The Concise Townscape

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His techniques consisted largely of sketchy drawings that conveyed a particularly clear understanding of his ideas, and these had a considerable influence on subsequent architectural illustration styles. He also illustrated several books by other various authors, before writing his own book - based on the idea of Townscape - in 1961. The Concise Townscape has subsequently been republished around 15 times, proving to be one of the most popular books on Urban Design in the 20th Century. Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval systemor transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher Mystery, surprise, and concealment: People are often drawn to scenes that evoke a sense of mystery – the promise of new possibilities and discoveries. This intrigue can be sparked by navigating through twisting turns, enclosed or defined spaces, or following deviations from the expected path. Such journeys can create a series of gradually revealed spaces, fostering curiosity and anticipation for what comes next.

Gordon Cullen - Wikipedia

v] Stephen Kaplan, Where Cognition and Affect Meet : A Theoretical Analysis of Preference, Cambridge University Press (1988) room can change a chattering, rest­less and giggling group of jollychildren into a serious and concen­ Like many generations before them the architects of the modern movement had clear ideas of their perfect city. For most it was a city built from scratch, full of modernist towers and planned in zones—an area for work, another for play, another for housing. For most, it was also an ideal in which traffic was separated from pedestrians, a place of urban freeways and soaring overpasses. Reconstruction Firstly we have to rid ourselves of the thought that the excitementand drama that we seek can be born automatically out of the scientificresearch and solutions arrived at by the technical man (or the technicalhalf of the brain). We naturally accept these solutions, but are notentirely bound by them. In fact we cannot be entirely bound by thembecause the scientific solution is based on the best that can be made of Again the assertion, This is That, canbe seen in examples of animism, thesuggestion that a door is a face and,more directly, that a window is amouth, can sometimes induce a senseof strangeness but can be very annoy­ing when it occurs unwanted.

Anything that may be occupied eitherby oneself or by one's imagination,which here lifts us into a carved stoneaedicule (in Valencia), becomes tothat extent of interest a warmcolour in the greys "f the inhospitable.Porticos, balconies and terraces havethis ability to communicate. Theydraw us outwards. Possession: This term implies a sense of ownership or belonging towards a space. Cullen believed that the design of urban environments should be human-centred, aligned with human perception and needs, making them more inviting and comfortable. Possession can be seen as part of Cullen’s broader emphasis on making urban environments more humane and engaging, connecting on a deeper, more personal level.

Serial Vision - University of Manchester

Concerning PLACE. This second point is concerned with ourreactions to the position of our body in its environment. This is as simpleas it appears to be. It means, for instance, that when you go into a roomyou utter to yourself the unspoken words 'I am outside IT, I am enteringIT, I am in the middle of IT' . At this level of consciousness we are dealingwith a range of experience stemming from the major impacts of exposureand enclosure (which if taken to their morbid extremes result in the In a town we do not normally have such a dramatic situation to mani­pulate but the principle still holds good. There is, for instance, a typicalemotional reaction to being below the general ground level and there isanother resulting from being above it. There is a reaction to beinghemmed in as in a tunnel and another to the wideness of the square. If,therefore, we design our towns from the point of view of the movingperson (pedestrian or car-borne) it is easy to see how the whole citybecomes a plastic experience, a journey through pressures and vacuums,a sequence of exposures and enclosures, of constraint and relief. Because the motor car demands first, a pedestrian-free permanent way; second, a smooth surface; third, vast open acreage for parking lots. The first neutralizes the space for use, the second destroys the character of the space by introducing a neutral floor, the third eats up all unfenced urban openings for car-storage. There is a fourth danger which has nothing to do with traffic and that is the deliberate attempt by what one might term the ‘eternal prefect’ mentality to prevent natural assembly.public, not democratically but emotionally. As the great Max Milleronce remarked across the footlights on a dull evening 'I know you're outthere, I can hear you breathing'. Enjoyable narrative and journey: Just as a story unfolds chapter by chapter, urban spaces can be ‘read’ in sequence. Utilising serial vision, urban designers and planners can craft journeys that evoke specific emotions or reactions, enhancing the overall experience of space and creating a coherent urban narrative. Or, to continue the interplay, Thisand That can co-exist. Ever sincepeople got really serious about plan­ning one of the main endeavours hasbeen to put people into sunny,healthy homes away from dirty,smelly and noisy industry. Whilst noone will seriously quarrel with this,the principle of segregation and zoninggoes marching on, with the resultthat we are in danger of losing thegreat unities of social living. TheWest End gets more and more officesto the exelusion of theatres and Cullen’s ideas about urban design, including serial vision, markedly shaped the course of town planning in the 1960s. Gordon Cullen sketch – diagrammatic analysis of space produced after walking around the town centre for Vivat Ware: Strategies to Enhance an Historic Centre (1974), a report prepared for East Hertfordshire District Council, UK. Image source: Urban Design Quarterly Drawing serial vision: examples Skyline, rhythm, and grain These serial vision sketches depict the journey walking through a city street. The hand-drawn townscape analysis captures the undulating skyline (see the Gordon Cullen quote below), highlighting the repetition and arrangement of forms within and between façades. The positioning of windows, doors, and overhanging balconies establishes a natural rhythm and grain within the streetscape, contributing to a dynamic and engaging visual experience.