Experiencing the Past: the Virtual (Re)Construction of Places By

Experiencing the Past: The Virtual (Re)Construction of Places by Ahmed Hamed El Antably A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture and the Designated Emphasis in New Media in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Yehuda E. Kalay, Chair Professor Whitney Davis Professor Andrew Shanken Fall 2011 Abstract Experiencing the Past: The Virtual (Re)Construction of Places by Ahmed Hamed El Antably Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture and the Designated Emphasis in New Media University of California, Berkeley Professor Yehuda E. Kalay, Chair Place is characteristically imbued with a multiplicity of meanings contingent on the specificities of the society, time and space in which place is perceived. It is essentially subjective, relational and differential. As such, virtual multiplicity is the main characteristic of place where the virtual is understood as the sum of the real, a subjective mental act, and a motive or confusion. Space, conversely, is that which has no virtuality in it; it is objective. Accordingly, at least in theory, it is hard to distinguish between virtual and actual places. Outside of theory, virtual place typically suggests a system of representations that aims to convey through the senses an imagined or illusionary reality. Virtual place is mostly associated with places constructed using computational technology; most popular among them are massive multiuser online games (MMOGs). Lately, scholars are increasingly using such MMOGs to virtually construct or reconstruct historic places. The interpretation of such historic places depends on the affordances of the medium through which place is perceived and the ways in which such a medium is socially deployed and interpreted. This dissertation explores (1) the ways in which MMOGs are perceived and (2) the formative effect virtual reconstructions of historic places using gaming technology exercise on the interpretation of such places. Using two popular MMOGs as a case study, this dissertation shows that the perception of such places is conditioned by the suggestive technical affordances of the medium in addition to complex socio-historical forces. These conditions predispose expert users of MMOGs to perceive these virtual places in ways different than new users. New users perceive virtual environments in ways similar to the ways they perceive the actual environment: They assume an isomorphic relationship between the virtual reconstruction of a given place and its actuality. They value the formal and multi-sensory aspects of the environment. Expert users, on the other hand, perceive the virtual environment from a structural and functional perspective and pay less attention to its formal and 1 sensory qualities. They seek novel and interesting social activities, increased technical knowledge and improved social status. This dissertation also uses the ancient settlement of Sirkap, located in modern-day Pakistan, as a case study, to demonstrate that the use of gaming technology to virtually reconstruct a historical place may entail a change in the interpretation of archaeological records. Most conventional historical accounts of Sirkap use two-dimensional site maps and city plans as the primary media to represent the urban fabric of the ancient settlement. The medium lends itself to interpret the Block D Apsidal Temple complex as the dominant socio-religious structure in the affluent northern parts of the settlement. When the author developed an interactive three-dimensional reconstruction of Sirkap using gaming technology—a medium that allows users, through their avatars, to explore the settlement from the standpoint of a pedestrian—it was immediately obvious that the aforementioned Block D Apsidal Temple complex did not demand such an interpretation. Instead, this study argues that, at least in the affluent northern parts of the settlement, the northern gate, its adjacent fortifications, and the Block A stupa court were the dominant structures. Such an interpretation leads the authors to question the canonical understanding of the role of the state and its military apparatus in the socio-religious life of Sirkap. 2 Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have been possible without the help, advice and supervision of some amazing people. I had a fascinating dissertation committee, chaired by Professor Yehuda Kalay and comprised of Professors Andrew Shanken and Whitney Davis. Kalay allowed me to pursue my own research agenda and always joked that somehow I persuaded him that I can play online games and call it research! He would patiently meet with me and discuss my research for hours. Shanken was my writing coach and a very patient and insightful reader. Davis’ encyclopedic knowledge and stimulating discussions were always very rewarding. Professors Nezar AlSayyad, Jean-Pierre Protzen, Ruth Tringham and Daniel Michon also shaped my intellect and this dissertation in many ways. AlSayyad chaired my qualifying exam committee and was always there to guide me through the doctoral program. Protzen deeply shaped my understanding of architectural research and design. Tringham’s creative use of new media in both her research and teaching always inspired me. Michon worked with me on a research project and culminated in a paper that was accepted at the International Journal of Heritage Studies. I owe the archaeological work done in Chapter Five of this dissertation to him. I am also grateful for the amazing camaraderie I found at the Digital Design Research Group. I must thank Jaewook Lee, Cecilia Kim, Yongwook Jeong, Bauni Hamid, Seungwook Kim, Gokce Kinayoglu, Selina Lam, Jeffrey Chan, Emelie Cheng, Rana Abboud, Mao Ye, Yael Perez, Kartikeya Date, Hsin-Hsien Chiu, SeungWan Hong, Rosie Han and Ginette Wessel for being my extended family at Berkeley. I also like to thank other graduate students who shared with me the PhD room at Wurster Hall and with whom I had some of the most interesting intellectual discussions, especially Cecilia Chu, Tiago Castela, and Clare Robinson. Finally, I am deeply thankful to Safa, my wife, and Yassine and Amine, my lovely sons. They bore with me through my doctoral degree with patience and love. I dedicate this dissertation to them, to my father and the memory of my mother. i Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ i Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................. ii List of Figures........................................................................................................................................ v Chapter I Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 Exploring the Past ........................................................................................................................... 1 Research Strategy ............................................................................................................................ 3 Case Studies and Research Methods .............................................................................................. 3 Theoretical Lens .............................................................................................................................. 6 Dissertation Structure ...................................................................................................................... 6 Chapter II A Space for Place: Place in Postmodern Anglo-American and Continental Literature ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Place: A Social, Historical and Spatial Phenomenon .................................................................. 11 Phenomenology ............................................................................................................................. 11 Phenomenology in Architecture ............................................................................................. 13 Mentalist Place: Place as a Significant Locale ............................................................................. 15 Bachelard: The Heterogeneity of Place.................................................................................. 15 Anglo-American Literature .................................................................................................... 16 Existential Place: Place as Being-in-the-World (the Space of Places) ........................................ 19 Heidegger: The Space of Dwelling ........................................................................................ 19 Foucault: Places as Exclusive Heterotopias ........................................................................... 21 ii Lefebvre: the Spatial Triad ..................................................................................................... 24 De Certeau: Strategies and Tactics of Place .........................................................................

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