Week 6: “Phenomenon of Place”/ “The Geometry of Feeling”

From: Christian Norberg-Schultz the “Phenomenon of Place”

Christian Norberg-Schultz writes “Place is evidently an integral part of existence”.

He also considers the “qualitative” quality of the space, which makes the space a “total phenomenon”. His idea is that it is impossible to relate any of our daily life and existence event without having a physical reference related to locality. (With the digital age, maybe it is also a “digital locality”. It is hard for me to think that I am writing about seminar without thinking about the “UO blog”. I wonder what Heidegger will have to say about that, knowing all the physical  characteristics he mentioned about spaces)

Schultz dismisses the scientific approach to space, which makes it “abstract” and “objective” due to “neutral knowledge”.  Instead, he focuses on the “return to things” ( I think he meant the essence of things, their true nature and reasons to exist). This returning to the things is phenomenology.

In his writings, Schultz mentions nature and nature forms. He values the “extended comprehensive totality” of a place, its identity, its spirit. He uses Heidegger words as a point of departure for his reasoning.

For him, the sky and the earth (the horizontals) are the natural form of each setting, and then come man-made “artifacts” which are settlements (the verticals), connected with a network of “paths”. This canvas drawn by him is the “cultural landscape” of a well “explained” existence. Without phenomenology, this canvas will merely be an abstract painting, a painting made b science, not by an existence of essence.

Now, there is an inside, which is known and secure, and the outside, which is the result of the first.  Now there is also an inside-outside relationship,  an “extension” and an “enclosure”. This is a system of spaces as defined by Heidegger.

 

From: Juhani Pallasmaa  “The Geometry of Feeling…….”

The geometry…: science, dimensions, proportions, materials, lights, shadows, silence, presence. (also nature)

…of feeling: human existence, nostalgic, language,  rebelling, metaphysical, consciousness. (also sign of existence)

While reading the passage about the progression of experiences from the moment of seeing the house to the moment of being inside and looking out of the window (p.451-452), I couldn’t help but establish a strong analogy with the first humans inhabiting the caves, long before settlement.

This is how I think architecture is experienced: intuitively. (with memories, with senses, with feelings and emotions, expectations , nostalgia, consciousness and mainly sub consciousness)

 

Grace Aaraj