NATURE OF NATURAL PLACE DWELL

SKY EARTH -ASSOCIATION -FEEL -EXPERIENCE THE INHERENT MEANINGS

EXPERIENCING THE SPACE MAKES US FEEL AT HOME THUS MAKING IT COMFORTABLE. MAKING ASSOCIATIONS WITH CERTAIN SPACES LIKE OUR HOME, STREETS, NEIGHBOURHOOD ETC. IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR PERCEPTION OF THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT WE LIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH HAS A STRUCTURE AND EMBODIES IMMENSE MEANINGS.

STRUCTURE & MEANINGS

MYTHOLOGIES (COSMOLOGIES AND COSMOGONIES)

MAN - IMBEDDED IN NATURE AND THUS DEPENDENT UPON THE NATURAL FORCES EXPERIENCE OF NATURE AS A MULTITUDE OF LIVING FORCES

FIVE MODES OF MYTHICAL UNDERSTANDING THINGS

COSMIC ORDER

CHARACTER

LIGHT

TIME

TEMPORAL RHYTHMS

THINGS RELATES THE FORCES TO CONCRETE THINGS CREATION OF HUMANS - ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT CULTURES Egypt world is a space between Heaven (Nut) and Earth (Geb) of opposite sexes . Earth is considered as the serving bearer from which life emerges. Sky high and inaccessible shape described by sun s path- its properties experienced as transcendence , order and creative power(rain). Earth- satisfy human needs for protection and intimacy. Sky cosmic implications. MOUNTAIN -Belongs to earth but rises to heaven. -Centres axis mundi trascendence from one cosmic zone to other. - place gather. - Certain cultures wilderness because of their inaccessibility - STONE- hardness and permanence high importance.

TREE Heaven and earth united alive. Vegetation manifestation of living reality- every season re-enacts the connection. Forest - wilderness

WATER Primeval substance from which all forms come Starting point of civilizations Flow of water symbol of life

ROCKS , VEGETATION AND WATER SACRED PLACES MICROCOSM CENTRES objects of man s orientation and identification In man s understanding of nature we thus recognize the origin of the concept of space as a system of places. Only a system of meaningful places makes a truly human life possible ALWAYS NATURAL AND DISCOVERED BY MAN

NATURAL UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACTING A SYSTEMATIC COSMIC ORDER The most invariant natural phenomenon (like sun or river or local prominent geographical feature) and the cardinal points Egypt South north direction of the Nile primary element of man s orientation. Sunrise east domain of birth and life. West- death world is understood as a structured space All cultures have a primeval axis mundi which is the main direction of man s orientation nordic cultures absence of sun polar star and an abstract heavenly axis.

CHARACTER OF NATURAL PLACE BEST EG; GREEK LANDSCAPE varied topography which are legible and clearly delimited. Intense and clear air give the forms an unusual presence individual and intelligble character of each space variety, clarity and scale in the landscape man is never engulfed or isolated the greeks personified these landscapes as anthromorphic gods and made them their central points of life fertile land Demeter and Hera mountain and sky Zeus swampy land Artemis RELATING NATURAL AND HUMAN CHARACTERS RECONCILIATION OF MAN & NATURE

LIGHT Ancient times sun as a thing rather than light as a concept Greece symbol of Knowledge, Art and Intellect Many culture Hindu, Christian, islam , Byzantine Never constant TEMPORAL RHYTHMS of nature The phenomena of any natural place cannot exist without these rhythms The changes in light do not change the basic element of a natural place but influence its character

THING SPATIAL ( QUALITATIVE ) ORDER

CHARACTER GENERAL ATMOSPHERE OF A PLACE LIGHT THING DIMENSIONS OF EARTH CHARACTER ORDER SKY LIGHT TIME CONSTANT AND TEMPORAL MAKES APCE AND CHARACTER PARTS OF A LIVING REALITY WHICH AT ANY MOMENT PLACE GENIUS LOCII

STRUCTURE OF A NATURAL PLACE LANDSCAPE- ground is the most stable element presenting a few change with seasons whereas sky less concrete yet decisive MAIN QUALITY OF NATURAL PLACE EXTENSION TOPOGRAPHY SURFACE RELIEF

SCALE OF A NATURAL PLACE

Micro Medium Macro

too small for human scale apt too large

macro Texture , colour and vegetation

micro

Added to transform the surface relief : fertile plains vs. barren desert .. Forest landscapes Sand, earth , water , grass etc. Cascade, river, lake , pond, swamp, glacier

Surface Relief Vegetation Water

Place is formed surface

Water

island point promontory peninsula bay fjord

Plain Valley Basin Ravine Plateau Hill Mountain

vegetation

Forest Grove Field

SKY - 1. Quality of light and colour, & the presence of clouds

2. Its relationship to the ground Background to the surface relief in human perception The sky manifests itself in different landscapes in different forms eg; desert sky without clouds vast expanse . Mediterranean embracing sky

CONCLUSION Sky and Earth vertical and horizontal plane - man creates his world . Transforming the natural landscape to a cultural landscape Sometimes , a whole region or country may itself be termed by a landscape .South Indian Peninsula In all countries , naming of natural landscapes reflect the existence of natural places which are the locii of identification and orientation.