Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the...

32
Landscape s

Transcript of Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the...

Page 1: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Landscapes

Page 2: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes:• “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

What is a Landscape?• a unit of human occupation• human design and use of the environment• a product of human action• a collection of evidence about human (our) character and experiences

Three kinds of Landscapes:1.Ordinary Landscapes2.Symbolic Landscapes3.Derelict Landscapes

Page 3: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Ordinary, or Vernacular, landscapes• the everyday landscapes that people create in the course of their lives

Symbolic landscapes• representations of particular values or aspirations that the builders and financiers of those landscapes want to impart to a larger public

Derelict landscapes• landscapes that have experienced abandonment, misuse, disinvestment, or vandalism

Page 4: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Example of a Symbolic Landscape:

Page 5: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Landscapes as Text: What can be read by these landscapes or what was the architect writing about when he/she designed these?

Page 6: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

The Aesthetics of Landscape:• A culturally determined standard of beauty and good taste

Canadian Aesthetics

Sublime:A landscape so impressive that it inspires awe or wonder

Page 7: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Do you ‘like’ these buildings?

Page 8: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

How about these?

Activity: Go to ‘Google Images’ and type in Weird Buildings or Weird Architecture and see what you see.

Page 9: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

The Garden as Landscape:

Field Trips:

•James Gardens•Edwards Gardens•Allan Gardens•High Park

Page 10: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Humans like most animals have some sort of Territoriality when it comes to Landscape.

Territoriality: the persistent attachment of individuals or peoples to a specific location or territory – Eg. attachment to the backyard, school yards, parks, coffee shop etc.

Sense of place: feelings evoked among people as a result of the experiences and memories that they associate with a place and the symbolism they attach to it – called Topophilia. Eg. Church where you got married, Field where you won a championship etc.

Topophilia: the emotions and meanings associated with particular places that have become significant to individuals - ‘love of place’

Discussion: Relate some of your feelings or ideas on the above three terms. Agree/Disagree, Examples, your House/School, when you were a kid, ????

Page 11: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Cognitive Images: what people see in the mind’s eye when they think of a particular place or setting. Sometimes you can simplify or even distort real-world environments. What you think is an easy direction may be difficult for others. What you think is dangerous may be safe to others. Eg. Downtown Toronto.

We tend to organize our Cognitive images into several simple elements:

Page 12: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Paths: The channels along which we and others move (e.g., streets, walkways, transit lines, canals)

Edges: Barriers that separate one area from another (e.g., shorelines, walls, railroad tracks)

Districts: Areas with an identifiable character (physical and/or cultural) that people mentally “enter” and “leave” (e.g., a business district or an ethnic neighborhood)

Nodes: Strategic points and foci for travel (e.g., street corners, traffic intersections, city squares)

Landmarks: Physical reference points (e.g., distinctive landforms, buildings, monuments)

Page 13: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

You could easily create a Cognitive image of Toronto or your ‘area of movement’.

Page 14: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”
Page 15: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Place Marketing: Economic and cultural globalization has meant that places and regions throughout the world are increasingly seeking to influence the ways in which they are perceived by tourists, businesses, media and consumers.

Landscapes are being re-invented, re-created and re-furbished

Niagara Falls is a good example of all three!

Other examples - Downtown cores, Historical sites, Olympic sites (once the Olympics are over), Waterfronts, old industrial areas etc.

Page 16: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”
Page 17: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

What is going to happen to Ontario Place?

Page 18: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Coded Spaces - The Shopping Mall and The City Plan

• Landscapes are embedded with meaning, which can be interpreted differently by different people and groups.

• To interpret and read our environment, however, we need to understand the language in which it is written.

• We must learn how to recognize the signs and symbols that go into the making of landscape.

• The practice of writing and reading signs is known as semiotics.

• side note: think of dress codes - how a jock, rocker, rapper and tree hugger dress - what message are they trying to convey.

Page 19: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

The Shopping Mall

• Malls are “palaces of consumption” designed to send signals to the consumer about style, taste, and self-image - think ‘Yorkdale’ - ‘Eaton’s Center’. • Malls try to create the following illusions:

The traditional “main street” of small town North America or European square Carnivals or open-air markets Nature - being outside

• Malls try and give the visitor a sense of ‘tourism illusion’ that there is more than shopping going on.

• Some malls even have a class structure - eg. Eaton Centre - top floor is upper class - bottom level is low to middle class.

Page 20: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Canada Trust Building - Montreal - the rest are in Toronto

Page 21: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

• In Canada the shopping mall also takes on a ‘Winter City Concept’ - since going outside can be a challenge in winter in Canadian cities.

• Try to combine Private and Public space indoors

• Toronto - Path: Downtown Walkway in Toronto

Page 22: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Note: The building of the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto and its direct connect to the subway and indoor parking removed people (pedestrians) from the surface of Yonge and Dundas. To get the people back outside (especially during the summer) Yonge and Dundas Square was built.

Page 23: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

The City Plan

A perfect example of a plan and architecture that is rich in messages is the planned capital of Brazil - Brasilia

Brasilia was built to convey:• A city in the wilderness - interior of Brazil• The rich Brazilian history• Christianity

Page 24: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Think of the city plans and architecture of:

•Paris

•Rome

•London

•Ottawa

•Washington

Think of the individual buildings, the street pattern, the squares, the open spaces, the wide streets etc.

Page 25: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Modern and Postmodern Spaces

Modernism - Spaces and Buildings to convey economic and scientific progress - through inventions like the telephone, the automobile, the airplane and the skyscraper. Examples of Modern Space:•Highways•Telephone Poles - overhead wires•The American C.B.D.

Page 26: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Postmodernism - Based on Consumption and showing Prosperity.Examples of Postmodern Space:•Re-developed waterfronts•Re-vitilize downtown shopping•Neo-Traditional Suburbs

Page 27: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Spaces based on Globalization

Globalization - Economic Interdependence , Mass Consumption

Examples of Globalization•Film•Television•Radio•Internet

Consumption this time means visual, audio and digital consumption - the consumption of experience. Examples:•Music - itunes, ipod, download•Film - DVD, Blu-Ray, Movies•Internet - Social Networks (FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter), YoutTube, Google etc.

Page 28: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Globalization deals with ‘instant communication’ - email, twitter, text messaging, gps

Discuss the modification of the English language (Syntax) to suit text messaging.

Discuss the emergence of Virtual Shopping

Discuss the rapid movement from Photocopy to Fax to Email to Text Messaging

Discuss the censorship of the Internet - Quebec’s fear of English, China censoring the Internet during the Olympics

Discuss the relevance of the ‘Global Village

Page 29: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

To conclude - nothing demonstrates this new landscape of Globalization more than the Restaurant. Especially as Cultural sites.

Food, more than ever, is being associated with place.

ChampagneFeta CheesePasta/PizzaMaple SyrupWinesPoutineIce Wine

Page 30: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

Restaurants today stress Ethnic Cuisine - (Canada due to its Immigration is one of the World’s best examples):

Thai FoodChinese FoodItalian FoodKorean FoodPortuguese FoodEtc.

The Restaurants are using Music, Costumes, Decorations and Architecture to give the visitor a Sense of Place when going to eat.

Page 31: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

The emergence of the Ethnic Restaurant in Montreal

Page 32: Landscapes. Carl Sauer - Cultural Landscapes: “A characteristic and tangible outcome of the complex interactions between a human group and a natural environment”

The End!