I’m not there : on the ex-situ experience of landscape architecture in texts

Abstract

An understanding of the relationship between text and landscape can benefit those who design and envisage landscapes to create places – physical or imagined – that have meanings beyond the veneer. It is argued that contemporary landscape architectural practice and theory often perpetuate the nihilistic world view; outdoor spaces are designed and experienced as being thin. Following this, it is suggested that a cause might be the strict use of a graphic notation system for design development and communication; outdoor spaces are designed with and represented as mere pictures. This paper serves as a reflection on the author’s use of text as a non-graphic tool for the design of various leftover outside spaces in the inner city of Pretoria in stadskrif [city text], a Master’s degree dissertation. Based on the results of that study, it was concluded that the use of text has limited value in the design process, but promises much use in the extension of the virtual existence of landscapes. This concept is expounded by briefly discussing one pre-modern and one modern text that serve as historic examples of their ciprocal text-landscape relationship, respectively Guillamme de Lorris and Jean de Meun’s Roman de la Rose [Romance of the Rose] and Hypnerotomachia Poliphili [Strife for love in a dream] that was possibly written by Francesco Colonna. The paper concludes with a statement of suspicion that the experience of landscape when outside the physical place, but inside its literary incarnation, is more fulfilling and in a sense more real than when being there,and vice versa.

’n Begrip van die verband tussen teks en landskap kan diegene wat landskappe skep en verbeel, baat om plekke te skep – fisies of verbeeld – met betekenisse dieper as die blote skyn. Dit word voorgehou dat eietydse landskapargitektuur-praktyk en teorie die nihilistiese wereldbeskouing voortdra; buiteruimtes word as dun ontwerp en ervaar. Hierop word voorgestel dat ’n moontlike oorsaak die uitsonderlike gebruik van ‘n grafiese notasiestelsel vir die ontwerp en voorstelling daarvan mag wees; buiteruimtes word as blote prente ontwerp en voorgestel. Hierdie artikel dien hierop as ’n terugblik op die outeur se gebruik van teks as ’n nie-grafiese ontwerphulpmiddel in die ontwerp van talle oorskietruimtes in die middestad van Pretoria in die Meestersgraad verhandeling stadskrif. Die uitkoms van daardie studie had die gevolgtrekking genoop dat teks ’n beperkte rol in die ontwerp van ruimtes kan speel, maar belowend vir die uitbreiding van die virtuele werklikheid van landskappe is. Hierdie gedagte word uitgebrei deur kortliks ’n pre-moderne en ‘n moderne voorbeeld van die wedergewende teks-landskapverhouding te bespreek, onderskeidelik Guillamme de Lorris en Jean de Meun se Roman de la Rose [Romanse van die Roos] en Hypnerotomachia poliphili [Die droomstryd na liefde] wat moontlik deur Francesco Colonna geskryf is. Daar word as gevolgtrekking bespiegel dat die ervaring van landskap in sy buite-ruimtelike, litirêre gedaante meer vervolmaak as tydens fisiese teenwoordigheid is, asook andersom.