Matej Jaššo The city as a personality and its projection in urban

Observations on spatial identity

Now the city, which had weighed and tasted Urbanity and urban semiotics deprived of the ideological support it enjoyed and smelled them, which had used all its po- The problems of urbanity, recurrent in di- in the first part of the 20th century, shatte- wers save one, prepared to use its final ability, scussions of urban planners, space planners, red by imperial conflicts, and degraded and the power of speech. It did not speak with the architects, economists and sociologists, may fragmented, a concept we can still agree on? rage and hostility of its massed walls or to- divide or unite these professionals, foresha- It is hard to say. wers, nor with the bulk of its cobbled avenues dowing future trends prevalent in social and fortresses of machinery. It spoke with the discourse. Approaches to these problems Post-modernist urban development is apt to quiet voice of one man. are characteristic and representative for create ‘representative spaces’, understood as Ray Bradbury, The City the ways of thinking at the onset of the 21st areas of projection of values, thoughts, ideas century: systems are becoming increasingly or principles. Ugliness, paradox, deforma- complicated and paradigmatic limitations tion and allusion have become legitimate are disappearing, to be replaced by uncerta- narrative strategies for the creation and inty of future developments. The old, still revitalisation of urban space. Traditional relevant definition of urbanity as the unique interpretations of urbanity, based on a socio- quality of the city which enables communi- ecological foundation (urbanity as density cation and facilitates social contacts in the and diversity of urban communities), on the urban environment is constantly undergo- diametric opposition of the public and the ing theoretical experiments. Is urbanity, private, or on functionalist canons (urbanity photo d. gruška photo as a measure of the development of city- codes and websites. Shapeless, changeable semiotic and non-semiotic processes. This forming functions), have been supplanted or visually indiscernible elements are also revealed the need to revaluate urban semio- by increasingly prominent interpretations regarded as signs. tics from the theoretical, methodological and of urbanity as an integrated chaos, space research perspective. for spontaneous, informal and illegitimate One of the first attempts to formulate an activity. 1 urban ‘grammar’ was the famous concept of urban personality and its psycho-se- mental maps put forward by Kevin Lynch.4 miotic analysis An interesting platform for the study of His theory held that elements of the urban Let us imagine the city as a human persona- urbanity is urban semiotics. This discipline and architectural structure – paths, edges, lity. Man’s personality, as well as – figura- explores the social significance of forms of districts, nodes and landmarks – are more tively – the personality of any other entity space and the ways in which physical objects than an isolated set of signs and physical (company or city) is the foundation of iden- and spatial types communicate meaning elements. It was one of the most precise tity: it differentiates an individual from a through signs and symbols.2 Semiotics consi- typologies that was applicable to any urban multitude of others in an absolutely accurate ders the city to be a ‘text based on a grammar environment (including a virtual environ- and explicit way. As a rule, what is original of spatial patterns and meaningful structu- ment); research has confirmed its intercultu- is not particular features of character or res’.3 Society, community and an interaction ral accuracy (it is likely to be culture free). personal qualities but their combination. As framework are the main contexts for the early as 1957 such a comparison was made by interpretation of signs and registers – Lynch’s theory, however, was criticised for American writer Richard Powell during the more significant than their purely physical its alleged reductionism.5 Some critics (such launch of his novel The Philadelphian: and morphological order. Semiotics focuses as Gottdiener and Lagopoulos) claimed that not only on systems of way-finding, colours, urban space is not a text but a ‘pseudo-text’ ‘In order to stimulate writers, the persona- signage, notices, arrows, pictograms, photos, in that it is created by barely separable lity of a city or town need not be lovable. streets, buildings or squares, but also on In fact, of the nine major cities which have addresses, maps, telephone numbers, post 4 See K. Lynch, The Image of the City. Cambridge, MA personalities, only San Francisco has a really 1960, and also P. Bakalář, Psychologický pruvodce Pra- nice one. The other eight cities often annoy hou, Praha 2006. people who have not had the good fortune of 1 See K. Schmeidler, Sociologie pro urbanisty a archike- 5 Critics pointed out that the conception was based only ty, Brno 2001. on visual semiotics and relies on cognitive-behavioural being born there. I hope I am not revealing 2 See S. Keller, “Review on: Gottdiener, M. Lagopoulos, categories, neglecting psychological data such as existen- anything top secret when I say that, to many A., The City and the Sign: An Introduction to Urban tial of a place, experiencability, emotionality or outsiders, Philadelphia and Boston have Semiotics, New York: Columbia University Press, 1986”, motivation. See M. Gottdiener, A. Lagopoulos, The City Contemporary Sociology 1988 (XVII), pp. 346-348. and the Sign: An Introduction to Urban Semiotics, New highly irritating personalities. To many out- 3 See T. Jachna, Cyburban Semiotics, Split 2004. York 1986. siders, these two cities are rather like a pair of sheltered maiden ladies who have become crotchety and eccentric but who happen to 6 panoramio be awfully well-heeled.’

Obviously, the personality of the city arises from complex socio-historical processes, but

6 R. Powell, “Preface”, [in:] The Philadelphian: The Personality of Philadelphia, Medford 2007, p. 14.

A view of the New Bridge in Bratislava it is also affected by management and the deli- temperament. This makes it possible to grasp pothetical personality, mark the city for many berate decisions of its authorities or residents. the reactions and manifestations of the city, years. The communist regime lasted slightly No city has an ultimately and immutably pro- seeking to answer the question of how the city more than forty years in Slovakia (1948–1989) filed personality; on the contrary, it is subject reacts to stimuli (does it tend to be phlegma- but the period left an indelible mark on the to change that can sometimes happen faster tic or choleric?). The temperament and the city with the abolition of the urban district of than the generational change. features of the city it involves translate into Vydrica, the splitting of the heart of the Old its atmosphere or ‘spirit’. The atmosphere can Town with the New Bridge, and the extension The foundation of any personality, the mo- be analysed not only from the point of view of of the National Gallery. The aesthetics of this ment which defines it – not only in its current its emotional hue but also as regards its mu- period was permeated with ideology – not only state but also in the previous stages of its deve- tability in time and space (morning/evening, in the East but also in the West (though ad- lopment – and which makes predictions about winter/summer, centre/outskirts). mittedly to a lesser degree). In practice, many its future possible, is the hierarchy of values. architectural solutions are evidence of the The urban environment is a mosaic of values A group of students of Spatial Development decline of functionalism as it created forms and pseudo-values whose influence on the at the Slovak University of Technology was devoid of any content slavishly performing the formation of hierarchies of values of individu- asked to do a laboratory project in visual socio- same functions. It is not a coincidence that al residents is unlimited. From the perspective logy. Their task was to analyse a hypothetical the height of functionalism was marked by of empirical observation another distinctive personality of a chosen city with regard to its early, isolated realisations doomed to become feature of the city’s personality is its face: the semiotic manifestations. Many students chose alien to users due to thoughtless, mechanical image of the city has a unique countenance to focus on Bratislava or its individual, rela- repetition. and physiognomy made up of symbols, land- tively independent (identity-wise) districts. marks, accents and other elements of visual Based on their findings, we shall take a closer The aesthetic ideology of organised modernity, communication. look at the ‘personality’ of the Slovak capital. which here took the degenerate form known as socialist realism, denied any values to the The language of the city speaks not only of the Bratislava as a personality past and was generally oriented towards tech- city itself but also of the society that inhabits Memory nical progress (behind which the cultural and it; the city’s visual language may be trivial, Every city’s historical memory is perhaps the social revolution lagged). The word ‘progress’ universal or unique. A less known category crucial component of its identity. The events was even used as a name for housing estates or used to describe the city, derived from the that shaped its appearance, and especially its cinemas built at the time, as a result of which psychological theory of personality, is its hierarchy of values, social atmosphere and hy- the term fell victim to communist newspeak: these days it is hard to imagine a developer calling his design this. The aesthetics of this

wikimedia period was derived from the noble premise of the avant-garde that everyone should create; in reality it turned out that not everybody is capable of artistic creation of the same quali- ty. Architecture did not come close to people; conversely, it fostered social anomie.

Bratislava was the capital of the Socialist Re- public of Slovakia and from its beginning the

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New wing of the National Gallery in Bratislava Manderlák, first scyscraper in Bratislava built in 1935

intention was that it be redeveloped into ‘a its face has lost the dull, exhausted, evasive modern capital of the Slovak part of the Socia- expression it had in the 1970s and 1980s. The list Republic of Czechoslovakia’ –eradicating Old Town has been renovated and has gained from public memory historic Pressburg, which the self-confident image of a Danubian me- was to remain ‘in exile’: in buildings such as tropolis. A variety of colours and shapes has Reduta and Manderlák, and partly also along emerged, the city has learned to put on diffe- the waterfront. Amusingly, socialism did not rent faces in different circumstances. In the really know what to do with the centre of Bra- 1990s the face of the city was enriched with tislava as a whole: urban structures here were several new projects of relatively high quality. too immutable, untouched by the war and familiar in the residents’ imagination. Before Unfortunately, the face of the city was also November 1989 the communist regime satisfied partly marred by neoliberal stunts at the turn itself with strong signs, such as the abovemen- of the millennium. A symbol of these trans- tioned extension to the Slovak National Galle- formations is the ‘River Park’ complex, whose ry, or else with superficial changes (covering aggressive form explicitly confronts the river, the waterfront with concrete and building a as if it wanted to communicate that the city is new harbour). The then tycoons did not dare here for the complex, or that it has won over to demolish historic buildings so they conten- the river. Semiotic analysis of the name ‘River

ted themselves with defiling and compromi- Park’ itself reveals that the complex is neither www.earthinpictures.com sing them in manifold ways so as to turn them a river nor a park, so it is in fact a semiotic into less attractive and less important points expropriation of to which the and leisure centre. Although the original in the residents’ mental maps. Devaluation response of the target audience is positive concept of ‘Eurovea’ as a ‘natural extension’ of of important sights, rivalry between land- (names like ‘Aquapark’, ‘Park One’ and others the city towards the river was not fully reali- marks (New Bridge vs. the castle), restricted work in the same way). ‘River Park’ was sed, ‘Eurovea’ may be regarded as an example admission (St Martin’s Cathedral), aggressive unlucky, partly because it was constructed at a of successful redevelopment of a non-city – a chromatic and formal contrasts (the old bu- time when the public was already much more neglected area of no particular emotional or ilding of the Slovak National Gallery vs. the sensitive to such interference (back in the ritual value to the residents. This was one of new extension) were intended to transform 1990s it would have gone virtually unnoticed). the reasons why it was well received by the the city’s historical memory. Interestingly, The authorities have also started to realise public. In the environs of ‘Eurovea’ the city is however, although the Bratislava corso did the historical value of sites which are to some learning tolerance; we can see that it has got suffer architecturally in the 1960s and 1970s, extent connected with the past regime and wiser and that sometimes people with widely it retained its unique atmosphere. The city’s whose value is considerable or for some reason disparate views may (must) live in it side by personality is not formed exclusively by archi- unique. An example is the Park of Culture and side. ‘Eurovea’ does not go out of its way to be tectural structures, and the residents’ mental Relaxation (PCR), where festivals and youth assertive as much as ‘River Park’ does – in fact maps have enormous power to survive. parties were held rather than party conven- there is a lot of ‘genuine plastic’ in its nooks tions. The atmosphere in such places enabled and crannies – but it is trying to enter into The face of the city people to breathe more freely for a moment. an explicit dialogue with the river: it respects The present face of Bratislava is largely an the morphology of the river bank and the effect of the post-1989 political and social The face of the city was also transformed by area, introduces greenery, and turns towards transformations. The city has grown young; the construction of the ‘Eurovea’ shopping the river through vantage points and piers,

autoportret 1 [36] 2012 | 91 and not with sheer violence. ‘Eurovea’ has The language of the city nism as historical necessity and to prove that a similar relationship with other buildings. The language of the city is a particularly com- history only began in 1948 (the extension to The dualism of the past and the present (the plex material for semiotic study. It comprises the Slovak National Gallery), the aluminium new building of the Slovak National Theatre not only the language of architecture and and glass language of late modernism, devoid and ‘Eurovea Gallery’) was resolved in a much urban planning and the context in which it of content (the former Presscentre, currently more mature way than in the case of ‘River originated but also all the linguistic manife- the J&T building , partly also the new building Park’ and PCR, although even here the histori- stations through which architecture tends to of the Slovak National Theatre), postmoder- cal part obviously fell victim to amnesia (the communicate its meaning. Bratislava developed nist eclecticism that does not say anything ‘Stoka’ Theatre, and the House of Sailors). The in the Slovak-German-Hungarian linguistic (‘Eurovea’, Apollo Bridge), as well as relics of face of the city is less uniform, more tolerant reality, of which regrettably little has survived the transitory period of squatter improvisa- and colourful. till today. The language of the communist time tion and struggle with developers that was do- is slowly being forgotten, although to some it omed to failure (the abandoned house opposite Therefore it is interesting that, regardless of still has a kind of nostalgic quality – like every- the former Presscentre). All these languages all ideological differences, there are certain thing that becomes the past. are forced to coexist and will perhaps one day similarities between the monstrous commu- communicate in some kind of Esperanto. nist buildings from before 1989 (the Slovak The Bratislava waterfront speaks an intere- National Gallery, the Parliament, the new bu- sting architectural and verbal language. Here S. Štasselová, J. Sitarčíková, D. Bubelínyová ilding of the Slovak National Theatre) and the we can come across sentimental language and Ľ. Halušková also analysed the verbal lan- new neoliberal construction projects (‘River that verges in places on Mucha’s Art Nouveau guage spoken by the Bratislava waterfront: Park’ and to some extent ‘Eurovea’). The Ger- (the building of the construction college), the man philosopher Herbert Marcuse forecasted language of early functionalism of the first re- The waterfront is slowly forgetting all its in the 1970s that postmodernist capitalism public (Comenius University), the authoritati- native tongues. Whether it was Hungarian, would gradually ‘internationalise’ Marxism ve police language of new totalitarian regimes German, or Slovak, all these are gradually and become a perverse hybrid of Soviet-style (the building of the Ministry of Domestic Affa- being supplanted by young, fresh and easily totalitarianism and unlimited consumerism irs of the Republic of Slovakia), the utilitarian understandable English. As a symbol of the in the North American style.... In this world, language of the time when functionalism and proximity of the world, of its accessibility – comfort, objects and experiences will form an the avant-garde had not yet completely betray- and as a sign of Bratislava’s cosmopolitism ideology in their own right, controlled (in a ed their former social ideals (four tower blocks – it is present virtually everywhere: on shop more covert way) by the establishment itself. by the tunnel), an attempt to present commu- signs, information in shop windows, in names of restaurants. The waterfront speaks with a marked commercial accent, like a huckster wikimedia who is trying to sell us something we do not want in an often servile and importunate way. The seller is trying to sell merchandise by me- ans of giant notices, colourful, catchy forms, loud, appealing announcements and omnipre- sent signposts that are meant to put us on the ‘right’ track.7

7 S. Štasselová, I., Sitarčíková, D. Bubelínyová, L’. Halušková, ‘Nábrežie. Mesto ako osobnosť a jej priemet v urbánnej sémiotike. Ateliér vizuálnej sociológie’, UM STU Bratislava, 2011, p. 13 [unpublished material].

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A view of the Dvořákovo nábrežie and River Park estate, Bratislava Zabudowa centrum handlowo-rekreacyjnego „Eurovea” zlokalizowanego nad Dunajem i otwartego dla mieszkańców w 2010 roku Poniżej: nowa siedziba Teatru Narodowego w sąsiedztwie centrum „Eurovea”

with symptoms of a certain extroversion. Bratislava is becoming a city that is not afraid of showing its reactions, because it has been able to accept or reject many new things. It is colourful and diverse.

As a personality, Bratislava has undergone a lengthy process of development, and nume- rous turning points in its history have left lasting marks on it. The city’s identity has panoramio developed over centuries and is being shaped every day, as it accepts new impulses and deals the temperament with old experiences. In this sense, the city and qualities of the city is not only a record of past events or current Human temperament is inborn and cannot be circumstances but also a potential of possibili- changed. Is this also true of cities? Let our stu- ties, an endless narrative. dents R. Jankovič, D. Zsigova and S. Schroeder speak again: translated into english by anna mirosławska-olszewska Bratislava reacts to impulses from outside in a phlegmatic way and values its conservatism. The city does not like change. To an observer it seems quiet, or even indifferent. It is only sha- ken by strong emotions, so it often appears to be cold-blooded, which may be seen as apathy. It cannot be described as full of temperament.

wikimedia In terms of openness, the city may be conside- red introverted. Just like an introvert, it tends The city soon learned the characteristic 21st- to be reticent and escapist but, should the century newspeak. Under the pretence of a need arise, it can behave like an extrovert.8 fun atmosphere, shopping centres lure us to their ‘Delicious Food Corners’ where we get Bratislava’s temperament, unlike that of a the poorest-quality Asian equivalent of fast human being, is mutable. The stagnation food, and passing billboards in these temples and phlegmatic uncommunicativeness of the of consumerism we will be smiled upon by 1970s and 1980s have been replaced since 1989 ‘our nearest and dearest’: mobile telephony operators, insurance companies and cable TV 8 See R. Jankovič, D. Zsigová, S. Schroeder, ‘Identita representatives. a osobnosť historického centra Bratislavy. Mesto ako osob- nosť a jej priemet v urbánnej sémiotike. Ateliér vizuálnej sociológie’, UM STU Bratislava, 2010, p. 12 [unpublished material].

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