and of years, ofequinoxesandsolstices,hasledtotheinventionofnumberandhasgivenusthe

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ideaoftimeandopenedthepathtoinquiryintothenatureoftheuniverse…I’mquitepreparedtodeclarethistobethesupremegoodoureyesightoffers…thecauseandpurposeofthissupremegoodisthis:thegodinventedsightandgaveit tousso thatwemightobserve theorbitsof intelligence in theheavensandapplythemtotherevolutionsofourownunderstanding.(35‐6)

Similarly,inthe6thbookofPlato’sRepublic,goodnesswasequatedwithsunlight.Whilethis

couldhavebeenonlyametaphor,explainsvonSimson,Neoplatonistsgaveitanexistential

meaning.“Lightwasnowconceivedasthetranscendentalrealitythatengendersthe

universeandilluminatesourintellectfortheperceptionoftruth”(vonSimson52).This

notionwasfurtherdevelopedinChristiantheologyas“DivineIllumination,”whichasserted

thatspecialtypesknowledgerequiredivineassistance(Pasnau).Augustine(354‐430CE)

statedthat,“Themindneedstobeenlightenedbylightfromoutsideitself,sothatitcan

participateintruth,becauseitisnotitselfthenatureoftruth.Youwilllightmylamp,Lord”

(qtd.inPasnau).Inthispassage,onecanobserveaninterminglingoflight,knowledge,and

God.Bythe13thcentury,gainingknowledgethroughlightwasanalogoustogainingitby

God’srevelation(Park108).Thisunderstandingsurvivedinvariousformsuntilthe17th

century.

Whilenotionsof“DivineIllumination”havebeensupersededbyempiricalscience,

theunderlyingideahasendured.Inlanguage,“Isee”isstillsynonymouswith“I

understand,”theexpression“enlightenment”hasalwaysbeenassociatedwiththe

acquisitionofknowledge,andeventheimageryofalightbulbasanideaechoesthe

metaphorofillumination.Italsoradiatesthroughoutthepresentinvestigation–Iam

researchingandwritingonlighttogaininsightintoecologicaldesign.Metaphorical

categorizationsallhaveanimplicitunderstandingoflightasaprioritoknowledgeaboutthe

world,somehowactingasaformativeagent.Whenlightisexplained,theworldis

understood.Thefollowingarethreesuchexplanations.

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Cosmologies

“Thereisasense,then,inwhichlight,havingoncecontainedthecosmosinadimensionlesspoint,continuestoholditintact.”

­Grandy65­6

Lighthasalwaysheldacentralpositionincreationstories,thoughithasadopted

manyforms.Importanceisgiventolightandthesuninvariouscosmologies,andtheJudeo‐

Christiantraditionisnoexception.Thewell‐knownpassagefromGenesis,“AndGodsaidLet

therebelight,”explainslightasthecreatorofthematerialworld,whilegivingGodagency

overcreation.Godcreatedlightandseparateditfromthedarkness,illuminatingHis

universe.Overthecenturiesthisbeliefmixedwiththeoriesfromantiquity,andspecifically

Platonistphilosophy.TheuniversePlatodescribedconsistedofmathematicalforms,perfect

proportions,andharmoniousrelationships(Park90).TheadoptionofPlatonicideasinto

theologycameeasily,astheologiansfromAbrahamictraditionsweresearchingforthe

underlyingharmonyofthecosmoscreatedbyGod.

FollowingthefalloftheRomanEmpireandtheriseofChristianity,Neoplatonism

continuallyshapedcosmologicalunderstandingsoflight.Equatinglighttogoodness(in

Plato’sRepublic)raisedittoatranscendentalentityforNeoplatonists,whounderstoodlight

andluminosityasanexpressionofGod’screativity.Themoresomethingradiatedlight,the

morepureitwas(Ball240).Pseudo‐Dionysius,a5thcenturytheologian,stated,“…each

objectandcreaturereceivedandtransmitteddivineilluminationaccordingtoitsrankand

worth”(qtd.inBall240).Contemplationofthelightemittedfrommaterialobjectscould

bringoneclosertounderstandingdivinelight.Worldlyobjectsweregivenahierarchal

spiritualvalue,dependingontheirabilitytoradiatelight(Ball243).

ThesubsequentcenturiessawlittledevelopmentwithinEurope,althoughtheories

oflightcontinuedtoevolveinIslamicculture.OutsideoftheChristiantradition,butstill

importantfortheevolutionoflightincosmologies,wastheArabphilosopherAlkindi.His

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workdatestothemid‐9thcenturyCEandevolvedfromPlato(aswellasAristotleandother

thinkersfromantiquity).Inadditiontoatheoryofvision,Alkindihadatheoryoflightthat

saweverymaterialobjectemittingraysoflightineverydirection,notjustlightsources.

Becauseofthis,thewholeuniverseiscausallyboundtogetherinawebofradiation(Park

74).Alinkwasestablishedbetweenlightandexistencethatextendedbeyondthemoments

ofcreation,continuallyholdingtheworldtogether.

Bythe12thcentury,themixingofChristiantheology,theoriesfromantiquity,and

Arabphilosophycodifiedlight’sprimaryroleincreation.Itwasauniverseinterpreted

throughaNeoplatoniccosmology,insearchofperfectorderandproportion.Plato’s

Timaeus,whichcontainsbothhiscosmologyandtheoryofvision,wastheonlyPlatonic

dialogueknowninEuropebeforeca.1150CE,andhadanenormousinfluenceonChristian

thoughtbeforeandduringthemedievalperiod(Park40).Intheseyears,Christianthought

wasshiftingawayfrommysticismandtowardsrationalism;itwasthedawnofChristian

metaphysics(vonSimson39).Light,inthisintellectualclimate,wasthesourceandessence

ofallthingsbeautiful,andthemostdirectmanifestationofGodofallcreatedthings(von

Simson50‐3).Accordingtomedievaltheology,thereweretwoaspectstolight:lux,the

essentiallight(andreflection)ofGod,andlumen,thesensibleandcorporeallightthrough

whichourperceptionofluxarises(Zajonc97).vonSimsonexplainsthat,“Thedistinction

betweenphysicalnatureandtheologicalsignificancewasbridgedbythenotionofcorporeal

lightasan“analogy”tothedivinelight”(55).Christiantheologiansofthistime,andformany

centuriesafter,concludedthatlightwasmetaphoricallyequivalenttoGod.Thedistance

betweenlightasaproductofcreation,andlightascreationitself,wasminimized.“Inthe

idealworld,God,truth,andlightarethesame”(Park92).

Ofthevariousmedievaltheologians,RobertGrosseteste(ca.1170‐1253CE)

presentedanintriguing(andsomewhatprophetic)understandingoflight’sroleincreation.

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GrossetestesoughttoexplainGenesisthroughPlatonismandAlkindi’stheories,bothof

whichdeeplyinfluencedhisthought.WhenGodcreatedtheinitialdimensionlesspointof

matter,accordingtoGrosseteste,itwasapointoflight–thefirstcorporealformofthe

universe(Lindberg255;288).Lightthenspreadoutinthreedimensions,carrying

dimensionalitywithitandcreatingthematerialworldinwhichwelive(Park100).Yet

physicallightwasonlyonepoleforGrosseteste–“Lighttherebelight”includedboththe

corporealandspirituallight(Zajonc54).

***

ZajonccommentedthatarchitectLouisKahnwas“unwittinglyparaphrasing”

Grossetestewhenhedescribedlightasthemakerofmaterials,andmaterialasspentlight

(54).Religiousconnotationsaside,thereisanundeniablerelationshipbetweenlightandthe

objectsofillumination.Kahnwasmeditatingonthemysteriousandcreativeforcethatlight

playsinarchitecture,howanyexperienceofabuilding(atleastvisually)necessitateslight.

Zumthor,likeKahn,exploresthisidea,stating,

When the sun comes up in themorning –which I always find somarvelous,absolutelyfantasticthewayitcomesbackeverymorning–andcastsitslightonthings,itdoesn’tfeelasifitquitebelongsinthisworld.Idon’tunderstandlight.It gives me the feeling there’s something beyond me, something beyond allunderstanding.(Atmospheres61)

Lightcarriesanotherworldlinessintobuiltspace,andeachdaywediscoveraworldre‐

createdbysunlight.

***

AspectsofGrosseteste’scosmologywherecontestedanddiscarded,butformany

centuriesthesamequestionendured:whatroledidlight–understoodasGod–playinthe

creationofthecosmos?Itwasnotuntilthe17thcentury,throughtheworkofGalileo,Kepler,

Descartes,andNewton,thatthedevelopmentofamathematicalandmechanisticcosmology

emerged.Anewwayofunderstandingthecosmoswasemergingthroughmathematical

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insights,andlighttemporarilyleftitspostascreator.ItwasnowanactorinaNewtonian

universewheregravityruled,andspaceandtimeweremathematicalconstantswithin

whichlightacted(Grandy14‐15).However,lightstillhelditssignificanceasthelink

betweenthematerialandspiritualworldformany(Park160‐2).

Thedifferentexplanationsoflightpresentedtothispointvarygreatlyindetail,but

shareananalogicalunderstanding–lightwasalwaysviewedaslikesomethingelse(Park

111).ParkremindsreadersthatthinkersuptoDescartesinterpretedtheworldasa“system

ofanalogiestoteachhumankindhowtolive,”andbelievedthatanargumentbasedon

analogywassoundbecauseitrelatedtoacosmosfoundedonanalogy(179).Scientific

modesofinquiryhavesinceevolved,largelyforwardedbyNewton,yetitisstillthrough

guessesandanalogiesthatscientistsoftenuncovernewideas(Park206).

Intheearly20thcentury,arenewedcosmologicalimportancewasgiventolight

throughEinstein’stheoryofrelativity.Itassertedthatthespeedoflightwasindependentof

itssourceandauniversalconstant,meaningthatthespeedoflightisunvaryingcomparedto

anyobserveratanyspeed(Zajonc267‐9).WithinEinstein’stheory,lightwasonceagain

removedfromtheworldofordinaryobjectsandgivenaprimordialsignificancethat

precededspaceandtime(Grandy27).Relativitytheoryregardslightasgivingriseto

“spacetime”asitspreads,echoingGrosseteste’sideasfromcenturiesearlier(Zajonc266).

Outofdevelopmentsinmodernphysicsandastronomyourcontemporary

cosmology,theBigBangtheory,emerged.Whilethedetailsandconceptualunderpinningsof

theBigBangarevastlydifferentthanthoseinformingGrosseteste’stheory,thegeneralstory

endures:theuniversebeganasasinglepointandrapidlyspreadoutwards,definingthe

parametersforwhatcameafter.AccordingtotheBigBangtheory,theearlyuniversewas

extremelyhotanddenseplasma.About300,000yearsin,itcooledenoughforlightand

mattertoseparate–thoseinitialphotonsreleasedarestillvisibleasthe“cosmicmicrowave

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background”(Gross7‐10).Atthispoint,lightasweknowitbegan.Grandyreflectsonthe

relationshipbetweenmedievalandmoderncreationstories,stating,

…both modern cosmology and religious literature regard light as a firstprincipleorprimalreality.IntheJudeo‐ChristiantraditionGodcallsforthlightbefore implementing the physical creation. Similarly, the big bang – modernscience’screationnarrative–isaflashoflightwithinwhoseexpansionphysicalbodieseventuallycoalesce.(64)

WhileGrandyqualifieshisnotionbyexplainingthisisonlyabroadsimilarity,bothstill

emphasizelightasanoriginaryprincipledefiningthepossibilitiesthatcomeafter.Whether

spirituallyorphysically,lightisconsideredtopresupposespaceandtime,thereforesetting

theboundariesontheuniverse(Grandy65).

Researchinquantumphysicsoverthepastcenturyhasmademanydiscoveries

concerningthestrangebehaviouroflightanditstranscending,orperhapspreceding,of

conventionalunderstanding.EinsteinandPlanckbothsupposedthatlightwasfiniteand

existedindiscreteunitsofenergy(quanta)calledphotons.Inaseriesofhypothesestested

viaexperimentationthroughoutthe20thcentury,photonshavedisplayedthecharacteristics

ofaparticleandawave,resistingtraditionalcategorization.Sincethe1920s,quantum

mechanicshassoughttoaddressthiswave‐particleduality.However,theterm“duality”is

misleading–particleandwaveareonlymentalimagestohelpdescribelight’scharacteristics

(Park317).The“EPR”experiment,originallyconceivedasathoughtexperimentbyEinstein,

hasbeenperformedsincethe1970s.Itshowsthattwopolarizedphotonstravellingaway

fromeachothercontinuallyinteractdespitetheirdistance–separabilityislostandthe

photonsareconsidered“entangled.”Theoreticalexplanationsvary,butalwaysrelyonthe

conceptofnonlocality,whichnecessitatesthatwethinkofphotonsholistically(Zajonc308‐

19).“Perhapsforlight,atleast,themostfundamentalfeatureisnottobefoundinsmallness,

butratherinwholeness,itsincorrigiblecapacitytobeoneandmany,particleandwave,a

singlethingwiththeuniverseinside”(Zajonc299).

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Mathematization

Light’struenaturemaystillbeunknown,buttophysiciststodayitisnotaspiritual

mystery(Grandy64).Thepuzzlesoflightarenowbeingexaminedthroughaconceptionof

lightassomethingwhollyquantifiable.Themechanisticcontemporaryviewbeginswiththe

earliesttheoriesofvision.Euclid,probablyastudentofPlato,proposedageometricaltheory

ofvision,wherevisualraysemergedfromtheobserver’seyeintheformofacone.The

detailsareunimportant,buttheideaisparamount–Euclidlaidthegroundworkfora

mathematizationofnatureandnaturalprocesses(Park58).Thismeantamovementaway

fromimmediate,subjectiveexperienceandintoabstraction.ZajoncunderstandsEuclid’s

theoryofvisionasforeshadowingthe“separationofsightaslivedexperiencefromsightasa

formalobjectofinvestigation”(26).Visioncouldbeexplainedthroughanglesandlines,

withoutanymentionoftheperceiverorperceived.Euclid’stheoryofa“bundleofrays,”

eitheremittedorreceivedbytheeye,persisteduntilthe1800s(Park58).

Euclid,alongwithsubsequentGreek,Roman,andArabphilosophers,laidthe

foundationsfortheinventionoflinearperspectiveinRenaissancepainting–understanding

visionasasetofstraightlinesallowedforageometricdepictionoftheworld(Zajonc25).

Brunelleschi’s(1377‐1446CE)paintingoftheFlorencebaptisteryisconsideredtobethefirst

workoflinearperspective,andAlberti’s(1402‐1472CE)“Depictura,”from1435,givesa

detaileddescriptionoftheprocess.Withthedevelopmentofperspectivetherewasanew

artistictechniqueofrepresentation,butalsoanewwayoflookingatspaceandvolume

(Park135).“Brunelleschididnotseethesacredhistoryofthebaptistery,butrathera

networkoflinesrecedingintoaninfinitehorizon”(Zajonc59).Centuriesofsubsequent

paintingsanddrawingshavesoughttoportraytheworldthroughamathematicallens.

***

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Whilelinearperspectivehascertainlybeenthedominanttechniqueofvisual

representationsincetheRenaissance,ishasnotbeenwithoutcriticism.Intheessay

“Cézanne’sDoubt,”Merleau‐PontyundertakesanexegesisofCézanne’spaintingstyle,which

didawaywithlinearperspectiveinfavourofsubjectiveinterpretation.Cézanne’sstyle

developedfromImpressionism,andwasonewhere“objectsweredepictedastheyappearto

instantaneousperception,withoutfixedcontours,boundtogetherbylightandair”(61).

Throughcloseattentiontovisualexperience,Cézanne’spaintingdisregardedthe

geometricalandobjectiveviewoflinearperspective.Byrefusingtoseparatetheobject

“seen”fromtheobject’sappearance,theartist’sinvestigationsofperspectivepreceded20th

centurypsychologicaldiscoveriesthatourvisionisnotwhollygeometrical(63‐4).

Furtherartisticdevelopmentsduringthe20thcenturyabandonedgeometrical

representationentirely,movingintocompleteabstraction.Butthegoal,atleastoriginally,

wastodepicttheunderlyingexperiencethatgeometricalre‐productioncouldnot

accomplish.AtthesametimethatEinsteinwasre‐defininglight,artistslikeKleeand

Kandinskywereexploringthelightof“natureandmind.”FollowingWWI,themetaphysics

oflightburiedbeneath19thcenturysciencebegantoseepbackupthroughart,literature,

andphilosophy(Zajonc250‐1).

***

Intandemwiththegeometricalunderstandingofvisionhasbeenthe

mathematizationofthecosmosinitsentirety.Thesearchfororderintheuniverse,which

beganwithPlato,dissectednatureintoabstract,quantifiablepieces.Thisapproachto

knowledge,whichdevelopedthroughmanyEuropeanandArabthinkersovercenturies,laid

thefoundationforKeplerandGalileotobegintheirinterrogationofvisionandthestructure

oftheuniverse(Lindberg320).WhenGalileodisprovedtheSunorbitedtheEarth,hewas

doingmorethanchallengingCatholicdoctrine–hewasalsoimplyingthat“theprinciples

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behindascientificexplanationofthesolarsystem,andnaturalphenomenagenerally,were

mathematicalinnature”(Park146).Lux,thedivinepoleoflightsoimportanttoGrosseteste,

wasgone;nowlightwasonlyaphysicalthing(Zajonc78‐9).

Abstractperfectionandsubstantialreality,thesereplacedthemoralperfectionandpowerofimmortalgods.Thiswasfarmorethananexchangingofideas;itentailed a profound transformation in the West’s very way of perceiving. Amaterial and mechanical eye replaced the moral and spiritual one of earliertimes.(Zajonc95)

Theoldwayofknowing,whichreliedonanalogy,wasslowlyreplacedbyamathematical

rationality–anewmetaphorthatsawthecosmosasacomplexequationtobesolved.The

BigBangdoesnotrelyonGod’somnipotence,butratheracomplexsetofmathematical

evidence.AsParkexplains,

No physicist today thinks of an atom as if itwere a thing in the usual sense;thereare,forexample,experimentsinwhichanatomseemstobeintwoplacesatonce.Thisisnotallowedforathing,butweunderstandanatomverywellasamathematical form.Andthecurvedspace‐timeof theuniverseasawhole isbeyondourimagining;itisgraspedonlywithmathematics.(90)

Whereonceonlytheologianscouldtrulygrasptheesotericnatureoflight,now

mathematiciansandphysicistsmoveforwardwiththetorch.

Withthisnewmodeofthinkingcameavastamountofdiscoveries.Theexperiments

ofMichaelFaraday(1791‐1867CE)andtheorizingofJamesClerkMaxwell(1831‐79CE)saw

thediscoveryofelectromagnetism.InMaxwell’spaper“ADynamicalTheoryofthe

ElectromagneticField,”from1864,heconcludes,“lightisanelectromagneticdisturbance

propagatingthroughthefieldaccordingtoelectromagneticlaws”(qtd.inZajonc149).Atthis

point,explainsZajonc,ourimageoflightbecamefurthermathematized,andentwinedwith

electricityandmagnetism.Lightwasanelectromagneticwavethatrippledthroughspace,

theproductofanelectriccharge(Zajonc149;Park314).Lightwasnowapartof

mathematics,withnoreadilyvisualizablemodel(Zajonc152).

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Thisnew(andcontinued)metaphorforlight,asamathematicalconcept,hasledtoa

vastarrayoftechnologicalinnovationsthathavedramaticallyalteredthebuiltlandscapeof

the20thcentury.AfewdecadesafterMaxwell’spaper,thefirstelectricstreetlightswere

switchedoninNewYorkandLondon.

Ecology

Thenotionthatlightisamathematical“thing”certainlypersiststoday,butthepast

fewcenturieshaveseenanalternativemetaphoremerging.Itperceiveslightasalife‐giving

energysustainingEarth’sbiosphere,translatingtheabstract,mathematicallightinto

materialoutput.Vernadsky,whopromotedthenotionofEarthasabiosphere,described

sunlightasanenergysource.Additionally,Vernadskystatedthatthebiosphereis“atleastas

muchacreationofthesunasaresultofterrestrialprocesses,”andthatalllivingcreatures

are“childrenofthesun”(qtd.inDonleavy‐Johnston25).Similartotheabovemetaphors,

ecologicallightloosesmuchofitsmetaphysicalcounterweight,buttakesonanew

physicality.

Thenotionthatsunlightcarriesaphysicalenergyisnotentirelyrecent–asfarback

asantiquity,therearelegendsofArchimedesusingmirrorstoburnafleetofships(Park22‐

3).Noristheimageoflightasalife‐givingprocessentirelynovel.Inmedievalthought,light

wasthecreativeforcepresentinallthings(andthemostheavenly),thereforecausing

organicmattertogrow(vonSimson51).Kepler’sbookonoptics,from1604,proposedthat

lightwasaformofheat,andsinceallanimallifedependsonheateverylivingthingcontains

somelight(Park162).

Whiletheseexplanationswheremoreanalogicalthanscientific,theycertainly

foreshadowedlaterdiscoveries.Biologistsweresearchingforthefoodsourceofplantssince

the17thcentury,butitwasnotuntilthemid‐20thcenturythatMelvinCalvin(1911‐97CE)

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correctlyidentifiedtheprocessesofphotosynthesisatanatomiclevel(Gross36‐7;40‐1).

Photosynthesis,thecomplexprocesswherebyplantscapturesunlight,convertssolarenergy

intochemicalenergy.This,inturn,suppliestheinitialinputforexchangecyclesin

ecosystemsandourbiosphereatlarge,providingenergyfornearlyalllivingthingsonEarth

(CunninghamandCunningham33‐7).Grossdescribesphotosynthesisasa“major

technologicalrevolution,”subsequentlycausingmostlifeformstobecome“addictedto

sunlight”eitherdirectlyorindirectly(27).Inthisnewconceptualmodel,thesunisagiant

nuclearreactorpoweringEarth(Gross14‐5).

***

Thecategorizationofsunlightasanenergysourcehasbeenquicklyadoptedasa

renewablesolutiontoenergyconcerns.Theamountofsolarenergyreachingtheearth’s

surfaceisabout10,000timesthecommercialenergyusedinayear,andnewtechnologies

areattemptingtoconvertthisintousableheatandpower(CunninghamandCunningham

291).Thiscanbedonethroughpassiveandactivetechniques.Passivetechniques,suchas

utilizingmaterialsthatabsorband/orreleaseheat,havebeenincorporatedintovernacular

designformillennia.Thematerialityandbuildingorientationoftraditionaldwellings,once

consideredoutsidethescopeof“architecture,”arenowseentocontainawealthof

knowledge.There‐discoveryanddisseminationofthisdesignwisdomhasbeenagoalfor

manygreendesigntheorists,suchasVictorPapanek.Activetechniquesincorporatemodern

technologies,usuallypumpingaheat‐absorbingfluidthroughacollectorandcirculatingthe

heat.Additionally,parabolicmirrorsareusedtodriveelectricgenerators,andphotovoltaic

cellsarebeingusedtocapturesolarenergyandconvertitdirectlyintoelectricity

(CunninghamandCunningham291‐3).Thesetechnologiesarestillyoungandhavenotbeen

adoptedonalargescale,butarewidelysupportedintheenvironmentaldesignindustry.

***

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Inadditiontotheimportanceofphotosynthesis,lightactivelyparticipatesinlifeand

itsmanyprocesses.InLightandLife,Grossspendsanentirechapterdetailinghowplantand

animallife–includinghumans–isshapedbysunlight,whetherforfood,nutrients,warmth,

orleisure.Hediscussesphenomenasuchas:phototropism,howplantsgrowandbend

towardslight,photoreceptors,light‐sensitivespotsonthebackoflizard’sheads,andthe

circadianrhythm,thebiologicalclockinmanylifeformsthattracksdailyandseasonal

cycles.Grossalsomentionsthepotentialdangersofexposuretosolarenergy,namelyskin

cancer(78‐101).Lightisnowunderstoodasasignificantbiologicalfactor,playingacentral

roleinourunderstandingofecologicalprocesses.

Fromthisecologicalvantagepoint,anothercontemporarymetaphorical

understandingoflightemerges.Lightisstillabstractedandquantified,butcarriesaphysical

presencereliantoninteractions.Spiritualconnotationshavebeenabandoned,butthe

ecologicalmetaphoroflightdoesimplyadeeplyentwinedreciprocitybetweenlightand

humans.Lightactsasalife‐supportsystemweunceasinglyrelyon.Itparticipatesinour

dailylife,anditisthroughecologicalprocessesthatweencounterlightasaphysical“thing.”

Throughthiscontinuedrelationship,lighthasprovideduswiththeabilitytoseelight.When

describingvisionandperception,Grossconcludesthat,“muchaslifedependsonlight,our

definitionoflight,conversely,dependsonlife”(137).Similarly,Zajoncstates,“Lightis

formative.Underitsinfluenceplantsgrow,butalsotheeyewasformed”(205).Inan

unendingcyclicalprocess,humansarephysicallyentwinedwithlight.Understoodas

impartingthephysicalboundariesontolife,lightmaintainsanever‐centralrole.

SeeingtheLight,Almost

Throughabstractionandquantification,theorieshavenarrowedinonthe“true

nature”light.Yet,justwhenlightcomeswithingraspingdistance,itslipsawayagain.

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Realizationoccursthattheabovemetaphorsarenotactuallyexplaininglight,buttheactions,

outputs,orresultsoflight.Cosmologiesmaintainthatlightcreatestheuniverse,

mathematizationcanpredictthemovementoflight,andecologydisplaystheresultant

processesthatrelyonlight.Thequesttodiscoverlightcontinuallycirclesbacktoaquasi‐

metaphysicalexplanation,reliantonunseenorunknownforces.Asquantummechanicshas

conceded,examininglightassomething“outthere”makesitsdiscoveryimpossible.Instead,

aholisticunderstandingisrequired.

Lightisinherentlyentwinedintheworldandourselves.Whenspeakingof

metaphoricalunderstandingsoflight,itmustbeappreciatedthatmetaphorsdonotbegin

withanisolatedpictureoflight.Rather,theyrelyontheinterpretationoflivedexperiences

oflight,inseparablefromthatveryexperience.Theoreticallight,thelightanalyzedand

explained,isthereforeexperientiallightatitsroots,thelightofimmediateexperience

(Grandy6‐7).Theoreticallightevolvesfromadesiretoexplainlightasaphenomenon,yet

theexperientialcoreisoftenforgottenandsupersededbytheabstractconclusionsthatit

informs.Similarly,Arnheimexplainsthatallgenuinemetaphorsarederivedfromthe

physicalworld,helpingustodescribenon‐physicalproperties(208).

Thetaskistore‐discoverthephenomenologicalexperienceoflightasanactof

reciprocityandinteractionexistingbefore,andsubsequentlyinforming,anymetaphorical

overtones.Meditatingonthechiasmicqualityoflight,orpointofcrossingbetweenperson,

world,andlight,isthebestwaytounderstandtheexperienceoflight.Iamanactive

participantinmyperceptionoflight.BecauseIhavefunctioningretinas,mybodycan

processthelightenteringmyeyes.Lightisalwaysreflectedfromobjectontome.Inorderto

interactwiththeworldvisually,lighthastocometomeandIhavetoacceptthatlight.

Withoutoneofthosetwoactions,thereisnolight.Ablindperson’seyesarestillbeing

bombardedwithlight,butunfortunatelytheireyesarenolongerabletoparticipateinthis

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reciprocalinteraction.LightandIareinaperpetualgive‐and‐takeinorderforvisionto

occur.Phenomenologically,lightisanun‐isolatableinteraction;therelationshipbetween

personandlightisthelight.“Atalevelalmosttooelementalforordinarycomprehension,

lightisanopeningorwindowonexistence,andwearetheopening”(Grandy8).

Grandyusestwotermstodescribelight:herenessandrelationality.Herenessrefers

totheconstantandintimatepresenceoflightinanyvisualexperience,neverremotefrom

us.Thisherenessisabsolute,andconsistentwiththequantumphysicstheoryof

nonseparability(56‐7).Relationalityunderstandslightasneverseparatefromwhatwesee,

alwaysinvisibletopresenttheworld(63).Grandy’sideasresonatewithMerleau‐Ponty’s

notionsoffleshandintertwining(definedinChapter3).ForMerleau‐Pontytheinvisible,

underlyingideasoftheworldcanonlybeunderstoodthroughthevisible,throughcarnal

experience.“Wedonotsee,donotheartheideas,andnotevenwiththemind’seyeorwith

thethirdear:andyettheyarethere…behindthelightsorbetweenthem,recognizable

throughtheiralwaysspecial,alwaysuniquemannerofentrenchingthemselvesbehind

them…”(TheVisibleandTheInvisible151).Lightisinterwoventhroughallthings,asortof

connectivetissueholdingourperceptionoftheworldtogether.“…themutedreflectionof

thebodyuponitselfiswhatwecallnaturallight”(TheVivibleandTheInvisible154).

Understoodinthisway,lightcanbeexploredthroughrelationships,interactions,and

interconnectivity.Lightsrelationalitytransposesanyinterpretation,experientialor

theoreticalorboth,ontotheobjectorspaceitparticipatesin.Thestudyoflightingin

architecturebecomesanextrapolationofourculturalunderstandings,reflectedinthe

buildingswecreate.Thus,thebuiltenvironmentbecomesaphysicalmanifestationofour

conceptionsoflight.

Eversincewecreatedtheconcept,spacehasheldwhateverweputintoit.Wehave imagined space to bemany things, and that act of imagination has hadimplications for our image of light. Endow space with divinity and light isgodlike;discoveritsshapeandlightisgeometrical;fillitwithmatterandlightis

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substantial. FromMoses to Einstein, the history of light is also the history ofspace.(Zajonc97)

***

Thisinterpretationmayseemtobeoverlyreliantonanewlydevelopedmetaphor:

lightas“relationality”orlightas“flesh.”However,thisunderstandingfocuseson

experientiallightratherthantheoreticallight.Grandyremindsusthat,whilepoetic

interpretationsappearmetaphorical,everyexplanationoflightprovidedrelieson

metaphoricalroots(112).Dangerariseswhenmetaphoristakenasliteralfact.Byexploring

theexperienceoflight,weareabletoloosenthetightgripourmetaphorsholdonour

interpretationsanduncovernewinsights.Wecan“letthelightshinethrough,”ifonly

slightly.Fromthisexperientialbasenewunderstandingscangrow,relevantinterpretations

illuminatedbyecologicalawareness.

5

DundasSquare:BigCityLights

Awallisbuiltinhopethatalightonceobservedmaystrikeitevenforbutararemomentintime.Howcananyonethinkofabuildingofspacesnotinnaturallight?…Theelectricbulbfightsthesun.Thinkofit.

­Kahn,“SilenceandLight”231

DundasSquareisinthemidstofToronto’sdowntowncore,atthecornerofYonge

StreetandDundasStreetandbetweentheEatonCentreandRyersonUniversity.Itisnot

literallyasquare,butatrapezoidthatpinchesinthesoutheasterncorner.Thewestern

boundaryisthefacadeoftheEatonCentrewithanofficetowerrisinghighabove;the

northwestcornerfeaturesagiantbillboard;tothenorthisacommercialbuildinghousing

restaurants,shops,andamovietheatre;theeasternsideiscomposedofRyersonbuildings

andtheCityTVheadquarters;thesouthernboundaryisacombinationofaHardRockCafé

andofficebuilding.Thefaçadeoftheofficebuildingistheonlyareanotplasteredwithads,

screens,andlights.DundasSquarecreatesadisjointedspace,anamalgamationofseveral

downtownstructures.Theheights,forms,materials,andcoloursofthevariousbuildings

areincongruous,eachwiththeirowndistinctaestheticgoals.Particularlydisjointedisthe

relationbetweentheunadorned,grey‐whiteofficebuilding,andthefuturistic,Bladerunner­

esquenorthernbuilding,itsmetalskincoveredwithscreens,signs,ads,andlights.Where

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buildingsarelower(particularlydueeast,southwest,andnorthwest),officetowersriseup

intheneardistance.Thisaddsasenseofdepth,andwhenfocusingonthesesightlinesthe

boundaryofthesquareisdisrupted.

At3:00pmIarriveatDundasSquareviasubway,emergingdirectlyintothesquare’s

interior.Iamimmediatelyintegratedintothespace,immersedwithinthesightsand

sounds.Theimmediacyofthisentranceiscontrarytothegradualrevealingasone

approachesbystreet.Thesquare’sorientation,flankedbystreetsonallsides,hidesthe

space,causingafeelingofopennessuponentering–anunexpectedvoidwithinthedense

urbangrid.AsmuchasDundasSquareisapartofthecityfabric,itisalsoacontainedspace.

Buthowcontained?Doesitspilloutintothesurroundingcityscape,ordoesithavedistinct

thresholds?Itisnotacoherentorsimplespaceforquickdiscovery,andnotasealedspace.

Itisconstantlyinvadedbyextraneoussightsandsounds,andlikewiseleaksoutintothe

surroundingurbanfabric.Thesquareisquiteobviouslyaconglomerateofdifferent

structures,buildings,androads.Butdespiteitsembeddednesswithinthecityfabric,itstill

canstandasaspaceinitself.Itisthis‘unclosed’spatialitythatlendsitselftothedynamism

ofanoutdoorpublicspace–itissimultaneouslyadestinationandastreettotravelalong.It

doesnotprescribehowitshouldbeused,butleavesthattotheparticipant.Ihavewalked

pastorthroughthesquaremanytimes.Inthosemomentsitwasnotaspaceinitself,buta

pointalongapath.Largespacesarenotalwaysspaces;theyshiftinourperception

dependinguponourgoals,distractions,andpre‐conceivednotions.Ifanopeningis

perceivedasaspaceuntoitself,anewunderstandingcomesintofocus.

Throughouttheday,DundasSquareisaverybusy,noisy,andcolourfulmixof

pedestrianandvehiculartraffic.Thesquare’sphysicalfeaturesaresecondarytothe

programmingwithin(makinganexaminationofthespaceitselfsomewhatdifficult).The

spaceisneverstatic.Eventhe“walls”(billboardsandscreens)areconstantlychanging.

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Thereiscertainlyagreatdealofmarketingandadvertising,butthesquarealsofunctionsas

apublicgatheringspace.Therearebenchesandchairsthroughoutthesquare,aswellas

severalsmallwaterfountains.Thereisalsoastage,howevertodayitsfrontisutilizedas

seating.Allthroughoutaremeetings,lunchbreaks,childrenplaying,andshopperspassing

by.SeveralbuskershavesetupalongtheYongeSt,attractingsmallcrowds.

Duringtheday,sunlightsthesquare’sdullgrayconcrete.Itdisplayseverypossible

surfacewithoutintentionorprejudice.Insunlight,thesquareisnotenvelopingorinspiring.

Thepavementisflat,concrete,andalsosurroundedbyconcreteonallsides.Thereareafew

smalltreesalongthenorthernstreet,butthevastmajorityofsurfaces(asidefrom

billboardsandscreens)areconcreteandmetal.ThestructuralcomponentsofDundas

Squareareheavyandsolid.Itisweigheddown,stuckfirmlyinitsplace.Theskypushes

downonthespace,whiletheskyscraperspushbackup,attemptingtopuncturethepale‐

bluecanopyabove.

Comparedtoanindoorroom,DundasSquareisnevercomplete.Theoscillation

betweenopennessandenclosureisaconstantflux.IfImovearoundthespace,Iamwalking

onstreetsindowntownToronto,noticingotherswalkingthroughwithouthesitation.If

however,Isitandobserve,thesquarebeginstoencloseandboundariessolidify.The

pedestrianssittingorstandingcomeintofocus.Observingthesquarefromdifferent

locations,Iquicklyappreciatethatmyimmersioninthespacemakesanexternaland

objectiveviewimpossible.Myvantagepointforcesmetoassumecertainprejudices.

Isapublicsquareinsideoroutsidespace?LiterallyDundasSquareisoutdoorsof

course,butfigurativelyitcanbeconsideredaninterior.Therearenocompletepanoramas

availablefromwithinthesquareatgroundlevel,justafewgaps.Tallbuildingsandgigantic

billboardsblockmostsightlines.Todaythereisaclearsky;withoutclouds,thebluecanvas

readswithlittledepth,justaplanewithasinglelightsource(sun).Inthisway,theskyis

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reminiscentofaceiling.Andthebuildingsarelikewallsoneachside,withstreetsasopen

doorways–agiantcathedralwithwallsbuiltupacrossgenerations.

Duringtheafternoon,thesuneasilyoverpowersthebillboards,screens,andother

artificiallights.Theyareoperatingwithinthesun’slight,whichisnotcontainedwithin

DundasSquare.Thesunlightdoesnotdiscriminatebetweenthesquareandexteriorspaces,

shiningdownfromaboveandconnectingittothesurroundingcityfabric.Irealizethatthe

“blueceiling”continuesbeyondthesquareandanyvisiblehorizon,andisstretchedover

theentirecity.Likewise,thereisnochangeinambientlightasyouarriveandmovewithin

thesquare.Shadowsareuniformandmonolithicduringtheafternoon,darkenedmasses

contrastingthebrightnessallaround.

Doesthesunexertalevelof“control”overanoutsidespaceduringtheday?Today

beganasrelativelymild,sopeoplemostlygatheredinareasofdirectsunlight.Asthe

afternoongotwarmer,peoplemigratedtothefewshadedregionsinthesquare.AsIsiton

concretestepsindirectsunlight,Ibegintofeelthelightasaheatradiatingaroundthe

space.Surroundedbytallbuildings,thesquarebecomesaconcretevalleyforsunlightto

pourinto.Severalchildrenareusingthefountainstocooloff.Therearefewareasforshade

–nograssandtreesforrepose,onlyanoverhangalongthenorthernend.Tocooloff,you

mustmoveintothemallorrestaurants.Ashadedbenchopens,andIquicklymovetherefor

theafternoon.

By7:00pmthesunhasfallenbehindbuildingstothewest,althoughsunlightstill

entershorizontallyatsomepointsandcastsdirectlightontheeastern(andnorthernand

southern)facades.Asaresult,thescreensstillindirectsunlightdonotappearasbrightas

thosewithinshadowedareas.Theyarestillfightingaloosingbattlewiththesun.

Thesuncreepsbackintothespacemomentarily,reflectingoffafaçadetothe

northwest.Butthisechoquicklydisappears.Alongtheeasternfaçadesshadowsare

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climbingfast–fourstoriesin15minutes.Belowtheshadowline,electriclightsare

becomingvisibleinsidebuildings,justfaintlyatfirst.Theshadowofduskisenvelopingthe

lastofthespace,withsunlightonlyilluminatingthetopfloors.Soonitwillbeonlyambient,

atmosphericlightwithoutdirectsunenteringthesquare.Thefirstsignofnightisthe

elongationanddiffusionofshadows,eventuallyunitinglitspaceswiththeirshaded

counterparts.Afewlightshavecomeoninthesquare,thoughtheyareinsignificantbefore

sunset.

Asthelastsliversofsunlightslowlycrawlupwardsanddisappear,thespacebegins

toreflectbackuponitself.Assunlightbecomesincreasinglyindirect,adullishshadetakes

over–notdarknessbutalesscompletelight.Shadowspreviouslyconfinedtoareasof

indirectsunlighthavenowspreadthroughoutthesquare.Windowshavebeguntoreflect

thecolourful,rapidimageryofvariousscreens–videoandstill.Theslow,gradualclockthat

guidesthesunthroughtheskyisreplacedwithourself‐prescribedclock.Itisfastand

disjointed,comparedtotheslowandrhythmicarcofthesun.Yet,thiselectriclightisin

tunewiththerhythmofthepeopleinthesquare.

Thesunlightreflectingoffadistantofficebuildingoneblocktothesouthwesthas

beguntochangecolour,fromavibrantyellowtoapinkishhue,thentoadullgrey.Thatwas

thesettingsun’slastinclusioninDundasSquaretoday.Artificiallightshavenowtakenover.

***

TheCityatNight

LivinginalargeNorthAmericancity,itiseasytoforgetthattheluxuryofartificial

lightingisaveryrecentphenomenon.Glowingurbanskylineshaveonlybeenpossiblefor

thelastcentury,yetarerarelyappreciatedasasignificantlandscapeofourowntime

(Dewdney95).InAtDay’sClose,anexplorationofnighttimethroughouthistory,Ekirch

concludesthatartificialilluminationisarguablythegreatestsymbolofmodernprogress

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(337).Ekirchalsoexplainsthatartificiallightingblurredthe“boundariesbetweendayand

night”(332),andcombinedwiththespreadofscientificrationalismandskepticismgave

waytoa“nocturnalrevolution”(325).Asaresult,wehavewitnessedarapidconqueringof

thenight,andaneliminationofdarkness,overthepast100years.

Withincreasedscientificunderstandingsandtechnologicaladvances,wehaveseen

anunprecedentedproliferationofoutdoorlighting.AbriefhistorybyDewdney(99‐102)

andatimelinecreatedbyMajor,Speirs,andTischhauser(2‐9)explaintherapidacsension

toourcurrentcitynights.Streetswerelitasearlyas1414inLondonbytheuseofopenoil

containers,andbythelate1600sParishad6,500candlesburningalongstreetsatnight.In

1736Londonsaw5,000oillampsinstalled;thatnumberdoubledwithintwoyears.From

1807‐26gaslightingwasinstalledthroughoutEuropeandtheUnitedStates,tentotwelve

timesbrighterthanoil,andby1823Londonhad40,000lampsonitsstreets(Ekirch331).

Bytheearly19thcentury,thenightlandscapeofcitieswaschangingdramatically.“Bright

streetlightingreinforcedthelinearityofstreets,andcitiesbegantodevelopintocrystalline,

luminescentlattices–atleastwhenseenfromabove”(Dewdney100).Bythe1850s,

attemptsatcreatinganincandescentlightbulbhadbegun,andin1882Edisoninstalledthe

firstpublicelectric‐lightingsystemsinNewYorkandLondon.“Theradicaleffectofthe

electriclightbulbcannotbeoverstated.Morethananylightingtechnologythatprecededit…

theelectriclightrevolutionizedthenight.Nowthedarkness,atleastincities,wasinfull

retreat”(Dewdney101).

Bythe20thcentury,anewtypeofspacehadbeencreated–thewell‐liturban

streetscapeatnight–andwehaveseldomrecalledourdarkpastsince.Today,theglowof

Torontoisvisiblefrom50milesout,andwithin25milesthatglowcoverstheentirehorizon

(Dewdney95).Thenightisnolongerdarkincities–youwouldbeluckytosee50stars

fromanurbancentrecomparedto3,500inaruralsetting,duetotheconsistentbackground

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glowofacity(Dewdney103).Lightpollutionisincreasingby10%ayearglobally,andits

productioncomesathighcosts:approximately30%ofoutdoorlightingintheUnitedStates

iswasted,orabout$2.2billionannually(Henderson19).Torontoalonespendsnearly

$40,000anightonitselectricitybill(Dewdney102).Therehasbeenaproliferationof

artificiallightingwithfarreachingsocial,economic,andecologicalconsequences.

***

DundasSquareneverenteredthenight,justadifferenttypeofday.Itis8:20pmand

thesquarehasbeguntobreathe,wakingupwiththedisappearanceofthesun’slight.The

skyisstillalightblue,butatstreetlevelatmosphericlightisbecominginsignificant.The

dull,imperfect,andheavymaterialityisbeingsupersededbythedancingelectriclights.The

squareisnolongerweigheddownbytheabundanceofconcreteandsteel,anchoringitto

theground.Electriclightshavequietlyreplacedsunlightasthedominantsource.AsIwrite,

mypageismovingfromwhitetoredalongwiththeclosestscreen(aphoneadvertisement).

Thesunhasbeenreplaced.ArtificiallightenterstheforefrontofanyexperienceinDundas

Square.

ThetransitionthatoccursinDundasSquareatduskisatransitionfromheavinessto

lightness.Thesquarebeginstofloat,adriftinaseaofitsownlight.Thespacenowbecomes

aspaceoflightitself.Itisaworldprimarilyoflightsources,notlitobjects.Thefocushas

switchedfromtheambientsolarilluminationof(heavy)builtsurfacestotheindividualand

artificiallightsourcesthemselves.Beyondenablingourvisualperception,aslightalways

does,indarknesslightcreatesspace.Thelightsourcesbecomevisibleandprevalent.The

spacebetweenthebuildingstakesform–a“lightspace”emerges.

However,asIsitinthesquare,anothershifthappens.Asmyeyesandbodyadjustto

thenight,anewweightencroaches.Thedenseweavingofartificiallightbeginstopush

downonme,aswellasupagainstthedarkeningsky.Itisadifferentheavinessin

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comparisontotheformlessdarknessaboveandbeyond.Theelectriclightsarepushingback

thedarknessallaround,butitsdepthisanothingness,andendlessvoid.Lightnowtakeson

aweight–arequiredpresence–asitkeepsthedarknessaway.Darkdoesnotpushback

though;itisjustoutthere,justbeyondthelight.Surroundedbyshadow,lightactsasan

opening.

***

LightandSpace,andDarkness

Nowhereistherelationshipbetweenlightandspacemoreobviousthenatnight,

whenambient/atmosphericlightisreplacedbyaseeminglyimpenetrabledarkness.In

understandinglightasanagentofspatiality,alackoflightthencreatesaspatiality,a

limitlessexpansewithoutformordepth.Merleau‐Pontydescribesthenightas“puredepth”

withoutforegroundorbackground,andwithoutanysurfaces.Indarkness,thedistance

betweenitandmevanishes;thedepthtouchesyou,andinturnyouandthesurrounding

spacebecomeunited(PhenomenologyofPerception330).Arnheimdescribestheexperience

ofdarknessasan“extremeemptiness,”resultingfromthelackofvisualobjectstocreate

spatialawareness(21).However,objectsalonearenotabletocreatespace–theirsurfaces

mustinteractwithalightsource.Lightmustpenetratethedepthbeforewecan,creating

spaceoutofdarkness.Darknessisthenecessarycounterpointtolight,theproviderof

meaning.

Anilluminatedspaceatnightactsasalarge‐scalefiguregroundreversal.

Perceptually,thefigure‐groundrelationshipconsistsofavisualobject(figure)setwithina

background(ground)(Arnheim68‐9).Duringtheday,theplayofshadowswithinaworldof

lightcreatesintrigue;atnight,itisthepocketsoflightwithindarknessthatdrawonein.

Daytimeshadowsonbuildingscreatefigures,likeablacksquareonawhitepaper.Thebuilt

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environmentbecomestheendlessgrounduponwhichfigurestakeshape.Butatnight,in

thethree‐dimensionalgroundofdarkness,apointoflightbecomesthefiguralfocus.

Byusingelectriclighttocounteracttheaspatialityofdark,wehaveundertakenthe

taskofcolonizingthenight,andintheprocesshavecreatedanewexperienceofnight.Light

cancreatetheeffectofenclosedspace,whenimmersedintheimposingdepthdarkness.

Whenwithinacircleoflight,suchasacampfire,thereisafeelingofenclosureand

containment(Rasmussen208‐9).Ourcontemporaryunderstandingofnight,inurban

settingsatleast,isasalarge‐scale,ever‐burningcampfire.“Inasensewearelikeminers,

tunnelingwithlightintothebedrockofdarkness.Artificiallightscarvetunnelsandcaverns

outofthenight,spacesinwhichwecanoperateasifitwereday”(Dewdney97).

Lightingatnightwasoriginallyseenasanincreaseintemporalandspatialfreedomin

cities,freeingpeoplefromthedangersofthieves,vandals,orsuper‐naturalbeings(Ekirch

332).Yet,havewetrulyincreasedourfreedom,orhavewecreatedadependenceon

artificiallight?

Inanotherway,though,weareconfinedbylight.Wecannotwanderoutsideofit,unlessequippedwithnightvision…werequirealargercolony(ofpeople)tobuild the infrastructure, streetlights, and roads for individuals to use.We areprisonersofartificiallightwhocannotstrayoutsideitsperimeterunlesswecantakeour “light tunnel”withus in the formofnightvisionor flashlightsor theheadlightsofourcars.(Dewdney97)

Wehavesecuredourselveswithlight(andintheprocesscreatedanewworldoflight),but

attheexpenseofrarelystrayingintothedarknessbeyond.Wehaveabandonedthenotion

thatlightistheexceptioninouruniverse–darknessistheuniversalgrounduponwhich

lightexists.EvenduringwinterinToronto,whichhasupwardsof16hoursofdarknessper

day,lightisthecommonandexpectedexperience.Ourworldisconceivedofaslight.Are‐

focusingofoureyesonthefigure‐groundrelationshipbetweenlightanddarkisrequired,in

ordertorevealthereciprocalrelationshipbetweenlightanddark.

***

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By9:15pm,Iaminanewspace.DundasSquareisverybright,fluid,andcolourful,

movingwiththescreens.Itisadynamicspacenow,morealive.Thelightswithinthesquare

thatusedtocompetewiththesunarenowcompetingamongstthemselves.Watchingthe

façadeoftheEatonCentre,itisalmostlikeacampfire–flickering.Althoughperhapsthe

brilliantflashesoflightaremoreakintoexplosionsinthedistance.Thelightswithin

windowsareveryprevalentnow.Whiletheyhavenotincreasedinbrightness,theoutside

worldisdarker.Thesky,saveforthewesternhorizon,isnowanavyblue.Theworld

beyondthesquareisquicklydisappearing.

Oncethesunhasfallenbehindthehorizon,nightmovesinfast.Althoughthe

descendingsun/risingshadowswasgradual,thesky’sshiftfromlighttodarkbluehappens

quickly.Perhapsthischangeislessnoticeablebecauseobservinggradientsoflightismuch

harderthanobservingshadowsclimbingabuilding(orasunset).Gradientshiftsseemto

denyobservationastheyoccur;wecanonlyconcludethatthechangehashappenedafter

thefact.Itisalwaysreferredtointhepasttense,onlyunderstandableincontextofwhat

colour/shadecamebefore.AsIsitincontemplation,Inoticetheskyhasfadedtonearly

black.

Moreandmorelightshavebeenswitchingonasdusktransitionsintonight,carving

outahabitablenichewithinthelimitlessdarkness.Lightsnowfullycontainthespace–all

theartificiallightispointedinwardsandmostlydownwards(saveforafewfloodlights).

Thecarsmakeamovingred‐whiteboundaryatstreet‐level.People,likebuildings,have

becomeshadowybackdrops,occasionallyflashinginthecolourofwhateverscreenis

nearest.Theartificiallightsaremorevibrant,morepronouncedbecausetheatmospheric

lighthasleft.Earlier,sunlightshoneontothemandoverpoweredtheirbrightness.Atnight,

however,theyprojecttheircoloursontothedarkness.

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DundasSquareshrinks,becomingmoredefinedandintimateatnight.Thelackof

connectivitywiththenightskycreatesanisolatingexperience–thewholespaceisturned

inward.Theskyisbecomingtransparent,openingtoauniversebeyondours.Butthe

artificiallightsarekeepingmyattentionandimaginationfirmlyontheground,forcingmy

gazedownwards.WheneverIdoventureagazeupwards,itisredirectedtowards

advertisementsandstarsofadifferentnature.DundasSquareisfocusedinward.

***

ACosmosUntoItself

“Thereisnosurerwayofdreamingwellthantodreamofsomewhereelse.Butofallsuchplacesisnottheplacesomewhereaboveusthecriticalone?”

‐Bachelard,TheFlameofaCandle39

Duringthedaytheskyisopaque,butatnightitopensintoouterspaceandbecomes

infinite(Dewdney15).Earth’sshadowdarkensthesky,causingthelandtorejointhe

darknessbeyondtheatmosphere.Ifyoulookupwardsduringaclearnightinthecountry

youwillinstantlytravelbillionsoflight‐years,intothefurthestfrontiersofhuman

imagination.Unliketheday,whentheskyactsasaceiling(Arnheim25‐6),atnightwe

rejointhelargercosmos.Yetwiththesenewspaces,ournighttimecavernsoflight,wehave

blindedourselvestotheinfinityaboveandrelievedthenightofitsmystery.

InthePoeticsofSpace,Bachelarddismissescitydwellingsas“oneirically

incomplete”andlackingcosmicity.1ForBachelard,cityhomesarenolongersetinnatural

surroundings,thereforealteringtherelationshipbetweenhomeandspace.The

“horizonlesssky”enclosestheentirecity,shuttingitofffromtheoutsideworld(26‐7).

Furtherexplainingatruly“immensecosmichouse,”Bachelardstatesthatit“allowsthepoet

toinhabittheuniverse.Or,toputitdifferently,theuniversecomestoinhabithishouse”

1“Oneiric”canbedefinedasrelatingtodreamsordreaming.Bachelardusesthisadjectivetodescribeanimagined,ideal(dream)home.

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(51).IadmittedlyfoundBachelard’sobservationstroubling,beingadedicatedurbanite.

Largecitiespossesthe“attics,”“cellars,”andundiscoveredcornersBachelardspeaksso

highlyof(granted,onalargerandmorecommunalscale).IfBachelard’sdiscussionof

intimatespacescanbeexpandedtoanurbanscale,thenperhapsthelackofanightskyin

citiescreatesthislackofcosmicity.Citiescreatetheirowninternalcosmosofelectriclight,

cuttingthemselvesofffromtheeternaldarknessbeyond.

Letmefurtherexplainwithacomparisonbetweentwopaintings,similarinsubject

matterandstylebutwithverydifferenteffects.ThefirstisGeorgesDeLaTour’s“Christ

withSt.JosephintheCarpenter’sShop”(image5.6),thesecondCaravaggio’s“Conversionof

St.Paul”(image5.7).BothportrayChristianimagery,usinglightassymbolismforthe

divine.Theyarealsoverysimilarintheirtheatricallightingeffects,butthesourcesoflight

createtwoverydifferentspaces.InDeLaTour’s,theonlylightingcomesfromacandleon

thecanvas.Thelackofoutsideinfluencecreatesanenclosedspaceonthecanvas,an

internalandself‐containedcosmos.Thereisonlydarknessbeyondthecanvas,andthe

spaceessentiallyendswherethecanvasends.Anythingextraneoustowhatisseenmust

relyonthatcandleforillumination,orelseisirrelevanttotheworlddisplayed.However,in

Caravaggio’sworkthelightisfallinginfromoff‐canvas,givingtheimpressionofsomething

importantjustbeyondtheupper‐leftedge.Itisnotaself‐containedpicture,butonereliant

onanoutsidesourceforitsillumination.Thepicture,inone’smind,extendsbeyondthe

borderstowardsthelightsource.Itisbutoneportionofalargercosmos.Theyaresimilar

pictures,butcreateverydifferentmoods.

Inthissense,DundasSquareatnightcontainsitself,lettinglittleinorout.It

exercisescompletecontroloveritsspace.Itisworthwhilereflectingontheconnectivityto

theworldoutsideourbordersthatcanbefosteredordeniedthroughlightingatnight.

***

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By9:45,theskyappearsuniformlyblack.Fromablockaway,atnight,thespacehas

aglow,awhitish‐bluehazehoveringaroundthesquare.BesidetheHardRockCaféalong

thesouthendofthesquareisanalleyway.Itisdarkexceptforasinglelampabout10feet

offtheground.Iteasilyescapesnotice,becausewithoutanylightreachingin,thealleyiscut

offfromthesquare.Itseemstoholdthedarkness,pushedinbythesquare’slights.

Inthedarkness,thespacetakesonitsnewform,andonethatfitsmorecomfortably.

DundasSquareseemstobemadewiththisnighttimeglowinmind.Inthisnew“Dundas

Square,”therearemanylightsandmanyshadows.Nosingleshadowisoverlydistinctor

strong.Oppositewallsdisplaytheflashing,pulsinglightingeffectscreatedbysourcesacross

thesquare,entwiningthewallswithoneanotherandpullingtheminward,weaving

togetheroppositeendsbyreflectingtheinteriorityofthesquarebackuponitselfendlessly.

Itfeelsasiftheraysoflightarealmostperceivable,bouncingaroundwithinthesquare.The

lightsourcesandtheireffectsareallaround,shootingacrossthesquareinalldirections.It

isaweboflightentanglinganyoneandanythinginthesquare.Igazeupwards,butcannot

reachthedarknessbeyond.Itisafter10:00pmandaclearsky,butnostarsarevisible.

Idescendbackintothesubway,undergroundtunnelscreatedbyartificiallights.I

reachmylocalstopandemergeintoalitstreet,dottedwithstreetlightstracingmyway

home.Ihavebeenoutsideatnight,yetIneverenteredthedark.

***

Betweensunsetandsunrise,wefurnishourselveswithilluminationofourownmaking,lightsthatwecanswitchonatwill.Theselightscannotbecomparedtodaylight; theyare tooweakandtoobreathlesswith their flickering intensitiesandswiftlyspreadingshadows.ButwhenIdonotthinkoftheselightsthatwemakeourselves as an attempt to eliminatedarkness,when I thinkof themasnight‐timelights,asaccentuatednight,asintimateilluminatedclearingsthatwecarveoutofthedarkness,thentheycanbecomebeautiful,thentheycanhaveamagicalltheirown.Whichlightsdowewanttoswitchonbetweensunsetandsunrise?Whatdowewanttoilluminateinourbuildings,cities,andlandscapes?Howandforhowlong?(Zumthor,ThinkingArchitecture93)

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59

5.1.ShadowsascendthesouthernofficebuildinginDundasSquare.

5.2.WithinDundasSquare,facingnorthwest.

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60

5.3.WithinDundasSquare,facingsoutheast.

5.4.WithinDundasSquare,facingsouth.

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61

5.5.WithinDundasSquare,facingwest.

5.6.GeorgesDeLaTour’s“ChristwithSt.JosephintheCarpenter’sShop”(courtesyofwww.artclon.com/artist/georges­de­la­tour).

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62

5.7.Caravaggio’s“ConversionofSt.Paul”(courtesyoffadis.library.utoronto.ca).

6

TheTerrenceDonnellyCentreforCellularandBiomolecularResearch:AWorldwithoutWindows

Andthenightmareissimple,becauseitisradical.Itwouldbeintellectualizingtheexperienceifweweretosaythatthenightmareistheresultofasuddendoubtastothecertaintyofinsideandthedistinctnessofoutside…Inthisambiguousspace,themindhaslostitsgeometricalhomelandandthespiritisdrifting.

­Bachelard,ThePoeticsofSpace218

Itisearlyinthemorning,andIampassingalongthenorthwesternedgeofthe

UniversityofToronto’sdowntowncampus.Iturnsoutheast,towardsCollegeStreet(the

southernborderofcampus)andmydestination:theTerrenceDonnellyCentreforCellular

andBiomolecularResearch(CCBR).TheCCBRwasrecentlycompleted,builtinapedestrian

thoroughfarebetweenCollegeStandUofT’sFrontCampus.Itistherecipientofseveral

designawardsandhasbeenlaudedforitssustainablefeatures.Iameagertoreachthe

CCBRandbeginmyinvestigation–Ihavepreviouslyattemptedtowritethischapter,but

withminimalsuccess.Ineededtoreturn,tolistenmorecarefullytothebuilding,tofind

somedisclosure.

AsIwalk,myeagernesstoreachtheCCBRquicklyfades.Themorninglightisbright

andwarm,castinglongshadowsacrossvariousbuildings.Beyondthelayeringoflightand

dark,thereisatemporallayeringexpressedinthearchitecture.Likemanyolduniversities,

UofT’scampusisawalkbackandforththroughtime.ThereareseveralbuildingsinGothic

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andRomanesquerevivalstyles,composedofbricks,arches,andcolumns,andwith

attentionpaidtoclassicalidealsofproportionandrhythm.Next,thereisalayerofModern

buildings,strippedofornamentation,simpleformswithcrisplines.Now,therearea

handfulofsleekcontemporarybuildings,mostlyglassandsteel,andboastingsomething

“stateoftheart.”TheCCBRisoneofthenewest.

IcutthroughKnoxCollege,builtintheGothicrevivalstyle,andemergeintoFront

Campus.Itisalivewithactivity:sportsandfitnessgroupsinthefield,students,professors,

andadministratorsontheirwaytowork.Icontinuetothesouthernend,walkingalong

ConvocationHall.Itslarge,ioniccolumnscreatemonumentalshadowsacrosstheporchand

façadeinarhythmicmonumentality.AsImovesouth,thesunemergesfrombehindan

easternbuilding.Justtoitsright,almostunseenamidstthesun’sglare,standstheCCBR:a

glassboxfloatingeffortlesslyabovethebrickandstonearoundFrontCampus.Icontinue

south,andtheCCBRdisappearsoncemore.CuttingleftonCollegeSt,IknowtheCCBRis

close,butitisnotyetvisible.Itisrecessedfromthestreet,andflankedbylargebrick

buildingsoneitherside.AsIrounditswesternneighbour,IfinallyseetheCCBR’sfaçade,a

glasscurtainwall,throughaclusteroftrees.Itishuge,severalstorieshigh,seemingly

contrarytoitshiddenness.Wasithidden,ordidIstoplooking,distractedbythe

monumentalstructuresaroundthecampus?Afterjourneyingacrossseveraldecadesof

architecturalhistory,Ihavefinallyarrived.

***

AWorldofGlass

Glassfacadesaresuchcommonfeaturestodaythatwepassthroughthemwithout

concernfortheirtechnological,orphilosophical,modernsymbolism.Themodernhistoryof

glassinarchitectureisrepresentativeofthelargerdivergenceawayfromcraftsmanship

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andtowardsindustrialization.1Massmanufacturingofglass,throughindustrialproduction,

minimizedglassrefraction/distortionandkept“whatisseenthroughitslensas

conspicuouslyobjectiveasifnoglasswerepresent”(Plummer82).Ironappearedinbridge

designsasearlyas1770s,andbegantoappearinpublicbuildings,inParis,inthe1830s.

Frencharchitectsandtheoristsofthetimeadvocatedforironandglassarchitecturedueto

its“dematerializedluminouseffects,”thoughttobesymbolicofthe“newindustrialera”

(Bergdoll182).Theincorporationofironinarchitecturehelpedfreewallsofanyload‐

bearingresponsibilities,allowingforlargerexpansesofglass.

Bythemid‐19thcentury,anewarchitecturalexperiencewasemerging.Joseph

Paxton’sCrystalPalace(image6.3),from1851,utilizedthesenewindustrialmaterials,in

combinationwithgreenhousedesign,tocreateanunprecedentedspaceofglass(Bergdoll

207).Itwasasymbolic1,851feetlong,enclosedmaturetrees,andhadnointernalwalls.

Withthisnewstructure,explainsBergdoll,criticsofthetimerecognizedanewstandard

createdforarchitecture.Onenewspapercorrespondentfeltthat,duetothelackofshadows

createdbytheCrystalPalace,perspectiveinsidethebuildingwasdisrupted,and“all

materialityisblendedintotheatmosphere”(Bergdoll209).Thecommonlyunderstood

dichotomybetweenoutsideandinsidewaschallenged.

Theincorporationofmass‐producedsteelandglassintoarchitecturegavedesigners

anew‐foundcontrolovernaturallight,anditwasquicklyappliedtoallbuildingtypes–

houses,libraries,schools,factories,museums,churches,offices,etc.Itallowedfora

dramaticincreaseinnaturallight,providinghealthbenefitsforurbanpopulationsspending

increasingamountsoftimelivingandworkingindoors(Plummer9).However,thephysical

benefitswereonlyoneaspect.Plummerexplainsthat,“thisrevolutionwasnotsolelyoneof

1Thediscussionofglasspresentedisprimarilyconcernedwiththeevolutionleadingtoglasscurtainwalls.Foranexampleofearlierexperimentationwithglass,seeChapter7–“TheLightofGodintheDarkAges.”

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quantity,fortheriseofnewdemocraticsystemsandtheirconcernforhumanindividuality

broughtarchitectsanunprecedentedfreedomintheexpressionoflight.Suchideaswereno

longermerelyfordogmaorpropaganda,butcouldnowofferpeoplearangeof

undeterminedexperiences”(9).WalterGropius,founderoftheinfluentialBauhausschool,

stated,“Wewantaclear…architecture,whoseinnerlogicwillberadiantandnaked,

unencumberedbylyingfacadesortrickeries”(27).Theageofthe“glassbox”was

approaching.

Withtheadventoftheskyscraperintheearly20thcentury,newopportunitieswere

presentedforglass.EarlyModernstructuresstillincorporatedsometraditional

ornamentation,creatingskyscrapersinthelikenessofclassicalcolumns.However,the

preeminentModernistarchitectssoughttodoawaywithclassicalornamentation,instead

adoptinganindustrialaesthetic.Inapropheticessayfrom1928,FrankLloydWright

discussedthepotentialsforglassinarchitecture.Heobservedthatmodern,machine‐made

glasswassocheapanddesirablethat“ourmodernworldisdriftingtowardstructuresof

glassandsteel”(137).However,Wrightfeltthatglasswasnotgivenproperattentionyetin

architecturalthought,beingtoonew,andhadnotraditionalguidelinesexplaininghowto

usethismodernmaterial(137).Wrightcontinues,

But, the glass and bronze building is the most engaging of possibilities inmodern architecture. Imagine a city iridescent by day, luminous by night,imperishable!Buildings– shimmering fabrics –wovenof richglass– glass allclearorpartopaqueandpartclear–patternedincolororstampedtoformthemetaltracerythatistoholdalltogethertobe,initself,athingofdelicatebeautyconsistent with slender steel construction – expressing the nature of thatconstruction in the mathematics of structure, which are the mathematics ofmusic as well. Such a city would clean itself in the rain, would know no firealarms–noranyglooms…Idreamofsuchacity,haveworkedenoughonsuchabuildingtoseedefinitelyitsdesirabilityanditspracticability.(140)

Additionally,Wrightmentionshowglasswouldsolveheatingandotherissuesinhis

utopianfuturecity.Whileweknowtoday,throughexperience,thatWright’scityofglass

doesnotholdtheanswertoourhappiness,therehasneverthelessbeenaproliferationof

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Wright’svisiononaglobalscale.Withinournewworldofglass,theexistential

understandingofinteriorspacehasbeentransformed.

***

TheCCBRisonlystepsawayfromtheintersectionofCollegeStandUniversityAve,

whereseveralgigantic,glassbuildingsstand.Yet,theCCBRstandsinstarkcontrasttoits

immediatesurrounding–oneithersideisanornamented,detailed,brickneo‐classical

building.Atquickglance,theCCBRpresentsaunified,glassfaçadetoCollegeSt.Withmore

carefulobservation,however,theintricaciesoftheformemerge.Thebuildingiscomposed

ofthreelargeblocks:theloweratrium/thoroughfare,andtwoupperblocksseparatedbya

horizontalvoidwithsquaresupportcolumns.Thewindowsthemselvesfeatureacoherent

pattern,butwithsomeirregularities.Threelargesquaresdisruptthepattern,appearingas

distinctsquareswithinthelargerwindow.Withinthesesquarestwo‐storiedatriumscanbe

seen,featuringgreenspaceandtrees.

Closerinspectionalsorevealsthatthelowerwesternwallisattachedtotheadjacent

building,theRosebrughBuilding.TheglassfaçadeoftheCCBRappearstobecrawlingover

theolderfaçade,slowlydigestingthebrick.Thecontrastbetweenthetwobecomes

immediatelyapparent.Wheretheytouchisahistoricalcollapse;temporaldistanceis

eliminated,forcingthetwostylesintodialogue.TheRosebrughBuildingpresentsablonde

brickfaçade,dulledanddirtiedovertime,andfullofdetailandtexture.Ivyisgrowingupits

surface,gentlyflutteringinthewindandaddingdynamismtothefaçade.Bycomparison,

theglassfaçadeoftheCCBRappearsuniformandsimple.Therhythmicsolid‐voiddetailing

ofthecoarselytexturedbrickscreatesaninterplayofshadowsandlight.Thereareno

shadowsontheglassfaçade,onlyshadowswithin–saveforsomesubtleplayoflightand

shadowwhereblindsaredrawnshut.Otherwise,theentirefaçadeisuniformand

transparent,withtheinteriorappearingasasingleshadow.Lightistouchingthefacade

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freely,withoutmanipulation.Furthercomparisonofthesetwobuildingsrevealstwo

differentinterior‐exteriorrelationships.Tomyleftarethewindowssunkeninbrick,acting

asholesinanotherwiseimpenetrablewall–smallopeningsforexchangebetweenoutside

aninside.Tomyrightisacurtainwallofglass,allowingtheoutsidetocontinueinwithout

anysignificantthreshold(andviceversa).Acurtainwallcontainsnowindow–theentire

wallisonlywindow.Thesignificantexperienceoflookingoutthroughawindowhasbeen

super‐sized.

IenterthroughthemaindoorwayoftheCCBR(which,ofcourse,ismadeofglass).

Whiletheexteriorformissimpleanduniform,theinteriorisanamalgamationofroomsand

floors,alldifferentshapes,materials,andheights.Immediatelytotheleftisatwo‐level

bamboogarden,slopedtowardsCollegeSt(unfortunatelythegardenhasrecentlybeencut

down–todayitisonlydirtwithafewplantsattherear).Theinterior,liketheexterior,is

comprisedofindustrialmaterials:steel,concrete,andglass,withmanysmooth(polished)

surfaces.Thecoolnessofthematerialityiscontrastedbythewarm,morninglightentering.

Additionally,thefoliagethroughoutcontraststheotherwisewhite‐and‐gray,unornamented

space.Thereisasetofstepsstraightahead,tothesecondlevelofthethoroughfare.It

passesclassrooms,offices,andacafeteriabeforereachingthecampusbeyond.WhileIam

literallyinsidetheCCBR,Idonotfeelcompletely“inside”.Therearemanyinsideswithin

thisinside,akindofmulti‐layeredinterior.Ihavemovedfromtheexteriortowithinthe

glassskin.Iamstandinginthefirstlayerofinside,andcannowmoveintosubsequent

interiorlayers(classroom,office,etc).

AsIwalkaroundthelowerlevels,Iattempttoorientmyself.Discoveringascaled

modeloftheCCBRonthesecondfloor,Icanpinpointmypositionwithinthisminiaturized

building–alittlespeckonthesecondfloorstaringatamodel.Fromthisobjective

viewpoint,Iamabletoconceptuallygrasptheentiretyofthespace.Anembodied

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experienceisquitedifferent,asthereisnosingleviewthatrevealstheentirestructure.In

theactualCCBR,dependingwhereIsitandwhichdirectionIlook,thespacepresentsitself

anew.Itismoreakintoasmall,vertically‐orientedtownthenaunifiedstructure.Tofully

griptheinteriorlayout,Ineedtomove.Icontinuetoexplore.

ItisabrightmorningindowntownToronto,anddespitetheabundanceofsunlight

inthespace,thereareseveralelectriclightsoninsidetheCCBR:overheadspotlights,

hanginglamps,andstreetlamps.Whensetwithintheabundanceofnatural,atmospheric

light,theelectriclightsofferanegligiblecontributiontotheinteriorbrightness.Theyare

merelyspotsoflightinanalreadybrightspace.

Myexplorationshavereturnedmetothelargebamboogardeninthethoroughfare,

neartheentrance.ThegardenisactuallysituatedjustbeyondtheCCBR’sperceivededge,

occupyingthespacebetweentheCCBRandtheRosebrughBuilding.Aglassceilingcontains

thegarden,extendingtotheRosebrugh’sadjacentfaçade.ThewesternwalloftheCCBR,

justbeyondthegarden,isactuallytheeastern,formerlyexteriorfaçadeoftheRosebrugh

Building.Theagedsurfacehasbeenpreserved,andnowresidesinsidetheCCBR.The

weatheredbeigebricksandclassicaldetailingcontinuefromtheexteriorfaçade,bringing

alongtheplayofshadowsacrossthebrick.Astrangemomentconfrontsme:windows

lookingoutfromtheRosebrughBuildingarelookingintotheCCBR.Mynotionsofinside

andoutsidearedisrupted–howcanawindowlookingoutofabuildingbeinsideanother

building?IfeelasifIamonlyhalfwayinside.

AsIsitwithinthegarden,directsunlightstreamsinthroughtheglassoverhead.

Streaksofbrightgreenemergeontheleavesoffernsbesideme.Likethetreesoutside

curtainwall,theyareindirectsunlight.BringingsunlightintotheCCBRmeansecological

processescanalsoenter.Theoutsidelightisreachingin,throughtheglass,andinteracting

withtheplants.Simultaneously,theplantsarereachinguptothelight,tryingtoparticipate

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withtheoutside,throughsunlight.Theplantsareincommunicationwiththeworldbeyond

theglass,unhinderedbytheir“interior”location.Thereisacontinuityoflightpresent,

madeexplicitbytheinteriorgarden.However,theinterioroftheCCBRissealed,savefor

thedoors.Iamsurroundedbyglass,yettheonlyopeningsvisiblearethoseonthe

RosebrughBuilding’sfaçade.

***

AllanGardens

Asmentionedearlier,theCrystalPalace(andthesubsequentevolutionofglass

buildings)borroweditsstructureandmaterialityfromgreenhousedesign.IvisitedAllan

Gardenstobetterunderstandthishorticulturalheritage.Itisalargegreenhouse

conservatoryseveralblockseastoftheCCBRindowntownToronto,builtandre‐builtsince

the1870s.TheformofAllanGardenisreminiscentofclassicalbuildings,builtarounda

largecentraldomewithasymmetricalfaçade.However,thematerialityisindustrial,mainly

glassandmetalscaffolding.Itislow,withmanywingssprawlingoutinthesurrounding

landscape.Thegreenhouseissetwithinapark,withmowedgrassandafewtrees.

Ienterthegarden,expectingasimilarexperiencetotheCCBR,butamsurprisedby

howclosedtheinteriorfeels.Alargeamountoflightenters,ofcourse,makingtheinterior

verybrightwithoutanyelectriclighting.Yet,duetothedensefoliageandmetalscaffolding,

theinteriorfeelsisolatedfromthesurroundingpark.Eachwing,dependingontheflora,has

itsownclimaticregulations,requiringphysicalandmechanicalseparationbetweenrooms.

WhilesunlightisintegraltoAllanGardens,theinteriorcreatesanatmosphereseparate

fromtheexterior.Lightenters,butnothingelse–onlyinafewplaces,whereinteriorfoliage

issparseandoutsidetreesareveryclose,areanyexteriorformsidentifiable.Otherwise,

thisisaspacewherelightenterswithoutanyvisualaccompaniment.Itisaninsidefullof

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naturallightandanabundanceofgreenery,buttheboundarybetweeninsideandoutside

remainsdistinct.

AllanGardendoesnotportrayanyoftheatmosphericconfusionsupposedlyfound

attheCrystalPalace(ortheCCBR).Contemporaryglassbuildingshaveevolvedfrom

greenhouses,andtheinside‐outsiderelationshiphasevolvedalongside.Theintroductionof

themassproductionofglassandsteelhasdeemedtheinside‐outsidethreshold

unnecessary.Yet,justasgreenhousesworktocontainafunctionalindoorclimate,glass

skyscrapersmustrelyonmechanicalregulatorysystems(whicharehugeenergyburdens)

forclimatecontrol.Insummermonthstheheatenteringviasunlightmustbecombated;in

thewinter,coldtemperaturesmustbekeptoutdespiteminimalinsulation.

***

Aftersomewandering,IfindmyselfonthesecondleveloftheCCBR,sittingona

benchoverlookingCollegeStreet.Theafternoonhasbroughtclouds,threateningtorain.A

fewdropscomedown,strikingtheglassfaçade/ceiling,yetnoraincanenter.Outside,

leavesandbranchesareswayinginthewind.Ilookaround–inside,theplantsremainstill.

Glasskeepsouttheatmosphere,butallowslighttoreachin.Iseelayersofbuildingsacross

thestreetandbeyond,cityblocksseeminglypaintingonthefaçade.Theyarephysically

distantyetvisuallypresent.Byvirtueoftheuniquepropertiesofglass,Iambothseparate

andentwinedwiththeoutside.Theinteriorclimateisseparatefromtheexterior,butthe

lightisnot.Iaminside,yetsimultaneouslyreachingoutthroughspace,visuallytouchingthe

distantbuildings.Mysightwandersout,whilethelightissimultaneouslycomingin.There

isanecho,areverberationbetweenmeandtheworldbeyondtheglass.Lightissomehow

transcendentofourinside‐outsidedistinction,resistingphysicalcategorization.Wheredoes

“outside”end,andwheredoes“inside”begin?Encasedinglass,myboundaryrecognitionis

influx.

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Icontinuetoreflectontherelationshipbetweeninsideandoutside,openand

closed.Inmypreviousfieldwriting,Ihadfoundthistensionfascinating,aresultof

contemporarydesign.What,though,isthebenefitofblurringthisdistinction?Inaworldof

glass,thereisnosuchthingasawindow.Wheneverythingisopen,therecanbenoopening.

Inabuiltspacecomprisedofglass,thereisaparticipatoryrelationshipbetweentheinterior

andexterior,throughlighting.TheCCBR’sglassfaçadeistransparent,meaningthewallof

theinteriorisanexteriorvista.Whenitisabrightday,thewallisbright.Whennightcomes,

thewallbecomesblackwithspotsoflight.Theinsideisalmostoutside.Thepolarityofthe

interior‐exteriorrelationshipevaporatesintoonecontinuousexperience.

***

InsideOut,OutsideIn

Thecomplexrelationshipbetweeninsideandoutsidespacerepresentsatension

betweenopennessandclosedness.InThePoeticsofSpace,Bachelarddevotesanentire

chaptertothistopic(“TheDialecticsofOutsideandInside”211‐31).Outsideandinside,

explainsBachelard,oftenbecomedialectical,anabsolute“yesorno”division(211‐2).When

thiscommonlyhelddistinctionislost,intimatespacesloseclarityandexteriorspacesloose

theirvoidandpossibility(218).Bachelardseesthemetaphorofopenvs.closedas

“fossilized”inlanguage,yethisphenomenologicalinvestigationofpoeticimagination

questionsthisseparation(221‐2).“Alllanguagebearswithinitselfthedialecticsofopen

andclosed.Throughmeaningitencloses,whilethroughpoeticexpression,itopensup”

(222).Wecanconcludethataglassboxisclosed,butapoeticimaginationofvisionre‐

opensit.Bachelardexplainsthat,“thereexistsaplayofvalues,whichmakeseverythingin

thecategoryofsimpledeterminationsfallintosecondplace.Theoppositionofoutsideand

insideceasestohaveascoefficientitsgeometricalevidence”(230).Movementsbetween

openedandclosedaresofrequentlyinvertedthat“manishalf‐openbeing”(222),andJust

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aslightandspaceareperpetuallyentwined,insideandoutside(or,openandclosed)relyon

theirreciprocityforexistence.

Inglassstructures,visionbecomesaconnectingforcetotheoutside,workingto

dissolvetheopen‐closeddivision.Lightisforevercentraltooursight,andhenceour

understandingoftheworld‐asdiscussedinChapter4,weonlyseelight(ortheworld)by

light.Theintertwiningoflightandsightbringsforththeworld,opensituptheworldfor

interrogation.TheoldestknowntheoryofvisionbelongstoEmpedocles(ca.495‐35BCE).He

conceivedoflightasakindoftouch,withtheeyeprojectingavisualraythatsomehowfeel

object’sradiation(Park34‐5).Plato’stheoryofvisionwassimilar,proposingthatavisual

fireissuesfromtheeyeandinteractswithexternallight(Lindberg41;Park39).Theoriesof

visionhaveevolvedgreatlysincethen,andwenowunderstandthateyesonlyreceivelight,

theydonotprojectrays.Yet,somesemblanceofthisideahasendured,thatthecoalescing

ofoureyesandlightmakestheworldvisible,createstheworldforuswheneverweopen

oureyes.Throughvision,weareablereachoutintotheworld.Inaglassbuilding,ourreach

extendstothehorizon,beyondtheboundaryofinside.

Plummerspendsachapterexamining“veilsofglass”andtheirusagein

contemporaryarchitecture.Beyondincreasesintransparentglass,thereisalso

experimentationwiththeopposite,“diaphanous”ortranslucenteffectofglass.“Setagainst

therationalurgetomakeglassalmostdisappearisanirrationaldesirefortheopposite,to

heightentheopticcomplicationsofglassandbringintoplayastigmaticqualities–both

refractionsandreflections–whichinduceglasstosparkleandglow,andexhibititsown

ravishingpresence”(82).Diaphanousfilmsallowonetolookataswellasthroughglass,

givingitthefunctionofveilingratherthanfullyrevealing(83).Plummercontinues,

Wherever bent light produces images that are softened and only partiallyseen,asifglimpsedthroughaninterveningmist,roomisopenedupfortheeyetobecomecreativeintheactofseeing.Thedataperceptionisreplacedbyfleetingsketchesofthings,whichevadethefullgraspofeyeormind.(83)

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Webecomeimmersedinthespacewhenwebecomeawareoflightentering,re‐capturing

theimportant,dynamicthresholdbetweenexteriorandinterior.Lightingeffectscanboth

enforceorquestiontheinside‐outsideboundary.AsRasmussenexplains,“…tomostpeople

agoodlightmeansonlymuchlight.Ifwedonotseeathingwellenoughwesimplydemand

morelight.Andveryoftenwefindthatitdoesnothelpbecausethequantityoflightisnot

nearlyasimportantasitsquality”(189).

***

IjourneytoanupperflooroftheCCBR,toonetheatriumsseenfromoutside.There

isasmalldeciduoustreeplanted,andjustaboveitareventsandpipes.Thevibrantgreen

overpowersthedullnessofthesurroundingmaterials.Theorganicformcontrastswiththe

precisegeometryofitsencasing.Inaway,thetreeparticipatesmorewiththeoutside,just

beyondtheglass,thanitsimmediatesurrounding.TheRosebrughBuildingfaçadeisonly

feetaway–Ifeelobtrusive,soneartosomeone’swindow.Lookingovertherailing,Icansee

theRosebrughfaçadejuttingagainstthelargegardenintheloweratrium.Again,Iamnotso

surethisisaninside.Duringthissecondvisit,IhavebeentryingtodiscovertheCCBRitself;

Inowunderstandthatthelackofanyboundaryisadefiningcharacteristic.Paradoxically,a

glassbuildingcontainswithouthavinganybarriers.Phenomenologically,theexperienceis

neitherinsidenoroutside,openorclosed.

AsIsitandreflect,Ifindmyselfwantingtore‐concretizetheinside‐outside

distinction.Ifeeltrapped,abletolookpasttheglasswallswhilecontainedwithinthem.I

headbacktotheatriumandexitthroughthemaindoors.Whilemyvisualperceptionofthe

streetscapeisunaltered,IamconfrontedbytheheatandhumidityofaJulyafternoon.I

realizethattheCCBR’sinterior,apparentlytransparenttotheexterior,hadbeenpartlya

charade–lightwasbroughtin,yettheclimatewasforcefullykeptout.BackonCollegeSt,I

amconfidentthatthisisoutside.

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Iwalknorth,backthroughFrontCampus,butnowmygazeventuresbeyondthe

immediatesetting.Totheeast,aboveandbeyondthesurroundingbrickbuildings,several

glassskyscrapersareunderconstruction.

***

Inourtimelighthasturnedintomerequantitativematterandthewindowhaslost its significance as mediator between two worlds, between enclosed andopen, interiority and exteriority, private and public, shadow and light. Thewindowhasturnedintoamereabsenceofthewall,having lost itsontologicalmeaning.(Pallasmaa33)

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6.1.FrontCampusattheUniversityofToronto,withConvocationHallintheforeground.

6.2.FaçadeoftheTerrenceDonnellyCentreforCellularandBiomolecularResearch(CCBR),asseenfromCollegeStreet.

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6.3.TheCrystalPalace(courtesyoffadis.library.utoronto.ca).

6.4.AdjacentfaçadesoftheCCBRandRosebrughBuilding.

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6.5.ViewsouthintheCCBR’sthoroughfare,withthegardenintheforegroundandCollegeStreetentranceinthebackground.

6.6.Skylightsabovethethoroughfaregarden,andtheinteriorfaçadeoftheRosebrughBuilding.

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6.7.Treesandceilinginanupper‐levelatriumoftheCCBR.

6.8.ExteriorofAllanGardens.

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6.9.InteriorofAllanGardens.

7

St.Gabriel’sPassionistParish:InLightofReligiousExperience

…aspiritualspace,naturalorbuilt,orboth,isaspace,notthatenablesspirituality,butinwhichspiritualityisenacted.

‐DiCicco,“NotesonSpiritualityandSacredSpace”

AfteralongsubwayridetonortheastToronto,Iascendfromalongsubwayrideto

BayviewStationintoacloudyearlyafternoon.Itisaten‐minutewalkeastalongSheppard

AvenuetoSt.Gabriel’sPassionistParish,Canada’sfirsteverLEED‐certifiedchurch.Beyond

itsmanytechnicalgreendesigncomponents,itfeaturesauniquere‐interpretationof

stainedglasslighting.Thewalkisrelativelyunpleasant–SheppardAveisasix‐lane‐wide

arterialroadwithconstanttraffic.ImovehastilyeastwardalongSheppardAve,througha

seaofurbanity:shoppingmalls,condos,highrises,andbusyintersections.Themassof

concrete,combinedwiththeovercastday,createsadrearilylitscene.Oneofthesebrown,

unornamentedbuildingsis“TheTerraceofSt.Gabriel’s,”amixed‐uselow‐risebuilding.

BehindtheterracesandsetbackfromtheroadstandsSt.Gabriel’s.Saveforthenameand

location,thesetwobuildingssharelittleelse–oneaforward‐looking“eco‐church,”the

otheracookie‐cuttersuburbandevelopment.

Stone

82

Givenitsrecessionfromthestreet,St.Gabriel’scouldeasilybeoverlookedbya

passerby.Fromadistanceitcouldbemistakeitforaschool,library,oranyother

institutionalstructure,duetoitssimpleandunassumingrectilinearform.Thereisnotower

orspire,noextravagantentrance,andloomingstonesculpturetocommunicatethechurch’s

function.Instead,oneispresentedwithasimplewhitebox.Closerinspectionisrequiredto

noticethebiblicalstatueneartheparkinggarageentrance,orthesimplecrossattachedtoa

deadtree’strunk.AsIapproach,thegardendrawsmyattention.Itcovershalfthefront

property(therestisadriveway),andfeaturesindigenousplantsandtrees.Itisawelcome

site,comparedtothewell‐manicuredandfertilizedgrassboulevardsalongSheppardAve.

Thegardentouchesthesouthernwallofthechurch,afull‐lengthglasscurtainwall.Yet,

littleisvisibleinside,beyondtheglass.AsIapproachfromSheppardAve,theinteriorofSt.

Gabriel’sremainsdarkandsilent.Thechurch,anditscolourfulstainedglass,hidesfromthe

busystreet.

IenterSt.Gabriel’sthroughthenarthex(entrancehall),flankingtheeasternsideof

thechapel.Thefloorplanisunconventional,essentiallyalargerectangle.Theentirerearof

thebuilding(northend)housesalloffices,eventrooms,etc.Therestoftheparishisdivided

betweenthenarrownarthex,runningalongtheeast,andalargerectilinearchapel.The

narthexfeaturesalivingwall,oneofSt.Gabriel’sprominentecologicalfeatures.Througha

skylight,directsunlightisrunningdownthelivingwall,creatinganinterplayofbright

greensandshadows.Thesightandsoundsofthelivingwall,combinedwithlargewindows

andskylights,contributetoapleasantambience.Thenarthexisawelcomedtransitionary

zonebetweencommercial‐heavySheppardAveandSt.Gabriel’sspiritualspace.

Iprogressintothechapelthroughoneofthreelargewoodendoors.Inside,thereisa

mutedsilence;myfootstepssoundobtrusive.Thereisafountaininthechapelemittinga

soothingbackgroundnoise,butitisnotloudenoughtoblockoutfootstepsorwhispers.

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Thisacousticcharacteristicofchurches–areverberatingsilence–seemsunavoidable.The

pewsarearrangedunconventionally,witheasternandwesternrowsfacinginwards

towardsthenave.Isitdowninaneasternpew,facingthewestwall.Incontrasttothe

warmthofthewoodenpews,therestofthechapeliscomprisedofverycleanandcrisp

materials:concretefloorsandwalls,andawhiteplasterceilingandconfessionalrooms,and

whitemarblefountainandaltar.Ablackpianostandsoutamidstthewhitesandgrays.

Ihavebeensittingquietlyfortwentyminutes.WhenIarrived,therewasagroupof

studentsinthechapel.NowIamalonesaveforoneotherindividual,whoissilentlypraying

tomyright.Thespaceiscalmandstill.Ifeelrestless.BecauseofthewalkalongSheppard

AveIhavenotadjustedtothepaceofSt.Gabriel’s.Myrestlessnessmaybecausedbythe

discomfortofbeinginachurch(it’sbeenmanyyearssinceIattendedaservice,andfeelings

ofguiltareruminating).Perhapsmyexperiencediffersfromtheintended/conventional

effect,becauseitismoresolitarythancommunal.Thenagain,quietmeditationisacentral

functionofsacredspaces.ThelackoftranquilitymayalsobebecauseIhavepreviously

studiedSt.Gabriel’s.LastyearIvisitedthechurchahandfuloftimes,tocriticallyanalyze

thebuildingasawhole.Assuch,Iknewwhattoexpect,whattoexperience.Dothesebiases

andexpectationsmakemycurrentexperienceanylessgenuine?Iamnotsure.

Weliveinspaces,butwhatdoesitmeantotrulyexperienceaspace,topayclose

attentiontoitsnuancesanditseffectonourbodiesandmoods?Thattaskisnevercomplete.

Myeyeshavebeenscanningthechapel,myhandsexaminingthepews.Ihavebeen

searchingforlightanditsunnoticedqualitiesinthisspace,butIfinditdifficulttoseparate

lightfromthewholeofmyexperience.Tomyleft,thepolishedseatofapewreflects

sunlight,creatingawhiteblotchontheotherwisebrownsurface.IsitthepewIam

observing,orsunlight?Myfeelingisthatdisentanglingthepewfromthesunlightitreflects

istroublesome,asitdeniesthepewofitsparticipationinmyexperienceofthatlight.

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TherearenoartificiallightsoninsideSt.Gabriel’s–everythingissoftlylitby

indirectsunlightfromthesouth‐facingcurtainwallandthedoorwaystothenarthexalong

theeasternwall.Itisaconsistentandsoftlight,verypleasant.Littleshadowispresent.For

suchalargeandopenspace,consciousdesigneffortshadtobemadetoensurenatural

lightingreachedeverycornersoevenly.Notonlydoesthishelpwithenergyconservation,

butthisalsocontributestoablurringofexteriorandinteriorspace.Thelightenterssubtly

andpermeatesthespace,givinglifetothesurfacesittouches.ItbecomesapparentthatI

havenotsimplybeenobservingtheconcretewalls,butthatthelighthasbeenpresenting

thewallstome.Thelightisactinguponmyclothes,mynotebook,andmyself.Itisamedium

inwhichthewalls,thepews,andIareimmersed,andalsoamediuminwhichtheoutside

worldissimultaneouslyparticipating.

Thereisahorizontalitytothespacethatbecomesapparentasyousit,incontrastto

theverticalityyouexpecttofindinchurches.Thelowceiling,orientationofpews,and

exposedhorizontallinesofthepouredconcretealongthewallspullyoureyeslaterally.This

directsyourgazetowardsthesouthernwall,andbeyondintothegarden.Thecurtainwall

allowstheinteriortovisuallyextendintothegarden,howeverthelightingremains

separate.Thegardenisbaskingindirectsunlight,asmallhavenofun‐mowedgreenery

alongSheppardAve.Theinteriorishiddenfromdirectsun,visuallyconnectedtothegarden

whileremainingdistinct.Justbeyondthegarden,“TerracesofSt.Gabriel’s”arelooming.

TheyactasasoundandvisualbarriertoSheppardAve.TheseclusionofSt.Gabriel’shelps

facilitatetheinteriormood.

Icontinuetositandexaminetheplanesurfaces,simplelayout,andmonochromatic

materialityofthechapel.Itstrikesmethatthespaceitselfisnotonlycoldbutalsoplain.It

iscertainlynotoffensive,andthegardenviewispleasant,buttheaestheticisvery

industrialandimpersonal.Theexposedconcretemakesthechapelseemveryheavyand

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grounded.However,theconcreteisnotmeanttobethefocus.Alongtheeast,west,and

northwallsofthechapelarespecialhiddenskylightsfittedwithvariouscolouredglass

panels,acontemporaryinterpretationofstained‐glasswindows.Asthesunrisesandmoves

overthebuilding,acolourfulmosaicmadeentirelyoflightstretchesdownthewalls–first

onthewesternwallasthesunrises,andlaterontheeasternwallasthesunbeginsits

descent.Assuch,thegreyconcreteactsasacanvasuponwhichthecolouredlightcreates

vibrantpatterns.

***

Light,Materialization,Colour

AsdiscussedinChapter4,ourunderstandingoflightandspaceisexperientially

inseparable.Kahnpoeticallystated,“Isenselightasthegiverofpresences,andmaterialas

spentlight”(“SilenceandLight”229).Yet,thereexiststhepossibilityofmoldingspaceto

createaheightenedexperienceoflight.Kahnalsostated,“Structureisthemakeroflight”

(“SilenceandLight”231).Plummerexplainsthat,throughouthistory,materialshavebeen

manipulatedtoincreasesensitivitytolight,suchasflutingonGreekcolumnsorthestained

glassofGothiccathedrals(218).Whilethecraftworkofthosestylesisnearlyimpossibleto

replicatetoday,industrialprocessesdooffernewpotentials.Materialsnormallyopaque,

suchasconcrete,canbemadereceptivetolight.Kahn’sexperimentationwithconcrete

forms

Revealed in his work a constant awareness of the simplicity required forbuildings to transcend their physical limitations, while avoiding busy surfaceeffects that might interfere with light’s subtle and marvelous, yet tenuous,appearance.(Plummer180)

Inresonatingexperiences,weparadoxicallylookbeyondthematerialsandobservethe

light,althoughthelightingisadirectresultofthemateriality.Thus,theconcretebecomes

entwinedwiththelightingexperience,anagentbringingforththelightingeffect.

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AtSt.Gabriel’s,thelightingeffectisnotonlylightonconcrete,butalsocolouredlight

onconcrete.Wearefurtherremovedfromthemateriality,andinsteadareappreciatingthe

lightaswewouldapainting.McCann,in“EntwiningtheBodyandtheWorld,”applies

Merleau‐Ponty’sdiscussionofpaintingin“EyeandMind”toarchitecturalexperience.

McCannexplainsthatthecategorizationofqualitiesproposedbyDescartessawlength,

height,andformasprimary,whiletexture,colorandlusterweresecondaryqualities,

unquantifiableandunreliable.Merleau‐Ponty’sfocusonthedynamicrelationshipbetween

painterandworldinvertedDescartes’categories:

…in a world whose most fundamental characteristic is interconnected flux,these “secondary qualities” become central… Painting’s exploration of thecomplexandchanging interrelationshipsamong form, light, texture, andcolorshedslightonourinterconnectedstateinawaythatrepresentationofformandoutlinecanneverachieve.(266)

DiscussingCézanne’sinterpretationofpainting,Merleau‐Pontystatesthathe“simply

wantedtocaptureitemergingfromthecolor”(“Cézanne’sDoubt”66).Understandingthe

colouredlightingofSt.Gabriel’sinthisway,ourtraditionalcategorizationisinverted–the

walliscreatedbythecolour.Weareengagedbythecolours,andnottheheightorlength,of

thewall.

Unlikeapainting,whichisstatic,thelightingofanarchitecturalspacenecessitatesa

dynamicexperience.“Wherethepainterlooksattheworldandperceivesitscolor,light,and

form,anarchitectseesaplace,asetofmaterials,orachangingqualityoflight…Tothe

architect,itisnotsimplyline,color,andform,butalsosun,wind,gravity,materiality,and

motilitythatgainexpression”(McCann,“EntwiningtheBodyandtheWorld”268‐9).AtSt.

Gabriel’s,thefourthdimension(time)becomesanactiveprocess,usingthemovementof

thesuntorefocusexperienceon“secondary”qualities.AsPlummerexplains,

Buildings shaped to reveal and celebrate the flux of energy found in the skydestabilizesomeofthemostfundamentalaspectsofconventionalarchitecture.Asthefinalityofarchitecturedissolvesintoastateofimpermanence,attentionisdrawnawayfromatraditionalemphasisonformandobject,therationaland

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themeasurable.Butequallyintriguingisthewayfluidlightconstructsagreaterworldofspace,drawingtheskyintoroomsandpaintingitsdistantpresenceonwalls.Terrestrialbuildingsare inscribedwithacelestialdomain,andallowed,in Bachelard’s words, to ‘inhabit the universe,’ just as the universe comes toinhabitthebuilding.(18)1

SuchausageoflightcreatesapictureofrealitythatisnolongerEuclideanorinasteady

state,butconstantlychanging.Itisanexplorationofarchitecturalprocesses,notstates.

Visitorsarerequiredtostayforminutes,orevenhours,toobservethemovementofcolours

throughtime.Theexperiencebecomesablendof“thoughtandimagination,feelingand

perception,”relatingSt.Gabriel’sinterior“intimatelytolife”(Plummer23).

***

Todayitiscloudy,withspotsofsunlight,andthecolouredlightingisgenerally

diffusedandweak.Thecoloursonlyreachafewfeetdownthewall,quicklyfading.

However,whenthesuncomesoutthelightingquicklychanges.Coloursbegintosaturate.

Linearshadowssegmenttheblocksofcolour,createdbythesteelsupportsystem.2The

lightnolongergraduallydiffusesdownthewall,buttheswathsofsaturatedcolourendin

anabrupthorizontalline,communicatingtheheightofthesun.Theexteriorweatherhasa

perceivableeffectontheinterioratmosphere.Ifindmyselfdrawnawayfrommypage

wheneverthesunbeginstoshinethrough.Inoticethisnotthroughthesoutherncurtain

wall,butbythegrowingintensityofcoloursonthewesternwallinfrontofme.Myeyesare

inextricablydrawntothewallswhendirectsunlightenters.Yellow,orange,blue,andred

interminglealongthewall.Theystretchoutatoddangles,likeshardsofstainedglassfalling

ontothewall.Thewallsthemselvesarenotthefocus;theyareheavyandindustrial,butthe

lightmakesthemappear“light”anddynamic.Becausethecurtainwallilluminatesthespace

1ForadiscussionofBachelard’snotionofcosmicity,seeChapter5–“ACosmosUntoItself.”2Thewhiteplasterwallappearstobefloating,becauseitheldbyasteelsupporttruss.Thebeamsareincorporatedintothelightingeffect.

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forvisibility,thecolouredlightisallowedtoexistasavisualobject.Asidefromthewalls,

thesurfacesdonotparticipate–theyarestillandsilent.

Asquicklyasthecolourscomeintofocus,theyfadeaway.Anotherfewminutesof

diffusedcolourpass,thenagaincloudspartanddirectsunlightre‐entersthechapel.The

sunsolidifiesthecolouredlightingagain,onlyforafewseconds.Thelighthasnowmoved

downtheentirelengthofthewall,andalsoafewfeetalongthefloor–thesunmustbe

directlyoverhead.Thecolouredlightingisinmotion,albeittogradualrhythmofthemoving

sun.

Thesuncontinuestocomeinandoutoffocusquickly,leavingmewantingmore.It

isfascinatingtowatchtheshadowsdarkenandthecolourssaturate,incrediblehowbright

thewallsbecomewhenthesunshinesthroughthestainedglass.Thisrhythmic

intensificationandmanipulationofnaturallightinvitescontemplationofthesun’s

presence.Themutatingcoloursactoutthesun’smovement,a“creativity”simultaneously

abstractandtangible.

Itismomentswherewealmostperceivelightitselfthatlight,aslight,gains

significance.Whenbroughttotheforefrontofexperience,suchasinSt.Gabriel’s,lightis

seenastheforegroundandtheobjectsilluminatedasthebackground.3Youfeel,ifonlyfora

fewmoments,asifyouareabletoseelightasathinginitself.Thestainedglassishidden

abovetheroofline,onlyvisiblefromdirectlybelow.Ittricksyouintofocusingexclusivelyon

thelightingeffectandnotthelightingsource.Theconcretewallsbecomeasecondary

canvasuponwhichcoloursmove.Inthesemoments,wefoolourselvesintobelievingweare

actuallyseeinglightitself,abletoperceivewhatisephemeral,abletophysicallygraspthe

metaphysicalifonlyforaninstant.

***

3Seediscussionoffigure‐groundinChapter5–“LightandSpace,andDarkness.”

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TheLightofGodintheDarkAges

Perhapsinnoothereraofarchitecturewasthesymbolismoflightasprominentas

duringtheironicallylabeledDarkAges(ca.400‐1400CE),specificallyintheGothic

cathedral.Thedevelopmentofmedievaltheology,whichunderstoodlightasa

substantiationofGod,helpedtoshapecathedraldesign.4“Theideabehindtheimportance

oflightinGothicarchitectureisthatasthemostnobleofnaturalphenomena,theleast

material,theclosestapproximationofpureform,lightcanmediatebetweenwhatis

bodilessandwhatiscorporeal”(Scott133).Throughaconsciousmoldingofthe

experiencesofthelumenineverydaylife,onemaycatchaglimpseoflux,thetruelightof

theuniverse.

TheGothiccathedralwasconceivedasaspacewherevisitorswouldexperience

heavenonearth;glimpsetheunderlyingluxthatgavetheworldmeaningandorder.

Cathedralswerenotmeanttobealiteralimitationofheaven,however–thatwouldbe

consideredblasphemous.Instead,theywereenvisionedasasetofrelationshipsand

symbolsthatmappedouttheuniverseandevokedJerusalem(inheaven).Cathedralswere

meanttodrawyoubeyondthephenomenalworldandrepresentanabstractnotion,namely

thelogicofGod’screation(Ball56‐7).Light,explainsBall,wasmeantto“drawmenand

womenintocontemplationofthisdivinelightsothatitmightenterandilluminatetheir

hearts”(239).Anythingthatinterruptedtheflowoflightwasremoved,aslighthadto

penetrateeverycorneroftheinteriorspace.Stainedglasswasnotunderstoodasan

openinginthewall,buta“transparentwall”thatreceiveditsenergyfromahigher,

transcendentpower(vonSimpson4).Thequesttoincreaselighting,throughincorporating

morestainedglass,createdaneedformorewindows,whichledtoconcernsovercathedral

structure.Theresultanttechnicalinnovationswereribbedvaults,pointedarches,andflying

4SeediscussionofmedievaltheologyinChapter4–“Cosmologies.”

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buttresses,whichcharacterizetheGothicstyle.“ThelightandheightoftheGothic

cathedralssuggestedtomanythemergingofheavenandearth:loftyceilingsreachedto

heaven,theirgreatpiersplantedfirmlyinearth”(Nielsen,HeinandReynolds382).Hence,

thesenewstructuralsolutionswereinventedtoaddresstheologicalconcerns.Theresult

wasagreatnumberofbeautifulcathedralsacrossEurope,andinspirationforsubsequent

churchesbuiltduringGothicrevivalperiodsthroughouttheWesternworld.

AfterreflectingupontheimportanceoflightinginGothiccathedrals,onemaynote

theactuallackoflightwithinthem.Therearevibrantcolours,butlittledirectlight.Ball

attemptstoexplainsthisapparentcontradictionintwoways(238):firstly,toomuchlight

wasseenasdistracting–twilightwasconsideredbestforworship.Secondly,theyonly

seemdimcomparedtotheglassandsteelstructuresweinhabittoday.Inthemedieval

period,therewasnoelectricityandveryoftenhousewindowshadnoglass.Asaresult,

windowsweremadeassmallaspossibleforfunctionalreasons(rain,theft,etc).Most

interiorswereactuallyquitedarkcomparedtothemagnificentcolourswitnessedin

cathedrals.

Sometheorists,suchasvonSimsoninTheGothicCathedral,directlycreditthe

theologicalclimateofthe12thand13thcenturiesforthedevelopmentoftheGothicstyle.

Othersdonotseeadirectcausation.Forexample,Dodwellexplainsthatlightand

luminosityhadbeenapreoccupationoftheologiansforcenturies,butstainedglasswas

difficulttoobtain.Hecreditseconomicfactorsandtheavailabilityofresourcesforthe

suddenincreaseinstainedglass(375‐6).Similarly,BallfeelstheclaimsofvonSimson,

identifyingfoundersoftheGothicstyleasNeoplatonistsandsubsequentlyconnecting

abstracttheologicalwritingstoarchitecturaldesign,maybesomewhatmythisized(244).

Architectsofthetimemaynothavebeenconcernedwithsuchtheories,anditisdangerous

toreducecathedraldesigntoasingleinfluenceormeaning.However,Balldoesnotdismiss

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theimportanceofmedievaltheologyentirely.Hestatesthat“wecouldscarcelyunderstand

thewiderpredilectionforexperimentswithcolouredglassinGothicchurchesifithadnot

coincidedwithanintellectualclimateinwhichPlatonicphilosophy,scientificspeculation

andChristiantheologyseemedtouniteingivingprimacytolight”(245).

FromthehistoryofGothiccathedrals,twoideasareimportant:theconnection

betweentheoreticalunderstandingsoflightandresultantbuiltmanifestations,andthelong

andstoriedtraditionofusinglighttoconnectpeoplewithametaphysicalbelief.Insacred

spaces,lightholdsaprominentroleinourexperiences.

***

UnliketheGothiccathedral,St.Gabriel’sisverywelllit.Itisclean,brightandopen,

visuallyandphysically.Mymindisallowedtowanderthroughthechapelandoutintothe

garden.Itisnotominousormysterious,aschurchestendtofeel,yetanatmosphericquality

doesquietlyenvelopyou.Restlessnesscandissolveintotranquility,whichcangrowtoward

reverie.Here,youcandaydreamaboutwhatisgiven,whatispresent–atemperedformof

reveriecharacteristicofcontemporarybuildings.Whentheskyisovercastandthecoloured

lightisdiffused,Ifindmyfocusdriftouttothegarden,oramongstthepews.Withoutthe

stainedglasseffect,thegardenandpewsserveascolourfulandtexturalfocalpoints.

Comparedtotheambientnaturallight,thecolouredlightprojectsonlyontothe

walls,whereitseemspaintedontotheconcrete.Itissomething“overthere”toobserve

whileyousitinthesoftlylitpews.Whenoneisexposedtodirectlight‐sources,thereisan

envelopingpressure.Thecolouredlightisonthechapelwalls,however,isseparatefrom

theindirectandambientillumination–itdoesexertanypressure.Instead,thiscondition

invitesyoutomoveaboutwithinthestillness.

Afterawhileofsitting,Ileavemyeasternpewandwalktothewestwall,wherethe

colouredlightstilltouchesthefloor.Iamonceagainalone,andmyfootstepsreverberate

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throughoutthechapel.Ifeelveryconspicuous.Iwalkalongthewallwithinthedowncast

colouredlighting.BecausethesunisnowdirectlyaboveSt.Gabriel’s,itfollowsmy

movementbeneaththenarrowslitofmulti‐colouredglass.Myhandsandshoesareawash

inasubtlesequenceofcolours.InthismomentIhaveenteredintothelightingeffect,and

ampartofit.Iaminalitspacewithinalitspace.Thecoloursarenolongerflatfiguresover

there,buttheyareallaroundme.Ihavebecomeapartofthecanvas,meaningIcanno

longerperceivethefullprojectionofcolouredlight,saveformycolouredextremities.To

experiencethelightinginthiswayfeelssomehowwrong,likeintrudingintoapaintingora

stageset.Ihaveabandonedmyroleasaviewer…Ienteredthefigure,andthefigurebecame

myground…Ireturnedtomyseat.

Thecoloursarenowascendingupthewesternwall,whilesimultaneously

descendingdowntheeasternwall.Theupperportionofthenorthernwallisnowsaturated

withvibrantbluesandreds.Thecolouredlightisinnorush,butitsmigrationwillnotstop

untilitdisappearsfortheday,leavingthespacetopreparefortomorrow.Asthecolours

ascendfromthewesternwall,itonceagainbecomesmereconcrete–onlyafaint,diffused

reminderofcolouralongtheverytop.Withoutthecolours,Iamstaringatablankcanvas

again,adull,industrialmaterialwithoutornamentation.

AsIleavethechapel,aninterestingmomentoccursafterpassingthroughthe

thresholdofthedoorway.Frominsidethechapel,thecoloursfeltconfinedtothewalls.Yet

whenIlookbackinfromthenarthex,thewholechapelappearscoloured.Theafternoonsun

hasfloodedtheeasternwallwithcolour,filteringmyviewintothechapel.Iamlooking

throughthecascadinglightingeffect.Ifthesoftlightencompassesthechapelspace,from

thisvantagepointthecolouredlightcontainsit.

IexitSt.Gabriel’sfeelingcalm,andwalkedthroughthegarden.Lookingbackinto

thechapel,Irecallhowdimitappearsfromoutside.Thecurtainwallappearsbeforemeasa

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physicalbarriernow,notaninvitingvista.Theinteriormovesoutthroughthegarden,yet

theoutsidedoesnotmoveinwards.Thechapelhasitsownlight,connectedtotheskyyet

notsharedwiththesurroundingurbanfabric.

IwalkbacktoSheppardAveandrejoinedthebusyandstaccatourbanflow.The

rhythmofSt.Gabriel’sissodifferentfromthestreetscapejustbeyonditswalls.Along

SheppardAve,youcannothearyourselfthink.InsideSt.Gabriel’s,thatisallyoucanhear.It

isaspaceofonedramaticlightingeffectandmanysubtleties,aquietplaceforreflection

thatforcesyourconsciousnessandspatialawareness.Comparatively,thelightingon

SheppardAvefeelsalmostexcessive,givenlittleattentionbeyondutility.Perhapsitisbest

ifSheppardAvedoesnotenterSt.Gabriel’s.

***

ANewReligiousExperience

Theprevioustouchstone,concerningGothiccathedrals,illustratesthenotionthat

culturalvaluesmanifestinbuiltform,andthatinsacredspaceslightisanespecially

prominentexperience.Whileitisstillasignificantexperience,visitorstodaymaynotfeel

thesamereligiousawakeningevokedinthe12thcentury.Sunlightthroughstainedglass,in

particular,isverydifferentforacontemporaryaudience.Inthemiddleages,theworldview

acknowledgedadivinemeaninginlight.Today,weperceivethelightaseitheraphysicalor

aestheticphenomenonthatmayormaynothavereligiousconnotations(vonSimson55).

“Themorninglightfallingthroughthechoirwindowsontothealtarcarrieswithstrong

immediacyasenseofenlightenmentandblessing.Insteadoftransmittingthespecific

messageof,say,Neoplatonistmetaphysics,itconveysabroader,moregenericexperience,

ofwhichthatdoctrineisbutoneapplication”(Arnheim208).TheexperienceofaGothic

Cathedral,oramorerecentiterationsuchasSt.James(seebelow),haslosttherigidityofits

meaning.

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Thetaskfordesignerstodayistocreatesacredspacesthatresonatewithour

contemporaryworldview,ratherthanmerelyreplicatingpaststyles.Overthelastcentury,

manydesignershavebegunsuchexperimentation.LeCorbusier’sNotreDameduHautin

Ronchamp(image7.8),1954,re‐imaginestheuseoflightasagatewaytoreligious

experience.Hemoldstheinteriornaturallightbycreatingintenseandirregularfocalpoints

withinalarge,hollowwall,andbyusingahiddenskylighttoilluminatethealtar.Withinthe

diminterior,theskylights“shedamagiclightoverthecurvedwallsoftheapsesothatthe

worshipper’sattentionisdrawntowardsit,towardsitsaltarandupabovewherethelight

isbrightest”(Rasmussen214).ForRasmussen,LeCorbusier’schurchshowstheexpressive

potentialsindaylightanditsdistribution.AmorerecentexampleisFayJones’Mildred

CooperMemorialChapelinArkansas(image7.9),1987‐8.Whiletheformisinfluencedby

Gothiccathedrals(Jodidio58),wallsareentirelytransparent,tomaximizenaturallightand

framevistasofthesurroundinglandscape.Jonescreatesasynthesisofthenaturalsetting

andGothicsymbolism,allowingthelandscapetoparticipateintheinteriorexperience.At

St.Gabriel’s,thestainedglassdoesnotdepictabiblicalscene,butre‐presentssunlight,

weather,andseason.Inthesemodernchurcheswecanseeare‐conceptualizationof

traditionallightingtechniques.WhereasinGothiccathedralslightrevealedGod,nowlight

canalsobeutilizedtoconnectustothelargercosmos.

Aprominentfigurethatsoughttore‐situatetheCatholictraditionwithinan

ecologicalfocuswasPassionistpriestThomasBerry(1914‐2009).Berryfeltthatmodern

culturewasmissingacomprehensivecreationstory,andhiswritingsattemptedto

synthesizecontemporarysciencewithspirituality.RobertoChiotti,thedesignerofSt.

Gabriel’s,wasinfluencedgreatlybyBerry’seco‐theology.Namely,thatChristianity’s

messageisoneof“responsiblestewardship”insteadofdominion,andthathumanssharean

intrinsicvaluewithallofEarthintheeyesofGod(Chiotti,“St.Gabriel'sChurch:ALEED™

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churchbuildingproject#1”).ThesebeliefsareincorporatedintothedesignofSt.Gabriel’s,

meanttobeacelebrationofourconnectednesstothemore‐than‐humanworld.“Unlike

mostchurchesbuilttoinspireasenseofother‐worldliness,thenewSt.Gabriel’sisdesigned

toemphasizethatwhenwegathertoworship,wedosowithinthegreatercontextof

creation”(Chiotti,“St.Gabriel'sChurch:ALEED™churchbuildingproject#1”).Chiotti

incorporatedawiderangeofecologicaldesigninterventionsintoSt.Gabriel’s,suchasthe

livingwall,theindigenousgarden,andpassivesolarheating.However,whatmakesSt.

Gabriel’sasuccessfulLEEDbuildingisitsadaptationofbuildingtechnologiestoapre‐

existingtheoreticalframework.JustasGothiccathedralssawareciprocitybetween

theologyandbuildingtechnology,St.Gabriel’shascoupledecologicaldesignstrategieswith

aneco‐theologicalunderpinning.Itisnota“LEEDbuilding”perse,butaneco‐spiritual

spacethatutilizesLEEDbuildingtoolstoachieveitspredeterminedgoals.St.Gabriel’s

representsanauthenticattempttocreateaninspiringexperiencebasedonourpresent

ecologicalconcerns,andourcontemporaryunderstandingofthemeaningoflight.

***

CathedralChurchofSt.James

ThefollowingdayIvisitedtheCathedralChurchofSt.James,atthecornerofKing

StreetandChurchStreetin“OldToronto”.Builtbetween1849and1874intheEnglish

GothicRevivaltradition,St.JamesfeaturesthetallestchurchtowerandspireinCanada

(McHugh30).IsoughttocompareSt.Gabriel’stoaGothicchurch,tobetterunderstandthe

differencesintheexperienceoflight.Althoughbuiltinthe19thcentury,St.Jamesemulates

theGothicinteriorsoftimespast.

Itwasabrightandclearday,andnearlynoon,whenIarrivedattheentrancetoSt.

James.MovingintothecathedralfromthebrightJunesunlight,thedimchurchinterior

immediatelyconfrontsmysenses.OnceIsitdown,myeyesbegintoadjust,allowingthe

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sourcesoflighttogainprominence.Thebrightnessandintensityofcolourproducedbythe

stainedglass,especiallyintheapsebehindthealtar,increasesdramaticallyinthesefirst

fewminutes.Anorganplayerisperformingextremelyloudly,inpreparationforarecital

laterintheday.Thisoverwhelmingsound,combinedwiththedimlighting,envelopsme

immediatelyandcompletely.Theatmosphereispowerfulandintimidating.However,asI

remainstillinthespaceandmyeyesandbodyadjust,themoodmellows.Perhapsthisis

becausethestainedglass,whichisstrikinglycolourfulatfirst,producesastilland

consistentlightingeffect.ThisisverydifferentthanSt.Gabriel’s,inwhichtheatmosphereis

verysubtleatfirstbutgrowsinintensityasthelightingdescendsalongthewalls.St.

Gabriel’sisneverasoverwhelmingasSt.James.Itgraduallyinvitesyourinvolvement.

ThematerialityandformofSt.Gabriel’sappearsindustrial,cold,andun‐

ornamented,especiallyincontrasttotherichtones/texturesandintricatedetailing

throughoutSt.James.St.Gabriel’schapelisanopenandsimplespacethatyoucan

immediatelygrasp,whereasSt.James’interiorisacomplexarrangementofsolidsand

voids,whichcreatesintrigue.St.Jamesfeaturesmanycorners,concaves,andcrevicesfor

lighttoreachinto,creatingopportunitiesforshadowstohideandlinger.Therearemany

placestoletlooseyourimagination.

ThereareonlyafewelectriclightsoninsideSt.James:asetnearthealtar,afew

overheadsineachaisle,andoneabovetheorganplayerintheapse.Otherwise,themain

sourcesoflightaretheopendoorwaysandthestainedglass.Alongtheclerestorystained‐

glasswindowsthereisamulti‐colouredprojectiononthewindowsills.Itexistsonlyfora

fewminutes,remindingmeofSt.Gabriel’s.Aclusterofvotivecandlesnearthealtaris

flickering,swaying,dancingtotherhythmoftheorgan.

Whileseated,itisdifficulttodivertmyattentionfromthefrontofthecathedral.The

peworientation,vaultedceilings,andstainedglassbeyondthealtarpullmygazeforward.

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Simultaneously,thetallwindowsandloftycolumnsaroundthealtaremphasizeasenseof

verticality–thewholespacethrustsupwards.ThiscontraststhehorizontalitycreatedinSt.

Gabriel’s.Theforward‐upwardvisualtendencyatSt.Jamesisintensionwiththeotherwise

inwardfocusofthespace.Thelightpenetratingthroughthestainedglassentersuni‐

directionally.Itdoesnotventurebackoutside.WhileinSt.James,Iamunawareofanything

beyondthestainedglass.Theeffectofthelightingcreatesastrongsenseofinteriority,

unlikethemergingofinteriorandexterioratSt.Gabriel’s.Iamremindedofcommentsby

ParkregardingthestainedglassatChartresCathedral,that“Therearealmosttwohundred

ofthem:“windows,”theyarecalled;butwindowsletusseetheworldoutside,whereas

thesearewallsthatenclosespace,wallsofcoloredfiguresofmenandwomenandanimals”

(96).

Itisworthconsideringwhatislostandgainedinanewinterpretationofasacred

space.St.JamesisaGothicrevivalcathedral,acopyoftheoriginalstylerecycledinthe19th

centurysoastorevivethenotionofchurch.Assuch,St.Jamesfulfillsmyexpectationsofthe

archetypalchurchexactly.TheexteriorGothicformstandsoutagainsttheurbansetting,

symbolizingitsfunctionclearly.Theinteriormood,colouredlighting,andatmosphere

exemplifythedramaandotherworldlinessofchurches.Itattemptstobringthesacredback

intotheworld,toreturntotheGothicunderstandingoflight–thatluxissomewherejust

behindorbetweenthelumenIamexperiencing.Iimmediatelyinterprettheinteriorasa

spaceofworship,whichfitscomfortably.

Conversely,St.Gabriel’s,a21stcenturydesign,challengestheconventionalnotionof

church,forcingmetoconsciouslyexamineitsfeaturesandlayout(insteadofslippinginto

someformoffar‐reachingreverie).Itisacontemporarystructureimbuedwithaspiritual

significance.St.Gabriel’sisalessintensespacethanSt.James,butonethatfostersa

differentsortofawarenessoftheconnectionbetweentheinteriorspaceofworshipandthe

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largercosmos.TherelationshipbetweenSt.Gabriel’sandourEarthlyinhabitancebecomes

explicit.JustasmedievaltheologianssawthepresenceofGod’sperfectioninlight,wecan

witnessthemovementandfragilityofEarththroughlight…oratleastacloudpassing

overhead.

Theorganistfinisheshissetandturnsoffthelightabovetheorgan.Thevibrant

stainedglassbehindthealtarseemstopalebeforeme,morecloselyresemblingthesunlight

outside.Anopendoortomyleftremindsmeofthepleasantdayoutside.Packingupmy

notebook,Imovetowardthe(sun)light.

***

No architect can rebuild a cathedral of another epoch embodying thedesires,the aspirations, the love and hate of the people whose heritage it became.Thereforethe imageswehavebeforeusofmonumentalstructuresof thepastcannot live again with the same intensity and meaning. Their faithfulduplication is unreconcilable. But we dare not discard the lessons thesebuildings teach for they have the common characteristics of greatness uponwhichthebuildingsofourfuturemust,inonesenseoranother,rely.(LouisKahn,“Monumentality”22‐3)

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7.1.ExteriorofSt.Gabriel’sPassionistParish.

7.2.GlasscurtainwallofSt.Gabriel’s,viewedfrominsidethechapel.

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7.3.DiffusedcolouredlightonthewesternwallofSt.Gabriel’schapel.

7.4.ColouredlightdescendingwesternwallofSt.Gabriel’schapel.

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7.5.WesternwallofSt.Gabriel’schapelsaturatedincolouredlight.

7.6.ViewofhiddenstainedglasspanelsinSt.Gabriel’schapel.

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7.7.InteriorofSt.Gabriel’schapel,observingcolouredlightingwhilewithinthediffused,naturallightfromthecurtainwall.

7.8.InteriorofLeCorbusier’sNotreDameduHaut(courtesyoffadis.library.utoronto.ca).

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7.9.IneriorofFayJones’MildredCooperMemorialChapel(courtesyofwww.flickr.com/photos/bharding56/4767818834).

7.10.ExterioroftheCathedralChurchofSt.James(courtesyofwww.stjamescathedral.on.ca).

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7.11.InterioroftheCathedralChurchofSt.James.

8

Conclusion:Reflections

Light’stranscendenceisnotdelegatedtoareadingmindwhichdecipherstheimpactsofthelight­thinguponthebrainandwhichcoulddothisquiteaswellifithadneverlivedinabody.Nomoreisitaquestionofspeakingofspaceandlight;thequestionistomakespaceandlight,whicharethere,speaktous.Thereisnoendtothisquestion,sincethevisiontowhichitaddressesitselfisitselfaquestion.Theinquirieswebelievedclosedhavebeenreopened.

­Merleau­Ponty,“EyeandMind”178 SummaryandConcludingRemarks

Thetaskpresentedintheintroduction–tosearchforepiphaniesandmomentsof

insightintolight–guidedthethreecasestudies.Inmysearchforlight,whatdidIsee?

Generally,anoutdoorspacestrippedofanycosmologicalconnectedness,acontemporary

understandingoftherelationshipbetween“inside”and“outside,”andare‐interpreted

spirituallight.Ineachcasetherelationshipbetweenthebuiltsiteanditslargersetting,or

betweenthebuiltandnaturalenvironment,wasacentraltheme.DundasSquare,an

outdoorpublicspace,sealsitselffromthelargercosmoseverynight,ostensiblycreatingan

interior.Itisasymbolofmodernity,asasitecreatedbyelectriclighting.TheTerrence

DonnellyCentreforCellularandBiomolecularResearch(CCBR)createsaninterior‐exterior

tensionconstantlyinflux,causingundefined(orperhapsuncultivated)boundaries.It

representstheall‐too‐commonglassskyscraperofcontemporarypractice,givinglittle

attentiontotheimportanceofthresholds.St.Gabriel’sPassionistParishisanindoorspace

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thatcreativelybringstheexteriorworldin,connectingtheinsidetothelargercosmos.It

doessobyre‐thinkingreligiousmetaphorsoflight,therebycreatingauniqueexperience

thatquestionspresuppositions.Understoodinsequence,thethreesitesrepresenta

movementawayfroma“closed”builtenvironmentandtowardsonethoughtfully“opened”

tothemore‐than‐humanworld.

Throughoutthecasestudies,thetensionbetweendirectexperienceand

metaphoricalovertoneswasconsistentlyevident.Eachcasestudy(aswellasChapter4)

workedtouncovertherelationalexperientialandtheoreticallights,throughcombining

phenomenologicalwritingwithvarioustouchstonesonhistoricandphilosophical

influences.Afundamentalrealizationisthatwecannotperceivethisthingcalledlightas

somethingapartfromthespacesweinhabit,andourselves.Aninquiryintolight,suchas

wascarriedouthere,revealsitsdeeplyentwinednature–lightanddark,insideand

outside,materialandlight–thatisunavoidable.Lightisanentanglementofexperience,

theoreticalassumptions,andmetaphoricalovertones,tothedegreethatanobjective

vantagepointisimpossible.Insteadofapure“phenomenologyoflight,”Iinvestigatedthe

relationalityoflight–theintertwiningoflightandexperience,andexperienceand

interpretation.Thedangerisnotinherentinmetaphoricalunderstandingsoflightperse–

asZajoncexplains,conceptualmodels(spiritual,scientific,orotherwise)canserveasaids

toreflectionandhelpfosterinsight(306).However,whenconceptsareunderstoodastruth,

theyriskovershadowingthefirsthandexperienceinformingtheirveryconception.

Metaphorsofpasterascanbeobservedwithclarity,butwecannotstepbackfrom

contemporaryinterpretationssoeasily.Withcarefulreflection,however,wecanlet

experientiallightshinethrough,ifonlyforbriefinstances.

ThequotethatprefacedtheintroductionwasthefinalparagraphofZajonc’s

CatchingtheLight:“Seeinglightisametaphorforseeingtheinvisibleinthevisible,for

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detectingthefragileimaginalgarmentthatholdsourplanetandallexistencetogether.Once

wehavelearnedtoseelight,surelyeverythingelsewillfollow”(343).Ofcourse,“learning

toseelight”isarhetoricalstatement‐perhapsafinalconclusionwillbereachedregarding

thetruenaturelight,butfornow“seeinglight”isunderstandingourinterpretations,and

ourvaluesreflectedtherein.Thetaskaheadisnotto“see”lightliterally,butratheradmit

wecanonlyobservetherelationshipbetweenexperiencesandinterpretationsmoreclearly.

Assuch,aninvestigationofthethreesitespresented,oranyother,isnevercomplete;they

mayoffermanymoreinsightsandepiphanousmoments.Asourculturalvalues,

philosophies,andsciencesdevelop,sotoodoestherelationshipbetweenexperiencesand

conceptualabstractions.Thebuiltenvironmentwillcontinuallyoffernewinsights,ifwe

takethetimetolook.

ToconcludeChapter2,Iaskediftheconceptofanembodiedexperienceof

architecture,whencombinedwithenvironmentalthought,couldengenderashiftinvalues

towardsaraisedecologicalawareness.Toaddressthisquestion,Iutilizedthemethodsand

writingsofphenomenology,andmorespecificallyarchitecturalandecological

phenomenology.Interrogatingabuiltsite,usingphenomenology,canhelptorevealthe

connectednessembeddedwithin,orhinderedby,thatspace.RecallPlummer’sremarkson

theusefulnessofphenomenologyforexamininglighting:“Bysuspendingjudgmentand

graspingthingsinakindofprimalencounter,itbecomespossibletodiscernthemost

elusiveandsubtleaspectsofbuildings,includingaspectsoflightwefailoftentoconsciously

notice”(12).Throughphenomenologicalanalysis,wecanbecomemoreattunedtothe

intricaciesoflightingeffectsandhowtheyshapeourexperiences.Closeexaminationoflight

reveals,ifonlyforbriefmoments,thereciprocitybetweenourbuiltenvironmentsandour

values.Anenvironmentalethicconcerninglight,andsubsequentecologicaldesigninformed

bysuchanunderstanding,mustconsistentlyreturntoexperientiallightforexamination.

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Throughattentiontoexperience,those“fragilethreadsofconnectedness”(Wines18)can

bediscoveredandreinforced.Fromthisstartingpoint,newinterpretationsoflightand

lightingcanarise.Lightcanbecontrolledandquantified,oritsmysteriousandelusive

qualitiescanbeexplored.Seeingthissecondtypeoflightcanoffernewepiphanies,and

allowthemore‐than‐humanbackintoourspacesandus.Eachtimeweopenoureyes,we

canseethatprimordialandunfathomablelight,existingbeforespaceandtime,always

sustainingtheworld.Wecanmoveawayfromoldmetaphorsoflightandbegintoseea

reciprocitybetweenthelargercosmos,ourbuiltenvironments,andourselves.

InthewritingbyFrankLloydWrightdiscussedinChapter6–“AWorldofGlass,”he

statesthatglassopensnewpossibilitiesforarchitects.However,theuseofglassshouldnot

beboundbytraditionalideasofwhatabuildingmustlooklike;newmaterialsareoften

conformedtopreconceivedideaswithoutduethought(138).WhileWright’simaginedglass

utopiaistroublesome,thisnotionisuseful:today,thepreconceivedideasinheritedfromold

stylesarewhatarchitecturemustevolvefrom.Greentechnologiescannotsimplybeapplied

toapre‐existingtheoreticalframework–Modernbuildingshavetheirownphilosophical

goals.Ecologicaldesignneedsnewgoals,andthereforenewquestions.Yet,beforeand

duringtheestablishmentofanewdesignparadigm,ourarchitecturalheritagealsorequires

continuedquestioning.Anexplicitbreakwiththepastisnotnecessary;manygreatwriters

andpractitionersofarchitecturehavemuchtoofferfutureecologicaldesigntheoryand

practice.ThelessonsfromprominentModernistsconcernedwiththepoeticaspectsof

architecture,suchasLouisKahn,arestillrelevant.

“Thetaskofarchitecture,”concludedPallasmaa,“istocreateembodiedexistential

metaphorsthatconcretiseandstructureman’sbeingintheworld”(50).Therefore,anew

designprecedentshouldbethesearchforconnectednessbetweenhumansandthemore‐

than‐humanworld.Thefunctionofarchitecturaltheory,inthisframework,istoquestion

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ourpresuppositionsinformingdesignthinking.Thereisaneedtomoveawayfrom

manifestosandtowardscontemplationasaframeworkforinquiry.Engagingwiththe

subjectoflight,oranyotherphenomenon,canrevealthelayersofmetaphoricalmeaning

andtheirvariedusage.Itcanalsoinformfuturedesigntheoryofpastsuccessesand

shortcomings.Stoner,inherdiscussionofpoetry’susefulnessfordesign,explainsthat

poemscanprovideinspiration,andawaytotranscendprogrammaticrequirementsand

reflectonsomethingmoreprofound.Poemsgiveupcontrolinfavourofexplorationand

immersionwithinasubject(notunlikethegoalsofphenomenology)–thisiswhatStoner

proposesisneededinarchitecture(117).Iagree.

***

LookingBack

Usingphenomenologyasaconceptualframeworkandresearchmethod,Isoughtto

understandlight(andthethreecasestudies)inadifferent,ormorecomplete,way.Formy

personaldevelopment,thispaperlargelyservedtorefinearesearchmethodology(see

Appendix).Ifoundtheprocessdifficult,butrewardingintheend.Itwasaprocessofcareful

andcreativewritingandre‐writing,insearchofnewquestionsthatmustbeaskedof

architecturaltheoryandpractice.Thethreecasestudiesutilizedmytwo‐foldhermeneutic

andfirstpersonphenomenologicalresearchmethod,developedfromtheconceptual

frameworkpresentedinChapter3,toaddressthequalitativediscourseneededinecological

design(discussedinChapter2).Chapter4representedmy“literaturereview.”Itwasboth

aninitialphenomenologicalinvestigationoflight,andasummaryofextensivebackground

researchintothehistoryandtheoriesoflight.Chapter4servedasthebaseuponwhichmy

investigationsofspecificsitesweredeveloped.Animportantthemethatemergedwasthe

inescapableinterminglingofexperientialandtheoreticalunderstandingsoflight.Hence,the

outputforcasestudiesbecameacombinationofclosedescription,throughimmersion

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withinthespaces,andtouchstones,backgroundinformationconcerning

historical/philosophicalinfluences.

LookingForward

MyMajorPaperwasnotacomprehensiveinvestigationintolightandlighting,but

ratherwasmeanttofosteradiscourseconcerninglight’susageinecologicaldesign.There

aremanyadjacentandtangentialpathwaysthatcouldbeopenedforresearch:further

inquiryintoanysinglemetaphor,moredetailedresearchintospecificbuildingsorbuilding

types,greateranalysisoftheimpactsofelectriclighting,Westernvs.alternativeworldviews

oflightandtheirsubsequentmanifestationsinarchitecture,1etc.Additionally,thepolarity

oflightanddark,ortherelationshipbetweenmaterialityandcolour,couldbefurther

developed.Likewise,DundasSquare,theCCBR,orSt.Gabriel’scouldbefurtherinvestigated

forphilosophicalpresuppositionsinformingtheirusageoflight,andpossiblenew

directionsforarchitecturaltheorycontainedwithin.

Thehopeisthataspiringorestablisheddesigners,andphilosophersofarchitecture,

candrawinspirationfrommyinvestigation.Whendesigning,precedentsareanimportant

consideration–Ihaveexaminedthreecontemporarystructurestoassesstheirpositiveand

negativecontributionstogreenarchitecturaltheory.Asphenomenologyisaninductive

researchmethod,thepresentinsightscanbeappliedto,orconsideredfor,anydesignwith

similarprogrammaticcharacteristics.Ialsobelievethatmyresearchmethodcanbefurther

developed,andcontinuallyutilizedtoinvestigatebuiltenvironments.Itisatemplatefor

myself(andothers)toapproacharchitecturalquestionsinadifferentway,andhelp

progressanydialogueregardingecologicaldesign.Ichosetoexaminelight,butonecould

1Forexample,Jun’ichiroTanizaki’sInPraiseofShadowsoffersanentrypointforthecomparisonofJapaneseandWesternlightingdesign,whichcouldbeconsideredfromaneco‐criticalviewpoint.

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usethismethodtoapproachanyphenomenon,oreventoexploreasinglebuildingasa

holisticexperience.

***

Coda:StillSearching

Thedeskinmyapartmentisbesideabaywindowfacingnorthwest.Duringthe

summermonths,aslitofdirectsunlightentersforafeweveninghours.Itisnevermore

thanafootwide,justbarelyanglingin.AsIwrite,thedirectsunlightstreamsinacrossmy

desk,eventuallyclimbinghalfwayupthewall.Theintensityandbrightnessofthedirect

sunlightreflectingoffthedesk,comparedtothesurroundingindirectlight,alwaysseems

morereal.Abitclosertolightitself.Ireachedouttotouchthelight,yetnomaterial

substancewasthere.Ifelttheheat,butcouldnotfindthelight.Sittingincontemplation,

whatdidIsee?God,theBigBang,geometry,awave‐particlehybrid,alife‐givingenergy–or

haveItrickedmyselfinto“seeing”somethingbeyondwhatisseen,justbeyondmyvision?

Asthesunsets,thelastofthesunlightcrawlsbackoutthewindow.Onceagain,Iam

leftreflectingonlight,thisstrangethingtoowellknowntoeverbefullyexperienced,

alwaysfadingjustasitcomesintofocus…

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Appendix1)ResearchMethod

Asopposedtobeingaphilosophicalposition(“Iamaphenomenologist”),itismore

usefultoviewphenomenologyasastyleofthinkingormodeofinquiry–thiswasactually

thestanceofbothHeideggerandMerleau‐Ponty(Matthews13).Itis,toquoteSeamon,“a

wayofstudywherebytheresearcherseekstobeopentothephenomenonandtoallowitto

showitselfinitsfullnessandcomplexitythroughhisorherowndirectinvolvementand

understanding.”Inordertoachievethis,Iamcombininghermeneuticandfirstperson

phenomenologicalmethods,asdefinedbySeamon.Whiledifferentresearchersvaryintheir

opinionofwhetherphenomenologicalresearchshouldinvolveaninterpretive(or

hermeneutic)aspect,Finlaynotesthattherearenohardboundariesbetweendescription

andinterpretation.Rather,thereisacontinuumbasedonsubjectmatterandresearcher–

themoremediatedthedescriptionis,themoreinterpretationisinvolved(11).Inreference

toarchitecture,Pallasmaastated,“Allexperienceimpliestheactsofrecollecting,

rememberingandcomparing”(50).Hence,cominglinghermeneuticandfirstperson

approachescanleadtoaricherandfullerinvestigation(seechartbelow,displayingmy

researchprocess).

Hermeneuticphenomenology

Beyondpurelydescriptiveinvestigations,Iamactivelysubjectingmyobservations

andexperiencestoaninterpretationshapedbyenvironmentalthought.Myembodied

descriptionsofbuiltspacesarebeingviewedthroughanecophenomenologicallens(see

Chapter3–“QuestionsofScale”)andscrutinizedfortheirpotentialenvironmental

relevance.Hermeneuticphenomenologyinvolvestheinterpretationoftexts,wheretext

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referstoanyobjectimbuedwithmeaning(Seamon).InResearchingLivedExperience,van

Manenstates,

Hermeneutic phenomenology tries to be attentive to both terms of itsmethodology: its is a descriptive (phenomenological) methodology because itwants to be attentive to how things appear, it wants to let things speak forthemselves; it is an interpretive (hermeneutic)methodology because it claimsthat there are no such things as uninterpreted phenomena. The impliedcontradiction may be resolved if one acknowledges that the(phenomenological)“facts”oflivedexperiencearealwaysalreadymeaningfully(hermeneutically) experienced.Moreover, even the “facts” of lived experienceneedtobecapturedinlanguage(thehumansciencetext)andthisisinevitablyaninterpretiveprocess.(180‐1)

Therearemanywaystointerpretatext,sothetaskisnevercompleteandalwaysunder

way(Seamon).Whileoutsidetheboundariesofphenomenologicalresearch,Dewdney’s

AcquaintedwiththeNightprovidesausefulexampleofahermeneuticinvestigationin

action.Dewdneyimaginedhewasastrangertotheconceptof“night,”exploringitforthe

firsttime.Thisway,he(andthereader)couldseesomethingordinaryinanewway(5).He

doesnotonlyrelyonfirsthandexperiences,butalsomovesthroughscience,art,literature,

myths,dreams,cities,insomnia,andnocturnalanimals,arrivingatmoremeaningful

understandingofnight.Manywritingsonembodiedarchitecturalphenomenologycontaina

hermeneuticcomponent,suchasPallasmaa’scriticismofourvision‐biasedsociety.

FirstPersonPhenomenology

Firstpersonphenomenologicalresearchutilizestheresearcher’sfirsthandexperiencesasa

basisforunderstandingthephenomenon(Seamon).Thisencompassesthedescriptive

aspectofmyresearch,asIamexaminingtheembodiedexperienceoflightwithinvarious

builtspaces.Thesedescriptivewritingsareinspiredbytheobservationsandterminologyof

thearchitecturaltheoristsoutlinedinChapter3–“ArchitecturalPhenomenology.”That

beingsaid,therearefewwritingsthatactuallyundertakeadetailed,firstpersonanalysisof

aspecificphenomenon.Forinspiration,IhaveturnedtoworkssuchasHull’sTouchingthe

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Rock.Structuredasjournalentriesoverthreeyears,Hullwritesontheexperienceofgoing

blind.Hesearchesforthepersonalmeaningofhisblindness,detailingvariousphysical

difficulties,relationships,questionsoffaith,etc.Throughout,hereflectsonbothextremely

personalsituationsandlargersocietalconcernssurroundingblindness.Thereisnotightly

woundoverarchingnarrativeandnoconcreteconclusion;insteadHullcarefullydetailshis

experienceofblindness,leavingthereaderwithafullerunderstandingofanotherwise

unknownphenomenon.Reflectinginhisproject,Hullstates,“Thismustincludesomeeffort

tounderstandblindnessitself,aswellasmyownblindness.Inseekingunderstanding,Iam

seekingmeaning…Ofcourse,thequestforfullsignificance…willneverbeended.Itwill

neverbeafinishedproduct.Nevertheless,thequestremainsworthwhile”(163).

QuestionsofLanguage–TheImportanceofReflectiveWriting

Writingisacentralcomponentofresearchwithinaphenomenologicalframework.

InResearchingLivedExperience,vanManenexplainsthat,inphenomenology,researchand

writingare“practicallyinseparable”activities(4),andthat“Creatingaphenomenological

textistheobjectoftheresearchprocess”(111).Assuch,researchandwritingbecome

aspectsofoneholisticundertaking.Writingisnotsomethingdoneasafinalstage,butvery

muchapartofthesearchformeaning.Tothispoint,Colyar’s“BecomingWriting,Becoming

Writers”makesasimilarargumentfortheusefulnessofwritinginqualitativeresearch

generally.ForColyar,writingisaresearchmethodologyinitself,agenerativeprocessthat

goesbeyondsimplytranscribingideas.Itbothhelpstopresentthetopiceffectivelyand

helpstheresearchermakesenseofthetopic.“Writingisinquiry.Writingisakindofdata

collection”(423).Researchinphenomenologyaimstogobeyondexplicitmeanings,and

readbetweenthelinestoaccessimplicitdimensionsandintuitions(Finlay10).Thoughtful

andreflexivewriting(andrewriting)becomestheprimaryresearchtask.

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Onthetopicofphenomenologicalwriting,wereturntotheembodiedarchitectural

phenomenologistsmentionedinChapter3(i.e.Holl,Pallasmaa,Rasmussen,andZumthor).

ExaminingRasmussen’sExperiencingArchitecture,itisimportanttonotethathis

descriptions,reliantprimarilyonformalanalysis,refermainlytophysicalattributes–ideas,

analogies,andfeelingsarenotpresent.Heisveryliteralinhistreatmentofbuiltspaces,

leavingoutwhatcouldbeconsideredtheunderlyingmeaningofthespace,thusbetraying

theprimarytaskofaphenomenologicalinvestigation.AsvanManenexplains,“…wemay

describeanarchitecturalorphysicalspace…intermsofitsdimensionalpropertiesand

measures.Butsuchspacesalsohavetheiratmospheric,sensual,andfeltaspects.Moreover,

thesequalitiesarenotfixedbutsubjecttochangelikemoodsofalandscape”

(“PhenomenologyofPractice”21).Elsewhere,vanManennotesthataphenomenological

writingsucceedsonlywhenit“letsusseethatwhichshinesthrough,thatwhichtendsto

hideitself”(ResearchingLivedExperience130).

Thereisaninterestingtensionemerging,namelytheabilitytowriteabouta

phenomenonthroughitsliteralexperiencingasagatewayintoitsunderlyingessence.

“Languagethatauthenticallyspeakstheworldratherthanabstractlyspeakingofitisa

languagethatreverberatestheworld,asMerleau‐Pontysays,alanguagethatsingsthe

world”(vanManen,ResearchingLivedExperience13).Toaccessunderlyingmeaning,some

phenomenologistsrecommendengagingmodesofresearchbeyondscientificendeavors,

suchasart,literature,andpoetry(Finlay14).Similarly,inQuestionsofPerception:

PhenomenologyofArchitecture,Holldiscussestheimportanceof“extra‐architectural”ideas,

andspecificallyliterarymetaphors,forprovidingauniquemeaningtoarchitecturaldesign

(119).Zumthornotesthisrelationshipaswell,statingthatpoetry“isconcernedwith

insightsandunderstanding,andaboveallwithtruth.Perhapspoetryisunexpectedtruth.It

livesinstillness.Architecture’sartistictaskistogivethisstillexpectancyaform”(Thinking

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Architecture19).Iwilladdthatliteraturecanalsohelpusunderstandandarticulatethose

experiences,ofspacesdesignedorotherwise.

Hollproposestheuseofliterarysources,butdoesnotexplainhowthiscouldbe

achieved.ThewritingsbyStoner,whichaccompanyandorganizeheranthologyPoemsfor

Architects,moreintricatelyinvestigatethe“dynamictension”betweenliteratureand

architecturethatHollalludesto.ForStoner,poemscanprovideinspiration,andawayto

transcendprogrammaticrequirementsandreflectontheprofoundimplicationsofbuilt

spaces(117).Rasmussengivesanexcellentvocabularyforinvestigatingwhatisexplicitly

presented;poetryandliteraturehelptorevealwhatishiddenbeneath,relinquishing

controlinfavourofexploration.Acentralthemethroughoutisthedifficultlyinaccessing

lightthroughlivedexperience,makingthepoeticunderstandingsdiscussedbyStoneras

valuableasthevocabularyprovidedbyRasmussen.

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2)BuildingCreditsAllanGardensCompleted:1910(latestrebuild);additionsin1920sand1950sArchitect:RobertMcCallumAddress:19HorticulturalAvenue,Toronto,ONCathedralChurchofSt.JamesCompleted:1853(latestrebuild);1874(additions);1900(stainedglass)Architect:Cumberland&Ridout;additionsbyLangleyLangley&Burke;stainedglassbyTiffany&Co.Address:65ChurchStreet,Toronto,ONDundasSquareOpened:2002Architect:Brown+StoreyArchitectsAddress:IntersectionofYongeStreetandDundasStreet,Toronto,ONSt.Gabriel’sPassionistParishCompleted:2006Architect:RobertoChiotti(LarkinArchitectLimited)Address:670SheppardAvenueEast,Toronto,ONTheTerrenceDonnellyCentreforCellularandBiomolecularResearch,UniversityofTorontoCompleted:2005Architect:BehnischArchitektenwitharchitectsAllianceAddress:160CollegeStreet,Toronto,ON

Stone119

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