Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture: Norberg-Schulz

Phil 314Philosophy and the City

some terminology

Dwelling: gaining an existential foothold (5) Genius loci: the spirit of the place (5, Place: the concrete manifestation of human’s

dwelling Concretize: to make the general “visible” as a

concrete, local situation Cultural landscape: “an environment where

man has found his meaningful place within the totality.” (40)

3 steps towards a phenomenology of place

1. Distinguish between natural (landscape) and human-made phenomena (settlement) (p. 10)

2. Categories of earth/sky, outside/inside3. Character: “the basic mode in which

the world is ‘given’” (p. 14)

Possible relationships between natural and human-made places: gathering

1. Visualize: building demonstrates human understanding of nature by replicating what is seen in nature

2. Complement: building adds what is perceived to be lacking in nature

3. Symbolize: building demonstrates human understanding of nature and self by translating that understanding onto built form (Genius Loci, p. 17)

Genius Loci

Socio-economic factors are not the most important in shaping genius loci: “The existential meanings have deeper roots. They are determined by the structure of our being-in-the-world.” (6)

“if the settlements are organically related to their environment, it implies that they serve as foci where the environment is condensed and ‘explained.’” (10)

Protecting and conserving the genius loci means interpreting it in ever new ways (18)

Cultural Landscapes

“Through the interaction of surface relief, vegetation and water, characteristic totalities or places are formed which constitute the basic elements of landscapes.” (37)

3 archetypes: Romantic Cosmic Classical

Romantic Landscapes

Original forces strongly felt

Rugged with lots of places

Dwelling an interaction between humans and earth

e.g., Norwegian farm

Cosmic Landscape

Earth doesn’t provide foothold

No individual places structured

Sky is structured by the sun rather than the earth

Genius loci a manifestation of absolute

e.g., Ulurul (Australia)

Classical Landscape

Intelligible composition of distinct elements

Meaningful order Human scale Dwelling by placing

as equal partners—humans and nature

e.g.,Tuscany

Complex Landscapes

Mixture of “pure” archetypes

E.g., Beirut, Lebanon