Genius Loci

 

For our Design Projects module, we were recently asked to create a ‘Re-discovering place, meaning and character’ collage / poster, with the aim that it will inform a ‘furnitecture’ design of a bench that encapsulates the sense of place within Gloucester and our design.

This got me thinking about the term genius loci. Genius loci originated from Roman mythology, used to describe the protective spirit of the place – it now refers to a place’s distinctive atmosphere, perceived both physically and spiritually.

The genius loci relates back to the meaning of place, described by Norberg-Schulz as “a space with a distinctive character. Since ancient times, the genius loci has been considered as the concrete reality that man faces in everyday life. […] a set of concrete things with their material substance, form, texture, and colour. All together, these things define an ‘environmental character’ that is the essence of the place. In general, the place is defined by its character or atmosphere. A place, therefore, is a total qualitative phenomenon, which cannot be reduced to any of its individual characteristics without losing sight of its concrete nature. The character of a place is also partly a temporal function: it changes with the seasons, the course of the day and the weather situation.”

Through interpretation of this, it is clear that the genius loci is an almost impossible quality to capture within Landscape Architecture. A place can be identified as a concrete entity, yet at the same time intangible, with a multidimensional character based on geographical, historical, cultural, architectural, economic, and social coherence. The interaction of these elements forms the difference between places, the character that distinguishes one place from another and encompasses the term genius loci. The genius loci is a compilation of everything that has ever occurred in a location, and ever will occur – every thought and feeling, every historical event, important or not, every geographical shift and change.

This is something very hard to emulate within design of the landscape, but is possible. It requires careful research of the site and its surrounding context, with consideration of how each quality of the area links into another. For my design project, this led to the concept of the Willow tree, which, at first, has almost no relation to Gloucester at all. After the past two years of studying Gloucester, I learnt the city originated from its location of importance to the Romans, situated on the River Severn. This led to the development of a significant city, with the creation of docks and canals, from which flourished an industrial ‘character’.  During a walk through Alney Island, a large Willow tree captured my attention – I felt it represented the growth of the city. Willows have immensely strong roots, which give power for growth of the tree. This is how I view Gloucester: A Willow tree of intense cultural history, which serves to fuel the current genius loci of the city. Gloucester’s incredible history and culture is what allows it grow and develop now and in the future - all, I felt, captured within this single tree perched on the riverbank. 

References

Designing Buildings Wiki. (2020) Genius Loci. Available at: https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Genius_loci (Accessed: 30 January 2021)

Vecco, M. (2019) ‘Genius Loci as a Meta-Concept’, Journal of Cultural Heritage. 41 (1).