Seven Landscape Architectural Historic Sites Revisited

Seven Landscape Architectural Historic Sites Revisited

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ENVIRONMENT and DEVELOPMENT Jon Burley, Luis Loures Conceptual Precedent: Seven Landscape Architectural Historic Sites Revisited JON BURLEY+ & LUIS LOURES*+ * CIEO - Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, University of Algarve, 8005139 Faro, PORTUGAL + Landscape Architecture Program; School of Planning, Design, and Construction, Michigan State University, 488241221 East Lansing, U.S.A. e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract: - Designers are interested in the generation of form to guide the development of a particular design. With the advent of the modern design era in the 20th Century, the design "concept" became a driving force for most architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design schools, teaching students how to employ the design concept to guide the generation of form and details. Although, the design concept was employed in some designs before the 20th century, discussions concerning the design concept for historic landscapes has been limited. To illustrate examples of historic landscapes with design concepts, we chose seven projects to be revisited: Bom Jesus do Monte (Portugal), Xiaoling Tomb (China), Vaux le Vicomte (France), Villa Lante (Italy), Stourhead (United Kingdom), Stowe (United Kingdom), and Tapada das Necessidades (Portugal). Key-words: design process; design theory, design pedagogy, normative theory; 1 Introduction how important the design concept has become in the For the most part, the use of the design concept and 20th Century [28]. the design process is a construct of the 20th Century, The concept is normally the result of the critical promoted formatively in the last century by the thinking described by Hideo Sasaki, in the middle of Prairie School architects such as Walter Burley the twentieth Century, as a process that involves Griffin [2, 8] and the Bauhaus designers [22, 32, 34], research (to understand all the factors to be such as painter and educator Paul Klee [48]. considered), analysis (to establish the ideal However, there are sites around the globe containing operational relationship of all the factors), and strong concepts that were developed long before the synthesis (to articulate the complex of relationships modernists of the 20th Century, as in the case of into a spatial organization) with the objective to great Italian gardens such as Villa Lante and its reduce negative impacts on the existing site in order bilateral symmetry, and Stourhead, an English to obtain a harmonious and sustainable landscape Landscape School design with its wandering lines [30, 42]. For this reason, in the definition of the [11]. concept, as Gobster and Barro defend, the challenge In the process of creating a landscape design, is to make the right selection and to liberate our there are always ideas and designs in the mind that senses to new impressions [24, 31]. directly or indirectly influence the designer [20]. However, sometimes the design is governed by a very direct and strong concept [25, 37, 47]. 2 The relevance of a strong design In a broader manner the concept in landscape concept design may be described as the “big idea” that is Designers are often preoccupied with the search for often obtained from information extracted from the a design concept during the creation of a well local geographic, agricultural, topographic, designed space [11]. “By developing a concept, environmental and anthropological studies, among there are several benefits in executing a design. The others, in relation to the designer’s experiences and first benefit is that the shapes, forms, materials, and philosophical approaches toward nature, landscape, experiences are driven by the concept in a aesthetics and global composition. Jellicoe illustrates coordinated, unified fashion to express an idea. ISSN: 1790-5079 783 Issue 12, Volume 6, November 2010 WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ENVIRONMENT and DEVELOPMENT Jon Burley, Luis Loures Second, a concept often brings a strong sense of Located in a wonderful place in Braga, Portugal’s uniqueness and a special quality to a designed ecclesiastic capital, where nature and man’s works space” [11]. join in a symbiosis, Bom Jesus do Monte is an In this sense, the concept is a “type” of important work of the late Baroque in Portugal [12, idealization that not only facilitates reaching a better 41]. design, but can also shorten the time needed for the According to Conan, Bom Jesus do Monte is of process [20]. It is an expression of the problem special interest, because of its theatrical design, resolution for the design that enables the creation of among the many 17th and 18th century gardens that innovative and thoughtful design [11]. offered a vicarious pilgrimage experience [16]. In For this reason, the relevance of developing and the case of Bom Jesus do Monte this “experience applying a strong concept in landscape design is that begins at the bottom with an entrance gate (portico) there is no recipe for good design and thus, the and two small chapels housing depictions of the Last creation of a concept is essential as a guiding form Supper and the Prayer of Agony with Jesus at the giver [11]. Mount of Olives. The broad steps wind across the hill with various casinos and resting places including the chapels of: the Kiss of Judas, Chapel of 3 Case studies Darkness, Chapel of Flagellation, Chapel of Crown While Norman T. Newton described the elegant of Thorns, Chapel of Jesus with Pilate, and the historical projects in Italy, France, Spain, and Chapel of the Road to Calvary. Then one arrives at a England, there certainly are other very important circular plaza with views overlooking the city of sites worthy of closer inspection in Europe and Braga and the countryside” [10]. around the world [35]. One of these sites resides in The ascent begins again with the Staircase of the the north of Portugal, north of the city of Oporto, Virtues and with two statues of serpents spewing near the town of Braga. Another is in China, the water representing the passage from one life into the Xiaoling Ming Tomb in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. next [15]. “This next stage is a somewhat bilaterally Four other sites often investigated by landscape symmetrical step containing a pair of staircases architecture professionals, Vaux le Vicomte, France, climbing the hill and a series of fountains forming Villa Lante, Italy, Stourhead, United Kingdom, and the spine of the experience. From this view, all of Stowe, United Kingdom also contain strong the fountains above the plaza form the shape of a conceptual design and are revisited in this large chalice” [10]. There is the gruesome Chapel of discussion. The last case study presented in this the Cruxifiction, where Jesus is being nailed to the discussion is Tapada das Necessidades, in the city of cross and with broken knees to hasten his Lisbon, Portugal. suffocation and a Chapel of Simon of Cyrene helping Jesus with the burden of the Cross [10]. The first fountain spews water representing the 3.1 Bom Jesus do Monte – Braga, Portugal wounds of Jesus. The pilgrim is encouraged to Considered one of the most complex Catholic symbolically drink the water at each station, sanctuaries of the world Bom Jesus do Monte is symbolizing the water of life flowing from Christ's located in a hillside facing west (Espinho hill), body. Hence spatial design acquires a magical power which was claimed to contain, originally, a carved when the experience of moving through the material wooden depiction of Calvary, created by a hermit [6, world of the garden in present time transports 38]. visitors into the different world and temporality of a Built between 1784 and 1811 by Carlos Luis narrative [39]. Ferreira Amarante for Archbishop Rodrigo de Five other fountains spew water for the eyes (the Moura Teles “it became a site of pilgrimage, and sight fountain), the ears, (hearing fountain), the nose was eventually expanded to heighten the experience (the smell fountain), the mouth (taste fountain), and [7]. Instead of travelling to Rome or Palestine, from jars (the touch fountain) [10, 41, 45]. Through pilgrims could travel a less strenuous distance and this figurative and aesthetic experience, the visitors visit the site of Bom Jesus do Monte (Good Jesus of are symbolically invited to partake through their the Mountain)” [10]. Pilgrims could crawl on their bodily senses. knees up the site, visiting the various stages of Jesus The climb of the astonishing, 600step Baroque on his way to Calvary (the "Holy Way"), hoping to staircase (Figure 1) zigzagging up to the pilgrimage be blessed with the three virtues: faith, hope, and sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte is meant to induce charity [10]. some pain and play with the emotions of a repentant ISSN: 1790-5079 784 Issue 12, Volume 6, November 2010 WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ENVIRONMENT and DEVELOPMENT Jon Burley, Luis Loures pilgrim [10, 41]. Above the fountain of touch, These days, Bom Jesus do Monte has lost some of another plaza is placed to give rest for the pilgrim. its religious relevance as the 20th Century The final set of steps features the staircases of the appearance of the Virgin Mary at Fatima has three virtues with two more chapels at the top: replaced it as the site of significant pilgrimage [10]. Chapel of the Descent and the Chapel of the Unction However Bom Jesus do Monte is a protected and [3, 10]. There is one final series of steps and then classified site, still considered one of the largest finally the church with a scene of Calvary in the religious and tourist attractions of the north of church at the high altar. Facing west from the church Portugal [12]. there is a grand view of the city where visitors can The landscape design of this unique landscape experience the fusion of the horizon with the drew its power from the topicality it bestowed upon concept in which this landscape design was based.

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