Urban Square and Image of the City (An examination of its qualitative attributes with special reference to sense of place) A dissertation submitted to the University of Moratuwa as a partial fulfillment of Requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Architecture W.S. Amarakoon Department of Architecture University of Moratuwa IS 155 April 2002 U n i v e r s i t y o f M o r a t u w a 7 8 1 5 5 Abstract City designing is temporal art. It gets its rhythm from physical and social environment. Physical environment is creation of architecture. Architecture can define as the "art of spaces" It suggests human capacity to use their intellect and natural instinct to organize spaces around him for better way of life. Place become an important feature with in urban space. Urban Square is one of the important places within monotonous urban context, which is very busy and restless. It brakes the monotony and becomes memorable element in the city. This has strength to bound city as one entity. Climax of dramatic event of city environment placed at the urban square. Because it has strong visual impact on the visitor. Spatial character of the urban square emphasis the fabric of city, color, texture, scale, style, character, personality and uniqueness. The urban square becomes a "place" which contains spirit of the whole city. As such urban square becomes a physical object, which gives high probability of evoking strong image of a city any observer. Its dramatic situation of architecture facilitates vividly identified, powerfully structured, highly useful mental image. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Archt. Raveen Gunerathne, Department of Architecture, University of Moratuwa for the continuous guidance, comments in the formulation of this study, Archt. Madura Premathilaka, and Dr R. Emmanuel Department of Architecture, University of Moratuwa for their comments and criticisms at the initial stage of this study, To Dissanayeka ayya for reading and correcting the draft of the essay, comment guidance through out the study, Specials thanks to Nileeka, Dilmini and Charmalee for their help through out this study and encouragement, Last but not least my dear Nayana who guide and encourage me in what ever I want to do and encourage me in caring my studies to become success, Finally with heart felt gratitude to my Amma and family for all their support. List of Figures Fig 1 : Map Of Rome Fig 2: Image of a city (City of the red see) Fig 3: Main Square at Sa lamanea Fig 4 : Santa corece, F lorence. Fig 5: Piazza Navona, Rome . Fig 6: Plan of Piazza del la Signor ia Fig 7: Piazza San Matteo, Italy. Fig 8: T h e Duomo, Florence. Fig 9: Gal le Face Green, Co lombo. Fig 10: A mosque (City of the red see) Fig 1 1 : St. Peters, Rome . Fig 12: Minarets act as landmarks, Y e m e n . Fig 13: P iazza of San Marco, Venice. Fig 14: P iazza of San Marco, Venice. Fig 15: Plan of p izza del Campo , Siena. Fig 16: St. Marke 's Square , Venice. Fig 17: The arial v iew of Prague. Fig 18: St. Mar ia Del Flore in Florence. Fig 19: The Grand axis. Paris. Fig 20 : Serial v is ion and spatial progression (casebook) Fig 2 1 : spatial progress ion at Mar ine Drive, Co lombo. Fig 22 : Dwel l ing unit, Afr ica. Fig 23 : San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice. Fig 24 : P iazza San Marco, Venice. Fig 25: Piazza San Pietro, Rome . Fig 26 : House at Iberian Vi l lage. Fig 27 : Capi to l ine Square, Rome Fig 28: Open court within St. Marke 's , Venice. Fig 29: Piazza St. Marke 's , Venice. Fig 30 : V iew of City F lorence. Fig 3 1 : Arial v iew of Spanish steps Fig 32 : St. Peters Rome . Fig 33 : The Trevi founta in , Italy. Fig 34: St. Marke's Square, Venice. Fig 35: Sky scrappers at Chicago. Fig 36: A Urban Square Fig 37: Piazza del Campo, Siena. Fig 38: Arial view of Lucca, Italy. Fig 39: A city in Yemen. Fig 40: Monument in a fountain. Italy. Fig 41: Spanish steps, Rome. Fig 42: Plan of Piazza del Popolo, Rome. Fig 43: Spanish steps, Rome. Fig 44:1 Piazza Ducal, Italy. y. Fig 45: Arial view of Seiana. Fig 46: An alleyway through residential area. Italy. Fig 47: Fountain at Italy. Fig 48: Castel St. Angelo , Rome . Fig 49: Echelon Square Fig 50: Gall face Green Fig 51: Fort railway station Fig 52: Spatial progression to gall Face Green Fig 53: Lake Beira and surrounding buildings Fig 54: Views and Vistas of Beira Fig 55: Beira and surrounding context CONTENTS Abstract i Acknowledgement ii List of Figures iii Introduction Topic explanation viii Architectural problem viii The need of the Study ix Aims and Objectives x Methodology x Scope and Limitations xi Chapter One City Design and importance of Urban Square in a city Image 1 1.1 Definition of Urban Square and Image 2 + 1.1.1 The Form of the Square 3 1.1.2 The Portal of the Square 5 1.1.3 Hierarchy of Square in the City 5 1.1.4 The Openess of a Urban Square 6 1.1.5 Determinant factors of image of the city 7 1.2 Urban Square and imageability in cityscape 7 1.2.1 Skyline 8 1.2.2 Views 9 1.2.3 Vistas 9 1.3 Internal Pattern in a city 10 1.4 City Form and Expression 11 1.4.1 Unity 12 1.4.2 Scale and Proportions 13 1.4.3 Rhythm, Harmony and Contrast 14 1.4.4 Order 15 1.5 Serial Vision and Urban Square 15 Chapter Two Significance of Place in Urban design 2.1 Concept of Place 2.1.1 Place and Space 2.1.2 Place and Time 2.1.3 Place making 2.1.4 Place and Image 2.1.5 Psychological dimensions 2.2 Meaning of Place in Urban Context 2.3 Urban Square as a Place 2.3.1 Identity 2.3.2 Uniqueness 2.3.3 Physical need 2.3.4 Symbolic need 2.3.5 Visual need 2.4 Placelessness of the Urban context Chapter Three Urban Square as Place and its contribution to image of City 3.1 Urban Quality and Image 3.1.1 Fabric and Object 3.1.2 Legibility 3.1.3 Imaginable Structures 3.2 Urban Square, Spirit of Place and Image 3.2.1 Locational attributes of urban square 3.2.2 Solid and void ratio 3.2.3 Sense of wholeness 3.3 City Image and Architectural character of a Urban Square 3.3.1 Scale and Proportions 3.3.2 Permeability 40 3.3.3 Structure within the square 40 3.4 Image of a city and its importance 41 3.5 Urbanization in Sri Lanka 42 3.5.1 Urban Square and image of the city 42 Conclusion 45 Bibliography 47